Top 10 Chat Apps for Shopify Sites

If you’re using Shopify - an e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems with over 1.75 million sellers on Shopify, you’ll be happy to know that you have access to tons of apps and tools that you can integrate with your site, including live chat apps. They all afford you one big advantage you can’t overlook: the ability to connect with your customers (and allow them to connect with you) in real-time.

Today, even though less than 10% of all websites use chat services to communicate with their audience, as many as 46% of customers prefer it as a means of communication. So, if you get on board with a chat solution now, you’ll gain the competitive advantage and gain serious brownie points by giving your audience what they demand. 

In this guide, we’ll go through some of the best chat apps for your Shopify site and what they have to offer. Plus, we’ll discuss why you need live chat in the first place. At the end, we’ll even discuss how Smith.ai can offer a dynamic live chat tool along with a staff of live chat agents to field every message on your behalf. 

The case for chat apps in business

There are several different reasons to consider adding a chat app to your business website. The fact is that you’ll need it sooner than you think and you’ll benefit from it in more ways than you realize. However, it’s still helpful to get a glimpse at some of the perks to make it an easier decision. If you’re looking to integrate a chat app on your website, you’ll enjoy perks like:

• Improved customer service
• Increased conversions
• Increased customer loyalty
• Reduced service costs
• Increased efficiency 
• Personalization for customers
• Real-time insights and monitoring
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Reduced cart abandonment

Live chat is changing the way that brands do business and it’s changing things for the better. It's time to explore the chat apps that are out there and get your eCommerce site on board with live chat so that you can start reaping the rewards. To help you, let’s take a look at the 10 best chat apps out there right now for Shopify sites. 

The 10 best chat apps

1. Smith.ai Chatbot

The Smith.ai Chatbot is changing the way that brands do business, starting with more customization than you can fathom. You'll be able to customize the colors of the chat window, its placement, and even the timing of your availability (hint: 24/7/365 is the only answer). You’ll be able to get an email summary of your chats and enjoy a site that’s optimized for mobile and desktop use alike. 

You can count on the Smith.ai Chatbot to deliver plenty of impressive features, from appointment scheduling and intake added to the chat window to custom greetings, FAQs and canned responses, and more. This chatbot uses machine learning to keep learning as it goes, too, so you truly can set it up and let it manage itself. The highlights include:

• Total customization available
• Access to third-party integrations
• Full access to features and editing tools
• 24/7 unlimited chats
• Pre-screening sequences

2. Tidio Live Chat

Tidio Live Chat is among the most popular chat apps available today. The tool is free to use and the pro version only requires payment for those who want to upgrade. It also includes a free seven-day trial of the pro features if you want to check them out. You can customize the chat tool in the settings and monitor visitors and chats in real-time.

Tidio also offers the chance to setup agent accounts for each agent that is using the chat tool. You can store contact information and create your own autoreplies, and it even integrates with tons of other software and tools, including MailChimp, Salesforce, and others. Highlights of this tool include:

• 7-day trial of pro version
• Set custom away messages and chat hours
• Upgrade to pro for total customization and access to all features
• Support for multiple languages
• Integrates with other software

3. Pure Chat

Pure Chat has some pretty impressive features, starting with the fact that it offers 100% free live chat services. You can install and customize the tool to fit your brand, set all kinds of special display options, and even hide the tool if and when your chat team is offline. Plus, there are no ads in the tool to deal with, either. 

Pure Chat includes an Engagement Hub that allows visitors to connect with your brand via live chat, or they can choose phone, email, or social media. You can upgrade to the pro version for even more features, but there’s a lot to love about the free tool, too. Check out key features like:

• Engagement hub for easy communication
• Custom display and away statuses
• Integrates with other software
• Scalability and customization

4. Tawk.To

Tawk.To offers a 100% free chat tool that has no spam, no ads, and no hassles. You can find tons of features to enjoy, starting with real-time monitoring and an intuitive dashboard that makes It easy to manage everything from one place. You can connect to people in seconds and even collect user insights to help you improve your business. 

Multiple agents can be setup on the chat tool, and it is accessible on mobile with iOS and Android apps, so you and your customers can stay in touch, anytime, anyplace. You can even customize the design, setup custom welcome messages, and more. Some of the best features include:

• Custom display options
• Multiple agent access
• User insights and monitoring
• Cross-device compatible
  
  

5. Zendesk Chat

Zendesk has a free basic chat tool that will get any business started on the right foot with live chat solutions. You can only carry one conversation at a time with the free tool, but it’s still enough to get you started so that you can potentially see the reasons for expanding. You will be able to monitor and communicate with your audience in real-time and you can even upgrade to a paid plan if you want more than what you are getting after seeing what it can do. 

