Shopify Inbox vs. the Big Players: Free Chat That Holds Its Own

With their expanding portfolio of free apps, e-commerce giant Shopify is tossing merchants a lifeline. With 2.49 million stores worldwide, earnings soaring, and stock hitting a 52-week high of $126, Shopify’s empire is clearly booming. Although they have over 8,000 app developers providing solutions for merchants’ every need, Shopify has been slowly building a tidy little portfolio of free apps of its own.

And this is welcome news for merchants worldwide who often pay through the nose for subscriptions, the cost of which soon build up to hefty monthly subscriptions bills. One of the best apps released by the Shopify dev team in recent years is Shopify inbox, a free messaging tool that lets merchants chat with customers as they shop.

In this article, we put forward a case for Shopify inbox as an alternative to some of the big players out there, but before that, let’s review the most popular solutions.

Zendesk

Zendesk’s a customer support titan—150,000+ fans worldwide can’t be wrong. Pricing kicks off at $55/month, soaring to $150/month for the juicy bits: chat, email, phone, social, plus ticketing and analytics that’ll make your eyes pop. It hooks into Shopify like a charm, but with a measly 2.9 stars from just 161 reviews, this big dog’s barely barking on the platform—hardly a merchant darling. X merchants shred it—“setup’s a bloody nightmare,” “UI’s stuck in the dial-up era”—not a rousing cheer squad. Shopify Inbox’s free vibe could swipe the crown unless you’re buried in tickets.

Gorgias

E-commerce merchants swamped by chats—Gorgias struts in like a hero. Over 15,000 stores lean on it—40% of Shopify’s top 250 can’t quit it. On the Shopify App Store, it’s flexing 4.2 stars from 712 reviews—X calls it “ticket-slaying gold,” though ticket caps peeve some. Pricing starts at $10/month for 50 tickets, jumps to $60/month for Basic—steep climb, huh? The USP’s: live chat, whatsapp integration, ticketing, multi-store connection and AI slashing 60% of emails. Big league players love it—Inbox’s freebie might not cut it unless you’re pinching pennies.

Tidio

Tidio draws in Shopify merchants with its cost-effective chat solutions. It’s so well though of that a mega 300,000+ businesses worldwide rely on its tools, a significant share within Shopify’s ecosystem. It earns 4.6 stars from almost 2,000 App Store reviews—users commend the AI bot Lyro for resolving 70% of queries, though some note spam issues. Pricing begins free for 50 chats monthly, rising to $29/month or $59/month for Shopify-specific plans—a compelling value proposition. Its strength lies in AI-driven automation and live chat with cart visibility, capabilities Inbox lacks—yet merchants appreciate the free tier’s robust baseline for smaller operations.

Trengo

Trengo is a lesser known platform that lures merchants with multi-channel flair—apparently 3,000+ businesses globally, though Shopify’s slice is thin but growing. No App Store badge her as Shopify integration is a DIY job which connects their API through a custom app. With only 2.2 stars on Trustpilot, reviews are not exactly enticing either. Pricing starts at $25/month for five users, $50/month for Scale—kinder than Gorgias’s bite. It’s a slick, omnichannel inbox mashup: WhatsApp, chat, email—and although setup’s a slog, it’s a contender for chat-heavy stores.

Shopify Inbox

In comparison, Shopify Inbox is a free, no-frills chat solution with direct, dashboard-based messaging with seamless order syncing. It pulls 4.7 stars from 6,000+ App Store reviews, bolstered by Shopify’s claim of a 70% increase in conversion rate—a figure that holds weight in merchant feedback. Unlike Tidio’s bot-driven approach or Zendesk’s expansive suite, Inbox keeps it straightforward, dodging the $60/month Gorgias fee. It’s a solid pick for small to mid-sized shops—larger operations may still eye premium tools for added firepower. Its mobile app is a major feature which blows other platforms out of the water.

References

• Shopify Inc. (2024). Shopify Q3 2024 Revenue Growth Accelerates to 26%, Free Cash Flow Margin Expands to 19%. Available online. Accessed March 2, 2025.
• Investing.com (2025). Shopify stock soars to 52-week high, touches $126 mark. Available online. Accessed March 2, 2025.
• Big Commerce (2025). Artificial Intelligence in Ecommerce: How This Rapidly Evolving Tech Will Change the Online Storefront. Available online. Accessed March 2, 2025.