Your customers expect answers now, not tomorrow. That’s just how e-commerce works these days. This constant demand has pushed businesses to find smarter ways to handle customer support and sales, and naturally, AI-powered tools have stepped in to help. One name that pops up in this space is Certainly AI, a conversational AI platform built for online stores and service teams.
But let’s be real, the market is flooded with AI tools all claiming to be the next big thing. How do you figure out which one is actually right for you? This article cuts through the hype to give you a straight-up, balanced overview of Certainly AI. We’ll get into its features, what it costs, and some of the real-world limitations you need to be aware of. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of what it does and whether it’s the best fit for your business.
So, what is Certainly AI?
At its heart, Certainly AI is a tool that lets you build and launch AI chatbots, mainly for e-commerce and customer service. Their big pitch is to create a "digital twin" of your best salesperson, an AI agent that can chat with customers, answer questions, guide them to products, and hopefully, close a sale. Think of it as an automated assistant that’s always on your website, ready to help shoppers at any time of day.
The platform is designed to cover the whole customer journey, from pre-purchase questions to post-sale support. It has a few core capabilities:
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It speaks your customer’s language: With support for over 14 languages, it’s a handy feature for businesses with a global audience.
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It connects to your other tools: It can plug into popular helpdesks like Zendesk and e-commerce platforms like Shopify, letting it do things like pull order info or create support tickets.
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It offers a hybrid approach: You get a mix of a no-code flow builder for teams who want to build things themselves and managed services for those who’d rather have an expert handle the setup.
Under the hood, it’s powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), the same kind of tech behind ChatGPT. This helps it understand what customers are trying to say and generate responses that sound pretty natural.
A look at the core features of Certainly AI
Let’s pull back the curtain and see how the main parts of the Certainly AI platform actually work.
Certainly AI’s conversational AI and flow builder
Certainly gives you a visual, no-code interface where you can map out how you want your chatbot conversations to go. It’s a drag-and-drop canvas where you design the bot’s interactions, guiding users through different questions and answers. The platform uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to guess what a user means, even if they don’t use the exact right keywords.
To get you started faster, they provide pre-built templates for common e-commerce questions like "Where is my order?" or "What’s your return policy?" This saves you from having to build every single conversation from the ground up. However, while a visual builder is a common feature, it often means a lot of manual work to create and maintain these flows. Some newer tools, like eesel AI, get you up and running much faster by training directly on your past support tickets and existing knowledge docs, which cuts way down on the time you spend building flows by hand.
Certainly AI’s e-commerce and helpdesk integrations
A chatbot is only really useful if it can talk to your other systems. Certainly connects with a handful of the big players in e-commerce and support, including:
These connections let the bot do more than just spit out canned answers. It can check a customer’s order status in Shopify or create a new support ticket in Zendesk if a human needs to take over. This is the kind of automation that can genuinely lighten the load for your support team.
Pro Tip: When you’re picking an AI platform, don’t just stop at the standard integrations. The best tools can tap into your internal knowledge, no matter where it’s stored. The ability to connect to sources like Confluence, Google Docs, and Slack is what gives an AI agent the context it needs to answer the really tricky questions your customers have.
Data collection and personalization with Certainly AI
Certainly AI puts a lot of emphasis on collecting "zero-party data." This is just a fancy way of saying it gathers information that customers willingly share during a chat. For example, the bot might ask someone about their personal style or what they’re looking for in a new jacket.
With that info, the bot can then suggest personalized product recommendations, making the shopping experience feel more tailored. It’s a nice touch that can guide customers toward a purchase they’ll actually be happy with, instead of just showing them a generic catalog.
Certainly AI pricing: What to expect
Alright, let’s talk money. This is often the point where a decision gets made, and for many businesses, Certainly AI’s pricing can be a bit of a shock. Based on what’s available from third-party sources and user reviews, their plans are definitely on the expensive side, reportedly starting somewhere between $650 and over $2,165 per month.
A big issue here is the lack of transparency. To get a real quote, you pretty much have to book a demo and talk to their sales team. That can really slow things down for teams that just want to try a tool out and see if it works for them.
To put it in perspective, here’s how it compares with the more straightforward pricing model from eesel AI.
| Feature | Certainly AI | eesel AI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | ~$650 – $2,165/month | Starts at $239/month (annual) |
| Pricing Model | Based on bots and features | Based on AI interactions |
| Per-Resolution Fees | Not specified (potential for variable costs) | No per-resolution fees |
| Free Trial | Free trial available | Free plan available & self-serve trial |
| Transparency | Often requires a sales demo for full pricing | Fully transparent on website |
| Contract Terms | Typically annual contracts | Monthly and annual options |
| For businesses that need predictable costs, this is a huge deal. Platforms like eesel AI offer clear, upfront pricing with no extra fees per resolution, so you don’t get a surprise bill at the end of a busy month. Plus, having the option to start with a flexible monthly plan gives you room to grow without being locked into a long-term contract from day one. |
The reality of using Certainly AI: Setup, control, and limitations
Beyond the feature list and the price, what’s it actually like to use Certainly AI day-to-day? Looking at user feedback and the platform itself, there are a few practical hurdles that teams should know about before they sign up.