This chat tool comes in 40 languages and is optimized for mobile, which makes it a great choice for businesses today. It's also easy to use and offers 14-day access to chat records, even on the free platform. And of course, when you upgrade, you’ll get even more from the chat tool. Here are the features that we like best:

• Zendesk brand support
• Integrates with Zendesk tools and other apps
• Customization available
• Conversion tracking
• Multiple languages

6. Click to Chat for WhatsApp

For those familiar with WhatsApp, it might be the ideal solution for website chat. The tool is comfortable for your users, and it offers a chance for you to provide 24/7 chat for those who need to be able to reach you. Plus, even though it’s free, it’s got options for customization, and it offers the chance to be set up and running in no time at all. You just need a WhatsApp number or group ID and you’re good to go. 

When it comes to a solid, basic chat solution, this one delivers everything that you want and then some. Plus, it can integrate with your tech stack and offers other features and options that will allow it to fit whatever your brand needs. You’ll love that It's free and still so full of options, and users will love that it’s familiar. Our favorite features include:

• Comfortable for WhatsApp users
• Mobile-friendly
• Hide option and floating positioning
• Animations and short codes 
• Facebook Analytics and Google Analytics integrations

7. Shopify Chat

Of course, we’d be remiss to discuss the best chat apps for Shopify without including their own chat tool. Shopify’s chat tool makes it easy for you to chat in real-time, contact customers via email or SMS, and even create FAQs and auto-replies to keep everyone informed even when your agents are offline. 

Shopify Inbox includes the chat tool, along with a dynamic inbox for messaging, emails, and more. You can customize saved responses and the chat box itself, brand the tool so it matches your website, and even know when items are added to or removed from a shopping cart. Check out key features like:

• Integrates with Apple Business Chat
• Social media integrations
• Send promotions and discounts inside chats 
• Manage all communications from one place

8. Chatfuel

Chatfuel is a chatbot that makes creating conversations easier than ever. This one can work independently or be set up with tools like Facebook Messenger to help you keep in touch with your audience on their turf. With Chatfuel, you can trust you’re getting a reputable product since it’s used by the likes of Adidas and Volkswagen. 

You’ll also like being able to customize the app interface, setup third-party integrations to streamline all of your software, and share media and all kinds of files so that everyone can stay on the same page. It also has one of the longest lists of included features of any free chat tool out there today. The key highlights include:

• Full access to features at no cost
• Customization available
• Integrates with YouTube, Twitter, and more
• Automated messaging
• 24/7 unlimited chat

9. ManyChat

ManyChat is an easy tool that will revolutionize the way you handle chatting. Within minutes, you can be setup with a chatbot, thanks to easy drag-and-drop editing and placement. You'll also be able to choose whether you want to use it with Facebook Messenger and you can create your own auto responses, welcome messages, and so much more. 

ManyChat limits free users to 500 subscribers, but that’s only an issue if you’re relying on the opt-in feature that’s available with the chatbot. You can set it up so that people are automatically subscribed to your newsletter, or you can allow them to opt-out. You do get unlimited broadcasts, and will be able to enable ads, too, so that you’ve also got a tool for lead gen. Check out features like:

• FAQs and automated responses
• Customization options available
• Integrates with third-party apps
• Intuitive interface
• 500 subscriber limit on free plan

10. ChatterOn

ChatterOn offers an impressive chat solution that’s going to be ready to in no time at all. It's quick and easy to build your own chat tool, thanks to 20 different pre-configurations that are ready to go with just a few tweaks. You can even count on the AI and machine learning to create an impressive conversation flow. 

You can share media and files with ChatterOn, integrate with social media, and even include ads to monetize and improve lead gen. Of course, you can also leave it as is if you’d rather, and you’ll get full access to an impressive list of features without having to pay. Highlights include:

• 15,000 messages/month
• Unlimited chatbots
• Full access to features
• Customization for chat widget

Make the investment in Smith.ai’s live chat solutions and free up your time instead

You can’t forego customer service, but do you really have the time to dedicate to another customer service tool? When you choose live chat from Smith.ai, you’ll get a dynamic chat app for your website along with a team of dedicated live chat agents to field every single message. 

Plus, Smith.ai will include white-glove setup and installation with every staffed chat plan. Our services and software are available in English and Spanish so that you can serve more customer needs in every way possible. We’ll even field SMS messages, help you create a custom communication strategy, and more. 

Learn more about lightening the load while amping up your customer service solutions when you schedule a consultation to discuss live chat solutions from Smith.ai. We can handle everything from chat to phone calls, scheduling, new client intake, and so much more. You can also reach us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.