Table of Contents
- Key takeaways: the best Tidio alternatives at a glance
- What is Tidio?
- How much does Tidio cost in 2026?
- Problems with Tidio that send teams to alternatives
- How Tidio alternatives solve these problems
- How these Tidio competitors were ranked
- The 7 best Tidio alternatives in 2026
- 1. Crisp: best like-for-like Tidio alternative for live chat
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 2. Gorgias: best Tidio alternative for Shopify stores
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 3. SiteGPT: best for replacing Lyro with knowledge-trained AI answers
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 4. Zoho SalesIQ: best Tidio alternative for lead capture and visitor tracking
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 5. Intercom: best for teams that outgrow Tidio
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 6. Tawk: best free Tidio alternative
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 7. Chatbase: best for an AI agent with a built-in helpdesk
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- Tidio alternatives comparison table
- What a Tidio alternative with AI costs per month
- The stack: which tool does which job
- How to choose a Tidio alternative
- Tidio alternatives use-case cheat sheet
- How do you move from Tidio to SiteGPT?
- Tidio alternatives FAQ
- Basics
- What is the best alternative to Tidio?
- Who are Tidio's main competitors?
- Why do teams switch from Tidio?
- Pricing
- Is there a free Tidio alternative?
- What is the cheapest Tidio alternative with AI?
- How much does Tidio cost with Lyro?
- Comparisons
- Tidio vs Zoho SalesIQ: which is better?
- Tidio vs Crisp: which is better?
- Tidio vs SiteGPT: what is the difference?
- Ecommerce and AI
- What is the best Tidio alternative for an ecommerce store?
- What are the best alternatives to Tidio for AI customer support?
- Compliance
- Is Tidio HIPAA compliant?
- Which Tidio alternative fits GDPR buyers?
- Sources
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Created time
Mar 28, 2024 06:43 PM
The best Tidio alternative for most small teams in 2026 is Crisp, a live chat and shared inbox with a free plan and flat paid plans from $45 a month per workspace.
No tool in this guide is best overall. Each of the seven Tidio competitors below has a "best for" label, a price read from the vendor's pricing page, and a G2 rating. Start with the job you hired Tidio to do, because each alternative replaces a different part of it.
TL;DR
- Crisp is the closest like-for-like swap for Tidio live chat. It has a free plan for 2 seats, and Essentials is $95 a month with 10 seats and AI credits included.
- Gorgias fits Shopify stores that want order support and an AI agent in one helpdesk. Starter with AI Agent is $40 a month billed monthly.
- SiteGPT replaces Lyro, not the Tidio inbox. It answers from your own content for $59 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly, and runs inside Crisp or Zoho SalesIQ from the Growth plan.
- Compliance changes the shortlist. Tidio's terms say it is not a HIPAA business associate. SiteGPT signs a BAA on the Enterprise plan only, Intercom lists HIPAA support on Expert, and Chatbase lists HIPAA eligibility on Enterprise.
- Tidio Starter plus the Lyro AI agent costs $56.67 a month billed annually. Five of the seven alternatives start lower with AI included or added.
Key takeaways: the best Tidio alternatives at a glance
Tool | Best for | Type | Starting price | G2 rating |
1. Crisp | A like-for-like live chat and shared inbox | Helpdesk with the Hugo AI agent | Free plan. Mini $45 a month per workspace | 4.5 (205 reviews) |
2. Gorgias | Shopify stores that need order support and AI | Ecommerce helpdesk with an AI agent | $10 a month billed monthly. $40 with AI Agent | 4.6 (582 reviews) |
3. SiteGPT | Replacing Lyro with answers trained on your own content | AI chatbot with human handoff. No shared email inbox | $59 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly | 4.9 (12 reviews) |
4. Zoho SalesIQ | Sales teams that want visitor tracking and lead scoring | Live chat with Zia AI agents | Free plan for 3 operators | 4.4 (256 reviews) |
5. Intercom | Growing teams that want a larger helpdesk | Helpdesk with the Fin AI agent | $29 per seat a month billed annually, plus $0.99 per Fin outcome | 4.5 (3,938 reviews, listed as Fin) |
6. Tawk | Free live chat with no software budget | Live chat with paid add-ons | Free. AI Assist from $29 a month | 4.5 (202 reviews) |
7. Chatbase | An AI agent with a built-in helpdesk inbox | AI agent builder | Hobby $32 a month billed yearly | 4.8 (46 reviews) |
What is Tidio?
