# Zowie alternative built for ecommerce

One AI agent that sells and supports across your site, chat, WhatsApp, email and social, with public monthly prices.

Zowie sells to banks, insurers and telcos on annual contracts. Zipchat is one AI agent built for ecommerce only. Live in under 30 minutes.

Zipchat is an AI agent for ecommerce brands: one agent, with one memory of each customer, that sells and supports on every channel.

## Is Zipchat a good Zowie alternative?

Yes, for ecommerce brands that want an AI agent built only for online commerce, on monthly plans. Zipchat is live in under 30 minutes, not after a multi-week enterprise rollout.

Zowie's homepage headline is "AI you can hand your customer to", naming banking, insurance and telecom ahead of commerce (homepage, checked October 2026).

- Pick Zipchat: public monthly prices and a launch in under 30 minutes
- The difference: Zowie leads with banking, insurance and telecom, Zipchat serves ecommerce only

## The customer journey, step by step

Zowie grew from Messenger chatbots into an enterprise platform for many industries. Its gaps sit before the chat: search, product pages and carts.

Zipchat covers 8 of 8 steps. Zowie: 3 covered, 5 partial.

| Step | Zipchat | Zowie |
|---|---|---|
| Discovers | Answers comments and DMs on social. | Partial: Instagram Direct, Messenger and WhatsApp messaging. Automation of public comments: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Searches | Answers intent in your site search bar. | Partial: Sales Skills search the catalog in conversation. A site search bar replacement: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Evaluates | Answers questions on the product page. | Partial: Answers product, sizing and compatibility questions from catalog data. An embedded product-page answer component: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Decides | Recommends products in chat. | Covered: Sales Skills with catalog-aware recommendations and upsells |
| Leaves | Recovers the cart on WhatsApp. | Partial: Cart tracking and proactive web chat. An abandoned-cart recovery workflow: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Has bought | Tracks orders. Handles returns and exchanges*. | Covered: Order tracking, time-gated cancellation, return initiation and ticket creation templates for Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce |
| Comes back | Remembers the customer on every channel. | Partial: Context across channels claimed. Durable memory across anonymous visits: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Acts | Acts in your tools. Agentic Skills for any tool with an API. | Covered: REST automations and Agent Connect (REST, A2A and SDKs) |

One agent. One memory. Every channel.

## One agent on every channel

Zipchat covers 6 of 6 channels. Zowie: 2 covered, 4 partial.

| Channel | Zipchat | Zowie |
|---|---|---|
| Social | Answers comments and DMs on Instagram and Messenger. | Partial: Instagram Direct and Messenger. Instagram comments: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Website | AI agent in your website chat, search bar and product pages. | Partial: Web chat with proactive messages. Site search bar and product-page answers: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| WhatsApp | Chat and cart recovery on WhatsApp. | Partial: WhatsApp messaging. WhatsApp cart recovery: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Email | Replies to support email in the same thread. | Covered: Email through Zowie Inbox, Zendesk or Dixa |
| Support | Tracks orders, answers after-sales, hands over to your team. | Covered: Order tracking, time-gated cancellation, return initiation and ticket creation |
| Memory | One memory per customer on every channel. | Partial: Context across channels claimed. Durable memory across anonymous visits: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) |

Channels as listed on the vendor pages we read. "Not listed" or "Not found" does not mean the vendor lacks it.

## What each vendor publishes

| Metric | What Zowie publishes | What Zipchat publishes |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | 84% of chats fully resolved at one customer (Primary Arms), their claim | 97%+ handled by the AI, under 3% escalate |
| Sales | 4x conversion and 20% higher average order value at one customer (Total Wine), their claim | 16.4%+ of AI conversations convert into sales, on average across channels |
| Best case | +20% support driven revenue at one customer (Decathlon), their claim | Up to 37.8% in chat, one supplement brand |
| Scale | 100M conversations a year across banking, insurance, telecom and commerce, their claim | No cap on concurrent conversations |
| WhatsApp cart recovery | Not found in public docs (checked October 2026) | 13% to 39% purchase rate |

Sources: vendor pricing and docs, checked October 2026. Links are listed under Sources below.

