Switch from Zipchat to Carti
Zipchat bills every AI reply, so one long chat can cost as much as several short ones. Carti counts a whole conversation once and never charges overage. It's billed through Shopify, so uninstalling stops it, and Zipchat keeps answering until you swap.
The switch, step by step
Most of the time goes into testing, and Zipchat keeps answering shoppers until step 4.
Install Carti and let it learn your store
Install Carti from the Shopify App Store and pick a plan (the Free plan works). It reads your products, collections, pages, policies and shipping settings by itself, and the dashboard shows how long that first read will take. Nothing changes on your live store until you switch Carti on in your theme.Copy over the answers only Zipchat knows
Look through the corrections and custom answers you added in Zipchat for anything that isn't on your site, like a warranty detail or a wholesale rule. Paste them into Carti's FAQs, or upload them as a PDF, Word or text file. Anything already on your site, Carti picks up on its own.Test Carti on a preview theme
Duplicate your live theme, turn on the Carti app embed in the copy, and open its preview. Ask the ten questions your shoppers ask most. If an answer is off, find it in Carti's chat history, where most replies have a Fix this reply option, and write what Carti should say. It uses your answer when shoppers ask something similar.Swap the chat on your live store
In your live theme's editor, open App embeds, turn Zipchat off and Carti on, then save. Shoppers see one chat bubble, and Carti answers from the next visit on.Cancel your Zipchat plan
First check where you pay. If Zipchat is on your Shopify invoice, Shopify bills it and uninstalling ends the charges. If you signed up on Zipchat's own site, cancel in your Zipchat account settings as well. Zipchat's terms say its 30-day refund guarantee covers monthly plans only and is paid as store credit, and its pricing page says unused months on a yearly plan aren't refunded, so time the switch with your renewal date.Remove Zipchat from Shopify
In Shopify, go to Settings, then Apps and sales channels, select Zipchat and uninstall it. Then open your live store and make sure Zipchat's chat button is gone. If you want your Zipchat conversation history, ask Zipchat support for an export: its terms give you 30 days after cancelling to request one.Check in after a week
Your Carti dashboard shows every conversation and the sales from shoppers who chatted. Each week Carti also drafts new FAQs from questions your shoppers asked, ready for you to review.
What moves, and what stays behind
- Products, prices and stockCarti reads them from Shopify.Nothing to move
- Policies and store pagesRead on install.Nothing to move
- Corrections and custom answersPaste or upload the ones that aren't already on your site.Copy over
- Conversation historyAsk Zipchat for an export within 30 days of cancelling, as its terms allow.Stays behind
Why stores move from Zipchat to Carti
Switch to Carti if
- Your Zipchat bill climbs with every AI reply, and extra reply packs add up in busy months.
- You want a fix to stick: correct a reply once and Carti uses your answer on similar questions.
- Most of your chats happen on your store, where Carti answers questions, recommends products and adds them to the cart when a shopper asks.
- You want to see the sales from shoppers who chat, right on your dashboard, on every plan.
What changes when you move
The differences that matter for the switch itself. For everything else, see the full Carti and Zipchat comparison.
| Topic | Zipchat | Carti |
|---|---|---|
| What counts | Zipchat: Every AI message, on any channel, is one reply. Zipchat's listing puts 750 replies at around 300 conversations | Carti: A whole conversation counts once, on Carti's first answer |
| Free trial | Zipchat: 7 days | Carti: 14 days on paid plans |
| Channels | Zipchat: Site chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, plus AI replies to Facebook and Instagram comments | Carti: Store chat, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp |
| When a person is needed | Zipchat: Your team can take over the chat | Carti: Carti emails the request and transcript to your team, or opens a Zendesk or Gorgias ticket |
Zipchat details from its Shopify App Store listing, zipchat.ai/pricing and its terms and conditions.
What the AI costs at your volume
Zipchat bills for every AI reply and Carti for whole conversations. To compare the two, this table uses Zipchat's own estimate from its App Store listing: 750 replies is around 300 conversations.
| Conversations a month | Zipchat | Carti |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Zipchat: $0 on the Free plan | Carti: $0 on the Free plan |
| 250 | Zipchat: $80 on Starter | Carti: $49 on Starter |
| 600 | Zipchat: $227 (Starter plus three extra reply packs) | Carti: $99 on Growth |
| 1,000 | Zipchat: $300 on Pro | Carti: $249 on Scale (up to 1,750) |
Zipchat prices from its App Store listing and zipchat.ai/pricing, monthly billing. Zipchat's free plan appears on its App Store listing only. At Zipchat's own rate of about 2.5 replies per conversation, 600 conversations is about 1,500 replies, which is Starter's 750 plus three $49 packs of 250. Stores with longer chats use more replies. Carti never charges overage: when a plan's conversations run out, Carti stops answering new chats and points shoppers to your team until the next 30-day cycle or an upgrade.
“Response times went from hours to seconds, and our conversion rate increased by 35%.”
Brendan Davidson, Fans Of Free
Store-wide conversion after installing Carti, March 21 to April 20, 2026. Read the case study
Questions merchants ask before switching
Can I keep Zipchat running while I try Carti?
Yes. Install Carti and test it on a preview theme while Zipchat keeps answering on your live store. Swap them when you're happy, and avoid showing both bubbles on your live store at once, because shoppers won't know which one to use.
Will long conversations cost more with Carti?
No. A whole conversation counts once, on Carti's first answer, however many messages it runs to.
Do I need to import my Zipchat conversations?
No. Carti learns from your Shopify catalog, policies and pages. Paste or upload the answers that exist only in Zipchat, and ask Zipchat for an export of your conversation history if you want to keep it.
What happens when a shopper needs a person?
Carti answers on its own around the clock. When a shopper needs a person, it sends the request and the chat transcript to your team by email, or opens a Zendesk or Gorgias ticket.
How do I cancel my Zipchat subscription?
First check where you pay. If Zipchat appears on your Shopify invoice, Shopify bills it and uninstalling the app ends the charges. If you signed up on Zipchat's own site, cancel in your Zipchat account settings as well, then uninstall the app.
How much will Carti cost compared with Zipchat?
Carti's Free plan includes 50 AI conversations every month, and paid plans are $49 for 250, $99 for 600 and $249 for 1,750, each with a 14-day free trial. Zipchat charges per AI reply: $80 a month for 750 replies, which its listing puts at around 300 conversations, then $49 for each extra 250 replies. Carti has no overage charges.
Can I switch back if it doesn't work out?
Yes. Turn Carti's app embed off, uninstall it from Settings, then Apps and sales channels, and reinstall Zipchat. Carti's chat comes off your store with the uninstall, so there is no code to clean up.
Ready to switch from Zipchat?
Start your free trial and keep Zipchat running until you're sure.
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