# The best live shopping platforms for Shopify in 2026: five tools and what each bill counts

Bambuser, Firework, Videowise, Tolstoy and Idukki for live shopping on Shopify. Who streams, what the bill counts and where to start. We make Idukki.

By Rohin Aggarwal · 2026-10-13

A live show is a TV broadcast with a checkout under it. The tool decides who streams the video and what the bill counts. It also decides what happens to the recording. Four of the five tools here stream live. One, ours, does not yet, and we say so.

**Quick answer**

- **Live first:** Bambuser. Plans count video views; Essential is $326 a month, billed yearly.
- **Live inside a video suite:** Videowise Live Shopping, from $239 a month for 5,000 streamed minutes.
- **Enterprise live events:** Firework Video Showroom, quoted on request.
- **No live on the price list:** Tolstoy and Idukki. Both sell shoppable video.
- We make Idukki. Facts on the others come from their own pages, read 13 October 2026.

## How we compared them

- **Does it stream?** Hosting the live video yourself is the hard part.
- **What the bill counts.** Views, streamed minutes or widget impressions.
- **The entry price.** As published, or "quoted" when the vendor asks you to call.
- **A way to try it.** A free plan or a free trial.

We left out ratings, as they move weekly. We have no commercial tie to any tool here except our own.

## The five tools at a glance

| Tool | Live shopping | What the bill counts | Entry price | Try it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bambuser | Yes, its core product | Video views per month | $326 a month, billed yearly | Free plan, 250 views a month |
| Videowise | Yes, a separate module | Streamed minutes | $239 a month for 5,000 minutes | Free trial on each module |
| Firework | Yes, in Video Showroom | Quoted per brand | Quoted on request | Free Pilot plan for shoppable video |
| Tolstoy | Not on its pricing page | Shoppable video viewers | $8 a month for 5,000 viewers | Free start, 30 days uncapped |
| Idukki (ours) | No streaming; events and chat in beta | Widget impressions | Free up to 5,000; paid from $45 | Free plan |

_From each vendor's pricing page, Shopify listing or own blog, read 13 October 2026. Last updated 13 October 2026._

## Bambuser: live first

Bambuser sells video commerce with live shopping at its centre. Plans count video views. The free plan includes 250 views a month, 2 users and one market. Essential costs $326 a month, billed yearly at $3,917, with 2,000 views a month. Pro costs $462 a month, billed yearly at $5,549. It adds white labelling and a mobile SDK. Enterprise is quoted.

## Videowise: live as one module

Videowise sells its suite as modules. Its own blog lists Live Shopping from $239 a month, for up to 5,000 streamed minutes. Shoppable Video is a separate module, also from $239 a month. Each module has a free trial. Its Shopify listing adds a free plan for Shop app video. A $9 Pro plan covers on-site video.

## Firework: live for large retailers

Firework puts live shopping in its Video Showroom product. That covers scheduled live events, unlimited replays and social media simulcast. Every Video Showroom plan is quoted through its sales team. Its shoppable video product has a free Pilot plan with 10 uploads. Firework aims its higher tiers at stores with over a million monthly visitors.

## Tolstoy: shoppable video, no live on the price list

Tolstoy's pricing page lists shoppable video, AI Studio and an AI sales agent. It lists no live shopping. Starter costs $8 a month for 5,000 viewers, and extra viewers cost $10 per 1,000. Plus costs $29, Pro $129 and Max $299 a month. Eligible free accounts get 30 days with uncapped on-site views. Pick it for recorded shoppable video, then add a live tool if you need one.

## Idukki: recorded video now, live in beta (ours)

We make Idukki, and it does not stream live video today. It has no video ingest or producer console. What it ships is shoppable video with product pins timed to the second each product appears. A beta adds scheduled live events with chat. Idukki prices by widget impressions, free up to 5,000 a month. Pick it for recorded video, customer photos and reviews in one gallery. Do not pick it for a live show this quarter. The [live commerce page](/live-commerce) has the detail.

### Three ways to be billed
_From each vendor's own pricing, read 13 October 2026._

**Bambuser: Views**
Every view of a show or clip counts.
- ✓ A free plan to test with
- ✓ Live is the core product
- ✗ Yearly billing on paid plans
- ✗ Busy shows use views fast

**Videowise: Streamed minutes**
Live is metered by minutes streamed.
- ✓ Short shows stay cheap
- ✓ A free trial per module
- ✗ Shoppable video is a second module
- ✗ Long shows use minutes fast

**Tolstoy and Idukki: Viewers or impressions**
Recorded shoppable video, billed by reach.
- ✓ Low entry prices
- ✓ Free ways to start
- ✗ No live stream on the price list
- ✗ Needs a second tool for live

## Running the show

The tool is the small part. Plan the show with [how to run a live shopping event](/blog/how-to-run-a-live-shopping-event). Pick a host with [choosing hosts for live shopping](/blog/choosing-hosts-for-live-shopping). Check the setup against [the live shopping tech stack for Shopify](/blog/live-shopping-tech-stack-for-shopify-brand). Avoid [the common production mistakes](/blog/common-live-shopping-production-mistakes). Then measure with [live shopping ROI beyond concurrent viewers](/blog/measuring-live-shopping-roi-beyond-concurrent-viewers).

Not sure you need live at all? Read [live shopping vs on-demand shoppable video](/blog/live-shopping-vs-on-demand-shoppable-video) first.

**The takeaway:** Run one live show on a free plan or trial before you sign a yearly contract. Then match the bill to your show length and audience size.

### Questions store owners ask

**Q: Which live shopping app has a free plan?**

A: Bambuser has a free plan with 250 views a month. Videowise offers a free trial on its Live Shopping module.

**Q: How much does Videowise Live Shopping cost?**

A: From $239 a month for up to 5,000 streamed minutes. That is from its own blog, read 13 October 2026.

**Q: Does Tolstoy do live shopping?**

A: Its pricing page lists no live shopping. It sells shoppable video, AI Studio and an AI sales agent.

**Q: Does Idukki do live shopping?**

A: Not as a stream today. It has timed product pins on recorded video and a beta for scheduled events with chat.

[UGC and Shoppable Video Benchmarks, 2026 (PDF) — Each benchmark labelled as Idukki data or an industry study, with its source.](/downloads/ugc-shoppable-video-benchmarks-2026)

### Sources
- [Bambuser: pricing](https://bambuser.com/pricing) — Plans and view limits. Read 13 October 2026.
- [Videowise blog: best shoppable video platforms](https://videowise.com/blog/best-shoppable-video-platforms) — Module prices. Read 13 October 2026.
- [Videowise on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/video-shopping) — Free and Pro plans. Read 13 October 2026.
- [Firework: pricing](https://firework.com/pricing/) — Pilot plan and Video Showroom. Read 13 October 2026.
- [Tolstoy: pricing](https://www.gotolstoy.com/pricing) — Plans and viewer limits. Read 13 October 2026.
- [Idukki: live commerce](/live-commerce) — What ships and what is in beta.

---
Canonical: https://idukki.io/blog/best-live-shopping-platforms-for-shopify-2026
Tags: live-shopping, shoppable-video, best-of, shopify-apps, bambuser, firework, videowise, tolstoy