## Zowie vs Zipchat: side by side

| Topic | Zowie | Zipchat |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Enterprises in banking, insurance, telecom and commerce | Ecommerce brands that want one agent for sales and support |
| How it is built | Started as Chatbotize (2017), renamed Zowie on 27 July 2020; its AI Agent from 17 June 2024. An LLM-agnostic enterprise agent platform (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, Mistral) with a deterministic Decision Engine and an LLM Reasoning Engine | Agent first, deployed on every channel, ecommerce only |
| Pricing model | Sales-led. AWS Marketplace package: $34,500 for 12 months, 25,000 automated conversations; private offers for 24 and 36 months | Per reply, set by the plan, billed monthly or annually. Unlimited at a fixed price |
| Channels with AI | Web chat, email (Zowie Inbox, Zendesk, Dixa), WhatsApp, Instagram Direct and Messenger. Instagram comments: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) | Website chat, AI site search, product-page questions, WhatsApp, email, Instagram and Facebook comments, Instagram DMs, Messenger |
| Voice | Yes, voice is listed on the homepage | Not offered |
| Product page answers | Answers product questions in chat. Embedded product-page component: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, PDP Questions where you install it |
| AI Search | Sales Skills search the catalog in conversation. Site search bar: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, in the site search bar |
| WhatsApp cart recovery | Not found in public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, 13% to 39% purchase rate |
| Memory across channels | Context across channels claimed. Memory across anonymous visits: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, one memory per customer |
| Custom actions | REST automations; Agent Connect with REST, A2A and SDKs | Agentic Skills: connect any software with an API and the agent can act in it |
| Ecommerce platforms | Process templates for Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce | Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Wix |
| Helpdesks | Zendesk, Gorgias, Intercom and Dixa in the channel docs; Freshdesk in the process gallery | Works inside Zendesk, Gorgias, Intercom, Freshdesk and Salesforce |
| Setup | "3 to 6 weeks depending on scope, data readiness and security review" (their AWS page) | Live in under 30 minutes |

## Zowie pricing compared with Zipchat

Zowie sells a 12-month package through sales or AWS Marketplace. Zipchat publishes monthly prices.

Every AI conversation is counted as one Zowie automated conversation in every row.

| AI conversations a year | Zowie | Zipchat | Zipchat costs less by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25,000 (about 2,083 a month) | $34,500, 12-month contract | $7,200 a year (Scale, $600 a month, billed monthly) | $27,300 |

- Zowie: the AWS Marketplace "Package of Automated Conversations" includes 25,000 automated conversations for $34,500, cost per 12 months. Zowie's AWS unit is an "Automated Conversation"; its terms also use "automated resolutions".
- Zipchat: about 2.5 replies per conversation. 2,083 conversations a month x 2.5 = 5,208 replies a month, inside the 6,000 of Scale. $600 x 12 = $7,200 on monthly billing.
- Direct purchase from Zowie goes through sales. Private offers on AWS Marketplace run 24 and 36 months.
- Prices checked October 2026.

## Zowie ratings and listings

| Where | Zowie |
|---|---|
| G2 | 4.7/5 (73 reviews) |
| Shopify App Store | Listing not found (checked October 2026) |
| Trustpilot | 2.8/5 (3 reviews) |

Ratings as each site showed them on 12 October 2026.

## Zipchat plans

| Plan | Price a month | Billed annually | Replies a month | Extra replies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $80 | $64 a month | 750 | $49 per 250 |
| Pro | $300 | $240 a month | 3,000 | $49 per 250 |
| Scale | $600 | $480 a month | 6,000 | $49 per 250 |
| Scale Plus | $1,200 | $960 a month | 14,000 | $49 per 500 |
| Unlimited | from $2,100 | Fixed price, rate locked for 12 months | Unlimited | No overage |

Every plan includes all channels, all languages and unlimited team members, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Annual billing saves 20%.

## Positioning map

Horizontal axis: Every industry to Ecommerce only. Vertical axis: Part of the journey to Whole journey. Zowie's homepage names banking, insurance, telecom and commerce; Zipchat serves ecommerce only. Zowie sits left of centre because commerce is one of its four named industries. The vertical position follows the journey table: steps covered, with partial steps counted as half.

## Notes

* Tracking orders is built in on Shopify. Returns, exchanges and order edits need an Agentic Skill connected to your tools.

- Zowie answers product and sizing questions in chat. An embedded product-page answer component: Not found in Zowie's public docs (checked October 2026).
- Zowie Sales Skills search the catalog in conversation.
- Zowie claims context across channels.
- Zowie lists REST automations and Agent Connect (REST, A2A and SDKs).

## What is the best Zowie alternative for ecommerce?

For Shopify brands that want one AI agent built only for ecommerce, the best Zowie alternative is Zipchat. Intercom (Fin), Zendesk, Gorgias and Richpanel follow, with one neutral line each.

1. Zipchat: One AI agent for sales and support on every channel, built only for ecommerce. Best for: Shopify brands that want one agent from search to repeat order, on monthly plans
2. [Intercom (Fin)](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/intercom): One AI agent for sales, service and ecommerce, in every industry.
3. [Zendesk](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/zendesk): Helpdesk for every industry, with commerce agents launched in September 2026.
4. [Gorgias](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/gorgias): Ticket helpdesk with an AI Agent, built first for ecommerce.
5. [Richpanel](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/richpanel): AI-native helpdesk built around autonomous support agents.