Tidio is a live chat and helpdesk platform for small businesses and online stores. It combines live chat, ticketing, email, social channels, no-code Flows, and an AI agent named Lyro in one inbox.
Tidio holds 4.6 out of 5 from 1,992 reviews on G2. Every plan and limit is covered in the Tidio review.
How much does Tidio cost in 2026?
Tidio costs $0 on the Free plan, $24.17 a month for Starter billed annually, and from $49.17 a month for Growth billed annually. The Lyro AI agent is priced on top of these plans.
Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Included |
Free | $0 | $0 | 50 billable conversations, 50 Lyro conversations one time |
Starter | $24.17 a month | $29 a month | 100 billable conversations, live chat and ticketing |
Growth | From $49.17 a month | From $59 a month | From 250 billable conversations, advanced analytics, macros |
Plus | From $300 a month plus usage | From $300 a month plus usage | Departments, custom branding, OpenAPI, custom limits |
Premium | Contact sales | Contact sales | From 3,000 Lyro conversations, pay-per-resolution billing |
Lyro AI Agent | From $32.50 a month | From $39 a month | From 50 Lyro conversations a month |
Starter plus Lyro costs $56.67 a month billed annually, or $680.04 a year. Billed monthly, the same pair costs $68 a month, or $816 a year. Annual billing saves $135.96 a year. Source: Tidio pricing.
Problems with Tidio that send teams to alternatives
The problems with Tidio fall into six groups. Each point below comes from Tidio's own pricing page or terms of service.
- Plans are metered by billable conversations. A conversation is billable once a human agent replies. Starter includes 100 billable conversations a month, and Growth starts at 250.
- The AI agent is a separate bill. Lyro starts at $32.50 a month billed annually for 50 Lyro conversations. That is $0.65 per AI conversation. The free 50 Lyro conversations are a one-time allowance.
- Branding removal costs extra. Removing Tidio branding is an add-on at $16.67 a month.
- The step to Plus is large. Departments, custom branding, and OpenAPI start on Plus at $300 a month plus usage.
- One widget setup covers every site. Tidio's pricing FAQ says the widget shares the same appearance and behavior settings across all your websites and stores.
- No HIPAA business associate role. Tidio's terms of service state that Tidio is not a HIPAA Business Associate. The customer remains responsible for any ePHI it submits.
Tidio still has real strengths. It has a free plan, a 7-day trial with no card, and the largest G2 review base among the small-team tools here.
How Tidio alternatives solve these problems
Each Tidio problem maps to one type of alternative.
Tidio problem | What solves it | Tools |
Metered billable conversations | A flat price with no conversation limit | Crisp, Tawk |
Lyro billed per AI conversation | An AI layer with a monthly message quota | SiteGPT, Chatbase |
Ecommerce support at volume | A helpdesk priced by tickets, not agents | Gorgias |
Lead capture beyond a chat widget | Visitor tracking and lead scoring | Zoho SalesIQ |
Features gated to the $300 Plus plan | A larger helpdesk with workflows on mid plans | Intercom |
No HIPAA business associate role | A vendor that signs a BAA on a named plan | SiteGPT Enterprise, Intercom Expert, Chatbase Enterprise |
How these Tidio competitors were ranked
These Tidio competitors were ranked on six criteria, in this order.
- Fit as a replacement. Does the tool replace the Tidio inbox, the Lyro AI agent, or both?
- Price for a small team. What does the entry plan cost with AI included or added?
- AI answers and billing. Is AI billed per conversation, per outcome, or from a monthly quota?
