Tidio vs Crisp: which is better for a small business in 2026?
Tidio is the better pick for a small business with low chat volume and several people who might answer: the free plan includes 10 seats for 50 conversations a month, Starter is $24.17/mo for 100 conversations, and the Lyro AI Agent is an add-on from $32.50/mo. Crisp is the better pick when conversation volume is high but the team is small: every Crisp plan, including Free (2 seats), has unlimited conversations, and you pay per workspace ($45, $95 or $295/mo) with AI metered as credits (about 90, 450 and 1,350 automated conversations respectively) and extra agents at $10/mo. Many seats, few chats: Tidio. Few seats, many chats: Crisp.
Chatonbo is the third option when the AI should do the answering and you do not want to count seats or credits: Free, Pro $19/mo for 5,000 conversations or Business $59/mo for 10,000, AI trained on your own website in about 2 minutes, with human handoff and lead capture included.
Tidio vs Crisp vs Chatonbo at a glance
Prices are as listed on each vendor's own pricing page on the dates in the note below. Where a page does not state something, we say so instead of guessing.
| Tidio | Crisp | Chatonbo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base plan metered by billable conversations (Free, Starter $24.17/mo, Growth from $49.17/mo, Plus from $300/mo plus usage) with Lyro AI Agent and Flows sold as separate add-ons* | Per workspace: Free $0, Mini $45/mo, Essentials $95/mo, Plus $295/mo, Enterprise custom; extra agents $10/mo each; AI billed as credits* | Flat monthly: Free, Pro $19/mo, Business $59/mo. No per-seat or per-resolution fees |
| Entry price | Free (50 conversations/mo); Starter $24.17/mo for 100 billable conversations; Lyro AI Agent add-on from $32.50/mo for 50 AI conversations* | Free (2 seats, unlimited conversations, no AI credits); Mini $45/mo with $5 of AI credits* | Free plan; Pro $19/mo with AI included |
| At 5,000 conversations a month | Above the Growth cap of 2,000 billable conversations, so Plus (from $300/mo plus monthly usage). Lyro AI is billed separately and a 5,000 AI-conversation price is not listed on the pricing page* | Human conversations are unlimited on every plan. AI conversations run on credits: about 90 on Mini, about 450 on Essentials, about 1,350 on Plus; a 5,000 AI-conversation price is not listed on the pricing page* | Pro $19/mo covers 5,000 conversations a month; Business $59/mo covers 10,000. A busy month costs the same as a quiet one |
| AI answers from your own content | Lyro AI Agent add-on. Every account starts with 50 Lyro conversations; you upgrade to the Lyro plan to refresh them monthly* | Custom AI knowledge training is a premium AI feature; credits included: $0 Free, $5 Mini, $25 Essentials, $75 Plus* | Yes, drafted from your website URL, documents and product catalog; AI included on every plan |
| Shopify add to cart in chat | Native Shopify actions on Growth and higher; add to cart inside the chat is not detailed on the pricing page* | Shopify integration listed; add to cart inside the chat is not listed on the pricing page* | Yes: product cards with pictures and add to cart inside the chat (official Shopify app) |
| Order tracking | Not detailed on the pricing page (Shopify actions are on Growth and higher)* | Not listed on the pricing page | Yes, shoppers get order status inside the chat (official Shopify app) |
| Languages | Multilanguage on all plans; the number of languages is not stated on the pricing page* | Multilingual AI listed as a premium AI feature; count not stated* | 50+ languages |
| Setup time | Widget install, then Lyro training and Flows setup | Widget install plus inbox and AI configuration | About 2 minutes from a website URL; official Shopify and Wix apps, WordPress/WooCommerce plugin |
| Free plan | Yes: 50 conversations/mo, 10 seats, 50 Lyro conversations one-off; 7-day free trial on paid plans, no card* | Yes: 2 seats, unlimited conversations, no AI credits; 14-day free trial of all features, no card* | Yes, plus a 30-day free trial on paid plans |
| Human handoff | Live chat and ticketing on every plan; 10 seats on self-serve plans* | Shared inbox; seats included per plan (2, 4, 10, 20+), then $10/mo per extra agent* | Yes, human handoff and lead capture with a simple inbox; not a multichannel ticketing helpdesk |
*Tidio: tidio.com/pricing as viewed on September 12, 2026, monthly billing toggle. Crisp: crisp.chat/en/pricing as viewed on September 11, 2026. Both vendors may change pricing; check their sites for current terms.
Two-way breakdowns: Chatonbo vs Tidio and Chatonbo vs Crisp.
When to pick Tidio
More people than conversations
Tidio includes 10 seats on Free, Starter and Growth. Crisp Free has 2 seats and charges $10/mo per extra agent beyond the plan allowance.
You want a visual flow builder
Tidio Flows (100 visitors reached free, add-on from $24.17/mo) lets you build hand-designed automations for FAQs and lead capture.
