What is Shopify Inbox?
Shopify Inbox is a free messaging app by Shopify that allows businesses to communicate with customers in real-time through chat. It integrates with a Shopify store, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and email, helping eCommerce provide customer support, answer questions, and drive sales from one place.
It’s simple to use and works well for smaller businesses or those just starting out, as it connects seamlessly with your Shopify dashboard for basic inquiries and product recommendations.
Why consider uninstalling Shopify Inbox and choosing an alternative?
While Shopify Inbox is a practical and accessible tool for new businesses, some users face limitations as their needs evolve. Its lack of features like multi-carrier tracking, returns management, or advanced automation can make it harder to deliver top-tier customer support as you scale.
Additionally, reported issues such as Inbox login difficulties, the app not working properly, or its unavailability on iOS may hinder daily operations.
Key limitations of Shopify Inbox
- Basic features. Suitable for small businesses, but lacks advanced tools like automation or analytics.
- Compatibility issues. Some users report problems with Inbox login and app functionality, particularly on iOS.
- Scaling challenges. Limited features may not keep up with growing customer demands.
How to remove Shopify Inbox
Disabling Shopify Inbox is a simple process, whether you’re looking to remove it temporarily or uninstall it entirely. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you.
1. Access Shopify Inbox in your admin
To begin, log in to your Shopify admin dashboard. Navigate to the Apps section on the left-hand sidebar, where you’ll find all installed apps, including Shopify Inbox. If you’re asking yourself, “Where is Shopify Inbox?” this is the place to start.
2. How to uninstall Shopify Inbox
Once you’ve located Shopify Inbox in the list, click the options menu next to it. From here, select the Delete or Remove option. This is the quickest way if you’re trying to figure out how to uninstall Shopify Inbox completely.
3. How to turn off Shopify Inbox chat
If you’ve been using Shopify Inbox for live chat on your online store, you’ll also need to disable the chat widget. Here’s how:
- Go to Online Store > Themes in your admin.
- Click Customize to open the theme editor.
- Look for the Chat section or anything related to Shopify Inbox.
- Turn off or remove the chat widget to ensure it no longer appears on your storefront.
This step is essential if your goal is to understand how to turn off Shopify Inbox without fully uninstalling the app.
4. How to remove Shopify Inbox settings
Even after uninstalling the app, some settings or widgets might linger in your store’s customization. To completely clean things up, revisit the Themes editor and delete any leftover references to Shopify Inbox.
5. Verify the changes
Finally, visit your website to ensure the chat widget has been disabled and the app is no longer active. This is the best way to confirm you’ve followed all the steps for how to delete Shopify Inbox from your store.
Best 11 alternatives to Shopify Inbox to grow in 2025
1. Outvio Desk
Best for: all-in-one post-purchase, support and returns management
Outvio is the only help desk specifically designed to meet all the needs of eCommerce businesses. It allows eCommerce brands to solve customer issues and provide personalized communication throughout the entire order process. From automating shipments worldwide to managing returns and tracking orders, Outvio streamlines every step.
Key features include automated notifications, real-time chat, AI-driven personalization, and self-service portals for returns and tracking. By integrating carriers and automating processes, Outvio helps reduce manual tasks, enhance efficiency, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Pricing: A small fee per processed order with unlimited tickets, agents, and automations included
2. Freshdesk
Best for: ease of use
Freshdesk provides a straightforward yet effective solution for handling customer service. With tools like ticketing, omnichannel support, and gamification, it helps teams stay productive while delivering great customer experiences.
Freshdesk also includes automation tools like rule-based ticket assignment and canned responses, which help save time when managing a high volume of repetitive inquiries, such as product availability or delivery status updates.
Pricing: Starts at $15/agent/month (Growth) and goes up to $79/agent/month
3. Re:amaze
Best for: website integration.
Re:amaze combines email, chat, social media, and SMS into a unified inbox, allowing businesses to centralize communication with customers. Its streamlined interface supports efficient interactions across channels.