- Channels and ecommerce. Does the tool cover chat, email, social channels, and store data?
- Compliance. Does the vendor sign a BAA or a DPA, and on which plan?
- Third-party reviews. What is the G2 rating, and how many reviews sit behind it?
Crisp is first because it replaces the whole Tidio inbox at a flat price with no conversation limit. Gorgias is second because many Tidio users run Shopify stores, and Gorgias is built for that job.
SiteGPT is this site's own product. It is third for a narrower job: teams that want better AI answers than Lyro and can keep a human inbox elsewhere. Its limits are listed with the same weight as the others.
The 7 best Tidio alternatives in 2026
1. Crisp: best like-for-like Tidio alternative for live chat
Crisp is a shared inbox and live chat helpdesk that bills a flat price per workspace. One workspace collects website chat, email, and social channels in one team inbox, with an AI agent named Hugo. Crisp limits no plan by conversation count.
Key features
- Website chat widget, shared inbox, and mobile apps on every plan
- Shared email inbox and chat triggers from Mini
- Omnichannel inbox, AI chatbot, workflow builder, and knowledge base from Essentials
- Ticketing system, white labelling, and 100+ integrations on Plus
- E-commerce integrations on every plan
Pros
- Free plan with 2 seats
- No limit on the number of conversations
- Essentials includes 10 seats for $95 a month, which is $9.50 per seat
- AI credits are included: $5 on Mini, $25 on Essentials, $75 on Plus
- 14-day trial of all features with no card required
Cons
- The free plan includes no AI credits and holds 100 customer profiles
- The AI chatbot and knowledge base start on Essentials at $95 a month
- Ticketing and white labelling start on Plus at $295 a month
- Extra agents cost $10 each a month
Pricing
Plan | Price per workspace a month | Seats included | AI credits included | Customer profiles |
Free | $0 | 2 | None | 100 |
Mini | $45 | 4 | $5 | 5,000 |
Essentials | $95 | 10 | $25 | 50,000 |
Plus | $295 | 20 or more | $75 | 200,000 |
Source: Crisp pricing.
Rating
Crisp holds 4.5 out of 5 from 205 reviews on G2.
Best for
Crisp is best for small teams that want to replace the whole Tidio inbox at a flat price. Teams that later outgrow Crisp can compare the options in the Crisp alternatives guide.
2. Gorgias: best Tidio alternative for Shopify stores
Gorgias is a helpdesk and AI agent built for ecommerce brands. It bills by monthly ticket volume, not by agent seat. The AI Agent works as a pre-purchase Shopping Assistant and a post-purchase Support Agent.
Key features
- One platform, one inbox, and one bill for the helpdesk and the AI Agent
- AI Agent on every plan, billed per automated interaction
- Plans scale from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month
- Voice and SMS add-ons priced by volume
- Revenue analytics on the Pro plan
Pros
- Never priced per agent, so a larger team does not raise the bill
- The AI Agent can be added to any plan
- Annual billing saves $10 a month on Basic without AI
- 4.6 out of 5 on G2 from 582 reviews
Cons
- Starter is billed monthly only and covers 50 tickets a month
- AI is a second line item. On Basic, 30 automated interactions add $27 a month billed annually
- The jump from Basic to Pro is $250 a month billed annually without AI
- Built for ecommerce, so service teams outside retail get less from it
Pricing
Plan | Helpdesk only | With AI Agent | Tickets a month | Automated interactions included |
Starter | $10 a month billed monthly | $40 a month billed monthly | 50 | 30 |
Basic | $50 a month billed annually, $60 billed monthly | $77 a month billed annually, $90 billed monthly | 300 | 30 |
Pro | $300 a month billed annually, $360 billed monthly | $471 a month billed annually, $550 billed monthly | 2,000 | 190 |
Advanced | $750 a month billed annually, $900 billed monthly | $1,227 a month billed annually, $1,430 billed monthly | 5,000 | 530 |
Source: Gorgias pricing.
