Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Every customer message in one inbox, already drafted from your real order data.
| ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox | Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed | ||
| Last updated | — | — |
AI Chat, AI Chatbot & AI Helpdesk. Agentic sales & support: live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram & email
| Metric | ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox | Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 ★ | 4.9 ★ |
| Total reviews | 2 | ★ 191 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free plan available |
| Built for Shopify | — | ★ Yes |
| Pricing tiers | 4 tiers | 4 tiers |
| Listed features | 5 | 5 |
| Review velocity (30d) | — | 8 new |
| Languages | 1 supported | 1 supported |
| Listed since | May 2026 | May 2023 |
ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox and Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat are evenly matched on rating (5.0★ vs 4.9★) — the differentiator comes down to pricing fit, feature breadth, and which app's interaction pattern suits your team's workflow.
Pricing entry tiers: ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox at Free plan available, Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat at Free plan available. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat has the larger user base (191 reviews vs 2), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat.
Recommended evaluation path: install both apps' free tiers (where available) and run them in parallel on a small cohort for 7-14 days before committing. The data tables below show the per-feature breakdown — for most merchants the deciding factor will be a single integration or workflow detail that's hard to compare from listing pages alone.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox audit • Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat audit
| Keyword | ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox | Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat |
|---|---|---|
| inbox | #23 | #14 |
| helpdesk | #59 | #4 |
| ai support chatbot | #90 | #17 |
| ai chat support | #95 | #18 |
| support chatbot | #118 | #35 |
| Signal | ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox | Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating | 5.0 ★ (2) | 4.9 ★ (191) |
| Rating distribution | 5— 4— 3— 2— 1— | 596% 41% 30% 21% 13% |
| Reviews · last 7 days | — | +3 |
| Reviews · last 30 days | — | +8 |
| Reviews · last 90 days | — | +31 |
No reviews yet.
Both ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox and Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat offer paid plans only. ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox starts at Free plan available; Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat starts at Free plan available. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox (5.0★, 2 reviews) and Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat (4.9★, 191 reviews) are essentially tied on rating. Look at review velocity and individual reviewer quotes — both visible on each app's detail page — to differentiate.
ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 4.9★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat has the deeper published review base (191 vs 2), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (2 reviews). Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (191 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Zipchat is amazing. It brings massive incremental revenues to our business as well as support staff cost savings. Highly recommend!
Great experience so far with the chat bot. Easy to set up and starts helping conversions immediately. Looking forward to testing their other solutions as well.
Fantastic customer service! The team are always available to help with any issues we have. The App is very easy to use, and the chat platform has been very helpful. We are extremely happy with the Zipchat system and the team behind it.
Great App. Very helpful in communicating with clients in a timely manner.
Good customer service from Aymar especially.
Migration support varies by app and category. ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox and Zipchat AI Chatbot & Live Chat both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
