TenChaty AI vs Shopify Inbox
Both are free. Both now run an AI agent.
Only TenChaty AI reaches out first, lets staff take over live, and learns from your own content.
Both run an AI agent now
Shopify Inbox added a capable AI in June 2026. The gap now is everything around it: proactive outreach, handoff and training.
TenChaty AI: Built to sell
Knows your products, recommends proactively and closes sales in the chat, with real-time human handoff and AI trained on your products, FAQs and files.
Shopify Inbox: Free, native AI
A capable AI agent bundled free with every store. Strong on answers, but no proactive outreach and no live takeover mid-conversation.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Feature | TenChaty AI | Shopify Inbox |
|---|---|---|
AI agent Autonomous AI that answers buyers | Yes, trained on your products | Yes, since June 2026 |
Product catalog sync AI knowledge of your products | Auto-syncs Shopify products | Auto-syncs products |
Policy answers Shipping & returns without extra setup | In-app custom FAQs | Needs a separate Knowledge Base app |
Proactive outreach Reaches out first, e.g. cart recovery, welcome | Yes | Static greeting & away message only |
Real-time human handoff Staff can jump into a live AI chat | Yes, AI to human | Post-hoc only, no live takeover |
Product recommendations AI recommends and drives purchases | Yes | Yes |
Custom knowledge upload Feed the AI your own documents | 20–700 files, by plan | Not available |
Revenue tracking Track sales generated by chats | On paid plans | Not available |
Free plan Cost to get started | Free forever — limited-time offer | Free on every plan |
Pricing comparison
Start TenChaty AI free and upgrade as you grow. Shopify Inbox is free, with no upgrade path for proactive outreach or handoff.
TenChaty AI
AI sales agent built in, free forever for a limited time. Paid plans from $9.9/mo as you grow.
Shopify Inbox
Included with every Shopify plan. No paid tier, and no proactive or live-handoff upgrade path.
Which tool fits your store?
Both run an AI agent; they differ on proactive outreach, handoff and training.
Choose TenChaty AI if you want to:
- Win back orders with proactive outreach like cart recovery
- Let staff take over a live AI chat at any time
- Set up FAQs and files in one app, no separate Knowledge Base
- Track the revenue each conversation drives
- Turn conversations into orders without hiring more support
Choose Shopify Inbox if you:
- Only need the free AI agent bundled with Shopify
- Mostly need reactive answers
- Have low chat volume and don't sell through chat
- Are fine configuring a separate Knowledge Base app
- Don't need proactive outreach or live handoff today
TenChaty AI vs Shopify Inbox
Doesn't Shopify Inbox have its own AI now?
Yes. Shopify shipped an AI agent in Inbox in June 2026 that syncs your catalog and answers questions. The gap isn't whether it has AI but what surrounds it: TenChaty AI offers proactive outreach, real-time human handoff and training on your own files. Shopify Inbox offers none of those today.
Can a human take over a live AI conversation on each tool?
On TenChaty AI, yes, staff can step into a live chat at any time. On Shopify Inbox, a conversation only moves to an Unassigned folder after the AI steps back, with no documented way to take over mid-chat.
Does Shopify Inbox do proactive outreach like cart recovery?
No. Shopify Inbox sends only a static greeting and an away message, nothing that reacts to cart status or browsing. TenChaty AI reaches out proactively without waiting for the shopper to open the chat.
Is Shopify Inbox's AI really zero-setup?
Not for policy questions. Merchants testing it on default settings found it couldn't answer shipping questions already on the store's policy page; the usual fix is a separate Knowledge Base app. TenChaty AI keeps FAQs, instructions and file uploads in the same app.
Can I run both at the same time?
Yes. Keep Shopify Inbox running while you test TenChaty AI's free plan, then switch once you've seen the results. No card required.