HelpshiftShopify InboxHelpshift vs Shopify Inbox

Helpshift vs Shopify Inbox: in-app support or free chat

An in-app support for games and apps against a free chat for Shopify stores: one prints a price and one quotes. What decides between Helpshift 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

No credit card. Live in minutes.

The short answer

Pick Helpshift if you ship a mobile game or app and want support inside it with device data attached. Pick Shopify Inbox if you run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view. For five people it is a quote on Helpshift, and $0 a month on Shopify Inbox, before AI; Sellio Mini is $45 for the workspace. Helpshift and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Helpshift has email and WhatsApp. Neither Helpshift nor Shopify Inbox includes Instagram and Telegram outright. A team of two to ten choosing between Helpshift and Shopify Inbox for chat and tickets at one price has a third option below.

At a glanceHelpshiftHelpshiftShopify InboxShopify Inbox
Built aroundIn-app support for games · SDK firstThe storefront chat · free with a Shopify plan
Entry planQuote · priced by interaction volume$0 · with any Shopify plan
Chat in the priceQuote · in-app and web$0 · storefront and Shop app
AI agentIn the quote · AI agents by volumeIncluded · AI chat from the catalog and policies
Copilot for agentsIn the quoteIncluded · suggested replies
Free planNone · request pricingYes · the app is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    As an issue raised inside the game or app through the SDK, with device and player data attached. 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. Helpshift raises a ticket where Shopify Inbox keeps a conversation.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    There is no seat price; the quote is built from interaction volume, solutions and regions. No figure for five people here; Shopify Inbox prints $0.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    There is no seat price; staff are limited by the Shopify plan's staff accounts. $0 for five people; Helpshift prints no figure to set beside it.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    AI agents are part of the modular quote, priced by the volume they handle. 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. Helpshift meters AI (in the quote) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    In-app, web, email, WhatsApp and Discord; no Instagram or Telegram. email and WhatsApp 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. Helpshift adds email and WhatsApp, which Shopify Inbox lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    Player engagement, trust and safety, community, and outsourced human support. Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Product recommendations, discount codes and order updates inside the chat. Helpshift is an in-app support for games and apps instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    HelpshiftHelpshift

    A sales cycle, then an SDK integration by your developers. Shopify Inbox is minutes.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Minutes: install the app from the Shopify admin. Helpshift is a sales cycle, then an SDK integration by your developers.

Sources: Helpshift 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 Helpshift agent dashboard: an in-app issue with the player's device and session data
HelpshiftHelpshift. The Helpshift agent dashboard: an in-app issue with the player's device and session data
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: Helpshift pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13); Shopify Inbox pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

Helpshift, 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.

FeatureHelpshiftHelpshiftShopify InboxShopify InboxSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
Quote by interaction volume
Free with Shopify
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
None
The whole app
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

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

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
AI agents in the quote
Learns the catalog
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
By volume, quoted
Included
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Hands to an agent
Hands to staff
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Issues with states
Chats only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Automations and bots
Instant answers, greetings
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Reporting
Assisted orders
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

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

Which one, for whom

Pick Helpshift if

  • You ship a mobile game or app and want support inside it with device data attached.
  • Discord and WhatsApp are where players write.
  • You need email and WhatsApp 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.
  • You want a free plan to start on; Helpshift offers no trial.
  • It prints its price ($0 a month for five) where Helpshift quotes.

The third option: Sellio

  • Two to ten of you answer chat, messaging and email. Compare Sellio's workspace plans with a quote on Helpshift, and $0 a month on Shopify Inbox for five people, including each product's limits.
  • The AI invoice should be known in advance: Helpshift meters AI (in the quote) 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 Helpshift nor Shopify Inbox includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Helpshift quotes per team, so two, five and ten people are three conversations with sales. 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, against a quote on Helpshift 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

Helpshift is an in-app support for games and apps built around in-app support for games; 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); Helpshift offers no trial. Helpshift and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Helpshift has email and WhatsApp. Neither Helpshift nor Shopify Inbox includes Instagram and Telegram outright. Helpshift meters AI (in the quote) above the seats; Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan. Helpshift has tickets and Shopify Inbox does not, and neither Helpshift nor Shopify Inbox ships a desktop app. Helpshift is a sales cycle, then an SDK integration by your developers; Shopify Inbox is minutes.

What each price leaves out

Helpshift: AI agents are part of the modular quote. Shopify Inbox: AI chat and suggested replies included. Beside Helpshift's in the quote 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
    HelpshiftHelpshiftSee 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.

    HelpshiftHelpshift · None; request pricing
    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

Helpshift vs Shopify Inbox: the questions people ask

Helpshift is an in-app support for games and apps built around in-app support for games; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat.

  • Entry plan: Helpshift Quote (priced by interaction volume); Shopify Inbox $0 (with any Shopify plan).
  • Chat in the price: Helpshift Quote (in-app and web); Shopify Inbox $0 (storefront and Shop app).
  • Sellio: Instagram and Telegram, which neither Helpshift nor Shopify Inbox has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Helpshift and Shopify Inbox rows is on the shared inbox page.

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

No credit card required