In today’s market, a chatbot for e-commerce is crucial for providing the instant, personal help that drives sales. These AI assistants guide customers and boost conversions, but the real challenge is picking the right platform.
After analyzing the 9 best options available, we’ve identified a clear set of leaders. Our top 3 are Chatty, Gorgias, and Tidio, and in this article, we’ll show you what makes them special and how the other six platforms compare. Let’s get started!
How do AI chatbots transform an e-commerce website?
AI chatbots are revolutionizing e-commerce by turning a simple website visit into a dynamic, personal, and helpful conversation.
What a modern chatbot changes on your site:
- Answer product questions instantly
- Explain shipping, fees, and returns in context
- Guide size and fit with quick Q&A
- Recommend products using browsing and purchase history
- Check stock and delivery estimates by location
- Build bundles and suggest add-ons that raise order value
- Capture email or phone when intent is high
- Rescue abandoned carts with timely prompts
- Track orders and start returns without waiting
- Send back-in-stock and price drop updates
- Support many languages automatically
- Hand off to a human smoothly when needed
- Learn from every chat to improve content and search
This is not a theory. In retail and fintech, AI assistants already handle a large share of customer chats and resolve them in minutes. For example, Klarna’s AI assistant now solves two-thirds of service chats in under 2 minutes. Zendesk reports that AI has led to a 23% boost in automated resolutions and a 16% faster first response time. And on the sales side, Forrester found that shoppers who use chat are 2.8 times more likely to convert than those who don’t.
Must-have features e-commerce chatbots need
To ensure your e-commerce chatbot delivers a truly exceptional customer experience, below are 4 essential features that make every interaction smooth and intelligent.
CRM integrations
When your chatbot connects to a CRM (Customer Relationship Management system), it no longer treats every shopper as a stranger. It remembers their past orders, preferred products, and even open tickets, then passes that context to your team. This makes service feel personal instead of robotic, which is why CRM integration is the foundation of a smart e-commerce bot.
Key capabilities
- Sync customer profiles so the bot knows names, emails, and order history
- Record conversations directly into CRM notes for one clean history
- Trigger follow-ups, like a special offer for VIP customers or a churn alert for those at risk
- Work smoothly with major tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Klaviyo, or Shopify
Omnichannel support
Today’s shoppers might start a question on Instagram, follow up on WhatsApp, and finish the purchase on your website. If your chatbot cannot follow them across channels, conversations get fragmented, and customers feel unheard. Omnichannel support means one continuous thread, wherever your shopper decides to talk to you.
Key capabilities
- Connect directly with channels like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, and email
- Show one unified timeline so agents and bots see the whole journey
- Route conversations to the right team with built-in business rules
- Send proactive reminders like “your cart is waiting” or “your order is out for delivery”
Visual search
Sometimes words fail. A customer may not know the product name, but has a photo saved on their phone. Visual search lets them upload that image, and the chatbot scans your catalog for the closest matches. This feels almost magical to shoppers and makes discovery effortless, especially in fashion, home décor, or beauty.
Key capabilities
- Accept image uploads inside chat, both on desktop and mobile
- Match products by attributes such as color, shape, or fabric
- Suggest alternatives when the exact item is out of stock
- Recognize different variants like sizes and shades in one search
Custom analytics
Running a chatbot without analytics is like running a store without checking sales at the end of the day. Custom analytics tie every automated reply back to business outcomes, showing you not just how many chats were handled but how much revenue was recovered or how many customers were kept happy.
Key capabilities
- Track customer service metrics like response time, resolution rate, and satisfaction (CSAT)
- Measure sales impact, such as conversion uplift, average order value, and abandoned carts recovered
- Identify weak spots with reports on failed queries or unhelpful answers
- Break down performance by campaign, traffic source, or customer segment
At a glance: The 9 leading chatbots for e-commerce stores
Finding the right AI chatbot is crucial for scaling your e-commerce business, but the best platform depends entirely on your specific goals.
