Starko

6 Best Tidio Alternatives in 2026, Compared on AI Cost

Last updated November 2026 · By Stefan Vukmanovic, Founder, Starko

Tidio works for light chat, but every plan is capped in conversations and its Lyro AI is billed as a separate bundle, so cost rises on two lines as you grow. This guide compares 6 Tidio alternatives on plan price, conversation limits, how the AI is billed and channels, with prices checked in November 2026. Starko, the product we build, is included with its gaps stated plainly.

Start for freeSee pricing
Tidio alternatives compared on price, free tier, AI pricing, channels and best fit
ToolStarting priceFree tierAI pricingNative WhatsApp and InstagramBest for
StarkoFree plan, then paid plansYes, permanent free planUsage included in each planYes, both nativeSoftware teams that want fixes, not just chat
TidioFrom about $24/moYes (50 conversations)Lyro from $32.50/mo for 50YesSmall e-commerce live chat
Crisp$45/workspace (not per seat)Yes (2 seats)AI credits included by planEssentials and PlusSmall teams wanting flat pricing
Gorgias$10/mo (50 tickets)No$0.90 to $1.00 per automated interactionYesShopify and e-commerce stores
Help Scout$25/userYes (5 users, 1 inbox)$0.75 per resolutionWhatsApp listedEmail-first teams that value simplicity
Freshdesk$19/agent, billed annuallyNo (14-day trial)$49 per 100 sessionsVia Freshdesk OmniGrowing teams that want more routing
Intercom$29/seat list ($19 new-customer offer)No (trial)Fin $0.99 per outcomeYesTeams that want the strongest AI agent

Pricing and features are from public sources as of November 2026 and may change, check each vendor's site for current terms. Starko is the product behind this comparison; competitor facts are presented as accurately and fairly as possible.

Why look for a Tidio alternative in 2026?

Tidio is quick to install and fine for light chat. The frustrations start with growth. Every plan is sized in billable conversations: the free plan covers 50, Starter (shown at about $24 a month) covers 100, Growth starts at about $49 and Plus at $300 plus usage. Lyro, the AI agent, is priced separately from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, with larger bundles up to 1,000 and beyond, and the first 50 Lyro conversations are free once.

So a growing store pays twice as volume rises: for the conversations in the chat plan and for the AI bundle. Ticketing is also light compared with a real help desk.

  • Every plan is capped in billable conversations
  • Lyro AI is a separate bundle, from $32.50 for 50
  • Light ticketing for teams that outgrow chat

Tidio Starter about $24.17 a month, Growth from about $49.17, Plus from $300; Lyro from $32.50 a month, as of November 2026. (tidio.com/pricing)

Starko is built for software teams, where a chat often reports a bug worth fixing.

Starko: chat and AI answers that lead to fixes

Starko suits software teams that started with Tidio for chat and now want answers and fixes. It has the website widget, the inbox, AI answers from your knowledge hub, ticketing with SLAs and a help center. Channels are the widget, email, WhatsApp Business (including calls), Instagram and Slack.

The widget can also record the session around an error or a reported problem. Those recordings, page errors and conversations become tickets with the evidence attached. Starko AI, Starko's own coding agent, works the ticket in a cloud sandbox and opens a pull request your team reviews and merges, and the customer hears it is fixed. Starko has a free plan, no credit card required, and paid plans when you need more. The honest trade-off: Starko is not built for e-commerce order actions, and it has fewer integrations than Tidio's store-focused setup.

Where it is strong

  • + Reported bugs become pull requests your team merges
  • + Session recording around problems
  • + Permanent free plan, not a trial

Where it falls short

  • − No Shopify order actions
  • − Fewer integrations
  • − No SMS, Messenger or Telegram

Starko has a free plan, and paid plans with more AI usage and more Starko AI runs each month, as of November 2026. (starko.one/pricing)

None of the other tools here turns a support conversation into a code fix.

Is Crisp a good Tidio alternative?

Crisp is the closest like-for-like. It prices per workspace, not per conversation or seat: Mini $45 a month with 4 seats, Essentials $95 with 10 and Plus $295 with 20 or more, plus a free plan for 2 seats. Each paid plan includes AI credits worth $5, $25 or $75, which Crisp sizes at around 90, 450 or 1,350 automated conversations. WhatsApp Business, Instagram and other messaging apps are on Essentials and Plus. For teams whose main complaint is paying separately for AI, Crisp solves it well.

Crisp Mini $45, Essentials $95, Plus $295 per workspace per month with included AI credits, as of November 2026. (crisp.chat/en/pricing)

Starko adds ticketing, SLAs and the path from conversation to merged fix.

Gorgias: when the store outgrows Tidio

If you run a Shopify store and need a real help desk, Gorgias is the usual next step. It prices by ticket: Starter $10 for 50 tickets, Basic $50 billed yearly for 300, Pro $300 for 2,000. Its AI Agent costs $0.90 per automated interaction on yearly plans and $1.00 monthly, and order actions such as refunds sit inside each ticket.

Gorgias Starter $10, Basic $50, Pro $300 per month billed yearly; AI Agent $0.90 to $1.00 per automated interaction, as of November 2026. (gorgias.com/pricing)

Starko fits software products better than stores.

What about Help Scout, Freshdesk or Intercom?

Help Scout is a calm, email-first help desk at $25 per user with AI at $0.75 per resolution and a free plan for 5 users. Freshdesk is broader, at $19 per agent billed yearly, with Freddy AI at $49 per 100 sessions. Intercom is the AI-first option at $29 per seat list plus Fin at $0.99 per outcome, more capable and more expensive than Tidio. Each fits a specific team, but all three add per-seat pricing that Tidio did not have.

Help Scout $25 per user; Freshdesk Growth $19 per agent billed yearly; Intercom $29 per seat list plus Fin $0.99 per outcome, as of November 2026. (vendor pricing pages)

Starko adds a step these tools do not: a pull request for the bug the customer reported.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Tidio alternative with AI included?
Crisp includes AI credits in its workspace price, and Starko includes AI usage in each plan, the free plan included. With Tidio, Lyro is a separate bundle starting at $32.50 a month for 50 conversations.
Why does Tidio get expensive as you grow?
Tidio sizes every plan in billable conversations and sells Lyro AI as a separate conversation bundle, so cost rises on two lines as volume grows. Growth starts at about $49 a month and Plus at $300 plus usage.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Tidio?
Yes. Crisp's flat workspace price is a predictable option for small teams. Starko has a permanent free plan, no credit card required, and paid plans when you need more; for software teams it also turns chats that report bugs into fixes.
Does Starko support WhatsApp like Tidio?
Yes. Starko connects WhatsApp Business (including calls), Instagram, email, Slack and its website widget in one inbox. It does not support SMS, Messenger or Telegram.

Try Starko free

Start on the free plan, no credit card required. Paid plans add more AI usage and more Starko AI runs each month when you need them.

Start for freeRequest a demo