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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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5 Best Tidio Alternatives (2027): Live Chat Prices Compared
The best Tidio alternative for most small teams is Crisp: it's free for 2 seats, and Mini costs a flat $45 a month for 4 seats without a cap on billable conversations, while Tidio prices by conversation volume. Choose Intercom for AI-first, in-app chat ($19 per seat on annual billing plus $0.99 per AI outcome), Help Scout if you mix email and chat (free for 5 users), Gorgias for Shopify stores ($10 for 50 tickets) and Zendesk for large omnichannel teams. Tidio itself is free for 50 conversations a month and costs $24.17 a month on Starter.
- Best overall: Crisp (free for 2 seats; Mini $45/month for 4 seats)
- Best AI-first chat: Intercom (Essential $19/seat + $0.99 per outcome)
- Best for email plus chat: Help Scout (free for 5 users)
- Best for Shopify stores: Gorgias (Starter $10/month for 50 tickets)
- Best omnichannel suite: Zendesk (Suite Team $55/agent, annual)
Why people look for a Tidio alternative
Tidio's paid plans are priced by billable conversations: 100 on Starter and from 250 on Growth. A store with growing chat volume can move up tiers quickly. Others want a fuller help desk with email ticketing, or AI with a different pricing model.
Tidio alternatives compared
| Tool | Free plan | Entry paid price | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio (reference) | 10 seats, 50 conversations | Starter $24.17/month | Conversation volume | Small stores |
| Crisp | 2 seats, 100 profiles | Mini $45/month for 4 seats | Per workspace | Small teams, flat pricing |
| Intercom | No | Essential $19/seat (annual) + $0.99/outcome | Per seat + outcome | SaaS, in-app |
| Help Scout | 5 users, 1 inbox | Standard $25/user | Per user | Email plus chat |
| Gorgias | No | $10/month for 50 tickets | Per ticket | Shopify stores |
| Zendesk | No | Suite Team $55/agent (annual) | Per agent | Large omnichannel teams |
AI pricing compared
| Tool | AI pricing |
|---|---|
| Tidio | Lyro AI from $32.50/month (50 to 1,000 conversations) |
| Intercom | Fin: $0.99 per outcome |
| Help Scout | $0.75 per AI resolution |
At 500 AI-resolved conversations a month, Help Scout's AI costs $375 and Intercom's $495. Tidio's Lyro is sold in monthly bundles; compare its tier for your volume.
1. Crisp: best overall Tidio alternative
Crisp prices per workspace: free for 2 seats, Mini $45 a month for 4 seats, Essentials $95 for 10 and Plus $295 for 20+. It includes a shared inbox, customer profiles and a help center.
Choose it if several people answer chats and you want a predictable bill. See Crisp pricing.
2. Intercom: best AI-first chat
Intercom's Messenger works on your site and inside your app, and its Fin AI agent resolves conversations for $0.99 each. Essential costs $19 per seat on annual billing ($29 monthly), Advanced $85 and Expert $132.
Choose it if you're a SaaS company with in-app support. See Crisp vs Intercom.
3. Help Scout: best for email plus chat
Help Scout is free for up to 5 users with 1 inbox and 1 docs site; paid plans cost $25, $45 and $75 per user, and AI costs $0.75 per resolution. Its Beacon widget combines help articles with chat.
Choose it if email is your main channel and chat is secondary. See Help Scout pricing.
4. Gorgias: best for Shopify stores
Gorgias prices by tickets ($10 for 50, $50 for 300 and $300 for 2,000 on annual billing for the two larger tiers) and shows orders inside each conversation, with refund and edit actions.
Choose it if you run a store and need order data inside support. See Gorgias pricing.
5. Zendesk: best omnichannel suite
Zendesk Suite Team costs $55 per agent on annual billing and bundles chat, messaging, email and a help center; Suite Professional costs $115.
Choose it if you're building a large support team across many channels.
