The 8 best Tidio alternatives at a glance
This isn't a ranking: each tool is best for something different. We make HeyKiko, so we placed it where it fits.
| Tool | Best for | Starts at | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chatling | Small budgets that still want WhatsApp and a live-chat inbox | $25/mo | Free plan; 7-day money-back |
| 2. Chatbase | Many channels and integrations in one AI agent | $40/mo | 7-day trial |
| 3. HeyKiko | Businesses on WhatsApp, Telegram and their website | $29/mo | 14-day trial, no card |
| 4. Intercom Fin | Support teams on Intercom or an existing helpdesk | $0.99 per outcome | 14-day trial, no card |
| 5. Respond.io | Larger teams across many messaging apps | $99/mo | 7-day trial, no card |
| 6. Botpress | Builders who want a configurable agent platform | $189/mo | Free plan |
| 7. SiteGPT | A website support bot with the most replies per dollar | $59/mo | 7-day trial, card needed |
| 8. DocsBot | Answering from large documentation and ticket histories | $49/mo | Free plan, no card |
What Tidio does well
Tidio is a strong product, and for some teams it's still the right choice. Its own pages list:
- A free plan, and a 7-day trial with no card
- Website chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in one inbox, with desktop and mobile apps
- Shopify order lookups and other Smart Actions for online stores
- SOC 2, GDPR and CCPA
Why people look for a Tidio alternative
- The Lyro AI agent is priced per AI conversation: $39 a month for 50, $350 for 500, $700 for 1,000
- Larger AI volumes move to the Plus plan, from $300 a month plus usage
- Telegram is only on the Plus and Premium plans
- No appointment booking or campaigns that we found on its pages
What to look for in an alternative
- 1
How the AI is priced
Per conversation, per reply, per credit or per outcome. At a few hundred AI conversations a month the difference is large, so price your real volume.
- 2
The channels your customers use
WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Messenger: check which plan each one needs, not just whether it exists.
- 3
Live chat for your team
If your team answers too, check the inbox, mobile apps and how a chat passes from the AI to a person.
- 4
Store and booking actions
Order lookups, product answers, bookings and refunds: built in, or through another tool.
- 5
Your security requirements
If you need SOC 2, ISO 27001 or a HIPAA agreement, check that the tool states it today.
The alternatives, one by one
1. Chatling
Best for: Small budgets that still want WhatsApp and a live-chat inboxA no-code AI chatbot for websites and messaging apps, with a built-in live chat inbox and booking.
Does well
- A free plan, then $25 a month for 1,750 AI credits
- WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Messenger from its Starter plan
- Live chat on every plan; booking through Cal.com, Calendly or Google Calendar
Watch for
- Credits per message vary widely by AI model, so costs are harder to predict
- No SOC 2 or HIPAA stated; HubSpot and Zendesk from $75 a month
2. Chatbase
Best for: Many channels and integrations in one AI agentAI support agents trained on your content, with many chat channels, AI on regular phone lines and a long list of helpdesk and CRM integrations.
Does well
- Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Slack and email; AI on phone lines from Basic
- Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, Shopify, Stripe and Zapier
- A wide choice of models; SOC 2 Type II, with a HIPAA BAA on Enterprise
Watch for
- A small entry plan: 700 message credits for $40; human takeover starts on Basic at $150
- No Telegram; booking needs a Cal.com or Calendly account
3. HeyKiko
Best for: Businesses on WhatsApp, Telegram and their websiteOne AI agent for your website, WhatsApp and Telegram, trained on your own pages and files, that books into Google Calendar, hands chats to your team and answers WhatsApp calls. We make HeyKiko, so read this entry with that in mind.
Does well
- WhatsApp and Telegram on every plan, with a shared inbox and human takeover
- Books appointments into Google Calendar itself, and opens cases with approvals
- AI that answers WhatsApp voice calls (Pro and up), plus WhatsApp and email campaigns
Watch for
- No Instagram, Messenger, Slack or email as chat channels
- No helpdesk or CRM integrations yet, and no published SOC 2 report
4. Intercom Fin
Best for: Support teams on Intercom or an existing helpdeskIntercom's AI agent, billed per outcome. It runs inside Intercom, or on top of Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk.
Does well
- Works on top of Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot and Freshdesk
- $0.99 per outcome, and nothing for a chat handed to your team without one
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, with hosting in the US, EU or Australia
Watch for
- Spend grows with outcomes, plus Intercom seats from $39 a month, or a 50-outcome monthly minimum on another helpdesk
- No Telegram; Fin Voice is only for select customers through sales
5. Respond.io
Best for: Larger teams across many messaging appsA customer conversation platform for mid-market teams, with nearly every messaging app in one inbox and AI agents from its Growth plan.
Does well
- WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Viber, LINE, WeChat, SMS and email
- Calls on phone numbers and WhatsApp, with AI voice agents on Advanced
- Broadcasts, booking and HubSpot from Growth; mobile apps; ISO 27001
Watch for
- AI agents and knowledge start on Growth, at $199 a month
- Priced for teams: $99 a month to start, with contact-based charges on higher plans
6. Botpress
Best for: Builders who want a configurable agent platformAn AI agent platform with a builder, a built-in helpdesk, and the widest set of channels and integrations on this list.
Does well
- Webchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS and email
- A built-in helpdesk with hot handoff, or handoff to Zendesk, Intercom or HubSpot
- AI usage included in each conversation; SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR
Watch for
- A big jump from the free plan to Plus at $189 a month for 250 conversations, and overage packs are added automatically
- WhatsApp from Plus and voice only on Enterprise; self-hosting only on the older v12
7. SiteGPT
Best for: A website support bot with the most replies per dollarA support chatbot trained on your website, with wide knowledge connectors and Slack, Messenger and Crisp channels from its Growth plan.
Does well
- 4,000 GPT-4.1 mini messages on its $59 Starter plan
- Learns from YouTube, Notion, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box and GitHub
- Human takeover on every plan; SOC 2 Type II
Watch for
- WhatsApp is a $59 a month add-on per number; no Telegram, Instagram or voice
- No appointment booking, cases or campaigns; 7-day trial needs a card
8. DocsBot
Best for: Answering from large documentation and ticket historiesAn AI agent for documentation-heavy support that learns from more than 30 source types, including Confluence, Notion and helpdesk tickets.
Does well
- 30+ knowledge sources, with the sources shown on answers by default
- Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram from $49 a month; voice agents in beta
- A free plan with no card, and a 14-day money-back guarantee
Watch for
- No built-in live chat inbox: handoff goes to Zendesk or Help Scout
- SOC 2 and removing branding come with the Business plan at $499
Which Tidio alternative should you choose?
| If you need | Choose |
|---|---|
| Live chat plus AI, at a lower price per reply | Chatling |
| More channels and helpdesk or CRM integrations | Chatbase |
| WhatsApp and Telegram, with booking, cases and campaigns | HeyKiko |
| AI on top of Zendesk, Salesforce or HubSpot | Intercom Fin |
| A larger team on many messaging apps | Respond.io |
| Building your own agent with many integrations | Botpress |
| A website-only bot with the most replies for the money | SiteGPT |
| Answers from large documentation and ticket histories | DocsBot |
| A free plan, live chat first, and Shopify order actions | Tidio itself |
How we chose
We included tools that train an AI agent on your own content and talk to your customers, and read each one's own pricing, product and docs pages on 4 November 2026. Prices are monthly billing in USD before tax; each tool counts AI use differently (credits, messages or conversations), so compare at your own volume. We make HeyKiko, so we aren't neutral: we placed it where it fits and listed its limits too. If something here is out of date, tell us.
