---
title: "Tidio alternatives, compared on how the AI is billed"
description: "Six Tidio alternatives compared on how the AI is billed: Crisp, Intercom Fin, Chatbase, Gorgias, Zendesk and Aivastark, with sourced prices and plans."
canonical: "https://www.aivastark.com/compare/tidio-alternatives"
source: "https://www.aivastark.com/compare/tidio-alternatives.md"
updated: "2026-11-09"
---

# Tidio alternatives, compared on how the AI is billed

> Six Tidio alternatives compared on how the AI is billed: Crisp, Intercom Fin, Chatbase, Gorgias, Zendesk and Aivastark, with sourced prices and plans.

Tidio is live chat with an AI agent, Lyro, in front, billed per conversation with Lyro conversations on top. If you're looking elsewhere, the deciding questions are usually how the AI is billed and whether people or the AI work the front line. Here are six, with figures from each vendor's own pricing page.

## What is the best Tidio alternative?

It depends on who works the front line and how you want to pay. For a low-cost shared inbox for a human team, Crisp from $45 a month per workspace. For teams already in Intercom, Intercom Fin at $0.99 per outcome. For an AI chatbot trained on your content and billed per reply, Chatbase from $40 a month. For a Shopify store whose team works a ticket queue, Gorgias, with a helpdesk from $10 a month. For a full helpdesk, Zendesk from $19 per agent. For an AI on the front line at a flat price, Aivastark includes 5,000 AI replies in its $39 Starter plan.

## Tidio and 6 alternatives in one table

| Product | Best for | How the AI is billed | What the AI costs | Paid plans from | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio (the one you're leaving) | WhatsApp marketing with a team inbox | Per conversation, with Lyro AI conversations on top | $0.58–$0.78 per Lyro conversation | $29/month | Yes, 50 conversations a month |
| [Crisp](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-crisp) | A low-cost shared inbox for a human team | Flat price per workspace; Hugo AI on monthly credits | $5–$75 of AI credits a month, by plan | $45/month per workspace | Yes, 2 seats, no AI |
| [Intercom Fin](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-intercom-fin) | Teams already working in Intercom or a large helpdesk | Per outcome, plus seats | $0.99 per outcome | $39 per seat a month (list), plus outcomes | No; trial runs 14 days, no card |
| [Chatbase](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-chatbase) | An AI chatbot trained on your content, with a wide choice of models | Per AI reply (message credit) | $40 for 700 replies | $40/month | Yes, 50 replies a month |
| [Gorgias](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-gorgias) | Shopify stores whose team works a ticket queue | Per AI interaction, on top of a helpdesk plan | $0.90–$1.00 per interaction | $10/month (helpdesk) | No; 7-day trial, no card |
| [Zendesk](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-zendesk) | A full helpdesk with tickets and telephony | Per agent seat, plus a fee per automated resolution | $1.50–$2.00 per resolution past the allowance | $19 per agent a month | No; a free trial |
| Aivastark (our product) | The AI on the front line, at a flat price | Flat monthly plan, AI replies included | $39 for 5,000 replies | $12/month | Yes, 300 replies a month, no card |

## Where each alternative beats Tidio, and the catch

### Crisp

**Best for:** A low-cost shared inbox for a human team

- A flat price per workspace from $45 a month, with phone calls, SMS and a status page, EU hosting and a choice of AI models.
- Watch for: Hugo AI runs on $5–$75 of AI credits a month, depending on the plan, and the free plan has no AI.

Figures checked October 2026. Full comparison: [Aivastark vs Crisp](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-crisp)

### Intercom Fin

**Best for:** Teams already working in Intercom or a large helpdesk

- Fin answers inside Intercom, Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk, and you pay only when it reaches an outcome, at $0.99 each.
- Watch for: Seats cost $39 per seat a month on the list price, on top of every outcome, and there's no free plan.

Figures checked October 2026. Full comparison: [Aivastark vs Intercom Fin](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-intercom-fin)

### Chatbase

**Best for:** An AI chatbot trained on your content, with a wide choice of models

- The widest model choice (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and more), ready-made Stripe, Shopify and Calendly actions, and a free plan with 50 replies a month.
- Watch for: It bills per AI reply: $40 a month buys 700 replies, and phone voice starts on its $150 plan.

Figures checked October 2026. Full comparison: [Aivastark vs Chatbase](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-chatbase)

### Gorgias

**Best for:** Shopify stores whose team works a ticket queue

- A helpdesk for e-commerce teams that work a ticket queue all day, where the AI can issue refunds and cancel or edit orders, with 500 seats from Basic; helpdesk from $10 a month.
- Watch for: Each AI interaction costs $0.90–$1.00 on top of the helpdesk plan, and there's no free plan.

