Retentionly, listed as “Rly: WhatsApp Abandoned Cart” in the Shopify App Store, is developed by RapidQuest Solutions. It combines a free contact widget with paid WhatsApp automation for Shopify orders and abandoned checkouts. The app carries the Built for Shopify badge. Its strongest use case is a store that wants focused recovery and order messaging, rather than a full marketing suite. This review uses public sources, without a hands-on installation test.
Key features
- Free chat button: Customize its appearance and welcome message, include the current product URL, and let shoppers start a WhatsApp conversation.
- Checkout recovery: Send automated WhatsApp reminders with customizable templates and your business identity on paid plans.
- Order messages: Send order and shipping confirmations through the official WhatsApp API.
- COD verification: Ask customers to confirm cash-on-delivery orders and apply automatic tags. Confirmation does not guarantee successful delivery.
- Campaigns and reporting: Growth adds broadcasts and advanced analytics; the website describes attributed orders and flow performance.
- Customer replies: The website places a WhatsApp inbox on Growth and a multi-agent inbox with assignment, notes, and history on Scale. Confirm the team limits during setup.
Pricing and trial
The free plan covers the chat button, basic reporting, and one-click messages. Automated recovery requires a paid plan. Basic costs $24/month, is listed for stores with fewer than 100 monthly orders, and allows up to 500 messages/month. Growth costs $49 for up to 5,000 messages; Scale costs $99 for up to 25,000. All three list a seven-day trial.
The App Store quotes annual totals of $230, $470, and $948 respectively. Meta messaging fees are separate, paid directly to Meta without Retentionly markup. The message allowances are sending limits, not prepaid Meta credits. Costs vary with message category and destination.
Check the exact package: the website pricing page includes review requests in Basic, whereas the App Store lists them under Growth. The website's rounded annual monthly prices also differ from the App Store totals. Confirm the charge, order eligibility, and what happens at the message cap in Shopify before approving a subscription.
Rating and reviews
Retentionly has a 4.8/5 rating from more than 50 reviews. We checked all three entries rated one to three stars: two one-star reviews and one two-star review. There were no three-star entries.
Garmon Yarns and oxolloxo complained in January 2026 that the free label did not make the paid automation clear. In April, the developer apologized and explained that chat and one-click messages remain free while API automation is paid. The current listing separates those plans. Vitalic reported in May that the button stayed in a static position. That single report warrants a theme test, but does not establish a widespread defect. We did not independently reproduce these issues.
Pitfalls
Allow for WhatsApp setup. Paid automation needs a business sender, appropriate consent, and approved templates. Test recovery links and whether reminders stop after purchase or opt-out. For COD orders, a tag alone should not be assumed to stop your fulfillment workflow.
Check integration depth. The listing names Shopify and WhatsApp, not native connections to every review or email platform mentioned in the developer's guides. Verify any required integration and the reporting attribution window. Attributed revenue is not necessarily additional profit. The listed interface language is English.
Clarify data handling. Permissions include customer information and browsing data, plus edits to orders, customers, discounts, and web pixels. The privacy policy contains broad references to health and DNA data that are not explained by the app's stated purpose. This does not prove the Shopify app collects those records, but it is a reason to request app-specific processing, retention, and deletion terms.
Conclusion
Retentionly is a reasonable shortlist option for a free WhatsApp contact button or relatively affordable order automation. Use the seven-day trial to test one recovery or COD flow and its real costs. Choose Growth for broadcasts and confirm Scale's team tools if multiple people answer replies. For basic storefront chat, also compare Shopify Inbox.
