eDeskShopify InboxeDesk vs Shopify Inbox

eDesk vs Shopify Inbox: $89 apart for five people

An ecommerce help desk for marketplaces against a free chat for Shopify stores: Shopify Inbox is $89 a month cheaper for five people. What decides between eDesk and Shopify Inbox, and a third option for small teams.

By Khalid Nouri, founder of SellioPricing check dates are listed with each vendor below

Try the third optionSellio pricing

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The short answer

Pick eDesk if you sell on Amazon, eBay or Walmart and want marketplace messages in the same queue as email. Pick Shopify Inbox if you run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view. For five people, Shopify Inbox is $89 a month cheaper than eDesk ($89 a month on eDesk against $0 on Shopify Inbox), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Shopify Inbox's figure comes under. eDesk and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only eDesk has email and Instagram. Neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox includes WhatsApp and Telegram outright. A team of two to ten choosing between eDesk and Shopify Inbox for chat and tickets at one price has a third option below.

At a glanceeDeskeDeskShopify InboxShopify Inbox
Built aroundMarketplace orders · Amazon, eBay, WalmartThe storefront chat · free with a Shopify plan
Entry plan$39/mo · Essential: 1 store$0 · with any Shopify plan
Chat in the price$39/mo · live chat on every plan$0 · storefront and Shop app
AI agent$0.99 per outcome · AI Agent on every planIncluded · AI chat from the catalog and policies
Copilot for agentsAI Assist add-onIncluded · suggested replies
Free planNone · 14-day trialYes · the app is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    eDeskeDesk

    As a ticket with the marketplace order beside it, so a reply can quote the shipment. Shopify Inbox has no ticket queue behind its conversations.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    As a chat on the storefront or in the Shop app, with the cart and orders beside it. eDesk raises a ticket where Shopify Inbox keeps a conversation.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    eDeskeDesk

    Plans are priced by connected stores, from one on Essential at $39 to ten on Professional. $89 for five people, against $0 on Shopify Inbox.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    There is no seat price; staff are limited by the Shopify plan's staff accounts. $0 for five people, against $89 on eDesk.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    eDeskeDesk

    The AI Agent is on every plan at $0.99 per outcome, charged only when it resolves a ticket. Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    The AI chat learns the catalog and policies and is included; there is nothing to meter. eDesk meters AI ($0.99 per outcome) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    eDeskeDesk

    Marketplace messages, email, live chat and social; WhatsApp on the higher plans, no Telegram. email and Instagram are here and not on Shopify Inbox.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Storefront chat and the Shop app; no email, WhatsApp, Instagram or Telegram in the inbox. eDesk adds email and Instagram, which Shopify Inbox lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    eDeskeDesk

    Feedback requests, translation and reporting for sellers on several marketplaces. Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Product recommendations, discount codes and order updates inside the chat. eDesk is an ecommerce help desk for marketplaces instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    eDeskeDesk

    Hours: connect the stores and the mailbox; the order data follows. Shopify Inbox is minutes.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Minutes: install the app from the Shopify admin. eDesk is hours.

Sources: eDesk pricing · Shopify Inbox pricing. Each vendor’s own comparison of the other is linked so you can weigh both sides against ours.

What each one looks like

A look at the agent workspace. Interfaces can vary by plan and product version.

The eDesk ticket view: the marketplace message with the order and shipment on the right
eDeskeDesk. The eDesk ticket view: the marketplace message with the order and shipment on the right
The Shopify Inbox conversation: the chat with the customer's cart and orders on the side
Shopify InboxShopify Inbox. The Shopify Inbox conversation: the chat with the customer's cart and orders on the side

Pricing references: eDesk pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13); Shopify Inbox pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

eDesk, Shopify Inbox and Sellio, side by side

Fifteen things a support team checks. A dash means the product does part of it or charges extra for it.

