# The best Tidio alternatives in 2026 > The best Tidio and Lyro alternatives for 2026: what each is best for, how the AI is priced, WhatsApp, Telegram and free plans. Checked November 2026. Canonical: https://heykiko.io/alternatives/tidio Last updated: 2026-11-04 4 November 2026 · prices checked 4 November 2026 · by the HeyKiko team The best Tidio alternative depends on how much AI you use and where your customers write: Chatling for live chat with cheaper AI, Chatbase for more integrations, HeyKiko for businesses on WhatsApp and Telegram with booking and campaigns, Intercom Fin on top of a helpdesk, and Respond.io, Botpress, SiteGPT or DocsBot for other needs. We make HeyKiko, so we've placed it where it fits rather than at the top, and every price links to the tool's own page. ## 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 inbox A 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 - Starts at: $25/mo - Free option: Free plan; 7-day money-back - Channels: Website; WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger from Starter Sources: [Chatling pricing](https://chatling.ai/pricing), [Chatling docs](https://docs.chatling.ai) ### 2. Chatbase Best for: Many channels and integrations in one AI agent AI 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 - Starts at: $40/mo - Free option: 7-day trial - Channels: Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Slack, email, phone Sources: [Chatbase pricing](https://www.chatbase.co/pricing), [Chatbase docs](https://www.chatbase.co/docs/llms.txt) ### 3. HeyKiko Best for: Businesses on WhatsApp, Telegram and their website One 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 - Starts at: $29/mo - Free option: 14-day trial, no card - Channels: Website, WhatsApp, Telegram, WhatsApp calls Sources: [HeyKiko pricing](https://heykiko.io/pricing) ### 4. Intercom Fin Best for: Support teams on Intercom or an existing helpdesk Intercom'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 - Starts at: $0.99 per outcome - Free option: 14-day trial, no card - Channels: Website, email, WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger, Instagram, Slack Sources: [Fin pricing](https://fin.ai/pricing), [Intercom seats](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205716-seats), [Intercom security](https://www.intercom.com/security) ### 5. Respond.io Best for: Larger teams across many messaging apps A 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 - Starts at: $99/mo - Free option: 7-day trial, no card - Channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, SMS, email and more Sources: [Respond.io pricing](https://respond.io/pricing), [Respond.io integrations](https://respond.io/integrations) ### 6. Botpress Best for: Builders who want a configurable agent platform An 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 - Starts at: $189/mo - Free option: Free plan - Channels: Web, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS, email Sources: [Botpress pricing](https://botpress.com/pricing), [Botpress integrations](https://botpress.com/integrations) ### 7. SiteGPT Best for: A website support bot with the most replies per dollar A 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 - Starts at: $59/mo - Free option: 7-day trial, card needed - Channels: Website; WhatsApp add-on; Slack, Messenger, Crisp from Growth Sources: [SiteGPT pricing](https://sitegpt.ai/pricing), [SiteGPT integrations](https://sitegpt.ai/docs/integrations/overview.md) ### 8. DocsBot Best for: Answering from large documentation and ticket histories An 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 - Starts at: $49/mo - Free option: Free plan, no card - Channels: Website, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack Sources: [DocsBot pricing](https://docsbot.ai/pricing), [DocsBot AI credits](https://docsbot.ai/documentation/doc/ai-credits-faq) ## 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](/contact). ## Tidio alternatives: questions ### What is the best Tidio alternative? It depends on how much AI you use. Chatling keeps live chat with cheaper AI, Chatbase adds integrations, HeyKiko suits businesses on WhatsApp and Telegram with booking and campaigns, and Intercom Fin works on top of an existing helpdesk. ### Is there a cheaper alternative to Tidio's Lyro AI? Usually, if you use AI often. Lyro is $39 a month for 50 AI conversations and $700 for 1,000. Chatling includes 1,750 AI credits for $25, and HeyKiko 2,000 AI credits from $29 a month. Prices as of 4 November 2026. ### Which Tidio alternative works on WhatsApp and Telegram? HeyKiko and Respond.io include both on every plan, and Chatling and DocsBot from their first paid plan. Botpress connects both through its integrations. Tidio has WhatsApp on every plan but Telegram only on Plus and Premium. ### Is there a free Tidio alternative? Chatling, Botpress and DocsBot have free plans with small allowances. HeyKiko, Chatbase, Intercom Fin and Respond.io offer free trials instead. ### Which Tidio alternative can book appointments? HeyKiko books into Google Calendar itself. Chatling, Botpress, DocsBot and Respond.io book through Google Calendar, Calendly or Cal.com integrations, and Chatbase through Cal.com or Calendly actions. ### Which Tidio alternative is best for an online store? Tidio itself is strong for Shopify stores. Among alternatives, Chatbase connects Shopify and Stripe, Intercom Fin works with Shopify, and HeyKiko answers from your product catalogue and a read-only database for stock and orders. ### How did you choose these tools? We looked for tools that train an AI agent on your own content and talk to customers, read each one's own pricing, product and docs pages on 4 November 2026, and wrote what each is best for. We make HeyKiko, so we placed it where it fits rather than first. ## Related - [HeyKiko vs Chatbase](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-chatbase) - [HeyKiko vs SiteGPT](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-sitegpt) - [HeyKiko vs Tidio](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-tidio) - [HeyKiko vs Respond.io](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-respondio) - [HeyKiko vs Intercom Fin](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-intercom-fin) - [HeyKiko vs Botpress](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-botpress) - [Best Chatbase alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/chatbase) - [Best SiteGPT alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/sitegpt) - [Best Intercom Fin alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/intercom-fin) - [Best Respond.io alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/respondio) - [Best Botpress alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/botpress) - [Best Wati alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/wati) - [HeyKiko pricing](https://heykiko.io/pricing)