Intellect AI vs Zipchat: which fits your Shopify store?
Zipchat is an AI shopping assistant with every channel on every plan, billed by AI replies. Intellect AI starts at a lower price and bills by conversations, with order actions and upsells built in.
Last updated: 8 October 2026
The differences that matter
Starting price
$19/month for 50 AI conversations.
$80/month, or $64/month billed yearly, for 750 AI replies (about 300 conversations).
900 conversations a month
$99/month on Growth.
$300/month on Pro.
What you pay for
AI conversations.
AI replies. One conversation can take several; Zipchat estimates 750 replies at about 300 conversations.
Channels
Chat and email on every plan; WhatsApp from Growth.
Chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger on every plan.
Intellect AI vs Zipchat, feature by feature
| At a glance | Intellect AI | Zipchat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Cheapest paid plan | $19/month (Basic), or $15.83/month billed yearly | $80/month, or $64/month billed yearly (Starter) |
| Free plan | — | 120 AI replies/month, per its App Store listing |
| Free trial | 3 days | 7 days, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| How you're billed | By AI conversations; extra 50 for $5–$17.50 | By AI replies; extra 250 for $49 |
| AI agent | ||
| AI volume on the cheapest plan | 50 AI conversations / month | 750 AI replies (about 300 conversations) |
| Order help in chat | Track, cancel, refund, change address | Order tracking |
| Selling | Bundles and Quick Ask (Standard+), cart upsell (Growth+) | Product recommendations, upsells and cart recovery |
| Team and channels | ||
| Channels | Chat and email; WhatsApp from Growth | Chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger |
| Shopify App Store rating | 5.0 (7 reviews, new in 2026) | 4.9 (206 reviews) |
Zipchat facts from zipchat.ai/pricing and its Shopify App Store listing, checked on October 8, 2026. Prices change, so check their site for the latest. Intellect AI: see plans.
What you'd actually pay each month
Two typical volumes, with the line items behind every number.
300 conversations a month
Standard
- 300 AI conversations included
Starter
- 750 AI replies, about 300 conversations
900 conversations a month
Growth
- 900 AI conversations included
Pro
- 3,000 AI replies, about 1,250 conversations
- Cheaper than Starter plus 6 × $49 reply packs ($374)
How we worked it out. Monthly billing, list prices before tax, checked on October 8, 2026. Zipchat bills by AI replies, so we used its own estimate of 750 replies for about 300 conversations (2.5 replies each). Intellect AI uses the cheapest plan that includes the volume. These are estimates; your bill depends on your usage.
Made for Shopify, from day one
Takes real action on orders.
Intellect AI can cancel, refund and change shipping addresses inside the chat, and every action runs a four-step check before anything changes in Shopify.
- Verify, ask why, offer a fix, confirm
- Returns always go to your team
Sells, not just supports.
AI bundles on product pages, a cart upsell and in-chat recommendations turn support conversations into revenue.
- Product page bundles from Standard, cart upsell from Growth
- Workflow emails with 7-day revenue attribution
Is it time to switch from Zipchat?
If you want AI that does the work and sells while it helps, Intellect AI is built for you.
Switch to Intellect AI if
- You want to start at $19/month, not $80
- You want to pay per conversation, not per reply
- You'd rather pay $99 than $300 a month at 900 conversations
- You want an AI avatar, ten tones and a Quick Ask launcher
- You want workflow emails with revenue attribution
Zipchat may still suit you if
- You need Instagram and Messenger on every plan
- You also run stores on platforms other than Shopify
Still deciding? Set up Intellect AI during the free trial while Zipchat keeps running. See the four steps.
Switch from Zipchat in four steps
No data export. No AI training period. Your store syncs the moment you install.
Install
Add Intellect AI from the Shopify App Store. 3-day free trial, billed through Shopify.
Sync
Products, variants and policy pages sync on install. No exports, no ticket history needed.
Make it yours
Pick a name, avatar, tone and welcome message, then add FAQs and files if you like.
Go live
Turn on the Intellect AI chat embed and switch off Zipchat's widget. The AI answers from day one.
What merchants say about Intellect AI
“Very impressed with Intellect AI. The chatbot is smart, responsive, and genuinely helps customers throughout their shopping journey. We've seen better customer engagement, fewer support tickets, and excellent ROI.”
“Great AI chat solution for Shopify stores. The setup was simple, and the bot started answering customer questions instantly. It has helped reduce support workload significantly.”
“Using Intellect AI has improved our customer support experience significantly. Fast AI responses, smart product recommendations, and smooth live chat support all in one platform.”
Switching from Zipchat: questions
Can I switch from Zipchat without downtime?
Yes. Set Intellect AI up during the free trial, then turn on its chat embed and turn off Zipchat's widget in your theme editor at the same time.
Do I need to move my help content?
Your products, variants and policy pages sync from Shopify automatically. Add FAQs, files (.pdf, .docx, .txt or .json, up to 25MB) and web pages to cover the rest.
What's the difference between replies and conversations?
Zipchat counts AI replies, and one conversation can include several. Zipchat estimates 750 replies at about 300 conversations. Intellect AI plans count AI conversations.
How current is this comparison?
We checked Zipchat's pricing page and Shopify App Store listing on October 8, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check their site for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Which plan do I need?
Every plan includes the AI agent, starting with Basic at $19/month for 50 AI conversations. Compare plans to see what each one adds.