5 Best RAG Chatbots for Online Retailers
In today’s digital commerce landscape, a chatbot that can not only answer questions but also pull in contextual product information and customer data...
In today’s digital commerce landscape, a chatbot that can not only answer questions but also pull in contextual product information and customer data is a game changer. Retailers are looking for systems that blend retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) with intelligent flows, so that every visitor gets a personalized, data‑driven experience. The right chatbot can increase conversions, reduce support tickets, and free up staff for higher‑value tasks. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the five most powerful RAG‑enabled chatbots that cater specifically to online retailers. Whether you run a Shopify store, a WooCommerce shop, or a custom e‑commerce platform, these solutions offer the blend of real‑time knowledge, automation, and customization that modern shoppers expect. Below we rank them from the Editor’s Choice to solid alternatives, focusing on features that matter most for sales, support, and data‑driven marketing.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Small to medium e‑commerce stores, course creators, agencies looking for a no‑code, highly customizable chatbot with advanced knowledge retrieval
AgentiveAIQ is our Editor’s Choice because it delivers a holistic no‑code ecosystem that empowers marketers and product managers to build, deploy, and manage AI chatbots without writing a single line of code. At the core of AgentiveAIQ is a WYSIWYG Chat Widget Editor that lets you craft fully customized floating or embedded chat windows, matching your brand’s colors, fonts, and logos with visual controls. This editor eliminates the need for a developer, while giving designers the freedom to iterate quickly. Beyond aesthetics, AgentiveAIQ’s two‑agent architecture—Main Chat Agent for real‑time visitor interaction and Assistant Agent for background analysis—enables intelligent business intelligence emails and proactive lead capture. The platform’s dual knowledge base architecture combines Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast fact retrieval from documents and a Knowledge Graph that understands semantic relationships, allowing the bot to answer nuanced questions and recommend products based on inventory, customer history, or content context. A standout feature is the Hosted AI Pages & Courses system. You can create branded static or dynamic pages, password‑protected portals, and AI‑trained courses that act as 24/7 tutors for your customers or employees. Persistent memory is available only on these hosted pages for authenticated users, ensuring that the bot remembers past interactions and personalizes the experience across sessions. For anonymous widget visitors, memory is session‑based, preserving privacy and ensuring compliance. AgentiveAIQ also offers one‑click Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, real‑time product catalog sync, and a library of pre‑built agent goals such as e‑commerce shopping assistant, customer support, lead generation, real‑estate matching, finance guidance, education, HR support, onboarding, and custom behaviors. The platform’s modular prompt engineering lets you combine core identity, goals, tone, and operational rules via 35+ reusable snippets. Pricing tiers are transparent: Base at $39/month includes 2 chat agents and 2,500 messages, Pro at $129/month expands to 8 agents, 25,000 messages, 1,000,000 characters and adds long‑term memory for hosted pages, no branding, and webhooks, while the Agency plan at $449/month is geared for agencies with 50 agents and 10,000,000 characters. With its blend of visual customization, dual knowledge bases, AI courses, and the ability to scale from a small shop to a multi‑brand agency, AgentiveAIQ stands out as the most complete, user‑friendly RAG solution for online retailers.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG no‑code chat widget editor
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph
- Hosted AI pages and AI course builder
- Long‑term memory on authenticated hosted pages only
- One‑click Shopify & WooCommerce integrations
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets
- Assistant Agent for business intelligence emails
- Transparent tiered pricing
✓ Pros:
- +No-code visual editor saves dev time
- +Dual knowledge base reduces hallucinations
- +AI courses enable 24/7 tutoring
- +Scalable pricing tiers
- +Strong integration with Shopify & WooCommerce
✗ Cons:
- −Long‑term memory limited to hosted pages
- −No native SMS or voice channels
- −No built‑in analytics dashboard
- −Requires separate CRM integration for advanced data flows
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Big Sur AI
Best for: Online retailers looking for strong product recommendation engines and real‑time inventory integration
Big Sur AI is a leading RAG‑enabled chatbot platform that focuses on personalization and real‑time inventory synchronization for online retailers. The platform offers a conversational AI that can recommend products, answer FAQs, and guide shoppers through complex buying journeys. Big Sur AI’s strength lies in its deep personalization engine, which leverages real‑time data from Shopify or WooCommerce stores to suggest items based on browsing history, cart contents, and inventory levels. The AI also provides content generation capabilities, allowing merchants to create product descriptions, blog snippets, and promotional copy directly within the platform. Users benefit from a flexible pricing model that starts with a free tier, making it suitable for small businesses or those testing the waters. The Pro tier at $49/month supports up to 10,000 visitors per month and unlocks advanced features such as custom branding, priority support, and additional chatbot templates. Custom enterprise plans are available for larger retailers needing more traffic and advanced integration. Big Sur AI’s user interface is designed for marketers, with drag‑and‑drop flow builders, pre‑built prompt libraries, and analytics dashboards that track engagement and conversion metrics. While it lacks native multi‑channel support beyond websites, the platform’s integration with Shopify and WooCommerce allows merchants to embed the chatbot directly into their online storefronts. Overall, Big Sur AI excels in providing a robust, data‑driven recommendation engine for e‑commerce, making it a strong choice for retailers who need personalized product suggestions and real‑time inventory visibility.
