Hive Help Desk vs HiveChat ‑ Live Chat & Chatbot
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk, Oct 14, 2026 for HiveChat.
The short answer
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $49/month for Hive Help Desk and $9.99/month for HiveChat.
- HiveChat lists 12 features Hive Help Desk’s listing doesn’t mention, including Agent analytics, Behavior tracking, Callback.
Head to head
Free
- · 1 agent seat
- · 100 conversations/month
- · Community support
- · Email + 1 channel
Starter
- · 2 agent seats
- · 500 conversations/month
- · All channels (Shopify, eBay, Amazon, Mir
- · EVERYTHING IN FREE, PLUS
- · Email support
Growth
- · 2,000 conversations/month
- · 5 agent seats
- · Buzz AI bot + copilot
- · EVERYTHING IN STARTER, PLUS
- · Macros + automations
Pro
- · 10,000 conversations/month
- · Custom forms + screen share
- · EVERYTHING IN GROWTH, PLUS
- · Multi-brand support
- · Unlimited agents
Free
- · 1 supported language
- · 90 days chat history
- · Advanced analytics
- · Highly customizable
- · Unlimited conversations
- · Up to 3 automation rules
Basic
- · 3 supported languages
- · 365 days chat history
- · Custom email templates
- · Up to 20 automation rules
- · Up to 20 canned responses
Pro
- · 5 supported languages
- · Unlimited automation rules
- · Unlimited canned responses
- · Unlimited chat history
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureHIVE Helpdesk brings all your customer support channels into one dashboard. Manage live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, WhatsApp, and SMS conversations from a single shared inbox. Agents can view Shopify order details alongside each conversation, translate messages in real time across five languages, and use template responses to reply faster.
HiveChat helps merchants answer shopper questions through a storefront chat widget and manage every conversation in Shopify admin. Merchants can customize the widget, set business hours and quick replies, create rule-based answers for common questions, recommend products in chat, hand conversations to staff, send follow-up emails when customers are offline, and review conversation, resolution, and satisfaction…
- Unified inbox for live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and SMS
- View Shopify orders and customer details alongside every conversation
- Auto-translate messages in real time across five languages
- Customizable live chat widget with business hours and omnichannel menu
- Answer common questions automatically with rule-based chat replies
- Recommend products directly inside chat
- Manage chats with assignment, notes, and canned replies
- Follow up by email when customers leave the chat
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 |  Hive Help Desk |  HiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hive Help Desk | HiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hive Help Desk | HiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $49/month | $9.99/month(ahead) |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Plans listed | 4 | 3 |
Listing
| Measure | Hive Help Desk | HiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #440 | Not enough data |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Jun 30, 2026 | May 8, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 6 |
| Developer | Backroom Studio | Hive Interactive |
FAQ
Hive Help Desk and HiveChat: common questions
- Is Hive Help Desk or HiveChat cheaper?
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $49/month for Hive Help Desk and $9.99/month for HiveChat. 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?
- Hive Help Desk lists 4 the others don’t mention, such as Agent avatar, Emojis and stickers, Real-time translation, Send transcript. HiveChat lists 12 the others don’t mention, such as Agent analytics, Behavior tracking, Callback, Chat flows. 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 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk, Oct 14, 2026 for HiveChat; 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 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk, Oct 14, 2026 for HiveChat. 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.