The Tidio Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Tidio in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Tidio

The Insider’s Guide

Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Tidio’s own pages.

Made by Tidio LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

3.2GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Tidio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Tidio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

3.2

GPA, above 18 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade

Tidio is a customer service tool for small and online businesses that puts website chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp into one inbox with ticketing. Plans are priced by the number of conversations a human answers each month rather than by seat, and the Lyro AI agent and rule-based Flows are sold as add-ons or on their own.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Tidio, taken from its own pages and our grades.

Adding the chat box to a Shopify or WordPress store is what it's built around.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for live chat for small online stores
Tidio puts your website chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp into one inbox, and it's priced by conversations rather than by agent, so ten people can share a cheap plan.
2
Paid plans start at $24.17 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $24.17 per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly).
3
There is a free plan
50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, with live chat, ticketing, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, 50 one-off Lyro AI conversations and 100 Flows visitors a month.
4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
5
Live chat widget
A chat box for websites and stores, with a list of visitors on the site right now, operating hours and live video calls.
6
One inbox for every channel
Chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp conversations arrive in a single inbox, with a ticketing system for issues that need follow-up.
7
Lyro AI Agent
Answers questions from your FAQ and website content and hands off to a person. It can also be bought alone and added to Zendesk or Salesforce.
8
A 3.2 GPA, above 18 of 19
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
To replace Tidio you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Tidio at a glance

Pricing: Free plan, from $24.17 per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly)
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: 7-day free trial of all plans and add-ons, no credit card required
Runs on: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Made by: Tidio LLC, since 2013
Category: Help Desks & Live Chat
Our grade: 3.2 GPA, very good
Store rating: 4.8 on the App Store, 4,767 ratings

The report card

Best for live chat for small online stores

Tidio puts your website chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp into one inbox, and it's priced by conversations rather than by agent, so ten people can share a cheap plan. That's great for a small shop. The thing to watch is the meter: Starter covers 100 conversations a month, and the Lyro AI agent is an add-on on top.

ToolGPA report cardTidioGraded Oct 17, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	A	Growth, from 250 conversations, is $49.17 a month billed yearly for the whole team, about $9.83 a head for five, just under 60% of what the cheaper quarter of help desks charges. Starter is $24.17 for 100 conversations, under $5 a head.
Free plan and trial	C	A free plan with 10 seats, live chat, ticketing and the social channels, plus a 7-day trial with no card. The cap you'll hit is 50 answered conversations a month, and Lyro's 50 free conversations come once, not monthly.
Features	C	Live chat with a visitor list, one inbox for five channels, ticketing, the Lyro AI agent, rule-based Flows and AI reply help. But the listing has no help center or phone support, and ongoing Lyro use is an add-on from $39 a month.
Ease of use	A	4.76 from 4,767 App Store ratings, the top band for support apps. Adding the chat box to a Shopify or WordPress store is what it's built around.
Platforms and integrations	A	Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android apps for agents, with Shopify, WordPress, Zendesk, Salesforce and Zapier, and an API. That's every device type covered.

Grade point averageVery good, out of 4.03.2

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Tidio is for

Great if you run a small Shopify or WordPress store and want chat on the site
Handy when a few people share support, since seats aren't charged one by one
Good for teams that want to try an AI agent without changing help desk

Who it is not for

Pricey if you get lots of chats, as Growth climbs to $349 a month at 2,000 conversations
Not for you if you need a help center or phone support in the same tool
Tight if you have more than 10 agents, since more seats need Plus from $300 a month

Good to know

Good for

Small online stores, especially on Shopify or WordPress
Teams of up to 10 agents with modest monthly chat volume
Businesses that want to add an AI agent without changing help desk

Worth knowing

Plans are capped by conversations a human answers: 50 a month free, 100 on Starter and up to 2,000 on Growth; above that is Plus, from $300 a month plus usage.
Lyro is free for 50 conversations once; ongoing use is an add-on from $39 a month for 50 conversations, up to $700 for 1,000, on monthly billing.
Free, Starter and Growth are limited to 10 seats; more seats need Plus.
Flows reach 100 visitors a month free; more cost from $29 a month for 2,000 visitors on monthly billing.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$24.17

A month to start. There is a free plan too

Tidio has a free plan. Paid plans start at $24.17 per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly).

Free
$0
50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, with live chat, ticketing, social channels and 50 Lyro AI conversations for the life of the account.
Starter
$24.17
per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly)
100 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, adding a live visitors list, operating hours and basic analytics.
Growth
$49.17
per month from 250 conversations, billed annually ($59 monthly)
Adds advanced analytics, permissions, auto-assignment and macros. The price rises with volume, to $349 a month at 2,000 conversations on monthly billing.
Plus
$300
per month, plus usage for AI and human conversations
Custom limits and seat counts, departments, several projects, custom branding, ticketing automations, OpenAPI and a success manager. Sold through sales.
Premium
Custom
From 3,000 Lyro conversations with a guaranteed 50% resolution rate, pay-per-resolution billing, a mobile SDK, SSO and Lyro run as a managed service.

