AI Smart Search vs Hivebee AI
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Nov 5, 2026 for AI Smart Search, Oct 26, 2026 for Hivebee AI.
The short answer
- Only AI Smart Search lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $39/month for AI Smart Search and $49/month for Hivebee AI.
- Hivebee AI lists 6 features AI Smart Search’s listing doesn’t mention, including Autocomplete, Custom CSS, Exclude results.
Head to head
- United States
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free
Starter
Pro
Freemium
- · 100 AI searches per month
- · Answers in English & German
- · Realtime search refinement
- · Standard AI — solid search results
- · Understands typos & vague queries
- · Widget & search bar integration
Premium
- · 300 AI searches per month
- · Advanced AI — smarter, more accurate
- · Advanced analytics & revenue insights
- · All languages supported
- · Everything in Freemium, plus:
- · Faster search responses
Business
- · 1000 AI searches per month
- · Custom widget and search bar
- · Dedicated Account Manager
- · Everything in Premium, plus:
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureSmart Search adds an AI chatbot to your store that understands what customers are looking for. Instead of browsing and filtering, customers describe what they need in plain language and get instant product recommendations. The assistant knows your full catalog, answers questions about sizing and policies, compares products side by side, and guides customers through variant selection to add items directly to cart.
HiveBee adds AI understanding to your store’s search. Shoppers type full sentences or partial details in any language, ask follow-up questions and get matching products, even with no exact match. Use it as a chat assistant, as an upgrade to your existing search bar, or both – installed via theme app extension, no code.
- Natural Language Product Search with AI product recommendations.
- In-Chat Add to Cart | Select variants and atc without leaving the conversation.
- Product Comparison | Compare products side by side.
- Brand Training | Teach the AI your policies, sizing, and product details.
- Conversational product discovery with follow-up queries.
- Context-aware sessions within a single search flow with fallback search.
- Automatic language detection and multilingual support!
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  AI Smart Search |  Hivebee AI |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | 3 | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Apparel & Accessories | Not published |
| Top store countries | United States | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | AI Smart Search | Hivebee AI |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 13 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | AI Smart Search | Hivebee AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $39/month(ahead) | $49/month |
| Longest free trial | 7 days | Not listed |
| Plans listed | 3 | 3 |
Listing
| Measure | AI Smart Search | Hivebee AI |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #214 | #23(ahead) |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | May 8, 2026 | Feb 3, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | S1C | Rankskipper |
FAQ
AI Smart Search and Hivebee AI: common questions
- Is AI Smart Search or Hivebee AI cheaper?
- Only AI Smart Search lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $39/month for AI Smart Search and $49/month for Hivebee AI. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- AI Smart Search lists 5 the others don’t mention, such as Custom filters, Filter usage, Product recommendations, Real-time analytics. Hivebee AI lists 6 the others don’t mention, such as Autocomplete, Custom CSS, Exclude results, Image search. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Nov 5, 2026 for AI Smart Search, Oct 26, 2026 for Hivebee AI; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Nov 5, 2026 for AI Smart Search, Oct 26, 2026 for Hivebee AI. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.