The platforms below are ranked based on our hands-on analysis, not sponsorships. Our evaluation focuses on the criteria that matter most to online stores:
- AI capabilities: How well does the AI understand customer intent and use product data to drive sales or resolve issues?
- E-commerce integrations: How deeply does it connect with platforms like Shopify and other tools in your tech stack?
- Ease of use: Can you manage and customize the chatbot without a team of developers?
- Pricing model: Is the pricing transparent, predictable, and does it offer good value?
This approach allows us to highlight the solutions that truly excel for different e-commerce needs, from social selling to enterprise-level support.
| eCommerce Chatbot | Best for | Key features | Drawbacks | Price range |
| Chatty | Shopify brands that want to sell | Sales-focused AI, product recommendations, unified inbox | Perfect | Free → from $19.99/user/mo |
| Gorgias | Shopify helpdesk + chatbot | Ticket automation, deep Shopify data | Unpredictable ticket-based pricing | $10 → $300+/mo (+AI fees) |
| Intercom | Proactive chat at scale | Proactive engagement, all-in-one platform | Complex and expensive pricing model | From $29/seat/mo + $0.99/AI chat |
| Tidio | Budget-friendly starter AI | Easy setup, generous free plan | Limited scalability and basic AI | $24 → $32.50/mo |
| ManyChat | Instagram/WhatsApp sales | Social media flows, comment-to-DM automation | Lacks true conversational AI, contact-based pricing | Free → from $15/mo (scales with contacts) |
| Zendesk | Larger support organizations | Unified helpdesk, robust reporting | Expensive per-agent pricing, costly add-ons | $19 → $169/agent/mo (+AI add-ons) |
| LivePerson | Enterprise conversational commerce | Scalable revenue-focused messaging | Opaque, enterprise-only pricing; no trial | Custom enterprise (5–6 figures/yr) |
| Ada | Enterprise automation/deflection | High ticket deflection rates | Complex, expensive, and requires a dedicated team | Custom enterprise ($30k–$300k+/yr) |
| Heyday | Social + retail chat | Blended sales/support on social media | Lacks true omnichannel support | $99 → $249/user/mo (Enterprise custom) |
Let’s break down the top 9 e-commerce chatbots
To help you navigate the options, we’ll break down the top 9 platforms, showing what they do best, where they fall short, and how much they cost.
1. Chatty: Best for Shopify brands that want AI that sells
We built Chatty with a single mission: to create an AI that actively sells. While many chatbots focus on deflecting support tickets, our platform is engineered from the ground up to be a proactive sales assistant for Shopify stores.
The core of our platform is an AI trained on your entire product catalog, enabling it to go beyond simple Q&As. It functions like a top-tier sales associate, understanding customer needs to make intelligent product recommendations, suggest relevant upsells, and even confirm product compatibility in real-time. This focus on guided selling turns conversational traffic into a reliable revenue stream.
Key features:
- Deploys a sales-focused AI assistant that learns your entire product catalog.
- Drives revenue with smart, product-aware recommendations, upsells, and cross-sells.
- Centralizes conversations from live chat, email, Messenger, and WhatsApp into one inbox.
- Provides one-click, on-site order tracking to reduce support inquiries.
Good fit for: Growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) stores, businesses with multi-SKU catalogs, and stores selling products with complex specifications that want to use AI to actively drive sales, not just handle support.
Price ballpark: Free up to 100 AI replies; paid plans start at $19.99/user/month.
2. Gorgias: Best for Shopify helpdesk + chatbot
Gorgias has cemented its place as a top-tier customer support helpdesk, and its chatbot capabilities are a powerful extension of that system. Where Gorgias truly shines is in its automation of post-purchase support.
Unlike a sales-focused AI like Chatty, Gorgias’s bot leverages its deep integration with Shopify to instantly resolve the most common support tickets. For example, it can automatically handle “Where Is My Order?” (WISMO) requests by pulling real-time shipping data directly from Shopify and presenting it to the customer without any agent intervention. This makes it incredibly efficient for support-led teams aiming to reduce ticket volume and improve response times.