Start Crisp free → Free for 2 seats · Affiliate link
What each costs a small team
| Situation | Tidio | Crisp | Help Scout | Intercom (before AI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people, 40 chats a month | Free | Free | Free | $38 |
| 4 people, 90 chats a month | Starter $24.17 | Mini $45 | Free | $76 |
| 4 people, 300 chats a month | Growth from $49.17 | Mini $45 | Free (1 inbox) | $76 |
| 10 people, 1,000 chats a month | Growth or Plus | Essentials $95 | Standard $250 | $190 |
Three real-world scenarios
A small store with rising chat volume
Crisp Mini's flat $45 a month covers 4 seats regardless of conversation count.
A SaaS app with in-app questions
Intercom with Fin answers common questions inside the product; budget $0.99 per resolved conversation.
A store that needs order lookups
Gorgias shows orders inside each ticket and lets agents refund or edit them.
How to choose a Tidio alternative
- Count monthly conversations and the people who answer them.
- Decide whether you need email ticketing or chat only.
- Price the AI you expect to use.
- Trial two tools on your real site.
- Compare response times and cost per conversation.
Mistakes to avoid when switching
- Removing Tidio's widget before the new one is live.
- Forgetting saved replies and chatbot flows; rebuild them first.
- Ignoring AI usage costs when comparing seat prices.
Terms explained
- Billable conversation: a chat handled by your team (Tidio's pricing unit).
- Workspace pricing: a flat fee for a group of seats (Crisp).
- AI outcome or resolution: a conversation resolved by AI.
- Ticket: a tracked customer request.
Questions to ask before you buy a Tidio alternative
- How many chats do you handle each month?
- How many people answer them?
- Do you need email ticketing or order data in the same inbox?
- How much AI resolution do you expect?
Who each alternative suits
A small store with two or three people answering chats can stay on Tidio or Crisp's free plan. A team whose chat volume keeps pushing it into higher Tidio tiers will save with Crisp's flat workspace price. A SaaS product that needs in-app messages and AI should look at Intercom, and a Shopify brand that wants order actions inside every conversation should look at Gorgias.
Our verdict
Crisp is the best Tidio alternative for small teams that want flat, predictable pricing. Intercom suits SaaS companies with in-app support and AI ambitions, Help Scout suits teams that mostly answer email, Gorgias suits Shopify stores and Zendesk suits large support teams. If your chat volume is low, Tidio's free plan is still hard to beat.
How we compiled this page
Tidio prices come from its official pricing page on October 30, 2026; competitor prices from their official pages on October 29, 2026. See also Tidio pricing and best live chat software.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Tidio?
Crisp for flat pricing, Intercom for AI-first chat, Help Scout for email plus chat and Gorgias for stores.
Is there a free Tidio alternative?
Crisp (2 seats) and Help Scout (5 users) have free plans.
Is Crisp cheaper than Tidio?
At higher chat volumes, often yes, because Crisp charges per workspace rather than per conversation.
Which alternative has the cheapest AI?
Help Scout, at $0.75 per resolution.
Does Gorgias replace Tidio for Shopify?
Yes, if you want chat plus order actions inside a help desk.
Can I move my chat history from Tidio?
Export conversations where Tidio allows it and keep them for reference; most tools don't import chat history automatically.
Which alternative works best with Shopify?
Gorgias, for order actions inside tickets; Tidio itself and Crisp also integrate with Shopify.
Which alternative is best for a SaaS product?
Intercom, for in-app chat and AI.
Does Crisp include AI?
Crisp offers chatbot and automation features on paid plans; check its current AI options.
Is Help Scout good for live chat?
Yes, through its Beacon widget, though it's strongest for email.
Does Crisp have a free plan?
Yes, for 2 seats and 100 customer profiles.
Sources
tidio.com/pricing, checked October 30, 2026; crisp.chat/en/pricing, intercom.com/pricing, helpscout.com/pricing, gorgias.com/pricing and zendesk.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026.