The Certainly AI implementation and setup process
While Certainly offers a "done-for-you" service, some user reviews say the setup can feel clunky and take a long time. Building out all the conversation flows, connecting the different modules, and getting everything working just right can turn into a pretty big project. This hybrid model, mixing a DIY builder with managed services, can make you dependent on their team and drag out the deployment time.
This is a world away from a completely self-serve platform like eesel AI, where the whole experience is built for speed. You can connect your helpdesk, train your AI on your existing knowledge, and go live in minutes, not months, all without having to schedule a single sales call.
Certainly AI customization and control
Templates and pre-built flows are a good starting point, but most businesses want more control to create an experience that feels like their brand. Some reviews mention that Certainly’s editor can be slow and doesn’t offer deep customization options.
Your AI is often the first "voice" a customer interacts with, so you need to be able to shape its tone, personality, and what it can and can’t do. That’s why having a fully customizable workflow engine is so critical. With eesel AI, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can use the prompt editor to craft the AI’s persona, create custom actions that connect to external APIs (like looking up order info), and set specific rules for when to automate and when to pass a chat to a human agent.
Certainly AI analytics and testing capabilities
One of the most common complaints about Certainly AI is its lack of deep analytics. Without detailed reports, it’s almost impossible to measure the ROI of your chatbot, figure out where it’s doing well, and spot areas that need improvement. You’re left guessing about its real impact on your resolution rates and customer satisfaction.
This is where a tool with solid testing features makes all the difference. For example, eesel AI’s powerful simulation mode lets you test your AI on thousands of your own past support tickets before it ever talks to a real customer. This gives you an accurate forecast of its performance, shows you exactly how it will answer real-world questions, and shines a light on any gaps in your knowledge base. It’s about moving from guesswork to confidence.
A better alternative for fast, controllable AI support: Eesel AI
After taking a close look, it’s clear that Certainly AI is a decent platform for e-commerce businesses with a big budget and a need for a conversational sales tool. However, its high price, potentially slow setup, and limits on control and analytics are pretty big downsides for teams that need to move fast and own their support experience.
For those teams, eesel AI stands out as a much stronger alternative. It’s built for businesses that care about speed, control, and transparency. Here’s a quick rundown of the advantages:
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Go live in minutes: It’s a truly self-serve platform with one-click integrations that get you up and running almost instantly.
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You’re in complete control: A customizable workflow engine lets you decide exactly how, when, and where your AI interacts with customers.
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Unified knowledge: It connects not just to your helpdesk but to all your scattered knowledge sources, including Confluence, Google Docs, and past tickets, for much more accurate answers.
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Test with confidence: A risk-free simulation mode and actionable reports give you a clear picture of performance before you launch.
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Transparent pricing: Predictable, scalable plans with no hidden fees or charges per resolution.
Certainly AI: Next steps
While Certainly AI has some useful features for e-commerce, the world of AI support is moving toward more agile and controllable solutions. Its high cost and the potential for a complicated setup can be a real barrier for many businesses.
At the end of the day, the right tool is one that empowers your team, fits in with your existing systems, and delivers results you can actually measure, all without costing a fortune. If you’re looking for a solution that’s fast, flexible, and completely transparent, it might be time to look beyond the usual suspects.
Ready to see how quickly you can launch a powerful, controllable AI agent? Try eesel AI for free and connect your knowledge base in under five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Certainly AI offers a no-code visual builder, which helps, but setting up all the conversation flows can still be a significant project. They also offer a "done-for-you" service, but this can extend the setup time and make you dependent on their team.
The platform is positioned at the higher end of the market, with prices reportedly starting around $650 per month and going up significantly. You’ll need to schedule a sales demo to get an exact quote, as they don’t publish their pricing publicly.
A common complaint is the lack of deep analytics, which makes it hard to measure your chatbot’s performance and ROI. Additionally, some users find the customization options for the bot’s conversation flows and personality to be limited.
Like most chatbot platforms, it relies on integrations to hand off complex queries to a human agent. Its ability to connect with helpdesks like Zendesk allows it to create a support ticket so your team can follow up.
No, it primarily relies on a visual flow builder where you have to manually map out conversations and responses. This is different from platforms like eesel AI that can train directly on your existing knowledge sources to answer questions from day one.