The free plan

50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, with live chat, ticketing, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, 50 one-off Lyro AI conversations and 100 Flows visitors a month.

Trying it first

7-day free trial of all plans and add-ons, no credit card required

Read from tidio.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Tidio's pricing page gives two months free on annual billing: Starter works out to $24.17 a month billed annually against $29 billed monthly.
Stated on tidio.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android

Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, help desk, live chat, AI support agent.

Live chat with a visitor list, one inbox for five channels, ticketing, the Lyro AI agent, rule-based Flows and AI reply help.

From our grade for features

Live chat widget: A chat box for websites and stores, with a list of visitors on the site right now, operating hours and live video calls.
One inbox for every channel: Chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp conversations arrive in a single inbox, with a ticketing system for issues that need follow-up.
Lyro AI Agent: Answers questions from your FAQ and website content and hands off to a person. It can also be bought alone and added to Zendesk or Salesforce.
Flows: Rule-based chat automations built in a visual editor from sales and FAQ templates, such as quote requests or capturing missed conversations.
AI reply help: An AI reply assistant and Copilot help agents write answers; Premium adds Advanced Copilot, AI insights and CSAT.
Apps on every platform: Agents can work in a browser or in apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.

Where it runs

Web
macOS
Windows
iOS
Android

What it works with

Shopify
WordPress
Zendesk
Salesforce
Zapier
WhatsApp
Instagram
Messenger

Tidio is made by Tidio LLC, and has been around since 2013.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

18/19

Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above

Tidio's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 18 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade.

It stands best on ease of use (A, above 18 of 19) and worst on features (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $24.17 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 9 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Tidio’s own letter is outlined.

AValue for money
Above 16 of 19
CFree plan and trial
Above 1 of 19
CFeatures
Above 0 of 19
AEase of use
Above 18 of 19
APlatforms and integrations
Above 16 of 19

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Tidio is the marked dot.

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Tidio you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 18 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade. It costs $290.04 a year.

What you could make

Help desk: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
It plugs into other products, Shopify, WordPress and Zendesk among them, and has an API.
AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
Hooks into the device itself: widgets.

What this rests on. Tidio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Crisp, Intercom, Text by LiveChat, tawk.to and Gorgias

The 5 tools Tidio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Tidio also covers help desk.
- Crisp also covers shared inbox and help center.
Tidio and Crisp compared in full
2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Tidio has a free plan. Intercom does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Intercom also covers shared inbox, reports and help center.
Tidio and Intercom compared in full
2.4GPA
Text by LiveChat
Free trial · from $19/mo
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team.
- Tidio has a free plan. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
Tidio and Text by LiveChat compared in full
3.0GPA
tawk.to
Free plan · from $29/mo
Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons.
- tawk.to also covers help center.
Tidio and tawk.to compared in full
2.8GPA
Gorgias
Free trial · from $10/mo
Ecommerce help desk priced by tickets, with a paid-per-use AI agent.
- Tidio has a free plan. Gorgias does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Gorgias also covers reports and help center.
Tidio and Gorgias compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Tidio free?

Tidio has a free plan. 50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, with live chat, ticketing, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, 50 one-off Lyro AI conversations and 100 Flows visitors a month.

How much does Tidio cost?

Tidio lists 5 plans. Free: $0.

What platforms does Tidio work on?

Tidio is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Does Tidio offer any discounts?

Tidio publicly lists the following: Two months free with annual billing.

How is Tidio rated?

Tidio's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4,767 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Tidio have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Tidio is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Is Tidio open source?

Tidio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Tidio have an API?

Yes. Tidio offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Tidio integrate with?

Tidio's listing names Shopify, WordPress, Zendesk, Salesforce, Zapier, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.

Does Tidio have a free trial?

Yes. 7-day free trial of all plans and add-ons, no credit card required.

Who makes Tidio?

Tidio is made by Tidio LLC. It dates from 2013.

What are the alternatives to Tidio?

The closest alternatives to Tidio in our directory are Crisp, Intercom, Text by LiveChat, tawk.to and Gorgias.

How does Tidio compare with other help desk and live chat tools?

Tidio's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 18 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade.

Is Tidio good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Tidio A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $24.17 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 9 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Tidio?

To replace Tidio you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Tidio’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Tidio's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Tidio LLC. Prices change, so check tidio.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,858

Tools graded, in 46 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Tidio: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/tidio

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The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Tidio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Tidio’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Tidio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Tidio LLC. Prices and plans change: check tidio.com before you buy.