Chatra is one of the best free live chat apps for Shopify stores, offering a generous free plan with up to 20 conversations per month. It provides real-time visitor tracking, chatbots, and cart recovery features without requiring a credit card. Merchants appreciate its easy integration and ability to capture leads that would otherwise be lost, making it ideal for small to medium-sized stores looking to improve customer service without upfront costs.
For free alternatives to Chatra, consider Tidio which offers a free plan with basic live chat and chatbot features, or Crisp which provides unlimited chats on their free tier. Both integrate with Shopify and offer multichannel support. Tidio focuses on automation and AI-powered responses, while Crisp emphasizes team collaboration and shared inboxes. Both are solid options for stores that need basic chat functionality without the premium features of Chatra's paid plans.
To set up proactive chat triggers in Chatra, navigate to the Targeted chats & triggers section in your dashboard. Create a new trigger for your checkout/cart page URL and customize the message to offer assistance. Set the trigger to appear after visitors have been on the page for a specific time (e.g., 2 minutes). You can configure it to work in both online and offline modes, and add phrases like 'Need help with your order?' to engage customers before they abandon their carts.
To create a chatbot scenario, go to Automated answers in your Chatra dashboard and click +New scenario. Start with an initial greeting message and add visitor reply options for common questions. For each option, create follow-up messages with additional information or transfer to an agent. Save the scenario and create a trigger to launch it on relevant pages. Test the bot on a test page first, then launch it on your main pages to automate FAQ responses and save your team time.
To enable the offline contact form bot, navigate to the Chatra Bot settings in your dashboard. Enable the bot for offline mode and customize the form fields to collect visitor information like name, email, and company. You can set required fields and add custom questions. Configure the bot phrases to welcome visitors and inform them you'll reply soon. The bot will automatically activate when you're offline, ensuring you never miss potential leads even when you're not available for live chat.
