Which WhatsApp chatbot should your online store use in 2026?
The one that reads your orders and doesn't mark up your messages. A WhatsApp bot costs its subscription plus what Meta charges per message, and that second bill surprises most store owners.
A WhatsApp chatbot for ecommerce answers shoppers on WhatsApp for you: it recovers abandoned carts, confirms orders, sends shipping updates and handles "where's my order?". It runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API (the connection between WhatsApp and software), and Meta bills every message you send.
The short answer: Zoko is the best start for a small Shopify store ($49.99 a month, no message markup from Plus). Kanal passes Meta's fees through at cost, ideal if you sell into Europe. Trengo fits support teams, Brevo stores already on its email. Wati, Superchat and Tidio round out the list, each with a clear limit.
What to pick: small Shopify store → Zoko or Kanal; multichannel, with a team answering WhatsApp, email and chat → Trengo or Superchat; email already on Brevo → Brevo. The rank follows each tool's overall score, the same across our site, not your profile: Zoko sits 6th but stays the best start for a small Shopify store.
What most roundups skip: Meta bills by the recipient's country. A cart nudge costs $0.025 to a US shopper and $0.0859 to a French one, and replies to customers who write first are free up to 1,000 a month.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
What to pick: best WhatsApp chatbot by store type
7 WhatsApp chatbots for online stores, compared
What to pick: small Shopify store → Zoko or Kanal; multichannel, with a team answering WhatsApp, email and chat → Trengo or Superchat; email already on Brevo → Brevo. The rank follows each tool's overall score, the same across our site, not your profile: Zoko sits 6th but stays the best start for a small Shopify store.
Ranked by each tool's score, the same across our site. The "what matters for a store" column sums up what sets each one apart. Prices are in the vendor's currency, before Meta fees.
| Best for | What matters for a store | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brevo | If you use Brevo email | Email, SMS and WhatsApp on one base | 4.1/5 | Pro €499/mo | — | Existing Brevo customers | Visit → |
| 2 | Trengo | Best for support teams | Shared inbox, AI per conversation | 4.1/5 | Boost €299/mo (yearly) | — | Support teams of 3+ | Visit → |
| 3 | Kanal | Zero markup | Meta messages at cost, monthly | 4.0/5 | Pro €89/mo | — | Shopify stores selling in Europe | Visit → |
| 4 | Superchat | Most complete EU suite | AI agents from Professional | 3.8/5 | Basic €89/mo (12 months) | ✓ | Stores with a team | Visit → |
| 5 | Wati | Most widely used | Shopify cart recovery from Growth | 3.7/5 | Growth $59/mo (yearly) + $4.99 | — | High-volume Shopify stores | Visit → |
| 6 | Zoko | Cheapest start | Shopify app, no markup from Plus | 3.6/5 | Starter $49.99/mo | — | Small Shopify stores | Visit → |
| 7 | Tidio | Website chat + WhatsApp | Free plan with WhatsApp | 3.6/5 | Free, Growth from $49.17 | ✓ | Brand-new stores | Visit → |
Prices read on each vendor's pricing page in 2026, before taxes and before Meta's WhatsApp fees unless stated.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
The top results for this search are mostly written by chatbot vendors ranking themselves first. Several quote outdated Wati prices, and none spell out what Meta charges per message by use case or which tools mark those messages up. That's the gap this page fills.
We read each vendor's pricing page and documentation, Meta's pricing docs, then reviews on the Shopify App Store, review sites and forums. The core test: the tool must send and receive WhatsApp through the official API and serve a store (carts, orders, support). Tools without readable pricing stay out: that's why ManyChat, scored in our full review, isn't ranked here, as we couldn't read its official pricing.
The five criteria weigh the same: it's the grid behind all our reviews, which keeps one score per tool across the site. Brevo, Wati and Tidio have full reviews here, and their scores carry over unchanged.
- Ease of useTime to connect the store and send a first cart nudge, clarity of the flow builder.20%
- Value for moneySubscription, markup on Meta messages, contract length, paid add-ons.20%
- Features and depthCart recovery, order updates, campaigns, shared inbox, AI agent.20%
- Customer supportHelp with API setup, responsiveness, cancellation, per reviews.20%
- IntegrationsShopify, PrestaShop, Klaviyo, connectors.20%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
Brevo
Brevo is an email and SMS platform first. Its WhatsApp channel makes sense as one more step in automations you already run: abandoned cart, email after an hour, one WhatsApp message the next day if the email wasn't opened. Everything sits on the same customer record.
