Chatty — the Shopify app formerly known as "Avada AI Chat & FAQ," now published as Chatty AI Sales Agent (chatty.net) — combines an AI chatbot trained on your store, live chat with human takeover, an omnichannel inbox (WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, email), and an FAQ help-center builder. With a 4.9 rating from ~1,777 Shopify reviews and a genuine free plan, it's one of the most popular budget options for Shopify merchants.

This 2026 Chatty review covers its features, conversation-based pricing, strengths, and complaints — and why, by the end, you'll see why thousands of businesses choose Thareja AI instead: the AI front office that does everything Chatty does for your store, plus the phone answering, SMS, and real-time booking a Shopify widget can't.

Quick Verdict

Chatty is excellent value for small Shopify stores: a real free plan, $19.99 entry pricing, an all-in-one inbox, and famously responsive support. The limits: small AI-conversation quotas (50–700/mo) with $0.40 overage, Shopify-only, the stronger "Pro AI model" is gated to $68.99+, reviewers say the AI needs substantial manual training, and there's no voice channel. Our verdict up front: Chatty is a capable budget Shopify chatbot, but Thareja AI beats it on channels, revenue features, pricing, and setup — and we'll show you exactly why below.

What Is Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify)?

Built by Avada Commerce (Singapore-registered, team in Vietnam) and launched in 2022, Chatty is "Built for Shopify" badged and deeply integrated: the AI trains on your products, policies, and FAQs to answer questions, recommend products, and track orders 24/7. A shared inbox unifies WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and email; proactive messages target visitor behavior; and an SEO-friendly FAQ page handles self-service.

Its review record is exceptional for the price — 96% five-star — with support agents praised by name. The AI itself is capable but, per multiple reviews, "requires a lot of training and instructions" to perform well, especially on the basic model included in Free and Basic tiers.

Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify) Key Features

• AI chatbot trained on store data — product Q&A, recommendations, order tracking, 24/7.

• Live chat with human takeover; team inbox with assignment, tagging, and chat flows.

• Omnichannel inbox — WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, email, plus the site widget.

• FAQ help-center builder — SEO-friendly page with AI generation and import/export.

• Sales automation — proactive behavior-based messages, discounts, and upsells in chat.

• Multi-language chat with real-time translation (auto-translate on paid plans).

• Mobile app for managing conversations on the go.

• Shopify-native — works with Checkout, Flow, Admin; integrates Klaviyo and Zendesk.

• Analytics — basic on entry tiers, advanced agent/customer analytics on Pro+.

The Thareja AI angle: Chatty covers Shopify chat well — and stops there. Thareja AI handles the same store questions plus your phone line, SMS, and booking calendar, for stores and service businesses alike, in every plan.

Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify) Pricing (2026)

Pricing is per AI conversation, billed through Shopify every 30 days. Annual billing saves ~14–15%.

• Overage: $0.40 per additional AI conversation on all paid plans.

• The stronger "Pro AI model" requires the $68.99 Pro plan or above.

• 7-day free trial on paid plans.

The Thareja AI angle: Chatty's $19.99 plan covers 50 AI conversations, then $0.40 each — and the stronger AI model starts at $68.99. Thareja AI's $29 Ecom plan includes ~600 AI replies with its best agent on every channel.

Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify) Pros and Cons

Pros

• Real free plan and a very cheap paid entry point with transparent overage.

• Outstanding review record — 4.9 from ~1,777 reviews, "Built for Shopify" badge.

• All-in-one: AI chat, live chat, inbox, FAQ hub, and WhatsApp in a single app.

• Fast, widely praised support team.

• Deep Shopify integration (Flow, Checkout, product sync, order tracking).

• Mobile app for on-the-go replies.

Cons

• Small AI quotas — 50 to 700 conversations/mo; $0.40 each after.

• Shopify-only — useless for any other platform or service business.

• Better AI model gated to $68.99+; basic model is noticeably weaker.

• AI "requires a lot of training and instructions" per reviewers.

• Occasional glitches (widget scheduling, mid-conversation bugs) in negative reviews.

• No voice/phone channel and no appointment booking.

The Thareja AI angle: No 50-conversation quotas, no Shopify lock-in, no weeks of DIY training — Thareja AI arrives trained and tuned by a real team, free, on every channel.

What Real Users Say About Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify)

Chatty's 4.9/5 from ~1,777 Shopify reviews (96% five-star, 1% one-star) is among the best in the category. From the critical minority:

• "So many glitches" — widget scheduling/hiding issues and mid-conversation bugs (Shopify App Store 1–2 star reviews).

• One reviewer reported repeated contact from staff after leaving a negative review (Shopify community thread).

• AI needs substantial manual training early on — echoed even in positive reviews.

• Parent brand Avada has mixed Trustpilot feedback about review solicitation across its app portfolio.

The Best Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify) Alternative in 2026: Thareja AI

This is where Thareja AI shines. For a Shopify store, it does the Chatty job — pre-purchase guidance, cart recovery, order tracking, returns — and then runs the rest of your front office: answering the phone 24/7 in under 3 rings, replying on SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email, and web chat, qualifying every lead, booking appointments in real time, following up automatically, and requesting reviews after every purchase. One agent, trained on your products and policies, working every channel your customers actually use.

It's also the easier product to own: flat plans from $29/mo (~600 AI replies) with all channels and integrations included, no $0.40 overages, no model upsells — and instead of weeks of DIY training, Thareja's team sets everything up for you, free, on every plan. Live in days, rated 5.0 on Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice by 1,272+ users, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required.

Why businesses switch from Chatty (AI Chatbot for Shopify) to Thareja AI

• Your store's biggest leaks — missed calls and un-followed-up leads — need more than a chat widget.

• SMS and phone channels Chatty doesn't have.

• The AI arrives trained and tuned by a team, not after weeks of DIY instructions.

• Booking and review generation built in for stores that also sell services or consultations.

The Full 411: Everything Thareja AI Gives You

Here's everything you get with Thareja AI — the AI front office that answers every call, replies to every lead, and books the job 24/7, set up for you:

• Every channel, every plan — phone, website chat, SMS, WhatsApp, email, Instagram DMs, and Facebook Messenger. One agent, one brain, everywhere your customers are.

• 24/7 AI phone answering — every call answered in under 3 rings, day, night, weekends, and holidays. No missed calls, no voicemail graveyard.

• Real-time appointment booking — synced to your calendar with no double-booking; the agent qualifies the lead, captures contact details, and locks the slot in one conversation.

• Lead capture and qualification built in — every conversation becomes a named, qualified lead in your inbox.

• Automatic follow-up — instant text and email follow-up on every lead, plus estimate follow-up that chases unsigned quotes so deals stop going cold.

• Review generation — automatically asks happy customers for Google reviews after the job.

• Database reactivation — campaigns that wake up your past-customer list, the cheapest revenue any business can get.

• Trained on YOUR business — website, files, products, policies, and FAQs, with automatic retraining as your content changes.

• All integrations included — Calendly, Google Calendar, Stripe, Shopify, Slack, WordPress, and more. No add-on fees, ever.

• Free done-for-you setup on every plan — Thareja's team builds your scripts, booking rules, workflows, and human handoff. You go live in days, not months.

• Built for your industry — home services, legal, healthcare, real estate, education and nonprofits, ecommerce, and more.