# Tidio Alternatives: Nine Rivals and When Each Beats Tidio

> Tidio alternatives compared by pricing unit: Zendesk, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Zoho Desk, Help Scout, Text, Intercom, Crisp, tawk.to, with break-even agents.

_Source: https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/tidio-alternatives — The Professional's Toolkit · updated November 2026_

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The best Tidio alternative depends on two numbers: how many people answer your chats and how many conversations they answer. Tidio prices each project by billable conversations, the ones a human agent answers, with 10 seats included on Free, Starter and Growth. Most catalog rivals charge per agent instead. By our arithmetic, Tidio Growth 250 at $59 a month billed monthly beats the monthly-billed per-agent plans of all five catalog desks once three people share the inbox.

**Heavy volume moves that line.** At about 1,000 human conversations a month, teams below six agents pay less on Freshdesk Omni or Help Scout, below eight on Text, and one or two agents on Zendesk. Pick a per-agent desk for those teams, native voice or regulated health data. Pick Gorgias for a Shopify store. Stay with Tidio for a growing team on modest volume.


**$59 a month** — Tidio Growth 250, billed monthly per project with 10 seats, for 250 human-answered conversations a month.



- **10 seats** — Included per project on Tidio Free, Starter and Growth
- **3 agents** — Where Tidio Growth 1,000 costs less than Zendesk Suite Team, either billing term
- **6 agents** — Where Tidio Growth 1,000 costs less than Help Scout Standard or Freshdesk Omni Growth


## The bar every rival has to clear

Tidio's Starter plan costs $29 a month billed monthly, or $24.17 a month billed annually, for 100 billable conversations a month. Growth starts at $59 a month billed monthly, or $49.17 a month billed annually, for 250 conversations, and its 2,000-conversation tier is $349 a month billed monthly [1]. A conversation counts once, and only when a human replies or starts it. Conversations that Lyro or Flows handle alone are not billable. More than 10 seats means Plus, which Tidio lists from $300 a month plus monthly usage, sold through sales.

The catch is that Tidio runs **three separate meters**. Lyro, the AI agent, starts at $39 a month billed monthly, or $32.50 a month billed annually, for 50 Lyro conversations a month, and it bills per conversation it joins, not per resolution. Flows reaches 100 visitors a month free before its own quota applies, and the 50 free Lyro conversations come once per project. Monthly self-serve packages also upgrade automatically at 95% of a quota unless you switch that off; our [Tidio pricing guide](/articles/tidio-pricing) covers the rules.


> 💡 **Count human-answered conversations first:** Tidio bills only conversations a human agent replies to or starts; those Lyro or Flows handle alone do not count toward the plan's quota.


## Per-agent help desks: Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, Zoho Desk

### Zendesk

Zendesk charges per agent per month, and every agent, admin and suspended agent is a paid seat. Live chat, messaging, voice and WhatsApp start on Suite Team at $55 per agent a month billed annually or $69 billed monthly [2]. Its AI agents include 5 automated resolutions per agent a month on Suite Team, then $1.50 each committed or $2.00 pay-as-you-go. There is a 14-day trial without a card and no free plan. **Native voice is the clear win.** Tidio has no phone channel.

By our arithmetic, at 1,000 human conversations Tidio Growth 1,000 ($179 a month billed monthly, $149.17 billed annually) costs less than Zendesk Suite Team from three agents on either billing term. With one or two agents, Zendesk costs less. At 250 conversations, Tidio Growth 250 wins even for one agent. For ten agents, Suite Team runs $550 a month billed annually against $149.17 for Tidio Growth 1,000. See our [Tidio vs Zendesk comparison](/articles/tidio-vs-zendesk) and the [Zendesk review](/articles/zendesk-review).

### Freshdesk

Plain Freshdesk has no live chat, so the fair comparison is Freshdesk Omni. Freshdesk Omni Growth costs $29 per agent a month billed annually or $35 billed monthly. Freddy AI Agent gives new customers 500 sessions once per account, then charges $49 per pack of 100 sessions; unused purchased sessions do not carry over. There is a 14-day trial and no self-serve free plan. Tidio Growth 250 costs less than Omni Growth from two agents, and Tidio Growth 1,000 from six, on both billing terms. Below six agents at 1,000 human conversations, Freshdesk wins. More in our [Freshdesk review](/articles/freshdesk-review).

