Best Free Chatbot for Shopify Stores 2026
Before you install a free chatbot for ecommerce, check the conversation caps, branding and AI limits that decide whether it stays free for your store.
shoppa is our top choice for stores comparing a free chatbot for Shopify, because you can try its full AI shopping agent free. The free access is a trial, not a continuing free plan. Your customers find products from your catalogue, compare options and pay in the chat. The agent uses your own product data and policies, and runs on your site with your branding.
If your software budget must stay at zero after the trial, choose a continuing free plan from the options below. Separate the cost of the software from the time your staff spend answering messages.
Free Chatbots for Shopify Compared
Free chat tools cover different jobs, from messages answered by your team to AI replies that consume a limited allowance.
| Option | Free access | Who answers? | Allowance that affects your store |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. shoppa | Free trial | AI shopping agent, with human handover | Trial access, not a continuing free plan |
| 2. Shopify Inbox | Free app | Staff or optional Inbox AI agent | Staff-managed conversations or opt-in automated replies |
| 3. Tidio Free | Continuing free plan | Staff, Flows and a limited Lyro allowance | 50 billable conversations per month; first 50 Lyro conversations free for the lifetime of the account |
| 4. Tawk.to live chat | Free software | People in live-chat mode | AI Assist Hobby is separate: 100 message credits per month |
| 5. Chatbase Free | Continuing free plan | AI | 50 message credits per month, one agent and one member |
1. shoppa
shoppa ranks first for retailers who want to try shopping assistance beyond answering questions. Customers narrow a search over several messages, compare products and buy in the same chat. Order support and returns continue there after the sale.
The agent answers from your live catalogue and store documents. A customer asking for a cheaper option gets help within your range. Your store controls the agent’s name and colours, so customers stay on your site throughout the conversation and purchase.
You can add shoppa through its Shopify app or a two-line embed. Its free trial lets you try a full AI shopping agent, while its ongoing pricing uses sessions or tokens. Start a free trial, or read about adding an AI shopping agent to Shopify.
2. Shopify Inbox
Shopify Inbox is the strongest continuing free option for a store that wants chat inside Shopify’s own tools. Install the free app from the Shopify App Store. Staff can answer messages, and you can turn on its optional AI agent.
Shopify’s listing describes catalogue-based product help and built-in analytics. That makes Inbox a broader option than a basic message box. The staff mode still suits a small store whose owner wants to handle each conversation personally.
3. Tidio
Tidio Free suits a small team that wants live chat and a limited start with AI answers. Tidio’s pricing page lists 50 monthly billable conversations and a lifetime allowance of 50 Lyro AI conversations.
Those are different counters. A conversation is not an individual reply, and the free Lyro allowance does not renew each month. Tidio also lists a free Flows allowance reaching the first 100 visitors. Flows are configured paths through a conversation, distinct from Lyro’s generated answers.
4. Tawk.to
Tawk.to’s free live chat suits a store with people available to reply. It provides the message channel while your team handles the conversation. Its separate AI Assist Hobby plan has a capped AI allowance, explained below.
5. Chatbase
Chatbase Free suits a store that needs a small AI question-answering widget. Its pricing page lists 50 message credits per month, limited model access and one member. Free agents are deleted after 14 days of inactivity.
The free plan lists zero AI Actions. Choose it for answers drawn from supplied information, rather than as a free way to automate order tasks. Its small allowance suits occasional questions better than sustained sale traffic.
Shopify Inbox App: The Free Default
Shopify Inbox is a free Shopify App Store app with staff chat, quick replies and an optional AI agent. In staff mode, your team answers detailed product questions and sends product links or discount codes.
Turning on the agent changes that division of work. Shopify’s help centre says it answers product and policy questions from the catalogue, Knowledge Base and storefront content. It can also use cited web search for qualitative feedback on a specific product. Your staff still handle messages when you choose staff mode.
The app listing includes order updates and analytics. Free software therefore doesn’t automatically mean basic automation or missing reporting. Read the Shopify Inbox comparison for the differences from an AI shopping agent that also handles buying in the chat.
Tawk.to as a Free Live Chat Alternative
Tawk.to is a free live chat alternative when your team can answer customer messages. The live-chat product connects customers with people. That free message channel alone doesn’t provide shoppa’s catalogue-to-purchase shopping workflow.
Tawk.to also has a separate AI Assist Hobby plan. Its billing guide lists 100 monthly message credits, one AI agent and crawling of up to 100 web pages. Each AI message uses one credit, including Smart Reply and AI Commands. A multi-message conversation can consume several credits.
Tawk.to’s explanation of its free model lists paid branding removal and hired chat agents. Keeping the vendor branding avoids that removal charge. Hiring agents changes who answers the messages and adds a service cost, even though the live-chat software is free.
Best Free AI Chatbot for Website Use Outside Shopify
For a free chatbot on a website outside Shopify, Tidio and Tawk.to have documented installation options beyond Shopify. Choose an AI allowance when you need generated replies, or live chat when someone can respond.
| Store platform | Documented option | Installation work |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Tawk.to WordPress plugin; Tidio’s WordPress integration | An administrator can install the plugin. Custom theme work can require a developer. |
| Wix | Tawk.to widget through Embed HTML | Paste the widget code in the editor and size its area. The vendor guide says coding experience isn’t needed. |
| Squarespace | Tawk.to widget through Code Injection | Add the widget code through Website Tools. Someone with access to this setting can follow the vendor guide. |
Adding a widget makes chat available on the page. It doesn’t by itself connect the store’s basket or order records. Custom connections need development work and can exceed what a free AI plan includes.
shoppa also has native apps for WooCommerce and Wix, with a two-line embed for other sites. Its free trial is an option outside Shopify too. Keep the distinction between trial access and software you intend to keep using free.
What Free Plans Leave Out
A free plan can run out of replies or exclude the actions your store needs, even while the widget remains visible. Compare the named plan’s allowance with your expected sale traffic.
Chatbase Free lists zero AI Actions, while its Hobby plan adds integrations and basic analytics. The Free plan is therefore a limited answering option in that pricing comparison. Don’t budget for automated basket changes or order lookup as included free actions.
Tidio’s pricing page puts Lyro product recommendations behind a paid Lyro quota. It makes the first Action free and requires a paid quota for full Action access. A store that needs multiple automated tasks can outgrow the allowance before its live-chat workload grows.
Tawk.to’s billing guide places API integrations on AI Assist Growth. Its free Hobby allowance covers limited AI messages. Keep human live chat and connected AI order tasks separate when deciding what you need.
Vendor branding is another cost boundary. Chatbase lists branding removal as an add-on, as does Tawk.to. Reporting also differs by product: Shopify Inbox includes analytics, so missing analytics isn’t a universal free-plan limit.
You’ve outgrown a free tier when its allowance runs out during normal trading, staff repeatedly finish tasks it can’t perform, or required reporting sits outside the plan. A store answering occasional questions can stay within a free tier much longer than one handling several follow-ups per customer.
When Paying Makes Sense
If your team answers more than 30 repeat questions a week, compare the time spent with the paid plan’s cost. Use 30 as a practical review trigger, not a vendor limit.
For an illustrative store, 40 repeat questions taking three minutes each consume two staff hours a week. Multiply those hours by your actual staff cost. Count only the questions the paid tool can handle, and include time spent checking answers or taking over conversations.
Use the chatbot cost guide to compare charging models. Keep a continuing free plan when it covers your workload. Pay when the supported shopping or support tasks justify the ongoing cost after any trial ends.