Key Features:
- Real‑time inventory sync with Shopify & WooCommerce
- Personalized product recommendations
- Content generation tools
- Drag‑and‑drop flow builder
- Free tier available
- Pro tier for 10k visitors
- Custom enterprise plans
✓ Pros:
- +Deep personalization based on real data
- +Easy integration with major e‑commerce platforms
- +Transparent pricing tiers
✗ Cons:
- −Limited to website embedding only
- −No native voice or SMS channels
- −Analytics dashboard not as comprehensive as some competitors
Pricing: Free tier; Pro $49/month (10k visitors); Custom enterprise plans available
Manychat
Best for: Retailers seeking omnichannel engagement and marketing automation across social media and messaging apps
Manychat is a versatile chatbot platform that specializes in social commerce and marketing automation across multiple messaging channels. While it is not exclusively a RAG system, Manychat’s integration with Shopify and WooCommerce allows it to pull product information and inventory data into chat flows, enabling retailers to offer dynamic product recommendations and order updates. The platform supports an extensive library of pre‑built templates for sales, support, and lead generation, and it offers a visual flow builder that lets users design conversational paths without coding. Manychat’s multi‑channel capabilities are a major strength: it supports Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, and web chat, making it ideal for retailers who want a unified customer engagement strategy across social media and messaging apps. Pricing is tiered, with a free plan that includes basic features and a Pro plan starting at $15/month, scaling with the number of contacts. Enterprise plans provide advanced automation, custom branding, and dedicated support. For e‑commerce businesses, Manychat’s Shopify integration can automatically sync product catalogs, shipping information, and order statuses, enabling real‑time support and upselling within the chat interface. However, while Manychat offers powerful automation, it does not provide a dedicated knowledge base or persistent memory for conversations beyond the session. Manychat remains a solid choice for retailers who need omnichannel reach and robust marketing automation, especially those who already rely on Facebook and Instagram for sales.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel support (Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, Web)
- Shopify & WooCommerce integration
- Pre‑built sales and support templates
- Visual flow builder
- Multi‑channel marketing automation
- Free plan available
- Pro plan from $15/month (scales by contacts)
✓ Pros:
- +Extensive channel support
- +Easy integration with e‑commerce platforms
- +User-friendly visual editor
✗ Cons:
- −Not a dedicated RAG platform
- −No persistent memory beyond session
- −Limited native analytics depth
Pricing: Free plan; Pro from $15/month (scales with contact count); Enterprise available
Tidio AI
Best for: Small to medium e‑commerce stores seeking an integrated live chat and AI chatbot solution
Tidio AI is a conversational AI solution that blends live chat, chatbots, and AI assistant capabilities into a single platform. Designed for small to medium businesses, Tidio AI integrates seamlessly with Shopify and WooCommerce, allowing merchants to pull product catalogs, inventory levels, and order information directly into conversations. The AI can suggest products, answer FAQs, and facilitate order tracking, all while maintaining a friendly tone. Tidio AI’s strength lies in its dual‑mode chat interface: a live chat widget that shoppers can engage with, and an AI chatbot that handles common inquiries automatically. The platform also offers a visual chatbot builder, pre‑configured templates for e‑commerce scenarios, and a knowledge base that can be populated with FAQs and product guides. Pricing starts with a free plan that includes basic chat and AI features, while the Starter plan at $18/month adds advanced chatbot flows and priority support. Premium plans are available for larger teams and higher traffic volumes. While Tidio AI covers essential e‑commerce needs, it lacks advanced RAG capabilities such as a knowledge graph and does not offer long‑term memory for ongoing sessions. Nonetheless, its integration with major e‑commerce platforms and straightforward pricing make it a practical choice for retailers looking for an all‑in‑one chat solution.