Key features:
- Unifies customer messages from email, SMS, social media, and chat into a single helpdesk.
- Accesses deep Shopify data for a complete customer view within every ticket.
- Automates responses and actions for repetitive inquiries like order status checks.
- Integrates with a vast ecosystem of over 100 e-commerce applications.
The trade-off, however, is Gorgias’s pricing model. Since it’s based on “billable tickets,” even a chatbot-resolved “Where is my order?” query counts toward your monthly limit. During a high-volume sales event, this can unexpectedly push you into a more expensive pricing tier, making costs difficult to predict.
Good fit for: Support-focused teams that need a robust, centralized ticketing system and want to use automation to reduce their manual workload.
Price ballpark: From $10/month, with Pro at $300/month; AI Agent billed separately per resolution.
3. Intercom: Best for proactive chat + support at scale
Intercom is a heavyweight in the customer communications space, known for its polished in-app messenger and powerful automation capabilities. While platforms like Chatty are built for sales and Gorgias is built for support ticketing, Intercom excels at proactive engagement.
Its strength lies in using “Fin,” its AI chatbot, to not only answer questions but also to initiate conversations with users based on their on-site behavior. For instance, it can trigger a message if a user is lingering on the pricing page or guide them through a feature with automated product tours.
Key features:
- Engages users proactively with targeted in-app messages and product tours.
- Deploys Fin, an advanced AI chatbot that can resolve complex customer inquiries.
- Builds a comprehensive help center to enable customer self-service.
- Integrates with a massive library of over 1,000 other business applications.
One thing to watch out for is Intercom’s steep scaling costs. You’ll pay for agent seats based on the plan (Essential, Advanced, Expert), then $0.99 for every Fin AI resolution (only when AI successfully resolves a conversation). Add usage charges for extra channels like SMS or WhatsApp and optional features like Proactive Support Plus. If your bot resolves hundreds or thousands of chats per month, these extras can push your bill much higher.
Good fit for: Product-led growth (PLG) brands and fast-growing stores that need a scalable, all-in-one solution for proactive engagement and support.
Price ballpark: From $29/seat/month (annual) plus $0.99 per AI resolution; costs scale steeply.
4. Tidio: Best budget starter with AI
Tidio has carved out a niche as the go-to choice for small and medium-sized businesses that want to experiment with AI without a significant upfront investment. Its main draw is the combination of a generous free plan and an easy-to-use interface. At its core is “Lyro,” a conversational AI that can be set up in minutes to handle common customer questions.
Unlike the complex, sales-driven AI of Chatty or the ticket-focused automation of Gorgias, Tidio offers a straightforward, user-friendly platform that lets anyone build automated conversation flows. We see it as an ideal entry point for stores looking to get their first taste of chatbot benefits.
Key features:
- Deploys Lyro, a conversational AI designed for easy setup and immediate use.
- Offers a visual flow builder to create automated chat workflows without code.
- Combines live chat, chatbots, and an AI agent in one simple help desk.
- Integrates with Shopify, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp for omnichannel support.
The main limitation, however, is that Tidio’s simplicity becomes a drawback as you scale. Its AI is great for basic FAQs but struggles with more complex, multi-part questions. You may also quickly hit the chatbot engagement limits on its lower-tier plans during a busy sales period, forcing an abrupt and unplanned upgrade.
Good fit for: SMBs and startups that want to test AI-powered chat and automation without a large budget or steep learning curve.
Price ballpark: From $24.17/month (Flows) or $32.50/month (Lyro AI Agent).
5. ManyChat: Best for Instagram/WhatsApp sales
ManyChat has distinguished itself by focusing almost exclusively on chat automation for Meta platforms. While other chatbots treat social media as just another channel, ManyChat makes it the main event.
Its strength lies in creating sophisticated and engaging automated flows for Instagram DMs and WhatsApp. For example, it can automatically reply to post comments with a DM, trigger a conversation from an Instagram Story mention, or run entire sales campaigns within WhatsApp.
Key features:
- Creates advanced automation flows for Instagram DMs and WhatsApp.
