Merchant AI: Chatbots & Agents vs Rio Ai ‑ Shopping Assistant
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
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $25/month for Merchant AI and $25/month for Rio Ai.
- Merchant AI lists 11 features Rio Ai’s listing doesn’t mention, including Agent analytics, Agent avatar, Behavior tracking.
Head to head
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
Free
- · AI product recommendations
- · Unlimited AI chat & voice interactions
- · Up to 30 products
Starter
- · Add-to-cart from chat
- · Basic analytics dashboard
- · Up to 250 products
Growth
- · Advanced analytics
- · Up to 1,500 products
Pro
- · Priority support
- · Up to 22,000 products
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureMerchant 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.
Rio adds an AI chat assistant to your storefront that helps customers find products, answer questions, and complete purchases without any merchant involvement. Customers get instant product recommendations, order tracking, and guided checkout through natural conversation. Rio remembers shopper preferences across visits to personalise every interaction.
- 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
- Conversational product discovery powered by AI and voice search
- Personalised recommendations that improve with every shopper visit
- Instant order tracking via chat — no support tickets needed
- Smart upsells and bundle suggestions triggered by purchase intent
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 |  Merchant AI |  Rio 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 | Merchant AI | Rio Ai |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 5.0 ★ | Not published |
| App Store reviews | 1 | Not published |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | Merchant AI | Rio Ai |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $25/month | $25/month |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 7 days |
| Plans listed | 4 | 4 |
Listing
| Measure | Merchant AI | Rio Ai |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #675(ahead) | #839 |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | May 21, 2026 | Jun 18, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Cross Digital Ltd | GreenBee LLC |
FAQ
Merchant AI and Rio Ai: common questions
- Is Merchant AI or Rio Ai cheaper?
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $25/month for Merchant AI and $25/month for Rio 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, Agent avatar, Behavior tracking, Cart recovery. Rio Ai lists 2 the others don’t mention, such as Color and font, Live chat. 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.