Salesforce Service CloudShopify InboxSalesforce Service Cloud vs Shopify Inbox

Salesforce Service Cloud vs Shopify Inbox: enterprise service CRM or free chat

An enterprise service CRM against a free chat for Shopify stores: Shopify Inbox is $975 a month cheaper for five people. The six differences, what five people pay on each, and a third option.

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 Salesforce Service Cloud if the rest of the company runs on Salesforce and support must share the record. Pick Shopify Inbox if you run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view. For five people, Shopify Inbox is $975 a month cheaper than Salesforce Service Cloud ($975 a month on Salesforce Service Cloud against $0 on Shopify Inbox), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Shopify Inbox's figure comes under. Salesforce Service Cloud and Shopify Inbox share no channel in the base price; only Salesforce Service Cloud has email; only Shopify Inbox has website chat. Neither Salesforce Service Cloud nor Shopify Inbox includes WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram outright. Below, a third option for a team of two to ten that wants what Salesforce Service Cloud and Shopify Inbox sell here at one price.

At a glanceSalesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service CloudShopify InboxShopify Inbox
Built aroundCases on the CRM · channels bought separatelyThe storefront chat · free with a Shopify plan
Entry plan$25/user/mo · Starter Suite$0 · with any Shopify plan
Chat in the price$195/user/mo · Core, plus messaging add-ons$0 · storefront and Shop app
AI agentFlex Credits · Agentforce; Max includes 2.75M a yearIncluded · AI chat from the catalog and policies
Copilot for agentsIn AgentforceIncluded · suggested replies
Free planNone · trials on Starter to AdvancedYes · the app is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    As a case on the Salesforce record, routed by Omni-Channel to a queue or an agent. 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. Salesforce Service Cloud raises a ticket where Shopify Inbox keeps a conversation.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    $25 buys the Starter Suite; the service editions run $195 on Core to $550 on Max, with channels as add-ons. $975 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 $975 on Salesforce Service Cloud.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    Agentforce is sold in Flex Credits by usage; only Max includes an allowance. 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. Salesforce Service Cloud meters AI (Flex Credits) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    Email and web on the editions; chat, messaging, WhatsApp and voice are bought as add-ons. email is here and not on Shopify Inbox.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Storefront chat and the Shop app; no email, WhatsApp, Instagram or Telegram in the inbox. website chat is here and not on Salesforce Service Cloud.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    The whole CRM: sales, marketing, commerce, analytics and thousands of AppExchange apps. Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Product recommendations, discount codes and order updates inside the chat. Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise service CRM instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud

    Weeks to months: an implementation, often with a partner. Shopify Inbox is minutes.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Minutes: install the app from the Shopify admin. Salesforce Service Cloud is weeks to months.

Sources: Salesforce Service Cloud 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 Service Cloud console: the case with the contact, the knowledge panel and Omni-Channel
Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud. The Service Cloud console: the case with the contact, the knowledge panel and Omni-Channel
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: Salesforce Service Cloud pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13); Shopify Inbox pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

Salesforce Service Cloud, 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.

FeatureSalesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service CloudShopify InboxShopify InboxSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
Per user; channels and AI on top
Free with Shopify
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
None; trials
The whole app
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

Website live chat
Messaging add-on
Storefront and Shop app
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
Email-to-case
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
Messaging add-on
Not offered
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Messenger via add-on
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)
Slack is a Salesforce product
Not offered
From Mini: two-way threads; a reply there reaches the customer

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
Agentforce
Learns the catalog
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
Flex Credits by usage
Included
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Routes to a queue
Hands to staff
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Cases
Chats only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Flow
Instant answers, greetings
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Reports and Tableau
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 Salesforce Service Cloud if

  • The rest of the company runs on Salesforce and support must share the record.
  • You have an implementation partner and a budget for add-ons.
  • You need email 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 $975 a month less than on Salesforce Service Cloud ($0 against $975), before AI.
  • You need website chat in the price, which Salesforce Service Cloud does not include outright.

The third option: Sellio

  • You are two to ten people on Salesforce Service Cloud or Shopify Inbox who answer chat, messaging and email, and want to compare workspace pricing with $975 a month on Salesforce Service Cloud against $0 on Shopify Inbox for five people.
  • You want the AI bill known before the month starts: Salesforce Service Cloud meters AI (Flex Credits) above the seats, Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan; Sellio includes a credit and lets you cap it.
  • You need Telegram and native Windows and macOS apps, which neither Salesforce Service Cloud nor Shopify Inbox includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Salesforce Service Cloud on Core: $390, $975 and $1,950 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, $930 less than Salesforce Service Cloud 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 $1,855 under Salesforce Service Cloud.

Where the two agree, and where they split

Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise service CRM built around cases on the CRM; 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); Salesforce Service Cloud offers a free trial. Salesforce Service Cloud and Shopify Inbox share no channel in the base price; only Salesforce Service Cloud has email; only Shopify Inbox has website chat. Neither Salesforce Service Cloud nor Shopify Inbox includes WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram outright. Salesforce Service Cloud meters AI (Flex Credits) above the seats; Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan. Salesforce Service Cloud has tickets and Shopify Inbox does not, and neither Salesforce Service Cloud nor Shopify Inbox ships a desktop app. Salesforce Service Cloud is weeks to months; Shopify Inbox is minutes.

What each price leaves out

Salesforce Service Cloud: Agentforce by Flex Credits; Max includes 2.75M a year, others buy by usage. Shopify Inbox: AI chat and suggested replies included. Beside Salesforce Service Cloud's Flex Credits 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
    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service CloudAssumed $2$960
    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.

    Salesforce Service CloudSalesforce Service Cloud · Free trials on Starter, Pro, Core and Advanced
    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

Salesforce Service Cloud vs Shopify Inbox: the questions people ask

Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise service CRM built around cases on the CRM; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat.

  • Entry plan: Salesforce Service Cloud $25/user/mo (Starter Suite); Shopify Inbox $0 (with any Shopify plan).
  • Chat in the price: Salesforce Service Cloud $195/user/mo (Core, plus messaging add-ons); Shopify Inbox $0 (storefront and Shop app).
  • Sellio puts every channel in one inbox: WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram, which neither Salesforce Service Cloud nor Shopify Inbox has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Salesforce Service Cloud 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

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