Live shopping platforms and apps, compared
Marketplaces, live shopping software and Shopify apps, with every price checked on the vendor's own site on 29 October 2026.
Updated 29 October 2026
Short version: If you want buyers who are already shopping, sell on a marketplace with its own checkout: TikTok Shop LIVE, Amazon Live, eBay Live or Whatnot. If you want the sale in your own store, use live shopping software or a Shopify app that puts a player on your site. If you want to stay live without a person on camera, use an AI host.
Sell where buyers already shop
The platform brings the audience and runs the checkout.
| Platform | How viewers buy | Access and fees |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok Shop LIVE | In the TikTok app, from products pinned to the live | TikTok Shop sellers and creators. US shopping lives ban AI voices. |
| YouTube Shopping | Tagged products send viewers to the retailer's site | Channels in the YouTube Partner Program that meet the Shopping requirements |
| Amazon Live | On Amazon, from the products shown in the stream | Eligible brands selling on Amazon, through the Amazon Live Creator app |
| eBay Live | Buy or bid during the stream | In beta, for selected categories such as collectibles and luxury |
| Whatnot | Auctions, fixed prices and flash sales in the app | No signup or monthly fee. Seller fee of up to 8%, varying by category and country, plus 2.9% and $0.30 per order for payment processing. |
| Instagram Live | Not inside the live: product tags in Live ended on 16 March 2023 | Accounts that can go live, sending viewers to their store |
Checked on each platform's own help, seller or pricing pages on 29 October 2026.
Live shopping software
These put the stream on your website and your channels, so the sale happens in your store.
| Software | What it does | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| TwinTone | An AI host presents your products and answers product questions from chat. It streams to YouTube Live, Instagram Live, TikTok Live and Twitch, and from Growth to your own site, with checkout in your Shopify cart. | From $880/mo for 40 streaming hours. Own-site player from Growth, $1,900/mo for 100 hours. |
| Bambuser | Live and recorded shopping video in a player on your website, apps and social channels | Free plan with 250 views a month. Essential from $79/mo billed monthly, priced by site traffic. $0.25 per extra view. |
| Firework | Shoppable video and livestream events on your site, connected to your store | Free pilot plan. Extra views cost $10 per 1,000 on Starter and $5 on Growth. |
| CommentSold | Live selling for retailers, streamed to social channels and the retailer's own site and app, with sales taken from comments | Starter $149/mo plus 6% of sales |
Prices from each vendor's own pricing page on 29 October 2026.
Live stream shopping apps for Shopify
Apps that add live shopping to a Shopify store.
| App | What it does | Price on the Shopify App Store |
|---|---|---|
| Channelize Live Shopping & UGC | Live and pre-recorded shows on your store and other channels, with RTMP and OBS support | From $97/month, 14-day free trial |
| NOW Live | Live shopping events on your Shopify store | Free to install, 3% commission on sales from live events |
| Streamio | Live streams with add to cart while watching, plus replays | Free plan. Basic $4.99/month. |
| LIVEL Live Shopping | Live shopping shows on your store | $19/month plus $0.045 per minute per viewer, with a 14-day free trial |
Prices as listed on apps.shopify.com on 29 October 2026.
Five questions before you pick
- Where do your buyers already shop? A marketplace brings shoppers; your own site keeps the sale and the customer in your store.
- Who will host, and for how many hours a week?
- How does the price grow: per view, per minute per viewer, a share of each sale, or a flat monthly plan?
- Does the platform allow the host you plan to use? TikTok Shop US bans AI voices in shopping lives.
- Do you need replays and clips after each stream?
Where TwinTone fits
TwinTone is for brands that want to be live without putting a person on camera. TwinTone runs an AI host that presents your products and answers product questions from chat, using the catalog it imports from Shopify with read-only access.
TwinTone streams to YouTube Live, Instagram Live, TikTok Live and Twitch. On Growth and Always-On it also runs a player on your own site, where viewers tap Shop product and finish in your Shopify cart, and it can stream to several channels at once. Facebook Live is coming soon.
It is not a marketplace and does not bring buyers by itself. Pair it with the channels where your buyers already watch.
Comparing AI hosts on their own? See our comparison of AI live shopping hosts.
Questions about live shopping platforms
Shopify apps, free options, Instagram and AI hosts, answered.
What is the best live shopping platform?
It depends on where your buyers are. Marketplaces such as TikTok Shop LIVE, Whatnot and Amazon Live bring shoppers who are already buying. Software such as Bambuser, Firework or a Shopify app puts the stream on your own site, so the sale happens in your store.
Which live shopping apps work with Shopify?
On the Shopify App Store on 29 October 2026: Channelize Live Shopping (from $97 a month), NOW Live (free to install, 3% commission on live sales), Streamio (free plan, Basic $4.99 a month) and LIVEL ($19 a month plus $0.045 per minute per viewer). TwinTone imports your Shopify catalog with read-only access, and on Growth and Always-On viewers on your own site check out in your Shopify cart.
Is there a free live shopping platform?
Some start free. Whatnot has no signup or monthly fee and takes a fee on each sale, Bambuser has a free plan with 250 views a month, NOW Live is free to install with a 3% commission, and Streamio has a free plan.
Can I still do live shopping on Instagram?
You can go live on Instagram, but product tags in Live ended on 16 March 2023, so viewers buy on your store, not inside the live.
Can an AI host sell on these platforms?
An AI host can present products on your own site, YouTube Live, Instagram Live, TikTok Live and Twitch, labelled as AI. TikTok Shop US bans AI voices in shopping livestreams, so keep a real person on those lives.
How much does TwinTone cost?
Starter is $880 a month for 40 streaming hours, Growth is $1,900 for 100 hours and Always-On is $6,800 for 400 hours. Plans are monthly, and streaming stops at your plan's hours instead of billing overage.
More on selling live
Add an AI host to your live shopping
Connect Shopify, pick an AI creator and go live on your channels.
TwinTone is not affiliated with the platforms or vendors named on this page. Their names are trademarks of their owners.