Rating
Gorgias holds 4.6 out of 5 from 582 reviews on G2.
Best for
Gorgias is best for Shopify stores that want one helpdesk for order questions with an AI agent built in. More store options are in the guide to the best AI chatbot for Shopify.
3. SiteGPT: best for replacing Lyro with knowledge-trained AI answers
SiteGPT is an AI chatbot trained on your own website, files, and help center. It is an alternative to Lyro, the AI part of Tidio. It does not replace the Tidio inbox, and SiteGPT has no shared inbox for email tickets.
SiteGPT works in two ways for a Tidio switcher. It can run as its own widget with human handoff, or it can answer inside Crisp or Zoho SalesIQ from the Growth plan while people reply in that inbox. The full feature comparison is in SiteGPT vs Tidio.
Key features
- Trains on websites, sitemaps, files, raw text, YouTube, GitHub, Google Drive, Notion, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box
- Chat integrations from Growth: Crisp, Zoho SalesIQ, Slack, Messenger, Google Chat, and Freshdesk Messaging. Zendesk from Scale
- Escalation to a human agent, with an iOS app for live takeover from Growth
- Auto refresh of trained content: monthly on Growth, weekly with a daily scan on Scale
- 95+ languages
- WhatsApp and AI Email Support as paid add-ons
Pros
- A flat monthly price with a message quota instead of a per-conversation AI fee. Starter includes 4k GPT-4.1-mini messages a month
- Answers come from your own content, and fresh content syncs on a schedule from Growth
- Inside Crisp, the chatbot stops when an operator replies and takes the conversation back when the operator resolves it
- A signed DPA and a HIPAA BAA are available on the Enterprise plan
Cons
- No shared inbox for email tickets or social channels. SiteGPT is the answer layer
- No visual flow builder like Tidio Flows
- No Shopify app. SiteGPT installs on a store with an embed script
- Starter has no chat integrations. Crisp and Zoho SalesIQ need Growth
- No free plan. The 7-day free trial requires a credit card
- The quota is in GPT-4.1-mini messages. A GPT-4.1 message uses ten times as much quota
- Integrations are off in a HIPAA workspace, and the BAA is Enterprise only
Pricing
Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Messages a month | Chatbots | Members | Chat integrations |
Starter | $59 | $39 ($468 a year) | 4k GPT-4.1-mini | 1 | 1 | No |
Growth | $129 | $79 ($948 a year) | 10k GPT-4.1-mini | 2 | 4 | Yes |
Scale | $429 | $259 ($3,108 a year) | 40k GPT-4.1-mini | 3 | 10 | Yes, plus Zendesk |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Yes |
Branding removal is an add-on at $39 a month billed yearly. Source: SiteGPT pricing and the Crisp integration guide. Program details for healthcare buyers are on the SiteGPT HIPAA page.
Rating
SiteGPT holds 4.9 out of 5 from 12 reviews on G2.
Best for
SiteGPT is best for teams that liked Tidio live chat but want AI answers grounded in their own docs at a flat price. It also fits healthcare and EU buyers who need a BAA or a signed DPA on an Enterprise contract.
4. Zoho SalesIQ: best Tidio alternative for lead capture and visitor tracking
Zoho SalesIQ is a live chat and customer engagement tool from Zoho. It pairs chat with visitor tracking, lead and company scoring, and chatbots run by Zia AI agents. It fits teams that already use Zoho CRM.
Key features
- Visitor insights and live visitor tracking on every plan
- Lead and company scoring from the Basic plan
- Zia Agents and AI vendor integrations from Basic
- Messaging channels including WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Telegram
- Answer Bot and bot training from web URLs on Enterprise
Pros
- Free plan for 3 operators with 100 operator chat sessions a month
- Chatbots on every paid plan, with 25K bot chat sessions on Basic
- Unlimited operator chat sessions from Professional
- 15-day free trial with no credit card
Cons
- Paid plans are priced per operator, so the bill grows with the team
- Training a bot from web URLs is an Enterprise feature
- The G2 rating is the lowest in this list at 4.4
Pricing
Plan | Operators | Operator chat sessions | Chatbots | Bot chat sessions |
Free | 3 included | 100 | None listed | None listed |
Basic | Priced per operator | 1,000 | 1 | 25K |
Professional | Priced per operator | Unlimited | 5 | 50K |
Enterprise | Priced per operator | Unlimited | 10 | 200K |
Zoho shows paid prices in the visitor's local currency. Check the Zoho SalesIQ pricing page for the rate in your region.
