Cbox is the original embeddable shoutbox — simple and cheap. Embedded Chat is the modern take: the same drop-in live chat, but with reactions, replies, polls, AI moderation, tips and full theming. Here's the honest side-by-side.
A small, real-time message box you embed in a sidebar. Around since the early 2000s — lightweight, inexpensive, familiar to old-school community sites. The feature set has stayed minimal.
Best for: a tiny sidebar shoutbox on a hobby site where you just want a stream of one-line messages.
The same one-script-tag install, but a full real-time room: reactions, threaded replies, @mentions, polls, custom emotes, image uploads, AI moderation and a brand-matched theme.
Best for: live streams, radios, events, fan communities and stores that want an engaging, moderated, on-brand chat.
| Feature | Cbox | Embedded Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time embeddable chat (one script tag) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Emoji reactions on messages | — | ✓ |
| Threaded replies + @mentions with unread badge | — | ✓ |
| Inline polls (live tallies) | — | ✓ |
| Slash commands (/announce, /poll, /timeout) | — | ✓ |
| Custom emotes (:alias: → image) | — | ✓ |
| "LIVE NOW" stream banner (YouTube/Twitch/Kick) | — | ✓ |
| Chat replay (admin rewind with scrubber) | — | ✓ |
| AI moderation (auto-redacts abuse) | — | ✓ Pro |
| AI assistant bot | — | ✓ Pro |
| Banned words + slow mode + IP/CIDR bans | Partial | ✓ All three |
| Viewer tips (Stripe, direct payout) | — | ✓ Basic+ |
| Webhooks (signed JSON to Slack/Zapier/CRM) | — | ✓ Pro |
| Custom CSS / brand themes + wallpapers | Limited colors | ✓ Full |
| One-click Shopify install | — | ✓ |
Pick Cbox if: you want the cheapest possible one-line shoutbox and don't need reactions, replies, polls, moderation or theming.
Pick Embedded Chat if: you want a modern, moderated, on-brand community chat — reactions, replies, @mentions, polls, AI moderation, viewer tips — installed the same way (one script tag), with a one-click option on Shopify.