FeatureeDeskeDeskShopify InboxShopify InboxSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
By connected stores; AI per outcome
Free with Shopify
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
None; 14-day trial
The whole app
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

Website live chat
All plans
Storefront and Shop app
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
All plans
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
Higher plans
Not offered
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Social messaging
No longer connected
From Mini: Instagram DMs beside web chat
Telegram
Not offered
Not offered
From Mini: paste a bot token; the webhook is set for you
Slack, Discord, Teams (two-way)
Not offered
Not offered
From Mini: two-way threads; a reply there reaches the customer

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
Trained on the store
Learns the catalog
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
$0.99 per outcome
Included
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Escalates to an agent
Hands to staff
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
With order data
Chats only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Rule-based automations
Instant answers, greetings
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Growth and up
Assisted orders
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

Desktop app (Windows, macOS)
Browser and mobile
Admin and mobile
Native Windows and macOS apps

Which one, for whom

Pick eDesk if

  • You sell on Amazon, eBay or Walmart and want marketplace messages in the same queue as email.
  • You want an AI agent billed only when it resolves something.
  • You need email and Instagram in the price, which Shopify Inbox does not include outright.
  • You need a ticket queue, which Shopify Inbox does not have.

Pick Shopify Inbox if

  • You run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view.
  • One channel is enough and you do not need tickets.
  • Five people cost $89 a month less than on eDesk ($0 against $89), before AI.
  • You want a free plan to start on; eDesk offers a 14-day trial, no card.

The third option: Sellio

  • Two to ten of you answer chat, messaging and email. Compare Sellio's workspace plans with $89 a month on eDesk against $0 on Shopify Inbox for five people, including each product's limits.
  • The AI invoice should be known in advance: eDesk meters AI ($0.99 per outcome) above the seats and Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan, where Sellio's credit is included and capped by you.
  • You need Telegram and native Windows and macOS apps, which neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

eDesk: $89 a month for five ($89 for the account, 5 stores); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Shopify Inbox: $0 a month for five (free; five staff need the Shopify plan that allows them); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Sellio: Free for two seats; Mini at $45 for five, $44 less than eDesk and more than Shopify Inbox's $0 for five people; Essentials at $95 for ten, the AI credit included.

Where the two agree, and where they split

eDesk is an ecommerce help desk for marketplaces built around marketplace orders; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat. Only Shopify Inbox has a free plan (the app is free); eDesk offers a 14-day trial, no card. eDesk and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only eDesk has email and Instagram. Neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox includes WhatsApp and Telegram outright. eDesk meters AI ($0.99 per outcome) above the seats; Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan. eDesk has tickets and Shopify Inbox does not, and neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox ships a desktop app. eDesk is hours; Shopify Inbox is minutes.

What each price leaves out

eDesk: AI Agent on every plan at $0.99 per outcome; AI Assist and Translate add-ons. Shopify Inbox: AI chat and suggested replies included. Beside eDesk's $0.99 per outcome and Shopify Inbox's included, Sellio includes an AI credit with each paid plan. Usage consumes that credit; additional credits cost extra, and you can set a spending cap.

How to decide in an afternoon

  1. Step 1

    Count agents and channels

    Anyone who replies is a seat. List the channels customers actually use.

    5 people reply5 seats
    Website chat61%
    WhatsApp27%
    Email12%
  2. Step 2

    Price the AI you would use

    Estimate monthly conversations the AI could close, then apply each vendor's per-resolution or per-session rate.

    1,200 conversations × 40% AI closes480
    eDeskeDeskSee vendorNot quoted
    Shopify InboxShopify InboxSee vendorNot quoted
    Sellio$0.05$19

    Illustrative AI-only estimate; vendor units differ. Pack billing is rounded up. Sellio assumes Mini’s $5 credit and $0.05 per conversation.

  3. Step 3

    Trial the shortlist

    Check each vendor’s trial, free plan or demo terms. Where access is available, test one real channel before committing.

    eDeskeDesk · 14-day trial, no card
    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox · Not applicable; free
    Sellio · Free plan, no card

    Confirm trial access and limits, then evaluate one real channel on each.

Continue your research

FAQ

eDesk vs Shopify Inbox: the questions people ask

eDesk is an ecommerce help desk for marketplaces built around marketplace orders; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat. eDesk has tickets and Shopify Inbox does not, and neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox ships a desktop app.

  • Entry plan: eDesk $39/mo (Essential: 1 store); Shopify Inbox $0 (with any Shopify plan).
  • Chat in the price: eDesk $39/mo (live chat on every plan); Shopify Inbox $0 (storefront and Shop app).
  • Sellio's inbox: WhatsApp and Telegram, which neither eDesk nor Shopify Inbox has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

The shared inbox page puts Sellio beside eDesk and Shopify Inbox on the same rows.

Still have a question? Contact us or browse the docs.

Or the third option: one price, every channel.

Sellio puts website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and email in one inbox with tickets and an AI agent, for $45 to $295 a month per workspace.

Get startedRead the docs

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