Rating
Zoho SalesIQ holds 4.4 out of 5 from 256 reviews on G2.
Best for
Zoho SalesIQ is best for sales-led teams on Zoho CRM that want to see who is on the site and score leads before they chat. SiteGPT can answer inside Zoho SalesIQ from its Growth plan.
5. Intercom: best for teams that outgrow Tidio
Intercom is a helpdesk with a shared inbox, ticketing, a help center, and a native AI agent named Fin. It is the step up for teams that need workflows, SLAs, and deeper reporting. Fin is covered in the Intercom Fin AI review.
Key features
- Messenger, shared inbox, and ticketing system on every plan
- Fin AI agent for service, sales, and ecommerce
- Workflows automation builder and multiple team inboxes from Advanced
- SSO, HIPAA support, and SLAs on Expert
- Fin can also run on another helpdesk with no seats required
Pros
- The inbox and the AI agent come from one vendor
- Fin is billed only when a conversation reaches an outcome
- Advanced includes 20 free Lite seats, and Expert includes 50
- The largest review base in this list: 3,938 G2 reviews
Cons
- Pricing is per seat. Five Essential seats cost $145 a month billed annually
- Fin costs $0.99 per outcome on top of seats. 200 outcomes add $198 a month
- SMS, WhatsApp, phone, and email campaigns are pay-as-you-go
- Copilot is an add-on at $29 per agent a month
Pricing
Item | Price | Notes |
Essential | $29 per seat a month billed annually | New customers see $19 per seat. Messenger, inbox, ticketing |
Advanced | $85 per seat a month billed annually | Workflows, multiple inboxes, 20 free Lite seats |
Expert | $132 per seat a month billed annually | SSO, HIPAA support, SLAs, 50 free Lite seats |
Fin AI agent | $0.99 per outcome | Charged on every plan |
Copilot add-on | $29 per agent a month | AI assistant for human agents |
Pro add-on | From $100 a month | AI analysis and quality monitoring |
Source: Intercom pricing.
Rating
G2 lists the product as Fin. It holds 4.5 out of 5 from 3,938 reviews on G2.
Best for
Intercom is best for growing teams that need workflows, SLAs, and a native AI agent, and that accept per-seat pricing plus a fee per AI outcome.
6. Tawk: best free Tidio alternative
Tawk, styled tawk.to by the vendor, is a free live chat platform with an inbox, a CRM, a knowledge base, and ticketing. The company charges for optional add-ons and keeps the platform free. More options in this price range are in the tawk.to alternatives guide.
Key features
- Chat widget and shared inbox at no cost
- CRM, pipeline, automations, and a knowledge base
- AI Assist: AI agents trained on your knowledge base, with handoff to your team
- Whitelabel add-on for custom domains and branded emails
- Add-ons are billed per property and not per seat
Pros
- The platform is free, with no credit card needed to start
- AI Assist has a free tier for limited volume
- Add-ons can be switched on or off at any time
- Add-ons are billed per property, so adding agents does not raise the bill
Cons
- The widget shows the vendor's badge unless you pay $29 a month for Whitelabel
- AI Assist paid plans start at $29 a month
- Voice Agents and Data Enrichment are on a waitlist
- A free inbox still needs people to answer every chat the AI does not handle
Pricing
Item | Price | Notes |
Tawk platform | $0 | Chat widget, inbox, CRM, knowledge base |
AI Assist | From $29 a month | Free tier for limited volume |
Whitelabel | $29 a month per property | Removes the badge, adds custom domains |
Voice Agents | From $49 a month plus usage | Waitlist |
Data Enrichment | From $59 a month | Waitlist |
Source: tawk.to add-ons.
