Alternatives

Alternatives to the big Shopify chat and helpdesk apps

Updated October 23, 2026 by the SayMaya team

The short answer

Shopify stores usually compare five apps for chat and support: Tidio, Gorgias, Shopify Inbox, Zendesk and Re:amaze. They differ most in how they charge for AI and seats, and in how many channels they cover. Each page below lists honest alternatives, when the original is the better pick, and a sourced table.

Tidio alternatives for Shopify stores

The main Tidio alternatives for Shopify stores are SayMaya, Shopify Inbox, Gorgias and Re:amaze. Pick SayMaya for AI chat that answers from live store data with the AI and team inbox in one flat price. Pick Shopify Inbox for Shopify's free chat app, and Gorgias or Re:amaze for a helpdesk that also covers email, SMS and social.

Read: Tidio alternatives

Gorgias alternatives for Shopify stores

The main Gorgias alternatives for Shopify are SayMaya, Re:amaze and Zendesk. Pick SayMaya if your support happens mostly in storefront chat and you want the AI included in one flat price with no overage. Pick Re:amaze or Zendesk if you need a full helpdesk across email, SMS, social and phone with a different pricing model.

Read: Gorgias alternatives

Shopify Inbox alternatives for Shopify stores

Shopify Inbox is free and a good default. The main alternatives are SayMaya, Tidio and Gorgias. Pick SayMaya for verified order lookups by order number and email, guardrails against invented discounts, and a team inbox with email handoff notices. Pick Tidio for chatbot flows, and Gorgias for a helpdesk across email, SMS, social and voice.

Read: Shopify Inbox alternatives

Zendesk alternatives for Shopify stores

The main Zendesk alternatives for Shopify stores are SayMaya, Gorgias and Re:amaze. Pick SayMaya for storefront AI chat with live Shopify answers, a team inbox and one flat price billed through Shopify. Pick Gorgias or Re:amaze for a Shopify-focused helpdesk across email, SMS and social. Zendesk fits large teams that need an enterprise service suite.

Read: Zendesk alternatives

Re:amaze alternatives for Shopify stores

The main Re:amaze alternatives for Shopify are SayMaya, Gorgias and Tidio. Pick SayMaya for storefront AI chat that answers from live store data, with the AI and team inbox in one flat price and no per-user fees. Pick Gorgias for a ticket-priced Shopify helpdesk, and Tidio for chatbot flows and live chat.

Read: Re:amaze alternatives

How do the most-compared apps stack up?

Built for
SayMaya
Storefront AI chat + team inbox
Tidio
AI chatbot (Lyro), live chat, flows, email helpdesk Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
Helpdesk for email, chat, SMS, social and voice Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store
Shopify Inbox
Shopify's own storefront chat with an AI Inbox agent Source: Shopify Help Center: Shopify Inbox
Free plan
SayMaya
Yes: 100 conversations, 50 by AI
Tidio
Yes: live chat with 50 users, flows for 100 visitors/month Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
None listed Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store
Shopify Inbox
Free Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Paid plans from
SayMaya
$29/month, AI and inbox included
Tidio
$29/month; Lyro AI plan from $39/month Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
$10/month (50 tickets, 3 agents) Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store
Shopify Inbox
No paid plans listed Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
How AI is billed
SayMaya
Included in the plan, counted per conversation
Tidio
Separate Lyro plan: up to 200 Lyro conversations for $39 Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
AI Agent charged when it resolves a conversation Source: gorgias.com/pricing
Shopify Inbox
Inbox agent is part of the free app Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Busy months
SayMaya
No overage charges; past the AI limit, chats go to your inbox
Tidio
Move up a tier: 250 to 1,000 conversations for $59 Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
$0.40 per extra ticket on Starter; $36 to $40 per 100 above Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store
Shopify Inbox
None listed Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Channels
SayMaya
Storefront chat
Tidio
Chat, email and social messages Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store
Gorgias
Email, chat, SMS, social, voice Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store
Shopify Inbox
Online store chat widget Source: Shopify Help Center: Inbox agent

Shopify chat and helpdesk apps compared, from each company's public pages
Feature	SayMaya	Tidio	Gorgias	Shopify Inbox
Built for	Storefront AI chat + team inbox	AI chatbot (Lyro), live chat, flows, email helpdesk Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	Helpdesk for email, chat, SMS, social and voice Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store	Shopify's own storefront chat with an AI Inbox agent Source: Shopify Help Center: Shopify Inbox
Free plan	Yes: 100 conversations, 50 by AI	Yes: live chat with 50 users, flows for 100 visitors/month Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	None listed Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store	Free Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Paid plans from	$29/month, AI and inbox included	$29/month; Lyro AI plan from $39/month Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	$10/month (50 tickets, 3 agents) Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store	No paid plans listed Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
How AI is billed	Included in the plan, counted per conversation	Separate Lyro plan: up to 200 Lyro conversations for $39 Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	AI Agent charged when it resolves a conversation Source: gorgias.com/pricing	Inbox agent is part of the free app Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Busy months	No overage charges; past the AI limit, chats go to your inbox	Move up a tier: 250 to 1,000 conversations for $59 Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	$0.40 per extra ticket on Starter; $36 to $40 per 100 above Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store	None listed Source: Shopify Inbox on the Shopify App Store
Channels	Storefront chat	Chat, email and social messages Source: Tidio on the Shopify App Store	Email, chat, SMS, social, voice Source: Gorgias on the Shopify App Store	Online store chat widget Source: Shopify Help Center: Inbox agent

SayMaya publishes this page. Tidio, Gorgias and Shopify Inbox details come from their public websites, help centers and Shopify App Store listings as of October 23, 2026; plans change, so check each vendor for current terms. All trademarks belong to their owners; SayMaya is not affiliated with them.

Full side-by-sides: SayMaya vs Commslayer, SayMaya vs Gorgias, SayMaya vs Tidio.

Frequently asked questions

Which Shopify chat app has a free plan?

Shopify Inbox is free. SayMaya and Tidio have free plans. Gorgias, Zendesk and Re:amaze list paid plans with free trials.

Which apps include the AI in the plan price?

SayMaya includes the AI in every plan, and Shopify Inbox includes its Inbox agent in the free app. Tidio sells Lyro as its own plan, and Gorgias, Zendesk and Re:amaze bill or cap AI by resolution.

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Alternatives to the big Shopify chat and helpdesk apps

The short answer

Tidio alternatives for Shopify stores

Gorgias alternatives for Shopify stores

Shopify Inbox alternatives for Shopify stores

Zendesk alternatives for Shopify stores

Re:amaze alternatives for Shopify stores

How do the most-compared apps stack up?

Built for

Free plan

Paid plans from

How AI is billed

Busy months

Channels

Frequently asked questions

Which Shopify chat app has a free plan?

Which apps include the AI in the plan price?

Give shoppers answers from your store, today