Merchant AI: Chatbots & Agents vs Steps AI: AI Chatbot & Agent
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 13, 2026 for Merchant AI, Nov 8, 2026 for Steps AI.
The short answer
- On the Shopify App Store: Merchant AI 5.0 from 1 reviews and Steps AI 5.0 from 3 reviews.
- Only Merchant AI lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $25/month for Merchant AI and $27/month for Steps AI.
- Steps AI lists 9 features Merchant AI’s listing doesn’t mention, including Chat assignment, Color and font, Discounts.
Head to head
- India
- South Africa
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
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
Starter
- · 20+ integrations
- · 500 AI credits/month
- · Cart recovery + store workflows
- · Instagram + WhatsApp automation
- · Leads, tickets + CRM
- · Live Shopify order tracking
Growth
- · + more
- · 100 web crawls/month
- · 100MB knowledge storage
- · 2,000 AI credits/month
- · Everything in Starter
- · Priority support
Scale
- · + more
- · 250 web crawls/month
- · 500MB knowledge storage
- · 7,500 AI credits/month
- · Dedicated account manager
- · Everything in Growth
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.
Steps AI is an AI sales and support agent for Shopify stores. It answers product questions, recommends products, checks live orders, and recovers abandoned carts. The same agent works on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Trigger Instagram DMs from set comment or story-reply keywords, run WhatsApp broadcasts and Shopify workflows, and let the agent handle replies.
- 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
- AI-powered customer support trained on your store’s products and policies
- Instant answers to shopper questions directly on your storefront
- Product recommendations and buying guidance to improve conversions
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 |  Steps AI |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | 22 |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | +2 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | 2 |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Apparel & Accessories, Home & Garden, Food, Beverages & Tobacco |
| Top store countries | Not published | India, South Africa |
Reviews
| Measure | Merchant AI | Steps AI |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 5.0 ★ | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | 1 | 3(ahead) |
| 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 | Steps AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $25/month(ahead) | $27/month |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Plans listed | 4 | 3 |
Listing
| Measure | Merchant AI | Steps AI |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #674 | #133(ahead) |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | May 21, 2026 | Mar 12, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Cross Digital Ltd | Steps AI |
FAQ
Merchant AI and Steps AI: common questions
- Is Merchant AI or Steps AI cheaper?
- Only Merchant AI lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $25/month for Merchant AI and $27/month for Steps 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.
- Which has better reviews, Merchant AI or Steps AI?
- On the Shopify App Store: Merchant AI 5.0 from 1 reviews and Steps AI 5.0 from 3 reviews.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Merchant AI lists 1 the others don’t mention, such as Cross-sell. Steps AI lists 9 the others don’t mention, such as Chat assignment, Color and font, Discounts, Email 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 for Merchant AI, Nov 8, 2026 for Steps 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 Oct 13, 2026 for Merchant AI, Nov 8, 2026 for Steps 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.