Rating
Tawk holds 4.5 out of 5 from 202 reviews on G2.
Best for
Tawk is best for teams with no software budget that need a live chat widget and an inbox today. Paying for AI Assist and Whitelabel together costs $58 a month.
7. Chatbase: best for an AI agent with a built-in helpdesk
Chatbase is an AI agent builder that trains on your content and answers on your website and messaging channels. Its Standard plan adds a Chatbase helpdesk inbox, so human agents can work escalated conversations inside Chatbase. Plans and limits are covered in the Chatbase review.
Key features
- AI agents trained on your content, with AI Actions and procedures
- Chatbase helpdesk inbox, voice, and API access from Standard
- Integrations for Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram on every plan
- Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Freshdesk, and Gorgias integrations from Standard
- HIPAA eligibility, SSO, and white-labeling on Enterprise
Pros
- Low entry price: Hobby is $32 a month billed yearly
- Yearly billing saves 20%
- Shopify and WhatsApp work from the Hobby plan
- 4.8 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- The helpdesk inbox starts on Standard at $120 a month billed yearly
- Usage is metered in message credits. Hobby includes 700 a month, and extra credits cost $40 per 1,000
- Removing "Powered By Chatbase" costs $1,188 a year, which is $99 a month
- No free plan card on the pricing page. Paid plans start with a 7-day trial
Pricing
Plan | Billed yearly (per month) | Billed monthly | Message credits a month | Members | Helpdesk inbox |
Hobby | $32 | $40 | 700 | 2 | No |
Standard | $120 | $150 | 4,000 | 3 | Yes |
Pro | $400 | $500 | 15,000 | 5 | Yes |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Yes |
Monthly prices follow from the yearly savings shown on the page. Source: Chatbase pricing.
Rating
Chatbase holds 4.8 out of 5 from 46 reviews on G2.
Best for
Chatbase is best for teams that want the AI agent and a simple helpdesk from one vendor and can start at $120 a month billed yearly.
Tidio alternatives comparison table
This Tidio alternatives comparison table lines up Tidio and all seven tools on the ranking criteria.
Tool | Replaces the Tidio inbox | Pricing model | AI billing | BAA | G2 rating |
Tidio | Baseline | Flat, metered by billable conversations | Lyro from $32.50 a month billed annually for 50 conversations | No. Terms say not a business associate | 4.6 (1,992) |
Crisp | Yes | Flat per workspace | Credits included in paid plans | Not listed on pricing | 4.5 (205) |
Gorgias | Yes, for ecommerce | By ticket volume | Per automated interaction | Not listed on pricing | 4.6 (582) |
No. Answer layer with handoff | Flat with a message quota | Included in the plan quota | Enterprise only | 4.9 (12) | |
Zoho SalesIQ | Yes | Per operator | Bot sessions included by plan | Not listed on pricing | 4.4 (256) |
Intercom | Yes | Per seat plus usage | $0.99 per Fin outcome | HIPAA support on Expert | 4.5 (3,938) |
Tawk | Yes | Free with add-ons | AI Assist from $29 a month | Not listed on add-ons page | 4.5 (202) |
Chatbase | Partly. Helpdesk from Standard | Flat with message credits | Included in plan credits | HIPAA eligible on Enterprise | 4.8 (46) |
What a Tidio alternative with AI costs per month
The entry price with an AI agent ranges from $29 to $78.50 a month across these tools. Tidio Starter plus Lyro sits at $56.67 a month billed annually, so five of the seven alternatives start lower.
