NG: AI Search Bar & Answers vs Retail Cloud Connect
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Nov 8, 2026.
The short answer
- Retail Cloud Connect is detected on 26× as many Shopify stores as NG: 52 vs 2 as of Nov 8, 2026.
- Only NG lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $19/month for NG and $99/month for Retail Cloud Connect.
- Retail Cloud Connect lists 18 features NG’s listing doesn’t mention, including Autocomplete, Behavior insights, Custom CSS.
Head to head
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Australia
- Germany
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free
- · 100 AI answers per month
- · Insights: searches, clicks, revenue
- · Knowledge base: PDF, DOCX, CSV, URLStyle
- · No overage charges, ever
- · One-toggle setup, clean uninstall
- · Style & tone customization
Starter
- · 1,000 AI answers per month
- · Cached answers don't count against quota
- · Insights: searches, clicks, revenue
- · Knowledge base: PDF, DOCX, CSV, URL
- · No overage charges, ever
- · One-toggle setup, clean uninstall
Growth
- · 5,000 AI answers per month
- · Insights: searches, clicks, revenue
- · Knowledge base: PDF, DOCX, CSV, URL
- · No overage charges, ever
- · One-toggle setup, clean uninstall
- · Search never limited, only answers count
Pro
- · 20,000 AI answers per month
- · Highest AI answer quota available
- · Insights: searches, clicks, revenue
- · Knowledge base: PDF, DOCX, CSV, URL
- · No overage charges, ever
- · One-toggle setup, clean uninstall
Starter
- · Daily Full Catalog Sync
- · Live Chat & Email Support
- · Real-Time Inventory & Pricing Updates
- · Self-Service Onboarding
- · Up to 5,000 SKUs
Growth
- · Daily Full Catalog Sync
- · Fully Guided Onboarding
- · Priority Support
- · Real-Time Inventory & Pricing Updates
- · Up to 150,000 SKUs
Custom/Enterprise
- · Daily Full Catalog Sync
- · Dedicated Support
- · Fully Managed Onboarding
- · Over 150,000+ SKUs
- · Real-Time Inventory & Pricing Updates
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureYour search bar becomes an AI salesperson. When shoppers search, they instantly see products plus a short AI answer recommending relevant products — grounded in your catalog and the knowledge you upload (size charts, shipping & returns, care guides, spec sheets — PDF, DOCX, CSV, or any page URL). Follow-up chips refine conversationally. Add to cart directly from the answer.
Product search and discovery is one of the most important website experiences, but it can be very difficult. Google's AI Commerce Search is an enterprise solution that increases conversions and reduces search abandonment without needing to become an expert in machine learning or AI.
- AI answer streams above results, recommending 1-3 products from your catalog
- Knowledge base: upload PDFs, size charts, and FAQs for grounded answers
- Search-as-you-type with conversational follow-up chips and add-to-cart
- Insights dashboard: top searches, zero-result queries, clicks, and revenue
- Enable Google Cloud Vertex AI Retail Search & Recommendations AI with one app
- Maintain full control of your data and merchandising settings in Google Cloud
- Simplify merchandising efforts by adding AI browsing to your collection pages
- Install quickly on your existing Shopify Online Store 2.0 themes with App Blocks
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 |  NG | Retail Cloud Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | 2 | 52(ahead) |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | +1 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | 1 |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Health & Beauty, Home & Garden | Apparel & Accessories, Home & Garden, Vehicles & Parts |
| Top store countries | Canada, United Kingdom | United States, Australia, Germany |
Reviews
| Measure | NG | Retail Cloud Connect |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 12 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | 0 |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | NG | Retail Cloud Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $19/month(ahead) | $99/month |
| Longest free trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Plans listed | 4 | 3 |
Listing
| Measure | NG | Retail Cloud Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #45(ahead) | #172 |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | #25 in Search and filters |
| Built for Shopify | No | Yes |
| Launched | Aug 1, 2026 | Nov 17, 2023 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | NextGen Software | Nimstrata |
FAQ
NG and Retail Cloud Connect: common questions
- Which is more popular, NG or Retail Cloud Connect?
- Retail Cloud Connect is detected on 26× as many Shopify stores as NG: 52 vs 2 as of Nov 8, 2026.
- Is NG or Retail Cloud Connect cheaper?
- Only NG lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $19/month for NG and $99/month for Retail Cloud Connect. 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?
- NG lists 1 the others don’t mention, such as Instant search. Retail Cloud Connect lists 18 the others don’t mention, such as Autocomplete, Behavior insights, Custom CSS, Custom filters. 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 Nov 8, 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 Nov 8, 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.