Comparison
Shopify Inbox is free native storefront chat. Archet adds governed selected order execution, recorded outcomes and a separate Operations agent for the merchant team.
Use the free tool if it covers the job. Upgrade the operating model only when you need it.
Free chat is a strong baseline
Shopify Inbox is listed as free and now includes an AI sales-associate experience. Its documented Shopify Magic workflow also gives staff suggested reply drafts to review, edit and send. Archet does not pretend free native chat has a hidden software price.
Governed selected actions
Archet currently supports order cancellation without automatically refunding, shipping-address changes, fulfillment and governed merchant-initiated refunds. Returns and inventory writes are not shipped. On Pro and above, actions draft for one-click approval by default. Cancellation, fulfillment and capped refunds with no fraud signal can be explicitly auto-approved. Every request and outcome is recorded.
| Feature | Archet | Shopify Inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Autonomous shopper support plus a separate merchant Operations agent, both connected to governed tools. | Free native Shopify storefront chat and an AI sales associate grounded in catalog, policy and order context. See the Shopify App Store listing. |
| AI reply workflow | The Support agent can answer shoppers directly from connected knowledge and live Shopify context. | Shopify documents Magic suggested replies as drafts that staff review, edit if needed and send. See suggested replies. |
| Order actions | On Pro and above, Archet drafts supported order actions and merchant-initiated refunds for one-click approval. Merchants may opt into auto-approval for cancellation, fulfillment and capped refunds with no fraud signal. Every request and outcome is recorded. | Shopify Inbox documents chat, answers, product discovery and order updates. We found no documented Inbox workflow that executes customer-requested cancellation or fulfillment changes. |
| Execution control | Draft-first by default, with explicit one-click approval and narrowly opt-in auto-approval for cancellation, fulfillment and capped refunds with no fraud signal. | Its documented human-in-the-loop control is review and send for reply suggestions, rather than a merchant approval queue for Shopify order writes. |
| Auditability | Approval and audit controls are included on Pro and above, with the request, decision and execution outcome recorded. | Conversation history is available, but it is not presented as an action-request and execution-outcome ledger for selected order writes. |
| Order lookup | Signed-in Shopify Customer Account lookup lets the shopper get order context without re-entering email, order ID or postal code. | Includes a default Track my order instant answer that returns order status when selected, according to Shopify’s instant-answer documentation. |
| Merchant operations | Connect Slack to ask a dedicated Operations agent about orders, revenue, inventory and fulfillment. | Built around shopper conversations in Shopify Inbox, not a separately bound merchant operations agent in Slack. |
| Pricing | Free evaluation plan plus published paid base plans using model-weighted units; usage-dependent cost overage can apply above the plan ceiling. | Listed as free on the Shopify App Store. No cost calculator is needed. |
Shopify Inbox details reflect its official App Store listing, suggested-reply documentation and instant-answer documentation as reviewed in July 2026. Features may change; verify current terms. Shopify and Shopify Inbox are trademarks of Shopify Inc.; comparisons are our own.
Use-case fit
If storefront messaging, product discovery, instant answers and staff-reviewed reply drafts cover the job, Shopify Inbox is the structurally lower-cost choice.
If shoppers need selected order changes and your team needs an approval step, opt-in auto-approval boundaries and recorded outcomes, Archet covers that control surface.
Archet also provisions an Operations agent for order, revenue, inventory and fulfillment questions after you connect and bind Slack.
Setup normally provisions shopper Support and merchant Operations agents. Connect Slack separately to bind the Operations agent for your team.