Tool | Entry setup with AI | Monthly price | Difference against Tidio | 12-month cost |
Tawk | Free platform plus AI Assist | $29 | $27.67 less (49%) | $348 |
Chatbase | Hobby, billed yearly, 700 credits | $32 | $24.67 less (44%) | $384 |
Starter, billed yearly, 4k GPT-4.1-mini messages | $39 | $17.67 less (31%) | $468 | |
Gorgias | Starter with AI Agent, billed monthly | $40 | $16.67 less (29%) | $480 |
Crisp | Mini with $5 of AI credits | $45 | $11.67 less (21%) | $540 |
Tidio | Starter plus Lyro, billed annually | $56.67 | Baseline | $680.04 |
Intercom | 1 Essential seat plus 50 Fin outcomes | $78.50 | $21.83 more (39%) | $942 |
The usage units differ, so the cheapest line is not always the cheapest at your volume. Tidio counts Lyro conversations, Gorgias counts automated interactions, Intercom counts Fin outcomes, Chatbase counts message credits, and SiteGPT counts messages. Zoho SalesIQ is left out because its paid prices show in local currency. A deeper cost guide for small teams is in chatbot for small business.
The stack: which tool does which job
The stack for a Tidio switcher has four layers, and one tool does not have to cover all of them. SiteGPT is not a helpdesk. It takes the knowledge-trained answer layer and leaves the human inbox to Crisp, Zoho SalesIQ, or another helpdesk.
Layer | Job | Tool |
Human inbox | Agents reply to chat, email, and social messages and track tickets | Crisp, Gorgias, Zoho SalesIQ, Intercom, or Tawk |
Knowledge-trained answer layer | Answers first from your website, files, and help center | SiteGPT, inside Crisp or Zoho SalesIQ or on its own widget |
Handoff | Moves the conversation to a person | In Crisp, the chatbot stops when an operator replies in the Crisp inbox |
Knowledge source | Holds the content the answer layer trains on | Your website, documents, cloud drives, and help center |
A team that pairs Crisp Mini with SiteGPT Growth pays two bills. Crisp Mini is $45 a month and SiteGPT Growth is $79 a month billed yearly, so the total is $124 a month. With SiteGPT Growth billed monthly at $129, the total is $174 a month.
The stack has limits. Each Crisp website connects to one SiteGPT chatbot, and replies sent from the SiteGPT dashboard do not reach Crisp. Integrations are off in a SiteGPT HIPAA workspace. Teams that care most about escalation can compare the AI chatbots with human handoff.
How to choose a Tidio alternative
Choose a Tidio alternative by answering three questions: what job Tidio did for you, how you want to pay, and whether you need a signed BAA.
If you need... | Pick... | Why |
The same live chat inbox with no conversation limit | Crisp | Flat price per workspace and a free plan for 2 seats |
Order support and AI for a Shopify store | Gorgias | Ecommerce helpdesk priced by tickets, not agents |
Better AI answers than Lyro from your own docs | Flat message quota and auto refresh of trained content | |
Visitor tracking and lead scoring | Zoho SalesIQ | Scoring from Basic and a free plan for 3 operators |
Workflows, SLAs, and a native AI agent | Intercom | One vendor for the inbox and Fin |
A free live chat widget today | Tawk | The platform costs $0 |
An AI agent with a simple helpdesk | Chatbase | Helpdesk inbox from Standard |
A signed BAA for patient conversations | SiteGPT Enterprise or Intercom Expert | Tidio's terms say it is not a HIPAA business associate |
Tidio alternatives use-case cheat sheet
This cheat sheet maps ten common situations to one pick each.
Scenario | Best pick | Why |
Shopify store with 3 agents and many order questions | Gorgias | Ticket pricing does not grow with agents |
Solo founder who needs a chat widget today | Tawk | Free platform with no credit card |
Team of 8 that hit the Tidio conversation cap | Crisp | Essentials is $95 a month flat with 10 seats |
SaaS team that wants AI answers from its docs | Trains on sites, files, GitHub, and cloud drives | |
Crisp user that wants better AI answers | Runs inside Crisp from the Growth plan | |
B2B sales team on Zoho CRM | Zoho SalesIQ | Visitor tracking and lead scoring |
Team of 15 that needs workflows and SLAs | Intercom | Advanced adds workflows, and Expert adds SLAs |
US clinic that needs a BAA | SiteGPT Enterprise | BAA on Enterprise, with integrations off in the covered workspace |
Team that wants AI and a helpdesk from one vendor | Chatbase | Helpdesk inbox from Standard |
Agency that needs its own branding on the widget | Tawk | Whitelabel is $29 a month per property |
How do you move from Tidio to SiteGPT?