### Help Scout

Help Scout charges per user per month: Standard $25 billed annually or $30 billed monthly, for up to 25 users. Scout, its AI agent, costs $0.75 per resolution through the Envoy add-on from Standard, answers in Beacon and email only and takes no actions. Native SMS through your own Twilio account comes on Plus and Pro, and Help Scout offers a BAA on Plus with an add-on or on Pro. Tidio is not a HIPAA business associate. **That alone decides it for health practices.**

On price, Tidio Growth 250 costs less than Help Scout Standard from two users, and Tidio Growth 1,000 from six. Ten users on Standard run $250 a month billed annually against $149.17 for Tidio Growth 1,000. A Help Scout team of one to five users on high volume keeps the lower bill, and new accounts get 3 free months of Scout before its per-resolution charge starts. See the [Help Scout review](/articles/help-scout-review).

### Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk breaks the pattern. Per agent per month, Standard costs $20 billed monthly or $14 billed annually, and Enterprise $50 or $40. Business Messaging live chat starts on Standard, but SalesIQ website live chat inside Desk needs Enterprise. Zia generative AI comes at no charge. By our arithmetic, Zoho Desk Standard billed annually stays below Tidio in both team scenarios: $42 against $49.17 for three agents on 250 conversations, and $140 against $149.17 for ten agents on 1,000. Billed monthly, Tidio wins from three agents at 250 and from nine at 1,000. **Check which chat you need first.** Read the [Zoho Desk review](/articles/zoho-desk-review).

## Gorgias and Text: per-account tickets and per-account AI

### Gorgias

Gorgias also prices per account, by billable tickets rather than seats. Basic costs $60 a month billed monthly or $50 billed annually for 300 tickets, and Pro $360 or $300 for 2,000. Its AI Agent is an add-on billed per automated interaction: included interactions cost $1.00 each billed monthly or $0.90 billed annually, $1.50 each past the included amount, and each interaction also counts as a ticket. That AI Agent works on Shopify stores only. Voice and SMS are Gorgias add-ons; Voice is listed at $25 a month billed annually for the entry level. The trial is 7 days, without a card.

The definitions decide the math. Around 300 conversations, Gorgias Basic at $60 a month billed monthly undercuts Tidio Growth 400 at $89 a month billed monthly, but if no more than 250 need a human, Tidio Growth 250 comes in a dollar lower. At 2,000 they are near-equal: $360 a month for Gorgias Pro against $349 a month for Tidio, both billed monthly. **Above 2,000, Tidio needs a Plus quote.** See our [Gorgias review](/articles/gorgias-review).

### LiveChat, now sold as Text plans

LiveChat is now sold to new customers as Text plans, priced per user per month: Essential $19 billed annually or $25 billed monthly, Growth $79 or $99. AI resolutions are counted per account, 10 a month on Essential and 200 on Growth, with extra packs at $49.50 per 50. Tidio Growth 250 costs less than Text Essential from three users, and Tidio Growth 1,000 from eight. With ten users on Essential the bill is $190 a month billed annually against $149.17 for Tidio Growth 1,000. Text Essential costs less for one or two users at 250 conversations, and for up to seven at 1,000. Our [LiveChat review](/articles/livechat-review) has the detail.


> 💡 **Compare AI meters by unit:** Lyro bills each conversation it joins, Zendesk, Help Scout and Text charge per resolution, Freshdesk per session and Gorgias per interaction that also counts as a ticket.


## Outside our catalog: Intercom, Crisp and tawk.to

### Intercom

Intercom prices its help desk per seat on Essential, Advanced and Expert, then adds usage: Fin AI Agent costs $0.99 per outcome [3]. Nothing is charged when Fin cannot answer or the customer asks for a human, and a conversation produces at most one outcome. By our arithmetic, Tidio's self-serve Lyro tiers work out to $0.70 to $0.78 per Lyro conversation billed monthly, against $0.99 per resolved outcome for Fin. Fin also works on top of other help desks. Expert adds SSO and SLAs.

