Alby has made a name for itself as an AI shopping assistant that handles product questions and support inquiries.
But it isn't the only option for Shopify stores looking to automate customer interactions.
Whether you're price-sensitive, need different features, or want something that integrates better with your existing stack, there are solid alternatives worth considering.
This guide breaks down six of the best Alby alternatives, comparing what they do well, where they fall short, and which type of store each fits best.
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What Alby does (and why you might want something else)
Alby positions itself as a unified AI agent for retail. It handles product Q&A, recommendations, order tracking, and post-purchase support.
The platform is Shopify-native and targets mid-to-large ecommerce brands.
So why look elsewhere?
- Pricing opacity: Alby doesn't display public pricing. You need to book a demo or contact sales to get a quote.
- Feature gaps: Some merchants need capabilities Alby doesn't emphasize, like voice support or advanced personalization.
- Budget constraints: Smaller stores may find enterprise-focused tools overkill for their needs.
The good news: the AI shopping assistant space has matured significantly. You now have options ranging from free tiers to enterprise suites, each with different strengths.
How we evaluated these Alby alternatives
We looked at six criteria when comparing tools:
- Shopify integration depth: How native does it feel? Does it sync with your product catalog automatically?
- AI capabilities: Can it handle complex product questions? Does it learn from interactions?
- Pricing transparency: Can you self-serve and understand costs upfront?
- Support channels: Is it chat-only, or does it handle email, SMS, and phone?
- Sales vs. support focus: Does it prioritize converting browsers or resolving tickets?
- Scalability: Will it grow with your store, or will you outgrow it in six months?
For more on choosing ecommerce tools, see Shopify's guide to AI customer service.
Quick comparison
Here is how the six alternatives stack up in detail.
Detailed breakdown of each Alby alternative
1. Tidio
Tidio is an AI customer service platform used by over 300,000 businesses, including Under Armour and The Body Shop.
It combines a visual chatbot builder (Flows) with an AI agent called Lyro that can resolve up to 67% of customer inquiries automatically.
What makes Tidio appealing is its flexibility. You can start with a free plan, add Lyro AI as a standalone product, or bundle everything together.
The platform supports chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Key features:
- Lyro AI Agent with 67% claimed resolution rate
- Visual Flows builder for marketing automation
- Unified helpdesk for human agents
- 120+ integrations including Shopify, Klaviyo, and HubSpot
Learn more about Tidio's Lyro AI capabilities.
Pros: Generous free tier, transparent pricing, works across multiple channels
Cons: Not specifically built for ecommerce product Q&A, can feel generic compared to specialized tools
Best for: Small to mid-size stores that want affordable AI chat without committing to a pricey subscription.
2. Rep AI
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Rep AI is the closest direct competitor to Alby.
Built exclusively for Shopify, it positions itself as a sales concierge that happens to handle support, not the other way around.
The platform uses behavioral AI to engage shoppers at the exact moment they're about to leave your site.
Where Alby focuses on answering questions, Rep AI emphasizes converting browsers into buyers.
It offers product recommendations, upsells, abandoned cart rescue, and post-purchase support all in one.
Key features:
- AI drop-off detection with proactive engagement
- Product finder using natural language
- One-click Shopify catalog sync
- Post-order support for tracking, returns, cancellations
- Analytics dashboard with shopper insights
Pros: Shopify-native, sales-focused rather than just support, strong claimed metrics (12%+ conversion, 95%+ inquiry resolution)
Cons: Shopify-only (no other platforms), higher starting price than most alternatives, newer player with less established track record
Best for: Growing Shopify stores that want AI focused on revenue generation, not just deflecting support tickets.
3. Octane AI
Octane AI takes a different approach than Alby. Instead of real-time chat Q&A, it builds interactive product quizzes that guide shoppers to the right products.
Think of it as a consultative sales associate that asks questions before making recommendations.
The platform is particularly popular in beauty, skincare, and fashion, where finding the right shade, size, or routine matters.
Jones Road Beauty, ILIA, and Bambu Earth all use Octane AI.
Key features:
- AI-powered product recommendation quizzes
- Shade matching using photo analysis
- Routine builders for skincare and haircare
- Real-time Klaviyo integration for email personalization
- Zero-party data collection
Pros: Proven results ($1B+ revenue influenced), 42% average email opt-in rate, highly engaging format
Cons: Quiz-first model (not real-time chat), requires upfront setup to create effective quizzes, different paradigm than traditional Q&A
Best for: Beauty, skincare, and fashion brands where product discovery is complex and personalized recommendations drive conversions.
4. Gorgias
Gorgias is the established player in this space.
With 15,000+ brands including Reebok and MrBeast, it offers a full conversational AI platform that goes beyond chat to include voice, SMS, and email support.
Unlike Alby and Rep AI, which are primarily chat-focused, Gorgias functions as a complete helpdesk with AI layered on top.
Its AI Agent resolves 60% of support inquiries while increasing conversions 2.5x with product recommendations.
Key features:
- AI Agent for support and sales
- Unified helpdesk (email, chat, SMS, social, voice)
- Deep Shopify integration with order editing
- 100+ app integrations
- Proactive chat campaigns that reduce bounce by 37%
Pricing: Gorgias uses variable pricing based on ticket volume. Specific tiers require contacting sales or checking their pricing page directly.