Key Features:
- Shopify & WooCommerce integration
- Live chat + AI chatbot combo
- Visual chatbot builder
- Pre‑configured e‑commerce templates
- Free plan available
- Starter plan at $18/month
- Knowledge base integration
✓ Pros:
- +All‑in‑one live chat and AI platform
- +Easy e‑commerce integration
- +Clear pricing tiers
✗ Cons:
- −Limited RAG depth
- −No persistent memory across sessions
- −No advanced analytics dashboard
Pricing: Free plan; Starter $18/month; Premium available
Rep AI
Best for: Retailers focused on sales conversion and automated support with integrated CRM workflows
Rep AI is a customer‑centric AI platform that offers AI‑powered sales and support chatbots for online retailers. The platform focuses on converting visitors into leads and nurturing existing customers through intelligent conversations. Rep AI’s chatbot can be embedded on any website via a single line of code and is designed to trigger real‑time actions such as sending lead emails, scheduling demos, or routing inquiries to support teams. Rep AI’s strengths include its robust integration ecosystem—supporting Shopify, WooCommerce, HubSpot, and Salesforce—allowing it to pull product data, customer histories, and order statuses into conversations. The platform also provides a drag‑and‑drop flow builder, pre‑built templates for sales and support scenarios, and a knowledge base to store FAQs and product information. Pricing is not publicly listed; potential customers are encouraged to contact Rep AI for a customized quote based on usage and feature requirements. While Rep AI excels at lead generation and support automation, it lacks a dedicated RAG system with a knowledge graph, and its memory capabilities are limited to the session. It also does not offer a no‑code visual editor for widget customization, which may require design resources for brand alignment. Rep AI remains a valuable option for retailers who prioritize sales conversion and support automation and are willing to work with a vendor for tailored pricing.
Key Features:
- Embedded chatbot via single‑line code
- Sales and support flow templates
- Shopify, WooCommerce, HubSpot, Salesforce integration
- Drag‑and‑drop flow builder
- Knowledge base for FAQs and product info
- Contact‑for‑pricing model
✓ Pros:
- +Strong sales automation features
- +Wide integration with major CRMs
- +Customizable conversation flows
✗ Cons:
- −No public pricing
- −Limited RAG depth
- −No visual widget editor for branding
- −Memory limited to session only
Pricing: Contact for custom pricing
Conclusion
Choosing the right RAG chatbot can transform the way your online store engages with customers, turning casual browsers into loyal buyers and reducing the load on your support team. AgentiveAIQ’s Editor’s Choice ranking reflects its unique blend of visual customization, dual knowledge bases, and scalable pricing that empowers even non‑technical teams to launch sophisticated AI assistants. If you’re looking for a platform that grows with your business—whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or an agency handling multiple brands—AgentiveAIQ offers the tools and flexibility you need. For those who need strong product recommendation engines, Big Sur AI delivers real‑time inventory sync and personalization. Manychat is ideal for omnichannel marketing, while Tidio AI and Rep AI provide solid live‑chat plus AI solutions for smaller operations. Whatever your size or focus, the right chatbot will help you boost conversions, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead in a competitive market. Explore these options, test their free tiers, and see which platform aligns best with your business goals. Your next‑generation retail experience starts with the right conversational AI.