### Crisp

Crisp charges a flat price per workspace per month with no conversation limit [4]. Mini is $45 a month with 4 seats, Essentials $95 a month with 10 seats, and Plus $295 a month with 20 or more. AI credits are included, ticketing arrives only on Plus, and the trial is 14 days without a card. **For high volume, the flat price wins.** Ten agents on Crisp Essentials pay $95 a month whatever the volume, while Tidio Growth 1,000 costs $179 a month billed monthly.

### tawk.to

tawk.to gives its core live chat away free, with chat pages, a knowledge base and ticketing, and says it does not charge per seat. Removing its branding costs $29 a month, and hired human chat agents cost $1 an hour. AI Assist, an AI chatbot that answers from your tawk.to knowledge base and shortcut FAQs, has an entry price of $29 a month. It suits budget sites that mostly want human chat, with AI as an optional add-on.


> ⚠ **Automatic upgrades are on by default:** On Tidio's monthly self-serve packages for new projects, a quota at 95% moves up a level unless you switch the option off; annual plans are excluded.


## How to choose


**What users rate it, by platform**

| Platform | Rating | Reviews | As of |
|---|---|---|---|


_Rendered from our current record; these are other platforms' user scores, separate from our own Toolkit Score._


Trustpilot complaints about Tidio cluster around billing and support, so read the meters above before you sign. Each catalog rival's own ratings sit in its review, linked above, and read best the same way: as a map of where buyers got hurt. Before you switch in either direction, run these four checks against your own numbers:

- Count agents and human-answered conversations separately, then read the break-even for that pair.
- Price AI per unit: Lyro conversation, resolution, session, interaction or outcome.
- Confirm the plan that includes website live chat, not just the cheapest plan.
- Need voice, SMS or a BAA? Tidio is out.


## FAQ

**Which Tidio alternatives have a free plan?**

Zoho Desk (3 users, email ticketing), Help Scout (up to 5 users, no live chat), Crisp (2 seats) and tawk.to's core live chat are free. Zendesk, Gorgias and Text have no free plan, and Freshdesk has no self-serve free plan.

**Can I keep Lyro on top of another help desk?**

Yes, on Tidio Plus and Premium through Lyro Connect, which creates a ticket in your existing help desk when Lyro cannot answer. Tidio names Zendesk, Intercom and Salesforce; both plans are sold through sales.

**Will Tidio refund unused time if I switch mid-term?**

Tidio's Terms owe no refunds, and a discretionary refund is capped at three months. You can cancel any time and keep paid features to the end of the period, after which the project moves to the Free plan.

**Can Tidio import history from another help desk?**

Ticket import and migration services for Zendesk, Gorgias, Intercom and LiveChat data come with Tidio Plus.


## The bottom line

Tidio stays the cheaper choice for teams of three or more at about 250 human conversations a month, because 10 seats ride on one per-project price. At about 1,000 a month, teams below six agents should price Freshdesk Omni or Help Scout per seat, below eight Text, and one or two agents Zendesk. Zoho Desk billed annually undercuts Tidio in both team scenarios if its chat gate fits. Gorgias suits Shopify stores, Crisp suits high-volume teams that want a flat bill, and tawk.to suits tight budgets. Pilot the AI before trusting any total.



## Sources

[1] [Toggle state: initial, read from the US on 2026-11-04] This website uses cookies. We use — https://www.tidio.com/pricing/ (2026-11)
[2] Zendesk Pricing Plans — https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ (2026-11)
[3] [Toggle state: initial, read from the US on 2026-11-04] Product Customers Resources — https://www.intercom.com/pricing (2026-11)
[4] [Toggle state: initial, read from the US on 2026-11-04] NEW Discover the State of AI — https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ (2026-11)
[5] Tidio help center — https://help.tidio.com/hc/en-us
[6] Tidio Terms of Service — https://www.tidio.com/terms/
[7] Tidio developer documentation — https://developers.tidio.com/