You run Shopify and want native actions
Tidio lists native Shopify actions on Growth and higher. Crisp lists a Shopify integration but no cart or order features on its pricing page.
You want a low, predictable base price
Starter at $24.17/mo is lower than Crisp Mini at $45/mo if 100 conversations a month is enough for you.
Thinking of leaving Tidio? Read the honest Tidio alternative page.
When to pick Crisp
Conversation volume is high
Crisp does not meter human conversations on any plan, including Free. Tidio caps billable conversations at 50, 100 and 2,000 on its self-serve tiers and moves you to Plus (from $300/mo plus usage) above that.
You want a generous free plan for a two-person team
Crisp Free is 2 seats with unlimited conversations and integrations with WordPress, Shopify and WooCommerce.
You want a full 14-day trial of everything
Crisp offers a 14-day free trial of all features without a card, versus 7 days on Tidio.
AI as a metered but predictable line item
AI credits are included per plan ($5, $25, $75) and mapped to a rough number of automated conversations, so you can see roughly what the AI will cost at each tier.
Thinking of leaving Crisp? Read the honest Crisp alternative page.
When Chatonbo is the better fit
Chatonbo is an AI assistant that answers from your own website, documents and catalog at a flat price: Free, Pro $19/month or Business $59/month, with no per-seat or per-resolution fees and a 30-day free trial on paid plans.
AI conversations are the plan, not a credit pack
Pro is $19/mo for 5,000 AI conversations and Business is $59/mo for 10,000. Crisp Plus includes around 1,350 automated conversations for $295/mo; Tidio sells Lyro from $32.50/mo for 50. Chatonbo has no credits and no add-on.
No seats to count
Chatonbo has no per-seat fee. Crisp charges $10/mo per extra agent and Tidio caps self-serve plans at 10 seats.
Live in about 2 minutes
Paste your website URL and the assistant is drafted from your pages and documents. Official Shopify and Wix apps and a WordPress/WooCommerce plugin.
You sell online
With the official Shopify app the assistant shows product cards with pictures, adds to cart in chat and tracks orders, in 50+ languages. One US massage chair store saw $107,725 in orders over seven weeks from shoppers who chatted first.
When Chatonbo is not the fit
We would rather you pick the right tool than sign up and leave. These are the cases where Tidio or Crisp is the better choice.
You need full helpdesk ticketing
Chatonbo has a simple inbox with human handoff and lead capture. Tidio includes ticketing on every plan and Crisp has a shared inbox with seats; Chatonbo is not a ticketing system.
Humans answer most chats and volume is unlimited
If your team does the answering and you just need an unmetered live chat, Crisp Free (2 seats) is hard to beat on price.
A large support team lives in the inbox
Assignment, seats and team reporting are helpdesk features. Crisp and Tidio have them at different scales; Chatonbo does not.
You automate Instagram or Messenger
Chatonbo is website chat with a WhatsApp fallback. For social DM automation see the ManyChat comparison on our alternatives page.
Comparing more tools? See every comparison on the alternatives page or the head-to-head index.
Tidio vs Crisp FAQ
Is Tidio or Crisp cheaper?
For a small team with low volume, Tidio: Free covers 50 conversations a month with 10 seats and Starter is $24.17/mo. For high volume with a small team, Crisp: conversations are unlimited on every plan, Free has 2 seats and Mini is $45/mo for 4. AI is extra on both: Lyro from $32.50/mo for 50 conversations on Tidio, credits on Crisp (about 90 automated conversations on Mini). Chatonbo is a flat $19/mo for 5,000 AI conversations with no seats.
How do Tidio and Crisp charge for AI?
Tidio sells the Lyro AI Agent as an add-on from $32.50/mo for 50 conversations; every account starts with 50 Lyro conversations and you upgrade to refresh them monthly. Crisp includes AI credits per plan ($5 Mini, $25 Essentials, $75 Plus, none on Free), roughly 90, 450 and 1,350 automated conversations. Chatonbo includes AI on every plan without credits.
Do both have free plans?
Yes. Tidio Free: 50 conversations a month, 10 seats, 50 Lyro conversations one-off. Crisp Free: 2 seats, unlimited conversations, no AI credits. Both offer trials without a card (7 days Tidio, 14 days Crisp). Chatonbo has a free plan and a 30-day free trial on paid plans.
Which is better for a Shopify store?
Tidio lists native Shopify actions on Growth and higher. Crisp lists a Shopify integration on its Free plan but no cart or order features on the pricing page. Chatonbo adds product cards with pictures, add to cart and order tracking inside the chat through its official Shopify app on flat plans.
Can Chatonbo replace Tidio or Crisp?
For AI answers from your website, lead capture and human handoff, yes. For an unmetered team live chat, ticketing or a visual flow builder, no. You can run Chatonbo on the website during its 30-day trial and keep your current inbox for handoffs.
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