Price is the filter. WhatsApp only comes with Pro at €499 a month, or Enterprise; Free, Starter (€7) and Standard (€15) don't include it. Messages are paid with credits bought upfront, which stops a campaign from running away with your budget.
At €499 a month, Brevo only pays off if you use the rest of the platform. A store that just wants WhatsApp cart recovery gets there with Zoko at $49.99.
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp on one contact base
- Prepaid WhatsApp credits keep spend capped
- European vendor, priced in euros
- ✓One customer record for every channel
- ✓Cart recovery that chains email, then WhatsApp
- ✓Strong value score: 4.5
- ✗WhatsApp starts at €499 a month
- ✗Credits bought upfront
- ✗Basic chatbot next to dedicated tools
Right if Brevo already handles your email. Starting WhatsApp from scratch, it's the most expensive entry point here.
Trengo
Trengo is a shared inbox: WhatsApp, email, website chat and social channels land in one list, and each request gets an owner. It's a tool for a team that answers, not a marketer sending blasts. On WhatsApp it catches "where's my order?", routes it, and can hand it to its AI agent.
The AI agent is pay-as-you-go: €0.25 per conversation billed yearly, €0.30 monthly. At 400 order-status questions a month, that's €100 on the yearly rate. Boost includes 500 conversations a month on monthly billing; past that, 100 more cost €15 yearly or €18 monthly.
Shopify isn't named on its pricing page, so confirm during the trial that you can see the order inside the conversation. At €299 a month minimum, Trengo needs a real team to justify it.
- Shared multichannel inbox
- 1,000 free service messages a month, then Meta's rate
- AI agent billed per conversation
- ✓Built to route requests between people
- ✓Ten users on the entry plan
- ✓Support score of 4.2
- ✗€299 a month minimum, billed yearly
- ✗Shopify not named on its pricing page
- ✗Included conversations run out fast
The best tool for a busy multichannel support team. Too big and too pricey for a one- or two-person store.
Kanal
Kanal is a French-built Shopify app for WhatsApp marketing: chat button, cart recovery, campaigns, segments. Its strongest point is printed on its pricing page: WhatsApp messages are re-billed at cost. You pay the plan plus Meta's rate, nothing added. No other tool here states it that plainly.
Pro at €89 a month gives one user, cart recovery and campaigns, with no AI agent or segments. Scale at €149 adds five users, segments, multiple markets and Klaviyo. Plans are monthly with no commitment, and Kanal also announces a PrestaShop integration.
Two caveats. No free trial is listed, only a demo. And Kanal publishes several of the roundups that rank well for this topic, where it places itself first: read them knowing who wrote them. Its Shopify reviews are excellent but still few.
- WhatsApp messages passed through at cost
- PrestaShop integration announced
- Monthly, cancel anytime
- ✓Cart recovery and campaigns from the first plan
- ✓Klaviyo integration on Scale
- ✓Transparent euro pricing
- ✗No free trial listed
- ✗One user on Pro
- ✗Few public reviews, and Kanal ranks itself first in its own roundups
Great value if you sell into Europe and want zero markup. Ask for the demo with your own store connected.
Superchat
Superchat puts WhatsApp, email and other messaging channels into one inbox, with AI agents from the Professional plan. Reviewers often mention the onboarding help.
Two things matter for a store. The minimum contract term is 12 months, and some customers only found out when they tried to cancel and kept getting charged, so read the contract first. And each conversation you start (cart nudges, campaigns) costs €0.05 to €0.11. Ask what's inside that number before comparing it with Meta's own rate.
Its integration list names Zapier, Make, HubSpot and its API, not Shopify. You'll need a connector to pull orders in.
- Berlin-based vendor
- 1,000 customer-initiated conversations free each month
- Free plan for one user
- ✓Hands-on onboarding, praised in reviews
- ✓AI agents from Professional
- ✓Clear add-ons: user €19, AI agent €49
- ✗12-month minimum contract
- ✗Shopify not among the listed integrations
- ✗Business-initiated conversations up to €0.11
Solid for a team that accepts a yearly commitment and wires the store itself. The Shopify apps here are more direct.