- Converts post comments and story replies into automated DM conversations.
- Builds trigger-based campaigns and keyword-activated responses for social channels.
- Integrates directly with Shopify to send order updates and abandoned cart reminders via chat.
However, its reliance on structured, button-based flows instead of true conversational AI is a significant drawback. This means it’s less effective at understanding open-ended customer questions. Its contact-based pricing can also lead to sharp cost increases — for example, growing from 4,900 to 5,100 subscribers could suddenly double your monthly bill.
Good fit for: Social-first merchants, influencers, and creators who generate the majority of their leads and sales through Instagram and WhatsApp.
Price ballpark: Free for up to 1,000 contacts; Pro from $15/month (scales with contacts); Elite is custom pricing.
6. Zendesk: Best for larger support organizations
Zendesk is an institution in the customer service world, offering a comprehensive suite that combines a powerful helpdesk, an integrated knowledge base, and capable AI chatbots. Its core strength lies in its ability to operate as a central command center for large, complex support operations.
For e-commerce brands, Zendesk’s pre-built integrations with platforms like Shopify and Magento allow agents to see customer order history and process returns without ever leaving the Zendesk workspace.
Key features:
- Combines a helpdesk, AI bots, and a knowledge base into one unified platform.
- Offers deep integrations with e-commerce platforms like Shopify for a complete customer view.
- Automates responses to common inquiries and provides seamless handoffs to live agents.
- Provides robust analytics and reporting tools for measuring team performance.
The primary challenge with Zendesk, though, is its expensive, agent-based pricing model. You pay per agent seat, which means adding a new support team member can significantly increase your costs. Advanced AI capabilities also require costly add-ons, making the total price hard to predict and often too high for teams that don’t need its full enterprise-level suite.
Good fit for: Established brands with high ticket volumes and complex support needs, especially those managing multiple brands from a single helpdesk.
Price ballpark: From $19/agent/month (Support Team) to $169/agent/month (Suite Enterprise), billed annually; advanced AI features add extra costs.
7. LivePerson: Best for enterprise conversational commerce
LivePerson positions itself as a tool for large enterprises that want to leverage conversations to drive revenue at scale. It’s less of a simple chatbot and more of a comprehensive platform for conversational commerce, focusing on proactive, AI-powered messaging across a customer’s entire digital journey.
Its strength is in analyzing user intent and engaging them with personalized messaging designed to increase sales, improve lead conversion, and boost average order value. For global enterprises, LivePerson provides the infrastructure to manage millions of these conversations across various channels.
Key features:
- Deploys AI-powered messaging to proactively engage customers and drive sales.
- Analyzes conversational data to provide insights into customer intent and behavior.
- Manages conversations at a massive scale across websites, mobile apps, and messaging channels.
- Offers robust tools for measuring the revenue and ROI of conversational campaigns.
However, a major hurdle is that LivePerson is a true enterprise tool, and its lack of transparency reflects that. There is no public pricing or free trial, and a typical engagement involves a long-term, five- or six-figure contract. This makes it inaccessible and impractical for any business outside of the large enterprise category.
Good fit for: Enterprise retail, telecom, and financial services companies that need a highly scalable and customizable platform for revenue-focused conversational marketing.
Price ballpark: Custom pricing only; typically long-term enterprise contracts in the five- to six-figure annual range.
8. Ada: best for enterprise automation/deflection
Ada has built its reputation on one primary goal: ticket deflection. It is an AI-first platform designed for enterprises that want to automate the vast majority of their customer inquiries and create a truly self-service-first experience.
Its AI is powerful enough to handle complex, multi-turn conversations, enabling it to achieve high automation rates. For example, the shapewear marketplace Shapermint used Ada to resolve 75% of its “where is my order?” inquiries automatically, showcasing its ability to handle high volumes of repetitive questions without human intervention.
Key features:
- Delivers high automation rates to deflect a majority of inbound support tickets.
- Deploys an AI that can handle complex, multi-step customer inquiries.