## Sources

### Results

- [Zowie customer story, Primary Arms (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/testimonials/primary-arms)
- [Zowie customer story, Total Wine (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/testimonials/total-wine)
- [Zowie customer story, Decathlon (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/testimonials/decathlon)
- [Zowie homepage (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/)

### Side by side

- [Zowie blog on the Chatbotize rename (27 July 2020)](https://getzowie.com/blog/why-chatbotize-is-zowie-now)
- [Introducing Zowie's AI Agent (Zowie blog, 17 June 2024)](https://getzowie.com/blog/introducing-zowies-ai-agent)
- [Zowie glossary, large language model (March 2026)](https://getzowie.com/glossary/large-language-model)
- [Zowie blog on the Decision Engine (28 July 2026)](https://getzowie.com/blog/why-ai-agent-decision-logic-shouldnt-live-in-translation)
- [Zowie docs, channels (checked 12 October 2026)](https://docs.zowie.ai/docs/channels)
- [Zowie docs, process gallery (checked 12 October 2026)](https://docs.zowie.ai/docs/process-gallery)
- [Zowie Agent Connect (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/agent-connect)
- [Zowie blog, AI shopping assistant (9 April 2026)](https://getzowie.com/blog/ai-shopping-assistant)
- [Zowie glossary, AI-powered search (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/glossary/what-is-ai-powered-search)
- [Zowie and AWS, "3 to 6 weeks" to go live (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/amazon-web-services)
- [Zowie reviews on G2 (checked 12 October 2026)](https://www.g2.com/products/zowie/reviews)
- [Zowie reviews on Trustpilot (checked 12 October 2026)](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/getzowie.com)

### Price

- [Zowie on AWS Marketplace, Package of Automated Conversations (checked 12 October 2026)](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-fs73j5j7ik4tk)
- [Zowie terms and conditions, "Annual Automated Resolutions Maximum" (checked 12 October 2026)](https://getzowie.com/terms-and-conditions)

## Frequently asked questions

### Zowie vs Zipchat: which is better for Shopify brands?

For most Shopify brands, Zipchat. Zowie is an enterprise AI agent platform for banking, insurance, telecom and commerce, sold through sales. Zipchat is one AI agent built only for ecommerce, on public monthly plans, live in under 30 minutes.

### How much does Zowie cost compared with Zipchat?

Zowie sells through sales. Its AWS Marketplace package is $34,500 for 12 months, with 25,000 automated conversations (checked October 2026). Zipchat covers that volume on Scale at $600 a month, $7,200 a year. See Zipchat pricing.

### What are the best Zowie alternatives for Shopify?

Zipchat for one AI agent that sells and supports on every channel. Intercom (Fin) and Zendesk serve every industry. Gorgias and Richpanel are helpdesks with AI agents for ecommerce.

### Is Zowie still built for ecommerce?

Zowie still serves commerce brands such as Decathlon and Total Wine. Its homepage names banking, insurance, telecom and commerce (checked October 2026). Zipchat serves ecommerce brands only, so every feature starts from the shopping journey.

### How long does it take to switch from Zowie to Zipchat?

Zipchat is live in under 30 minutes. Sign up, link your ecommerce platform, and the AI reads your catalog and site. Your team keeps working in the Zipchat inbox.

### Can Zipchat handle returns like Zowie?

Yes*. Zipchat creates returns and exchanges in your returns platform during the conversation. Order status and tracking are built in on Shopify. Zowie lists return initiation in its process gallery.* With an Agentic Skill connected to your tools.

### Does Zipchat recover abandoned carts on WhatsApp?

Yes. Zipchat sends one WhatsApp message with the product and a checkout button. Brands see a 13% to 39% purchase rate on recovered carts. Cart recovery runs on Shopify.

### Which ecommerce platforms does Zipchat support?

Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Wix. Zipchat reads each brand's catalog from day one.

### Is Zipchat free to use?

No. Test Zipchat with the 7-day free trial, then pick a plan from $64 a month billed annually. Team members are unlimited, so you pay no per-seat fees.

### Does Zipchat reply in my customers' language?

Yes, automatically. A shopper who writes in French gets French back, with no language setup on your side.

### Can my team take over a conversation?

Yes. Your agents take over from the Zipchat inbox in manual reply mode at any time.

## More from Zipchat

- [Zipchat pricing](https://www.zipchat.ai/pricing)
- [Agentic Skills](https://www.zipchat.ai/agentic-skills)
- [Agentic AI search](https://www.zipchat.ai/agentic-ai-search)
- [AI product questions](https://www.zipchat.ai/ai-product-questions)
- [WhatsApp AI for ecommerce](https://www.zipchat.ai/channels/whatsapp)

Full comparison: https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/zowie