Aria: Customer Support AI vs Merchant AI: Chatbots & Agents
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 13, 2026.
The short answer
- Only Merchant AI lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.90/month for Aria and $25/month for Merchant AI.
- Merchant AI lists 11 features Aria’s listing doesn’t mention, including Agent analytics, Behavior tracking, Cart recovery.
Head to head
Standard
- · Answers order & tracking questions 24/7
- · Human handoff when the AI isn't sure
- · Live Shopify catalog for product Q&A
- · Live on your site in seconds 3line embed
Professional
- · Answers order & tracking questions 24/7
- · Human handoff when the AI isn't sure
- · Live Shopify catalog for product Q&A
- · Live on your site in seconds 3line embed
- · Modify orders, address & tracking on req
- · Voice support, integrated to your phone
Advanced
- · Answers order & tracking questions 24/7
- · Human handoff when the AI isn't sure
- · Live Shopify catalog for product Q&A
- · Live on your site in seconds 3line embed
- · Modify orders, address & tracking on req
- · Outbound Sales Assistant
Free Plan
- · 1 AI agent
- · 1 MB knowledge base
- · 1 team seat
- · 20 messages / month
- · Website & file sources
Starter Plan
- · 1 AI agent
- · 15 MB knowledge base
- · 2 team seats
- · 400 messages / month
- · Advanced analytics
- · All source types
Pro Plan
- · 2,500 messages / month
- · 3 AI agents
- · 30 MB knowledge base
- · 5 team seats
- · Advanced analytics
- · All source types
Business Plan
- · 10 team seats
- · 5 AI agents
- · 60 MB knowledge base
- · 9,000 messages / month
- · Advanced analytics
- · All source types
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureAria reads your live Shopify data such as orders, products, customers, inventory, fulfillments the moment you install. She looks up any order by name, email, phone, or order number, explains shipping status and tracking, answers product availability questions, updates addresses on request. If Aria isn't confident, she hands the conversation to your team. Every reply cites real store data. No training data.
Merchant AI installs on your Shopify store and indexes your products, collections, policies, and content, refreshing whenever your catalog changes. Shoppers ask questions and get answers grounded in your store data. They can see product recommendations, add to cart, look up an order, or start a return inside the chat. You set the agent's tone, refund posture, and escalation rules in plain English.
- Answers order status, tracking, and delivery questions in seconds
- Reads your live Shopify catalog to answer product and inventory questions
- Updates shipping addresses and adds order notes on customer request
- Works on your phone as a voice assistant or on your website as a chatbot
- Auto-syncs your products, collections, policies, and blog posts on install
- Recommends products and adds to cart inside the conversation
- Looks up orders, tracking, and starts returns without leaving chat
- Set your tone, refund posture, and escalation rules in plain English
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 |  Aria |  Merchant AI |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | 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 | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Aria | Merchant AI |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 1 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | Aria | Merchant AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not listed | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $9.90/month(ahead) | $25/month |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Plans listed | 3 | 4 |
Listing
| Measure | Aria | Merchant AI |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #829 | #674(ahead) |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Jul 24, 2026 | May 21, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Agentnomics | Cross Digital Ltd |
FAQ
Aria and Merchant AI: common questions
- Is Aria or Merchant AI cheaper?
- Only Merchant AI lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.90/month for Aria and $25/month for Merchant 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?
- Merchant AI lists 11 the others don’t mention, such as Agent analytics, Behavior tracking, Cart recovery, Chat buttons. 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 Oct 13, 2026; 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 Oct 13, 2026. 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.