Pros: Full support suite (not just chat), enterprise-grade features, established market presence, handles voice support
Cons: Helpdesk-first approach may be overkill for small stores, pricing can escalate quickly with volume, not as focused on pre-sale product Q&A
Best for: Growing stores that need a complete support platform with AI assistance, especially if you handle significant volume across multiple channels.
5. LimeSpot
LimeSpot is technically not a chat tool at all. It is an AI personalization platform that shapeshifts your store based on visitor behavior.
While Alby answers questions through chat, LimeSpot personalizes what shoppers see without them asking.
The platform offers smart product recommendations, dynamic bundles, customer segmentation, and A/B testing.
It works with both Shopify and BigCommerce.
Key features:
- AI-powered product recommendations
- Dynamic content personalization
- Customer segmentation and behavioral tracking
- Email and SMS personalization
- Built-in A/B testing
Pricing: LimeSpot uses custom pricing based on store size and features needed. They offer a 15-day free trial.
Pros: No chat interface needed (works silently), strong Shopify App Store rating (4.8/5), works with BigCommerce too
Cons: No conversational AI, purely recommendations-focused, doesn't answer specific product questions
Best for: Stores wanting to increase AOV through smart recommendations rather than conversational support.
6. Ringly.io
Most Alby alternatives focus on chat, but what about customers who prefer calling? Ringly.io offers AI phone support for Shopify stores.
Seth, the AI phone agent, handles inbound calls 24/7, answering questions, looking up orders, processing returns, and escalating complex issues to your team.
This fills a gap that chat-based tools miss entirely. While shoppers browse with chat, they call when they need immediate answers or have complex issues.
Combining chat-based shopping assistants with voice-based support creates complete coverage. Check out Ringly.io pricing for more details.
Key features:
- AI phone agent (Seth) handles inbound calls 24/7
- Deep Shopify integration for order lookups
- Handles returns, exchanges, and tracking
- 73% call resolution rate without human intervention
- 40+ languages supported
- Escalates complex calls to your team
Pros: Only tool on this list handling phone calls, deep Shopify integration, multilingual support, high resolution rate
Cons: Voice-only (not chat), newer platform, requires separate tool for web-based Q&A
Best for: Stores receiving phone calls who want to automate that channel without losing the human touch for complex issues.
Choosing the right Alby alternative for your store
Which tool makes sense depends on your specific situation:
Start with Tidio if: You're price-sensitive and want to test AI support without committing to a paid plan. The free tier is genuinely usable.
Go with Rep AI if: You're all-in on Shopify and want AI focused on sales conversion, not just support deflection.
Pick Octane AI if: You sell beauty, skincare, or fashion and want to guide shoppers through complex product selection with quizzes.
Choose Gorgias if: You need a full support platform with AI layered on top, especially if you handle high ticket volumes across multiple channels.
Try LimeSpot if: You want personalization without the chat interface, focusing on smart recommendations instead.
Add Ringly.io if: You're getting phone calls and want to automate that channel while keeping chat for your website.
The case for combining chat and voice support
Here's something most merchants overlook: your customers use different channels for different needs.
Someone browsing casually might use chat to ask about product specs. But when their order is late or they need to process a return urgently, they call.
AI shopping assistants like Alby, Rep AI, and Tidio handle the chat side well.
But if you're getting phone calls and sending them to voicemail or overloading your team, you have a coverage gap.
That's where voice AI comes in. We built Ringly.io specifically for this.
Seth, our AI phone agent, integrates with Shopify just like Alby does, but handles voice conversations instead of chat.
He looks up orders, processes returns, answers policy questions, and routes complex issues to your team.
The combination creates complete coverage: chat for browsing, voice for urgency. Both channels feeding into the same order data and policies.
Get started with AI-powered customer support
Every store on this list offers a free trial, so the best way to choose is to test what fits your workflow.
Start with your biggest pain point. If it's website Q&A, try Tidio or Rep AI. If it's phone calls, start a free trial with Ringly.io and see how Seth handles your call volume.
The goal isn't to replace human support entirely. It's to automate the repetitive 70-80% so your team can focus on the conversations that actually need a human touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Alby alternative offers the best free plan?
Tidio has the most generous free tier, with 50 conversations and 50 AI conversations included at no cost. It is enough to test whether AI support works for your store before committing to a paid plan.
Are there Alby alternatives that work on platforms other than Shopify?
Yes. Tidio, Gorgias, and LimeSpot all support multiple platforms. Rep AI and Alby are Shopify-exclusive. If you are on BigCommerce, LimeSpot is your best bet from this list.
Which Alby alternative is best for increasing sales, not just handling support?
Rep AI is specifically built for sales conversion, with features like drop-off detection and abandoned cart rescue. Octane AI also drives significant revenue through personalized quizzes, with some brands attributing $100M+ in sales to their quiz strategy.
Do any Alby alternatives handle phone calls?
Ringly.io is the only alternative on this list that offers AI phone support. Seth, the AI phone agent, handles inbound calls 24/7 and integrates directly with Shopify for order lookups and returns.
Which Alby alternative is easiest to set up?
Tidio and Rep AI both offer one-click Shopify installation. Octane AI requires more upfront work to build effective quizzes but provides templates to speed up the process. LimeSpot also promises fast setup without developers.
How do I choose between chat-based and quiz-based Alby alternatives?
Chat tools (Alby, Tidio, Rep AI, Gorgias) work best for answering specific questions in real-time. Quiz tools (Octane AI) excel when shoppers need guidance through complex product selections. Many successful stores actually use both: quizzes for discovery, chat for support.
