An AI shopping assistant is software that guides online shoppers to the right product through conversation, instead of leaving them to search, filter and guess. There are six types, from support chatbots (Tidio, Gorgias) and product quizzes (Octane AI, RevenueHunt) to AI sales chat (Shopify Inbox, Rep AI, Zipchat) and conversational Smart Stores (BOBBI Smart Store). They differ in how much of the shopping journey they handle and whether they can answer a shopper's open questions.
An AI shopping assistant is software that guides online shoppers to the right product through natural-language conversation. It interprets intent, asks clarifying questions, recommends products from the store's real catalog and answers questions, doing the job a helpful salesperson does in a physical store.
The types differ in which part of the shopping journey they handle, from one question or one slot on a page to the whole storefront, and in whether a shopper can ask an open question such as "which of these is best for a beginner?" and get a useful answer.
| Type | Journey it handles | Answers open questions? | Example tools on Shopify | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support chatbot with an AI agent | Service questions about orders, shipping and returns, with some product lookup | Support questions, yes; product advice is limited | Tidio (Lyro AI), Gorgias, Re:amaze | Cutting support workload |
| Product quiz | A fixed set of questions that ends in a product match | No: the shopper follows a scripted path | Octane AI, RevenueHunt, Quiz Kit | Catalogs matched on a few attributes, such as skin type; collecting zero-party data |
| AI search and filters | The search bar, search results and collection filters | Understands natural-language searches, but asks no follow-up questions | Shopify Search & Discovery, Boost AI Search & Filter, Searchanise, Klevu | Shoppers who already know what to search for |
| Recommendation widget | One slot on a page: related products, bundles, upsells | No conversation | Rebuy, LimeSpot, Nosto | Raising basket size once shoppers already browse |
| AI sales chat | A selling conversation in a chat window on top of the existing theme | Yes, once the shopper opens the chat | Shopify Inbox, Rep AI, Zipchat, Dialog, Manifest AI | Adding a salesperson to the current store |
| Conversational Smart Store | The whole storefront: discovery, guidance, recommendations and the handoff to checkout | Yes, for every visitor, with the matching products in view | BOBBI Smart Store | Stores where shoppers leave because they cannot find or choose the right product |
Starting prices in US dollars from each app's Shopify App Store listing, checked 9 October 2026. Most types charge a monthly plan sized by conversations, visitors, orders or catalog size; a Smart Store charges a share of the sales it makes.
| Type | Pricing model | Example prices (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Support chatbot with an AI agent | Monthly plan by conversations, tickets or users | Tidio: free plan, Lyro AI from $39/month (200 conversations); Gorgias from $10/month (50 tickets); Re:amaze from $29/month per user |
| Product quiz | Monthly plan by quiz responses or credits | RevenueHunt: free up to 100 responses/month, then from $39/month; Octane AI from $50/month (two quizzes); Quiz Kit $59/month |
| AI search and filters | Monthly plan by catalog size, sales or searches | Shopify Search & Discovery: free; Searchanise: free under 25 products, then from $19/month; Boost from $29/month; Klevu site search from $649/month |
| Recommendation widget | Monthly plan by orders | LimeSpot from $9.99/month (rises with orders); Rebuy from $25/month; Nosto: paid account, price on request |
| AI sales chat | Monthly plan by visitors or AI replies | Shopify Inbox: free; Zipchat from $80/month (750 AI replies); Rep AI from $104/month (10,000 visitors); Dialog from $249/month (25,000 visitors); Manifest AI: free to test, paid pricing not published |
| Conversational Smart Store | Platform fee on the sales made through it | BOBBI Smart Store: 3% of the net sales made through BOBBI; no monthly or setup fee |
Ratings, free plans and the apps that are no longer available are in the best AI shopping assistant apps for Shopify.
| Spec | BOBBI Smart Store |
|---|---|
| Type | Conversational Smart Store: the storefront itself, not a chat window on top of it |
| Platform | Shopify, installed from the Shopify App Store |
| Setup | Install and connect your store with Shopify OAuth; the catalog is read automatically; no theme or code changes |
| Checkout | Your native Shopify checkout; BOBBI never handles payments |
| Pricing | 3% platform fee on the net sales made through BOBBI; no monthly or setup fee; billed by Shopify only after you approve the plan |
| Rating | 5.0 from 4 reviews on the Shopify App Store (9 October 2026) |
| Company | BOBBI Oy, Espoo, Finland; on the Shopify App Store since August 2026 |
Full details: BOBBI pricing and BOBBI Smart Store: the facts.
The terms overlap, but they are not the same. A basic chatbot typically answers support questions from a script or FAQ. An AI shopping assistant is built for selling: it knows the catalog, understands shopping intent and recommends products to move a shopper toward purchase. Every AI shopping assistant is conversational, but not every chatbot helps people shop.
An AI shopping assistant is software that helps online shoppers find and choose products through natural-language conversation. It interprets what a shopper is trying to do, asks clarifying questions, recommends products from the store's catalog and answers questions, the way a knowledgeable salesperson does in a physical store.
There are six common types: support chatbots with an AI agent (Tidio with Lyro AI, Gorgias, Re:amaze), product quizzes (Octane AI, RevenueHunt, Quiz Kit), AI search and filters (Shopify Search & Discovery, Boost AI Search & Filter, Searchanise, Klevu), recommendation widgets (Rebuy, LimeSpot, Nosto), AI sales chat on top of the existing theme (Shopify Inbox, Rep AI, Zipchat, Dialog, Manifest AI), and conversational Smart Stores that turn the whole storefront into a guided experience (BOBBI Smart Store). They differ in how much of the shopping journey they handle and whether they can answer open questions.
On the Shopify App Store (checked 9 October 2026), AI sales chat starts at $80 to $104 a month (Zipchat from $80 for 750 AI replies, Rep AI from $104 for 10,000 visitors), Dialog from $249 a month for 25,000 visitors, product quizzes from $39 to $59 a month (RevenueHunt, Quiz Kit), and Tidio's Lyro AI from $39 a month for 200 conversations. Shopify Inbox and Shopify Search & Discovery are free. BOBBI Smart Store charges a 3% platform fee on the net sales made through BOBBI, with no monthly fee.
A basic chatbot usually answers support questions from a script or FAQ. An AI shopping assistant is built for selling: it understands shopping intent, knows the product catalog, recommends specific products and guides the shopper toward a purchase. Every AI shopping assistant is conversational, but not every chatbot helps people shop.
Yes. Every app named on this page is listed on the Shopify App Store and connects to your Shopify catalog. Most add a widget or chat window to your theme; BOBBI Smart Store runs as a conversational storefront next to your theme and sends shoppers to your native Shopify checkout, without replacing your catalog, payments or theme.
It should not. A good AI shopping assistant adds guidance and hands off to your existing checkout. BOBBI runs in parallel with your store and never bypasses your Shopify checkout.
Eero