Chatbot for Shopify
Last updated . Figures are approximate and change with the market, so check current prices before you decide.
A Shopify chatbot answers shoppers while you are busy or asleep: where is my order, what is your returns policy, does this come in blue. The three routes below differ in cost, in how much you control the answers and in how much work they take. Prices were checked on each vendor's own pages in October 2026 and will change.
The three options at a glance
| Option | What it is | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Inbox | Shopify's own chat and AI sales associate | Free | Stores that want a simple start |
| Third-party app | Live chat, helpdesk and AI agent in one tool | From about $10 to $50 a month, plus usage | Stores with a team answering chats |
| Custom AI chatbot | Built around your approved answers and hand-off rules | One-off setup plus monthly upkeep | Stores with a lot of repeat questions |
Option 1: Shopify Inbox
Shopify Inbox is listed on the App Store as free. Shopify describes it as an AI-powered sales associate on your storefront that answers buyer questions and helps them find products from your catalog. It connects to your catalog, inventory and policies, and you set its tone, style and rules. You can rate chats to train it, and it shows analytics such as orders assisted. You can run it with or without the AI agent, and it supports about twenty languages.
It is the obvious first step. There is nothing to pay, nothing to connect, and it sits inside the store you already run. The limits are the ones you would expect from a free built-in tool: it works inside Shopify's frame, so you have less say over complex hand-offs, other channels and exactly how answers are written.
How to set it up
- Install Shopify Inbox from the App Store in your Shopify admin.
- Set its tone and rules, and check that your policies are complete, because it learns from your catalog, policies and store content.
- Write down what it must never promise, such as delivery dates you cannot guarantee.
- Test with real questions from your inbox, including awkward ones.
- Read the first chats each day for a week and rate them.
Option 2: Third-party apps
Many apps add chatbots to Shopify. Two examples, with prices from their own pages:
- Tidio. Its Shopify listing says a free plan is available. On Tidio's pricing page, the Starter plan begins at $24.17 a month with 100 billable conversations, Growth begins at $49.17, and the Lyro AI agent on its own begins at $32.50 a month with 50 AI conversations. Usage above the plan raises the price.
- Gorgias. Gorgias is a helpdesk. Plans run from $10 a month for 50 tickets on monthly billing to $60 for 300 tickets. Its AI agent is priced separately and charged when it resolves a conversation.
These tools suit stores where a person also answers chats, because they put live chat, email and social messages in one inbox. Watch how the price is counted. Per-conversation or per-resolution pricing is cheap when you start and grows with traffic. Annual versus monthly billing also changes the headline price.
Option 3: A custom AI chatbot
A custom chatbot is set up around your own facts: delivery times, returns, sizing, care instructions, opening hours. You approve every answer it may give, set the tone, and decide when it hands the conversation to a person. It can also collect details for a quote or a booking and pass them on.
Our AI chatbot service is €390 for a chatbot on your website, or €690 for WhatsApp, with €79 a month for upkeep: updating answers, reviewing conversations and fixing gaps. You pay the AI platform fees directly to the provider, so you see the real cost. Prices exclude VAT where it applies.
This route costs more at the start than Shopify Inbox. It makes sense when the same questions keep arriving and you want tight control over what is said.
What to automate first
Do not start with a smart bot. Start with the questions that fill your inbox.
- Delivery and returns. Times, costs, who pays for returns.
- Where is my order. Link to your tracking page, or hand off to a person.
- Product basics. Size, material, care, compatibility.
- Opening hours and contact details. Short and constant.
- Quote or booking requests. Collect the details and send them to you.
Leave complaints, refunds with exceptions and anything that needs judgement to a person. Our guide on how to automate customer service walks through the same order: saved replies first, then notifications, then a bot.
Pitfalls
Wrong answers
A chatbot can answer confidently and be wrong. The fix is to limit it to answers you approve, tell it to say when it does not know, and test it with awkward questions before launch. Read real conversations after launch. We cannot promise it never gives a wrong answer; a hand-off to a person reduces the risk.
Privacy
Chats can contain names, addresses and order details. Before you switch anything on, check where the provider stores the data, whether it uses chats to train its models, and what its data terms say. Update your privacy policy to mention the chat. Tell visitors they are talking to an automated assistant. Do not let the bot ask for payment card details or health information.
Promising too much
A bot that quotes a delivery date or a refund it cannot honour creates a support problem. Write the limits into its rules.
Setting it and forgetting it
Policies change, products change, answers go stale. Review the conversations monthly and fill the gaps.
How OnePDA helps
We build the version with approved answers and hand-off rules. For a website the setup is €390, or €690 on WhatsApp, then €79 a month for upkeep. Platform fees are paid by you to the provider and the account stays in your name. If your store has too few repeat questions to justify it, we will suggest Shopify Inbox and a set of saved replies first. We do not promise a number of leads or sales. See the chatbot page for what is included.
FAQ
Is there a free chatbot for Shopify?
Yes. Shopify Inbox is listed as free on the Shopify App Store, and Tidio's listing shows a free plan. Free tiers usually limit conversations, features or branding.
How much does a Shopify chatbot cost?
From nothing for Shopify Inbox. Third-party apps start around $10 to $25 a month and rise with usage: Tidio Starter from $24.17 and Gorgias helpdesk plans from $10 a month, as of October 2026. A custom chatbot with us is €390 to set up and €79 a month.
Can a chatbot handle order tracking?
It can point shoppers to your tracking page or pass the question to a person. Fully automated order lookups depend on the tool and how it connects to your store.
Will a chatbot make things up?
It can if it is allowed to improvise. Limit it to approved answers, tell it to say when it does not know, and test it.
Do I need to tell customers it is a bot?
It is good practice, and some rules may require it. Say so in the chat window and in your privacy policy. Ask a local adviser about the rules for your market.