Zipchat vs Tidio: which is better for a small store in 2026?
Zipchat is the better pick for a Shopify store that wants an AI that sells from day one and has the budget for it: it is trained on your store, recommends products and tracks orders, is rated 4.9 on the Shopify App Store, and is sold in AI reply packs, Starter $49/mo for 500 replies (about 200 conversations), Growth $129/mo for 1,500, Pro $249/mo for 3,000, with $49 for every extra 250 replies. Tidio is the better pick when a person answers most chats and the AI is secondary, or the store is not on Shopify: the free plan covers 50 conversations a month with 10 seats, Starter is $24.17/mo, and the Lyro AI Agent is a separate add-on from $32.50/mo. Sales-first AI on Shopify with a bigger budget: Zipchat. Live chat first, low entry price, any platform: Tidio.
Chatonbo is the third option when you want the selling AI without the reply meter: Free, Pro $19/mo for 5,000 conversations or Business $59/mo for 10,000, AI included, no reply packs, no seat or add-on fees, with product cards, add to cart and order tracking through the official Shopify app and the same assistant on Wix, WordPress and WooCommerce.
Zipchat vs Tidio 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.
| Zipchat | Tidio | Chatonbo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Tiered by AI replies, not conversations: Starter $49/mo (500 replies), Growth $129/mo (1,500), Pro $249/mo (3,000), Scale $499/mo (6,000), Unlimited from $999/mo; $49 per extra 250 replies on all standard plans* | 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* | Flat monthly: Free, Pro $19/mo, Business $59/mo. No per-seat or per-resolution fees |
| Entry price | Starter $49/mo: 500 AI replies (about 200 conversations), 1,000 training pages, 2 stores* | 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 plan; Pro $19/mo with AI included |
| At 5,000 conversations a month | Above Scale ($499/mo for 6,000 replies, about 2,500 conversations), so the Unlimited tier from $999/mo. A shopper who asks four questions uses four replies* | 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* | 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 | Yes, the AI is trained on the store; training pages are capped per tier (1,000 on Starter, 15,000 on Growth, 75,000 on Pro, 300,000 on Scale)* | Lyro AI Agent add-on. Every account starts with 50 Lyro conversations; you upgrade to the Lyro plan to refresh them monthly* | Yes, drafted from your website URL, documents and product catalog; AI included on every plan |
| Shopify add to cart in chat | Product recommendations are advertised; add to cart inside the chat is not stated on the pricing page* | Native Shopify actions on Growth and higher; add to cart inside the chat is not detailed on the pricing page* | Yes: product cards with pictures and add to cart inside the chat (official Shopify app) |
| Order tracking | Yes, order tracking is among the advertised features | Not detailed on the pricing page (Shopify actions are on Growth and higher)* | Yes, shoppers get order status inside the chat (official Shopify app) |
| Languages | Multilingual advertised; the number of languages is not stated | Multilanguage on all plans; the number of languages is not stated on the pricing page* | 50+ languages |
| Setup time | Shopify app install (other platforms supported), then the AI trains on the store | Widget install, then Lyro training and Flows setup | About 2 minutes from a website URL; official Shopify and Wix apps, WordPress/WooCommerce plugin |
| Free plan | No permanent free plan; 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment* | Yes: 50 conversations/mo, 10 seats, 50 Lyro conversations one-off; 7-day free trial on paid plans, no card* | Yes, plus a 30-day free trial on paid plans |
| Human handoff | Unlimited team members on every plan; a human handoff inbox is not detailed on the pricing page* | Live chat and ticketing on every plan; 10 seats on self-serve plans* | Yes, human handoff and lead capture with a simple inbox; not a multichannel ticketing helpdesk |
*Zipchat: zipchat.ai/pricing as read on September 19, 2026, monthly billing. Tidio: tidio.com/pricing as viewed on September 12, 2026, monthly billing toggle. Both vendors may change pricing; check their sites for current terms.
Two-way breakdowns: Chatonbo vs Zipchat and Chatonbo vs Tidio.
When to pick Zipchat
You want an AI that sells, not a chat box
Zipchat is built as a sales assistant: trained on the store, product recommendations, order tracking and multilingual replies out of the box. Its Shopify App Store reviews (4.9) praise it for selling rather than deflecting. Tidio starts from live chat and adds AI through the Lyro add-on.
You run more than one store
Every Zipchat plan covers several stores: 2 on Starter, 5 on Growth, 10 on Pro and 20 on Scale. If you operate a few Shopify storefronts and want one bill and one setup, that is a real advantage.
Your whole team should be in the tool
Zipchat includes unlimited team members on every plan. Tidio includes 10 seats on self-serve plans, which is plenty for most small stores, but not unlimited.
You want a money-back guarantee, not only a trial
Zipchat gives a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment. Tidio has a free plan and a 7-day trial on paid plans without a card. If you prefer to pay and test for a full month with a refund option, Zipchat offers that.
Thinking of leaving Zipchat? Read the honest Zipchat alternative page.
