Merchant AI: Chatbots & Agents vs Tone
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 $99/month for Tone.
- Merchant AI lists 13 features Tone’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 plan
- · 10 conversations per month
- · 5 knowledge files & URLs processing
- · Conversation analytics and insights
- · Customizable voice, greeting, behavior
- · Product & collections sync from Shopify
- · Up to 3 concurrent calls
Starter
- · 20 knowledge files & URLs processing
- · 30 conversations per month
- · Audio recording of conversations
- · Conversation analytics and insights
- · Customizable voice, greeting, behavior
- · Up to 5 concurrent calls
Growth
- · 13% lower cost per conversation
- · 80 conversations per month
- · Audio recording of conversations
- · Conversation analytics and insights
- · Customizable voice, greeting, behavior
- · Unlimited files & URLs processing
Pro
- · 200 conversations per month
- · 32% lower cost per conversation
- · Audio recording of conversations
- · Conversation analytics and insights
- · Customizable voice, greeting, behavior
- · Dedicated Slack support channel
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.
Tone places a voice AI personal shopper on your storefront that knows your entire catalog, policies, and brand. It answers customer questions, recommends products, adds items to cart, and guides visitors to checkout — all through natural voice conversation. It learns from your Shopify data, pages, URLs, and PDFs to give accurate, brand-specific answers.
- 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
- Answers product questions, removes doubts, and closes the sale for you.
- Displays products, adds to cart, recommends items, and drives to checkout.
- Knows your entire catalog, policies, and brand, always accurate.
- Go live in under 5 minutes with full control over voice and behavior.
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 |  Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $25/month(ahead) | $99/month |
| Longest free trial | 14 days | Not listed |
| Plans listed | 4 | 4 |
Listing
| Measure | Merchant AI | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #675 | Not enough data |
| 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 9, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Cross Digital Ltd | Tone |
FAQ
Merchant AI and Tone: common questions
- Is Merchant AI or Tone cheaper?
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $25/month for Merchant AI and $99/month for Tone. 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 13 the others don’t mention, such as Agent analytics, Agent avatar, Behavior tracking, Cart recovery. Tone lists 1 the others don’t mention, such as Voice support. 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.