Tidio Alternatives for Sales and Online Stores (2026)
Tidio meters conversations, AI conversations and automations separately. Here is how its pricing works, why teams switch, and the alternatives built for sales and for Shopify stores.
Tidio is a good way to start: a free plan, a fast Shopify install and live chat that small teams can run themselves. Teams start looking for an alternative when the bill grows or when they want chat to sell, not only to answer support questions.
This guide explains how Tidio charges, why people switch, and which alternatives fit sales and online stores. Prices come from each vendor's pricing page as of 23 October 2026; check them before you buy.
How Tidio charges
Tidio meters three things separately:
| Meter | What counts | Price (monthly billing) |
|---|---|---|
| Billable conversations | Conversations where a human agent sends a message | Free 50; Starter $29 for 100; Growth from $59 for 250; Plus from $300 plus usage |
| Lyro AI conversations | Any conversation with at least one Lyro reply | 50 free once per account; then $39 a month for 50, $350 for 500, $700 for 1,000 |
| Flows | Visitors reached by rule-based automations | 100 free; then $29 a month for 2,000 visitors |
Annual billing gives two months free. Self-serve plans include up to 10 agent seats.
Why teams look for a Tidio alternative
- Three meters to watch. A busy month can raise conversations, Lyro conversations and Flows at the same time, so the bill is hard to predict.
- AI conversations add up. Lyro counts every conversation it replies in, whether or not the visitor buys.
- Billing complaints. On Trustpilot, Tidio rates 3.5 out of 5 from 225 reviews; recurring themes include unexpected charges, cancellation and refunds, and slow email-only support.
- Built for support first. Tidio is strong at answering questions; teams that want chat to qualify buyers or recommend products often want a sales-first tool.
The alternatives
| Tool | Built for | How it charges | Starting price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisp | Small teams, chat and support | Flat price per workspace, seats and AI credits included | Free (2 seats); Mini $45 a month (4 seats) |
| LiveChat | Chat for sales and support teams | Per user, plus AI resolutions | From $19 per user a month, billed annually |
| HubSpot | Teams whose CRM is HubSpot | Per seat, plus $0.50 per AI resolution on Pro and up | Free live chat with HubSpot branding |
| Intercom (Fin) | Support first | Per seat, plus $0.99 per Fin outcome | Seats from $29 list ($19 with a new-customer offer) |
| Gorgias | Shopify support helpdesk | Ticket tiers, plus about $0.90–$1.00 per automated interaction | Starter $10 a month (50 tickets) |
| Zipchat | Online-store AI sales and support | Tiers by AI replies | From $64 a month billed annually (750 replies) |
| Sonic Prospect | AI sales agent on website, WhatsApp and Instagram | Per qualified prospect | First 5 free, then $5.99 each through #1,000, then $9.99 |
| Sonic Prospect for Shopify | AI sales rep on Shopify product pages (early access) | Share of orders after a helpful chat | 3.5% of orders within 72 hours, capped at $25 per order; first $500 of sales free |
Crisp The closest like-for-like swap for a small team. One flat price per workspace covers seats and AI credits, so the bill does not move with every conversation. A free plan covers two seats.
LiveChat A mature chat tool for sales and support teams, priced per user. Predictable if your team size is stable; AI resolutions are bought on top.
HubSpot If your contacts and deals already live in HubSpot, its free live chat keeps everything in one place. The AI agent is billed per resolution on paid seats.
Intercom (Fin) A full customer messaging platform. Fin is designed to resolve support questions and is billed per outcome on top of seats. A good fit if support automation is your main goal.
Gorgias A helpdesk built for Shopify stores: order lookups, returns and macros. Choose it when most chats are "where is my order?" rather than pre-purchase questions.
Zipchat A sales-focused AI chat for online stores that also covers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Plans are sized by AI replies.
Sonic Prospect An AI sales agent for your website, WhatsApp and Instagram. It works out what each visitor needs, answers the questions that block a purchase and moves qualified people to a next step. You pay only when a visitor qualifies as a real prospect; standard conversations, up to 20 answers per visitor a day, are not billed. Signup is self-serve with a card.
Sonic Prospect for Shopify An AI sales rep on your product, collection and cart pages. It recommends products, answers pre-purchase questions from your store's published content and adds the chosen variant to the cart. There is no subscription: you pay 3.5% of orders placed within 72 hours after a helpful chat, capped at $25 per order, with no commission on your first $500 of sales. It is in early access: join the waitlist.
How to choose
- Support or sales? If most chats are order status and returns, pick support automation (Gorgias, Intercom, Crisp). If visitors hesitate before buying, pick a sales agent.
- Model one normal month and one busy month. For example, 600 AI-answered conversations would cost $700 a month on Tidio's 1,000-conversation Lyro tier. On Sonic Prospect, if those conversations produced 30 qualified prospects after your first 5 free ones, you would pay 30 × $5.99 = $179.70, and nothing for the conversations themselves.
- Count your channels. If buyers message you on WhatsApp or Instagram, check that the tool covers them; our WhatsApp and Instagram sales agent guide explains the rules.
- Test on your own questions. Ask five real questions from your inbox and compare the answers.
For a wider view of pricing models, see our AI sales agent pricing guide. Online stores can also compare AI sales chatbots for Shopify.
Sources
Vendor pages opened on 23 October 2026; check each vendor before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Tidio alternative?
For a like-for-like swap with a predictable bill, Crisp (flat price per workspace) or LiveChat (per user). For Shopify support, Gorgias. For sales, a sales-first agent such as Zipchat for online stores or Sonic Prospect, which charges only per qualified prospect across website, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Is there a free Tidio alternative?
Yes. Crisp has a free plan with two seats, and HubSpot offers free live chat with HubSpot branding. On Sonic Prospect, standard conversations are free up to 20 answers per visitor a day and the first 5 qualified prospects are free.
Why does Tidio get expensive?
Tidio bills three meters separately: conversations handled by human agents, Lyro AI conversations and Flows visitors. Lyro is $39 a month for 50 conversations and $700 for 1,000, and it counts every conversation it replies in, so growth in traffic raises the bill even when sales do not.
Compare it on your data
A short demo shows the difference. If you would rather skip the call, start with a free RCA.