Wati
Wati is one of the most widespread WhatsApp platforms and an official Meta partner. For a store, each plan adds a step: Growth recovers Shopify abandoned carts, Pro adds campaigns built on buyer data with checkout, Business syncs the store and its data. Broadcasts cap at 15,000 a month on Growth and are unlimited above.
Read the fine print: the Shopify connection needs a $4.99-a-month add-on, so Growth really costs $63.99 a month billed yearly. Wati also doesn't show what it adds to Meta's rate per message. Ask before a 5,000-message campaign.
Public reviews split in two. About half are delighted; more than a third give one star, citing slow support and hard cancellations. A few describe a number blocked after plugging in automations, with no proven cause. Ramp up volume gradually.
- Official Meta Business Partner
- Shopify abandoned cart from Growth
- Unlimited broadcasts on Pro and Business
- ✓Huge user base, lots of how-to content
- ✓Full store sync on Business
- ✓7-day trial
- ✗Shopify add-on billed on top
- ✗Markup on Meta messages not shown
- ✗Mixed reviews on support and cancellation
A safe bet for Shopify cart recovery on the first plan. Count the add-on and ask about message markup before you sign.
Zoko
Zoko is a WhatsApp-first Shopify app: shared inbox, cart recovery, order confirmations and shipping updates, campaigns. Every feature ships on every plan; what changes is how many conversations come with no markup and how many agents you get. WhatsApp fees are paid straight to Meta.
The useful math: Starter adds $0.015 per conversation. At 2,000 conversations a month that's $30, the exact gap to Plus ($79.99), which adds nothing up to 5,000. Past 2,000 conversations, Plus is the cheaper plan.
AI costs extra: the support and order-tracking assistants are $24.99 a month plus $0.09 per resolution (first 100 free), the sales assistant $24.99 plus 3% of order value. Shopify reviews are excellent, especially about patient help while connecting the WhatsApp API.
- 4.9 out of 5 on the Shopify App Store (468 reviews)
- Every feature on every plan
- No markup on messages from Plus
- ✓Cheapest start: $49.99
- ✓Monthly or yearly, no contract
- ✓Shared inbox, cart recovery and order updates
- ✗AI is a paid add-on, per resolution
- ✗$0.015 markup per conversation on Starter
- ✗Little value outside Shopify
The best starting point for a small Shopify store, even at 6th on overall score: next to it, Kanal for at-cost messages, Trengo or Superchat for a multichannel team. The best starting point for a small Shopify store. Move to Plus past 2,000 conversations a month, and price the AI before switching it on.
Tidio
Tidio starts with website chat, the bubble in the corner. WhatsApp lands in the same inbox on every plan, Free included, which makes it the easiest way for a new store to centralize questions.
Native Shopify actions (see an order and its status from the chat) start on Growth, from $49.17 a month. On Free and Starter you answer without seeing the store. The Lyro AI agent is extra, from $32.50 a month.
On WhatsApp itself Tidio stays basic: fewer automated flows than on web chat, no groups. For campaigns and cart recovery, Zoko or Kanal go further.
- WhatsApp on every plan, Free included
- Native Shopify actions from Growth
- Lyro AI agent as an add-on
- ✓Real free plan
- ✓Website chat and WhatsApp in one inbox
- ✓Trial without a card
- ✗No Shopify actions on Free or Starter
- ✗Limited automated flows on WhatsApp
- ✗Lyro billed separately
The pick when website chat matters more than WhatsApp campaigns. Take Growth to answer order questions without switching tabs.
What Meta charges for each store use case
Meta bills each message you send by category and by the recipient's country. Three categories matter for a store. Figures below are Meta's fees only, before your tool's plan and any markup.
Rates by use case
A small US store
What each tool adds
- File every template in the right category before submitting it to Meta.
- Never slip a promo into a shipping update: it becomes marketing.
- Ask every vendor: "Meta's rate plus how much?"
- Add the Shopify add-on or AI fees to the monthly price.
- Check the term: 12 months at Superchat, none at Kanal and Zoko.
Six settings that cut the bill
What stores running WhatsApp for months keep repeating in reviews and forums. Works with any tool.
Send one WhatsApp cart nudge, not three
CostEach nudge is a marketing message. Send the first on WhatsApp a few hours after the abandon, then let email handle the follow-ups. You keep the WhatsApp open rate without tripling the cost.