It also includes proactive messaging capabilities, allowing you to engage customers with personalized updates, such as notifying them about shipping delays or confirming a return, which helps reduce frustration and improves transparency.
Pricing: Starts at $29/user/month (Basic) and goes up to $69/user/month
4. Zoho Desk
Best for: Integraton with Zoho ecosystme
Zoho Desk is part of the broader Zoho suite, making it a powerful tool for teams already using Zoho products. It offers AI-driven ticket management and workflow automation, streamlining customer support processes.
Zoho Desk’s integration with Zoho Analytics allows you to create custom reports, offering deeper insights into customer behavior and support trends, which can inform strategies to improve satisfaction and streamline operations.
Pricing: Starts at $14/agent/month (Standard) and goes up to $40/agent/month
5. Kustomer
Best for: advanced CRM
Kustomer merges CRM capabilities with customer support, offering a timeline view of customer interactions for better personalization. It supports omnichannel communication and is ideal for teams with relationship-driven goals.
Kustomer also supports advanced automation workflows, such as automatically escalating urgent issues or setting reminders for follow-ups, helping teams stay proactive in managing customer concerns.
Pricing: Starts at $29/user/month (Essential) and goes up to $89/user/month
6. Zendesk
Best for: ticket scalability
Zendesk is a robust platform designed for managing customer support through advanced ticketing systems, AI workflows, and help desk analytics. It’s built to handle the complexities of large-scale organizations, offering seamless integration and automation.
Pricing: Starts at $55/user/month and goes up to $115/user/month
7. Crisp
Best for: live chat
Crisp focuses on conversational engagement, offering live chat, chatbots, and email marketing tools. It’s a simple yet effective tool for teams looking to connect with customers in real time.
Crisp stands out with its shared inbox that combines live chat with email and social messaging. This integration allows you to continue conversations seamlessly, even if a customer switches channels.
Pricing: Starts at $25/team/month (Pro) and goes up to $95/team/month
8. Help Scout
Best for: shared inboxes
Help Scout emphasizes simplicity and a customer-first approach, providing email support, knowledge bases, and personalized interactions. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible to smaller teams.
It also offers features like collision detection, which prevents multiple agents from replying to the same query, ensuring smoother communication and avoiding customer confusion.
Pricing: Starts at $20/user/month (Standard) and goes up to $65/user/month
9. Hiver
Best for: Gmail integration
Hiver converts Gmail into an efficient, collaborative customer support tool, enabling teams to manage queries directly from their inbox. Its simplicity and ease of use make it an attractive option for smaller teams.
Hiver also supports tagging and categorization of emails, enabling better organization of customer requests and making it easier to identify recurring issues or trends in support tickets.
Pricing: Starts at $15/user/month (Lite) and goes up to $59/user/month
10. LiveAgent
Best for: omnichannel support
LiveAgent helps businesses stay organized by centralizing all customer inquiries, from order tracking to returns, into a single, easy-to-manage system.
With built-in call center functionality, LiveAgent enables you to offer voice support alongside chat and email, providing a more personalized and comprehensive customer service experience.
Pricing: From $15 to $69/agent/month across four plans with scaling features
11. Front
Best for: team collaboration
Front enhances team coordination, making it easier to respond to customer inquiries about orders, tracking, or product availability quickly and effectively.
Front includes SLA tracking and analytics, which help monitor team performance and ensure that all customer queries are resolved within acceptable timeframes, improving accountability and satisfaction.
Pricing: $19 to $99/seat/month, with custom pricing for Premier
Conclusion
Shopify Inbox is a great free tool for managing chats, email notifications, and customer inquiries, with features like Instagram integration and an API for chat management. However, issues like Inbox login problems, unavailability on iOS, and limited features can make it less suitable as your business grows.
For a scalable solution, Outvio is the ideal alternative. It offers advanced tools like a shared email inbox, automation, multi-carrier tracking, and seamless integration across sales channels. Outvio helps you deliver top-tier customer support, making it the smarter choice for growing businesses.
