Looking for a Tidio alternative?
Last updated October 19, 2026
Tidio works well for Shopify stores. People usually leave because of the bill: every plan caps conversations, and Lyro AI is charged on top. A busy month means paying more twice.
Here’s what to use instead, depending on why you’re leaving.
Quick picks
| If you want | Try | From |
|---|---|---|
| AI included and no conversation caps | Bubblegram | $9/mo |
| Free live chat, no limits | Tawk.to | $0 |
| One inbox for chat, email, and WhatsApp | Crisp | $45/mo |
| The strongest AI agent and a full helpdesk | Intercom | $29/seat + $0.99/resolution |
| An AI agent with actions and more channels | Chatbase | $40/mo |
The alternatives
Bubblegram (that’s us)
- Best for: small teams that want live chat with AI replies at a price that doesn’t move with traffic.
- Price: free for 1 site, then $9/mo with unlimited conversations and 500 AI credits.
- Trade-off: no Shopify integration or visual flow builder.
Assistant answers from your website. You can approve its drafts from Telegram or let it reply on its own. Everything it can’t answer comes to you. Try it free, no card needed.
Tawk.to
- Best for: sites that need free live chat and don’t mind a badge.
- Price: free. Removing branding is $29/mo.
- Trade-off: AI and branding removal are separate add-ons.
Crisp
- Best for: teams that want chat, email, WhatsApp, and Instagram in one inbox.
- Price: $45/mo for 4 seats, unlimited conversations. AI chatbot from $95/mo.
- Trade-off: seat limits push you up a plan as the team grows.
Intercom
- Best for: support teams that need ticketing, a help center, and a top AI agent.
- Price: $29 to $132 per seat a month, plus $0.99 per Fin resolution.
- Trade-off: costs climb fast with seats and volume.
Chatbase
- Best for: AI-first support with actions like order lookups.
- Price: $40/mo for 700 message credits. Human handoff from $150/mo.
- Trade-off: live chat with a person is an expensive extra.
How to choose
- Is Shopify automation the main thing? Tidio is hard to beat there. Stay.
- Is the bill the problem? Bubblegram or Tawk.to.
- Do you need more channels? Crisp.
- Do you want AI to handle most chats alone? Intercom or Chatbase.
Comparing on price only? See the Tidio pricing breakdown, Tidio vs Crisp, or Chatbase vs Tidio.
Pricing at a glance
See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Bubblegram | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Reply from Telegram | ||
| AI replies included in the plan | ||
| AI answers from your website | ||
| Unlimited conversations on paid plans | ||
| Email channel | ||
| Visual chatbot flow builder | ||
| Shopify and ecommerce integrations | ||
| Canned responses | ||
| Setup in under 5 minutes |
What users say about Tidio
- Visual chatbot flow builder with templates
- Deep Shopify and ecommerce integrations
- Lyro AI can resolve common questions on its own
- Free plan works for very low-volume sites
- Free plan stops at 50 conversations a month
- Every paid plan still caps conversations
- Lyro AI is billed separately from the plan
- Hard to predict the monthly bill as traffic grows
The bottom line
Switch to Bubblegram if
You want live chat with AI replies, but not two meters on your bill. Bubblegram's paid plans have unlimited conversations and include AI credits, and you can answer customers from Telegram instead of another dashboard.
Start for free →Stay with Tidio if
You run a Shopify store and want chatbot flows tied to carts and orders. Tidio's ecommerce integrations and flow builder go deeper than anything Bubblegram offers.
Common questions
What's the best Tidio alternative for small teams?
If you want live chat with AI replies at a flat price, Bubblegram is built for that. Starter is $9/mo with unlimited conversations and 500 AI credits a month. If you need Shopify flows, Tidio is still the better fit.
Does Bubblegram have AI like Tidio's Lyro?
Yes. Assistant answers customers from your website and business details, in live chat and email. You can approve each reply from Telegram first, or let it answer on its own. AI credits are included on every plan.
What happens when I hit Tidio's conversation limit?
You move up a plan. Free stops at 50 conversations a month and Starter at 100. Growth starts at $59/mo for 250 and costs more as volume grows.
Does Bubblegram cap conversations?
Only on Free, at 100 a month, double Tidio's free cap. Starter and Pro have unlimited conversations, with no per-seat or per-message fees.
Does Tidio support Telegram?
Not for replying to website chats. Tidio runs everything in its own dashboard. With Bubblegram, each customer gets a Telegram topic and you reply right there.
Human-first, AI-assisted.
Talk to customers from Telegram.
Every customer channel in one place.
Resolve tickets yourself, or let AI handle them.