- US nudge
- $0.025
Keep shipping updates promo-free
TrapAdd "10% off your next order" to a shipping update and it bills as marketing. Meta can also reclassify a mislabeled template and charge it at the marketing rate. Send promos separately.
- France gap
- $0.03 vs $0.0859
Get the customer to write first
FreeA customer message opens a 24-hour window where your replies are free service messages, up to 1,000 a month. A WhatsApp button on your order-tracking page moves questions onto that free lane.
- Free
- 1,000 / month / number
Start conversations from ads
HackA Facebook or Instagram ad that opens WhatsApp gives a free window that can stay open up to 7 days. Use it for product recommendation flows.
- Free window
- up to 7 days
Find each plan's break-even
MathZoko Starter adds $0.015 per conversation. At 2,000 conversations a month that's $30, the exact gap to Plus, which adds none. Run the same math on last month's real volume.
- Zoko break-even
- 2,000 conversations
Ramp volume up slowly
RiskBlocked numbers come up often in reviews, usually after a huge first blast. Start with recent buyers, watch block rates, then widen. Never use a tool that drives a phone outside the official API.
- Rule
- Official API only
Three questions before you pay
Most stores that drop a WhatsApp tool don't leave over a missing feature. They leave over cost surprises or a tool built for someone else.
Who do you message?
Selling or supporting?
What already runs your email?
- Check where your customers live before picking a channel.
- Confirm the store sees orders inside the chat during the trial.
- Read the contract term.
- Get opt-in at checkout before your first campaign.
Tool picked, keep going
These pages go further depending on what you need.
Nine tools, every industry.
You want another take on store toolsWhatsApp chatbots for ecommerceOur other ranking.
You're torn between ManyChat and WatiManyChat vs WatiHead to head.
You want website chat firstBest ecommerce live chat softwareThe on-site bubble.
You want a WhatsApp CRMBest WhatsApp CRMContacts and pipelines.
You'd rather wire WhatsApp yourselfWhatsApp in n8nAutomate without a subscription.
WhatsApp chatbots for stores · FAQ
What is the best WhatsApp chatbot for a Shopify store?
Small Shopify store: Zoko (a Shopify app rated 4.9 out of 5, from $49.99 a month, no markup on messages from Plus) or Kanal (Meta's fees passed through at cost, good if you sell into Europe). Multichannel team: Trengo or Superchat. The table ranks by each tool's overall score, not by profile, which is why Zoko sits 6th and is still the right start. Wati is the most widely used but adds a $4.99 monthly Shopify add-on.Is WhatsApp worth it for a US ecommerce store?
Mostly for international buyers. WhatsApp is less common in the US than SMS, but Meta bills by the recipient's country, so a store shipping to Europe, Latin America or India reaches customers who live on WhatsApp. A US recipient costs $0.025 per marketing message and $0.0034 per utility message.How much does an abandoned cart message cost on WhatsApp?
Meta bills cart recovery as marketing. For a US customer that's $0.025 per delivered message; for a French customer $0.0859. Then add your tool's markup, if any. 300 cart nudges to US shoppers cost $7.50 in Meta fees, the same 300 to French shoppers $25.77.Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes. The free WhatsApp Business phone app can't run a chatbot connected to your store or send automated cart recovery. Every tool here uses Meta's official API. Avoid tools that drive a phone unofficially: that's the fastest route to a banned number.Can the bot answer "where is my order?"
Yes, and it saves the most time. When the customer writes first, your reply falls inside the 24-hour window and counts as a service message, free up to 1,000 a month per number. You need a tool that reads the store: Zoko, Kanal, Wati Business, or Tidio from Growth.Can I use WhatsApp with Klaviyo?
Yes. Klaviyo sends WhatsApp itself through its prepaid Mobile Messaging plans, billed by country and message type; per-message prices show up in your account's billing settings. Or keep Klaviyo for email and add Kanal, which integrates with Klaviyo on its €149 Scale plan.Do I need customer consent before sending WhatsApp promos?
Yes. Meta's policy requires an opt-in before you message someone, and EU buyers also fall under GDPR consent rules. Add a separate, unticked WhatsApp checkbox at checkout and an easy opt-out in every campaign. A customer asking about shipping hasn't agreed to promos.Does Shopify do WhatsApp on its own?
Partly. Shopify Messaging lets you send WhatsApp marketing campaigns from your Shopify admin. It isn't a chatbot: no automated replies, no shared inbox. Fine for a one-off campaign, not for customer support.