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IllumiChat vs Fin

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
IllumiChat from $29/mo, Fin from $0.99/request — different billing units, so no direct winner
Free plan
Only IllumiChat (Fin has paid plans only)
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Fin — 96 vs 75 for IllumiChat
Best fit
IllumiChat: Shopify merchants wanting order tracking and product Q&A automated across channels · Fin: Support teams with a large, well-maintained help centre where deflection can reach the levels the per-outcome price assumes

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

IllumiChatAI customer-support agent for Shopify stores that handles orders and product search across chat, IG, and SMS.FinSupport agent that resolves tickets over chat, email, voice and social from your help content and connected systems, billed per outcome.

Side by side

FactIllumiChatFin
CategoryAI Support ChatbotsAI Support Chatbots
Pricing modelFreemiumPaid
Starts at$29/mo$0.99/request
Public APIYesYes
Trust score75 / 10096 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API, Slack app
CompanyIllumiChatIntercom, Inc.
Launched—2023
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 16, 2026

What our research says

IllumiChat

IllumiChat is scoped narrowly to Shopify stores rather than being a general-purpose support bot, which lets it plug directly into order and cart data instead of needing custom integration work. Credit-based pricing instead of per-ticket billing is the pitch against typical helpdesk tools that get expensive during high-volume periods like Black Friday. The Pro tier is still labeled Early Access, so the product and its pricing should be expected to change.

Pros

  • Built specifically for Shopify data — product search, order tracking, and cart updates rather than a generic FAQ bot
  • Covers website chat, Instagram, Messenger, and SMS from a single setup
  • Credit-based pricing avoids the per-ticket fees that spike during high-traffic sales periods

Cons

  • Pro tier is explicitly labeled Early Access, meaning pricing and features may still change
  • Locked to Shopify — not usable for stores on other e-commerce platforms

Fin

Fin is the most mature of the per-resolution support agents, with three years of production use and the tooling, simulations, regression tests, QA, that teams need before letting an agent touch refunds. The $0.99-per-outcome model is attractive when deflection is high and unattractive when the agent resolves little, and the definition of an outcome is what you negotiate over. Running it on Zendesk or Salesforce avoids Intercom's seat fees but imposes a 50-outcome monthly floor; small support teams with a few hundred tickets a month should model both before signing.

Pros

  • Pays per resolved outcome rather than per seat, with a published $0.99 rate (15 October 2026)
  • Works on Intercom and on Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot and Freshdesk
  • Can act through Procedures, APIs, data connectors and MCP, not only answer
  • Simulation, regression testing, QA and observability tools before and after changes go live
  • 14-day trial with unlimited outcomes and no card

Cons

  • Outcome definitions and the $9.99 qualification charge make the effective price harder to model than a seat fee
  • 50-outcome monthly minimum when used with a third-party helpdesk
  • Operator, Copilot and Voice are separate charges on top of the per-outcome rate
  • Company rebrand from Intercom to Fin in 2026 means documentation and contracts still carry both names

Which one fits

Choose IllumiChat if you need

  • Shopify merchants wanting order tracking and product Q&A automated across channels
  • Stores wanting to avoid per-ticket billing spikes during sales events

Choose Fin if you need

  • Support teams with a large, well-maintained help centre where deflection can reach the levels the per-outcome price assumes
  • Companies already on Intercom, or on Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk that want an agent without switching helpdesk
  • Teams that need the agent to take actions, such as refunds or account changes, through APIs and MCP

IllumiChat vs Fin: the questions people ask

Is IllumiChat cheaper than Fin?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: IllumiChat starts at $29/mo, Fin at $0.99/request. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does IllumiChat or Fin have a free tier?

IllumiChat has a free tier; Fin has paid plans only.

Which has a public API, IllumiChat or Fin?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

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