When to pick Tidio
You want live chat first and AI second
Tidio bundles live chat, ticketing and 10 seats into every self-serve plan, including Free. If a person will answer most chats and the AI is a nice-to-have, the base plan does the job and Lyro can be added later from $32.50/mo.
You want the lowest entry price
Tidio Free covers 50 conversations a month and Starter is $24.17/mo for 100 billable conversations. Zipchat starts at $49/mo for 500 replies, which Zipchat itself estimates at about 200 conversations, with no free plan.
You are not on Shopify
Tidio is a general website chat tool. If you sell on WooCommerce, Wix or a custom site, it works the same way. Zipchat lists Shopify first and other platforms second.
You want a visual flow builder
Tidio Flows lets you design step-by-step automations by hand (welcome messages, discount prompts, lead forms). Zipchat relies on the AI trained on your store rather than a drag-and-drop builder.
Thinking of leaving Tidio? Read the honest Tidio 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.
One flat bill with no reply meter
Pro is $19/mo for 5,000 AI conversations and Business is $59/mo for 10,000. No reply packs, no $49 top-ups, no Lyro add-on. At 5,000 conversations a month Zipchat is past its Scale plan (about 2,500 conversations at $499/mo) and into Unlimited from $999/mo; Chatonbo is still $19.
You want the chat to sell, like Zipchat, at Tidio prices
With the official Shopify app the assistant shows product cards with pictures, adds items to the cart inside the chat and tracks orders. One US massage chair store saw $107,725 in orders over seven weeks from shoppers who chatted first.
You do not want to configure anything
Paste your website URL and Chatonbo drafts the assistant from your pages, policies and catalog in about 2 minutes. Install the Shopify or Wix app, or the WordPress/WooCommerce plugin, and it is live. White-glove installation is free on every plan.
Your visitors write in many languages
The assistant answers in 50+ languages, auto-detected from the visitor. Zipchat advertises multilingual without a count and Tidio lists multilanguage without a count.
When Chatonbo is not the fit
We would rather you pick the right tool than sign up and leave. These are the cases where Zipchat or Tidio is the better choice.
You run several stores on one plan
Zipchat covers 2 to 20 stores per plan. Chatonbo runs one bot per account on Free, Pro and Business; several stores means Enterprise. If you operate a group of storefronts, Zipchat is the simpler buy.
You need full helpdesk ticketing
Chatonbo has a simple inbox with human handoff and lead capture. It is not a multichannel ticketing system. Tidio includes live chat and ticketing on every plan, including Free.
You want a visual flow builder
Tidio Flows lets you design step-by-step automations by hand. Chatonbo relies on the AI to run the conversation from your content rather than a drag-and-drop builder.
You automate Instagram or Messenger
Chatonbo lives on your website (and WhatsApp as a fallback). If most of your conversations start in Instagram DMs, look at a social automation tool instead; our alternatives page covers ManyChat.
Comparing more tools? See every comparison on the alternatives page or the head-to-head index.
Zipchat vs Tidio FAQ
Is Zipchat or Tidio cheaper for a small store?
Tidio is cheaper to start. Its free plan covers 50 conversations a month with 10 seats, Starter is $24.17/mo for 100 billable conversations, and the Lyro AI Agent is an add-on from $32.50/mo. Zipchat has no free plan; Starter is $49/mo for 500 AI replies (about 200 conversations), Growth $129/mo, Pro $249/mo, Scale $499/mo, and every extra 250 replies costs $49. Chatonbo covers 5,000 conversations for a flat $19/mo with AI included.
What is the difference between a Zipchat reply and a Tidio conversation?
Zipchat meters individual AI replies: a shopper who asks four questions uses four replies, which is why Zipchat translates its 500-reply Starter into about 200 conversations. Tidio meters billable conversations on the base plan and Lyro AI conversations on the add-on. Chatonbo meters conversations only, 5,000 a month on Pro, regardless of how many messages each one contains.
Does Tidio have an AI sales agent like Zipchat?
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 the Lyro plan to refresh them monthly. Zipchat is an AI sales chat by design, trained on the store with product recommendations and order tracking on every plan. Chatonbo includes the selling AI, with product cards and add to cart through the official Shopify app, on its flat plans.
Which one is better for Shopify?
Zipchat is built for Shopify first: trained on the store, product recommendations, order tracking and several stores per plan, with a 4.9 rating on the Shopify App Store. Tidio offers native Shopify actions on Growth and higher. Chatonbo adds product cards with pictures, add to cart and order tracking through its official Shopify app on a flat $19/mo plan.
Do Zipchat and Tidio have free plans?
Tidio has a permanent free plan (50 conversations a month, 10 seats, 50 Lyro conversations one-off) and a 7-day trial on paid plans without a card. Zipchat has no permanent free plan: a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment. Chatonbo has a free plan and a 30-day free trial on Pro and Business.
The Fair Billing Guarantee
Flat price. No meters. No surprises.
No credits, no per-resolution fees, no forced upgrades. Your bot never goes silent, you can cancel in one click, and your first charge is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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