RichpanelShopify InboxRichpanel vs Shopify Inbox

Richpanel vs Shopify Inbox: entry plans at $99 and $0

An ecommerce help desk with AI agents against a free chat for Shopify stores: Shopify Inbox is $495 a month cheaper for five people. Where Richpanel and Shopify Inbox split, 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 Richpanel if you want AI to take most of the ecommerce volume at $0.20 a conversation. Pick Shopify Inbox if you run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view. For five people, Shopify Inbox is $495 a month cheaper than Richpanel ($495 a month on Richpanel against $0 on Shopify Inbox), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Shopify Inbox's figure comes under. Richpanel and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Richpanel has email, WhatsApp and Instagram. Neither Richpanel nor Shopify Inbox includes Telegram outright. For a team of two to ten weighing Richpanel against Shopify Inbox, the third option below puts chat and tickets at one workspace price.

At a glanceRichpanelRichpanelShopify InboxShopify Inbox
Built aroundEcommerce tickets and AI · one seat price, AI per conversationThe storefront chat · free with a Shopify plan
Entry plan$99/seat/mo · Helpdesk seat$0 · with any Shopify plan
Chat in the price$99/seat/mo · all channels in the seat$0 · storefront and Shop app
AI agent$0.20 per conversation · AI-handledIncluded · AI chat from the catalog and policies
Copilot for agentsIncludedIncluded · suggested replies
Free planNone · demo firstYes · the app is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    RichpanelRichpanel

    As a ticket with the order beside it, or as a conversation the AI agent handles before an agent sees it. 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. Richpanel raises a ticket where Shopify Inbox keeps a conversation.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    RichpanelRichpanel

    $99 buys a help desk seat with every channel; there is no per-ticket fee on replies. $495 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 $495 on Richpanel.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    RichpanelRichpanel

    AI agents are $0.20 per conversation they handle, across email, chat, social, SMS and WhatsApp. 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. Richpanel meters AI ($0.20 per conversation) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    RichpanelRichpanel

    Email, chat, social, SMS and WhatsApp in the seat; no Telegram. email, WhatsApp 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. Richpanel adds email, WhatsApp and Instagram, which Shopify Inbox lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    RichpanelRichpanel

    A self-service portal for order tracking and returns; returns and exchanges are $99 a month more. Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Product recommendations, discount codes and order updates inside the chat. Richpanel is an ecommerce help desk with AI agents instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    RichpanelRichpanel

    A sales demo, then a store connection and a training pass for the AI. Shopify Inbox is minutes.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Minutes: install the app from the Shopify admin. Richpanel is a sales demo, then a store connection and a training pass for the AI.

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

Inside Shopify Inbox

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

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

Richpanel, 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.

FeatureRichpanelRichpanelShopify InboxShopify InboxSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
Per seat; AI per conversation
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 the seat
Storefront and Shop app
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
In the seat
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
In the seat
Not offered
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Social channels
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
AI agents on every channel
Learns the catalog
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
$0.20 per conversation
Included
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Escalates to a seat
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
Rules and macros
Instant answers, greetings
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Reports and QA agent
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 Richpanel if

  • You want AI to take most of the ecommerce volume at $0.20 a conversation.
  • A self-service portal for orders and returns matters.
  • You need email, WhatsApp 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 $495 a month less than on Richpanel ($0 against $495), before AI.
  • You want a free plan to start on; Richpanel offers no trial.

The third option: Sellio

  • Your team is two to ten people on chat, messaging and email. Weigh workspace pricing against $495 a month on Richpanel against $0 on Shopify Inbox for five people; the billing units and included features differ.
  • You want a ceiling on AI spend: Richpanel meters AI ($0.20 per conversation) above the seats, Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan, and Sellio stops at the cap you set.
  • You need Telegram and native Windows and macOS apps, which neither Richpanel nor Shopify Inbox includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Richpanel on Helpdesk seat: $198, $495 and $990 a month for two, five and ten people, before AI. 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, $450 less than Richpanel and more than Shopify Inbox's $0 for five people; Essentials at $95 for ten, the AI credit included. At ten people, Essentials at $95 is $895 under Richpanel.

Where the two agree, and where they split

Richpanel is an ecommerce help desk with AI agents built around ecommerce tickets and AI; 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); Richpanel offers no trial. Richpanel and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Richpanel has email, WhatsApp and Instagram. Neither Richpanel nor Shopify Inbox includes Telegram outright. Richpanel meters AI ($0.20 per conversation) above the seats; Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan. Richpanel has tickets and Shopify Inbox does not, and neither Richpanel nor Shopify Inbox ships a desktop app. Richpanel is a sales demo, then a store connection and a training pass for the AI; Shopify Inbox is minutes.

What each price leaves out

Richpanel: AI agents $0.20 per AI-handled conversation. Shopify Inbox: AI chat and suggested replies included. Beside Richpanel's $0.20 per conversation 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
    RichpanelRichpanel$0.2$96
    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.

    RichpanelRichpanel · None printed; demo first
    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

Richpanel vs Shopify Inbox: the questions people ask

Richpanel is an ecommerce help desk with AI agents built around ecommerce tickets and AI; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat.

  • Entry plan: Richpanel $99/seat/mo (Helpdesk seat); Shopify Inbox $0 (with any Shopify plan).
  • Chat in the price: Richpanel $99/seat/mo (all channels in the seat); Shopify Inbox $0 (storefront and Shop app).
  • Sellio: one inbox for every channel: Telegram, which neither Richpanel nor Shopify Inbox has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

The shared inbox page puts Sellio beside Richpanel 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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