Moving from Tidio starts with your existing content. You add it to SiteGPT, test the answers against real customer questions, and go live when the results hold up. Tidio can stay in place while you test.
The 7-day free trial is the simplest way to check the fit on your own content. It needs a credit card, and you can cancel before it ends.
For questions about your setup or timing, email Bhanu, SiteGPT's founder, at bhanu@sitegpt.ai.
Tidio alternatives FAQ
Basics
What is the best alternative to Tidio?
Crisp is the best alternative to Tidio for most small teams. It replaces the live chat inbox at a flat price per workspace and has a free plan for 2 seats. Shopify stores should look at Gorgias first.
Who are Tidio's main competitors?
Tidio's main competitors are Crisp, Gorgias, Zoho SalesIQ, Intercom, and Tawk for live chat. For the AI agent alone, SiteGPT and Chatbase compete with Lyro.
Why do teams switch from Tidio?
Teams switch from Tidio because plans are metered by billable conversations and the Lyro AI agent is a separate bill. Branding removal is an add-on, and departments start on the $300 Plus plan.
Pricing
Is there a free Tidio alternative?
Yes. Tawk is free, and Crisp and Zoho SalesIQ both have free plans. Crisp Free covers 2 seats, and Zoho SalesIQ Free covers 3 operators.
What is the cheapest Tidio alternative with AI?
Tawk with AI Assist is the cheapest at $29 a month. Chatbase Hobby is $32 a month billed yearly, and SiteGPT Starter is $39 a month billed yearly.
How much does Tidio cost with Lyro?
Tidio Starter plus Lyro costs $56.67 a month billed annually, or $68 a month billed monthly. That covers 100 billable conversations and 50 Lyro conversations a month.
Comparisons
Tidio vs Zoho SalesIQ: which is better?
Tidio is easier for a small store that wants live chat and Flows. Zoho SalesIQ is stronger for sales teams that want visitor tracking and lead scoring, and it has a free plan for 3 operators.
Tidio vs Crisp: which is better?
Crisp is better for teams that want no conversation limit and a flat price. Tidio is better for teams that want Shopify actions and Flows. Crisp Essentials costs $95 a month with 10 seats.
Tidio vs SiteGPT: what is the difference?
Tidio is a live chat helpdesk with an AI add-on. SiteGPT is an AI chatbot trained on your content, with human handoff and no shared email inbox. The full comparison is in SiteGPT vs Tidio.
Ecommerce and AI
What is the best Tidio alternative for an ecommerce store?
Gorgias is the best Tidio alternative for an ecommerce store. It is built for Shopify brands and prices by ticket volume. A store that only needs AI answers from its catalog and policies can add SiteGPT or Chatbase instead.
What are the best alternatives to Tidio for AI customer support?
For AI customer support, SiteGPT and Chatbase are the main alternatives to Lyro. Both train on your own content. SiteGPT bills a flat message quota, and Chatbase bills message credits with a helpdesk from Standard.
Compliance
Is Tidio HIPAA compliant?
Tidio's terms state that Tidio is not a HIPAA Business Associate. SiteGPT signs a BAA on its Enterprise plan only, and integrations are off in a covered workspace. More vendors are compared in the HIPAA compliant AI chatbot guide.
Which Tidio alternative fits GDPR buyers?
Crisp states that it is made in Europe. SiteGPT offers a signed DPA on the Enterprise plan. EU buyers can compare vendors in the GDPR compliant chatbot platforms guide.
Sources
All pages below were opened on 23 October 2026.
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