Figures checked October 2026. Full comparison: [Aivastark vs Gorgias](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-gorgias)

### Zendesk

**Best for:** A full helpdesk with tickets and telephony

- A full helpdesk, help center and ticket queue, with telephony, voice AI, 1,800+ apps and HIPAA-enabled support with a signed BAA, from $19 per agent a month.
- Watch for: Every agent seat is billed, and automated resolutions past the allowance cost $1.50–$2.00 each.

Figures checked October 2026. Full comparison: [Aivastark vs Zendesk](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-zendesk)

### Aivastark (our product)

**Best for:** The AI on the front line, at a flat price

- Starter at $39 a month includes 5,000 AI replies on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and email, with Shopify or WooCommerce order lookups, in 80+ languages, then hands off to your team in one inbox. The free plan has 300 replies a month.
- Watch for: It has no phone line, and it's built for the AI to answer first. If you want people at the centre with the AI as backup, pick a tool above.

## When to stay with Tidio

Tidio is the stronger choice when people work the chat and the AI backs them up. Stay if you:

- You want human live chat at the centre, with AI in front
- You want messaging channels and 10 seats on a free plan
- You want cheaper branding removal

## The number that decides the bill: how the AI is counted

Tidio counts Lyro AI conversations on top of the plan. Crisp gives each plan a monthly AI credit budget, Intercom Fin and Zendesk charge per outcome or resolution, Chatbase counts each AI reply against message credits, Gorgias charges per AI interaction, and Aivastark includes a fixed number of AI replies in a flat plan with a published overage rate. Estimate your monthly conversations first, then price each model at that volume.

**On Shopify.** For a store, the useful answers are about orders, stock and sizes. Whatever you pick, check that the AI looks up orders and reads your live catalogue, not only the pages you uploaded. See [The Shopify AI chatbot](https://www.aivastark.com/integrations/shopify).

**On WhatsApp and Instagram.** If customers message you on WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger, check that the AI answers there too, in the same inbox as your website chat, and who bills the WhatsApp message fees. See [The WhatsApp AI agent](https://www.aivastark.com/integrations/whatsapp).

## How this list was made

1. These are the products people weigh Tidio against for live chat and an AI agent, and each has a full head-to-head on this site with every figure sourced.
2. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page and carry the month they were checked. They change, so check the vendor's page before you buy.
3. We make Aivastark. It's listed last, and every card says where another tool is the better choice.

## Questions

### Is there a Tidio alternative with the AI included in the price?

Aivastark includes AI replies in its plans: Starter at $39 a month comes with 5,000 AI replies. On Tidio, Lyro AI conversations cost $0.58–$0.78 each on top of the plan. Crisp includes $5–$75 of AI credits a month by plan, Intercom Fin charges $0.99 per outcome plus seats, Gorgias charges $0.90–$1.00 per AI interaction, and Zendesk charges $1.50–$2.00 per resolution past the allowance.

### Which Tidio alternative has a free plan?

Aivastark (300 AI replies a month, no card), Chatbase (50 replies a month) and Crisp (2 seats, without AI). Tidio's own free plan has 50 conversations a month. Intercom Fin, Gorgias and Zendesk offer trials, not free plans.

### What is a good Tidio alternative for a Shopify store?

If your team works a ticket queue and wants the AI to refund, cancel and edit orders, Gorgias. If you want the AI to answer first, look up orders and read live stock, then hand off to your team, Aivastark does that from its $39 Starter plan, and its Shopify app starts on a free plan for the website chatbot.

### Is there a Tidio alternative that also answers on Telegram?

Yes. Aivastark answers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and email in the same inbox as the website widget, from its $39 Starter plan, in 80+ languages.

## Related

- [Aivastark vs Tidio](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/aivastark-vs-tidio)
- [Chatbase alternatives compared](https://www.aivastark.com/compare/chatbase-alternatives)
- [Gorgias vs Tidio](https://www.aivastark.com/blog/gorgias-vs-tidio)

## Pricing

Aivastark has 6 public plans. Free is permanent and needs no card (300 credits/month). Paid plans start at $12/month (Solo). On any paid plan you can add more agents at that plan's price; each adds the plan's monthly credits. Enterprise is custom and sales-led.

Full plan table: https://www.aivastark.com/pricing.md · live page: https://www.aivastark.com/pricing

---

*Aivastark · https://www.aivastark.com · updated 2026-11-09*

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