- Operates across all digital channels for a consistent, omnichannel self-service experience.
- Integrates with major e-commerce and support platforms for seamless data flow.
The flip side is that Ada’s power comes with a steep price and a high learning curve. Its usage-based pricing is not public and can become very expensive as your conversation volume increases, making costs unpredictable. Because it’s built for complex setups, it often requires a dedicated team to manage and can feel overly rigid for brands that need more flexibility.
Good fit for: Large enterprises that are laser-focused on maximizing ticket deflection and enabling customer self-service at scale.
Price ballpark: Custom, usage-based pricing; third-party estimates suggest $30k–$300k+ per year, depending on scale.
9. Heyday (by Hootsuite): Best for social + retail chat
Heyday, now part of Hootsuite, is a specialized AI chatbot designed for retailers who live and breathe social commerce. While other platforms add social media as a channel, Heyday builds its entire experience around it.
Its key strength is blending sales and support directly within social messaging apps like Instagram and Messenger. It can turn product tag clicks into automated conversations, answer questions about product specs, and guide customers to a purchase, all within the chat. With its deep integration into the Hootsuite ecosystem, it’s a natural fit for brands that already manage their social presence there.
Key features:
- Combines 24/7 sales and support automation for social media and retail.
- Provides in-chat product recommendations and answers to product questions.
- Integrates with Shopify to offer real-time order tracking directly in chat.
- Connects seamlessly with the Hootsuite platform for unified social management.
Its specialization, however, is also its main drawback. Heyday excels at conversations on Instagram and Facebook but lacks the true omnichannel capabilities of platforms like Zendesk. For example, it isn’t designed to handle complex support issues that require deep integration with a helpdesk, making it a secondary tool for many brands.
Good fit for: Retailers and direct-to-consumer brands that prioritize social commerce and want to engage customers directly on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Price ballpark: Bundled with Hootsuite plans. Standard from $99/user/month, Advanced $249/user/month, and Enterprise is custom.
Ultimately, which chatbot is the best fit for your store?
The best chatbot comes down to your primary goal. Use this quick guide to find the right fit for your e-commerce store’s needs.
- To sell more: Choose Chatty for its sales-focused AI or LivePerson for enterprise-level conversational commerce.
- To reduce tickets: Ada offers maximum automation, while Zendesk and Gorgias provide excellent helpdesk and bot systems.
- To win at social commerce: Use ManyChat for its powerful Instagram/WhatsApp flows or Heyday for blended social selling.
- To stay on a budget: Start with Tidio’s free plan or use Chatty’s affordable, scalable model.
- To scale at the enterprise level: LivePerson and Ada are built to handle massive volume and complex needs.
FAQ
How are chatbots used in e-commerce?
In e-commerce, chatbots act as virtual sales assistants and support agents. They are used to offer personalized product recommendations, answer customer questions about orders and shipping, recover abandoned carts, and provide 24/7 support. This helps increase sales and improve the overall customer experience.
How to use ChatGPT for e-commerce?
You can use ChatGPT to power a customer service chatbot that answers questions and provides personalized recommendations based on customer data. It’s also widely used for content creation, such as writing engaging product descriptions, generating SEO-friendly titles, and proofreading marketing copy to ensure it is polished and professional.
How to make a chatbot for an e-commerce website?
The easiest way is to use a no-code chatbot building platform that integrates with your e-commerce site, such as Shopify. These platforms allow you to “train” the bot on your website content and product catalog, customize its appearance, and then embed it on your site with a simple piece of code.
What are chatbots mostly used for?
Chatbots are most commonly used to provide instant answers to questions and automate repetitive tasks. For businesses, this primarily means handling customer service inquiries like order tracking or policy questions and collecting information to qualify sales leads.
Final thought
As we’ve seen, the modern chatbot for e-commerce has evolved far beyond simple Q&A bots into intelligent, integrated business partners. We’re convinced that the future of online retail belongs to brands that use these tools to create smarter, more engaging conversations. If you’re ready to build an AI sales assistant for your store, give Chatty a try for free.