Tidio: what it is, how it works & who it's for

Live chat, Lyro AI agent, help desk and chatbots for small online stores

Updated · Pricing checked October 2026

What is Tidio?

Tidio is a customer service platform that combines live chat, an AI agent called Lyro, chatbot automation and a help desk in one tool. It is aimed at small and mid-size online businesses, especially ecommerce stores on Shopify, WordPress and Wix, that want to answer customers quickly and turn conversations into sales.

Lyro answers questions using your website, help center and product data, and it passes chats to a human with context when it cannot help. Flows is a drag-and-drop builder for automations such as cart recovery and lead capture. A shared inbox brings in live chat, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, and chats or emails can become tickets. Lyro and Flows are priced as separate usage add-ons.

Tidio at a glance

Tidio infographic: how it works in 5 steps, key features, pricing model and who it is best for
Tidio at a glance. Share or embed this infographic with a link to this page.

How does Tidio work?

  1. Install Tidio

    Add the chat widget to your store with the Shopify, WordPress or Wix app, or paste a code snippet on any site.

  2. Connect channels

    Link email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp so every message reaches one inbox.

  3. Set up Lyro

    Let Lyro learn from your site, FAQ and product catalog, then decide when it should hand off to a person.

  4. Build Flows

    Pick from ecommerce templates or build automations that greet visitors, recover carts or collect emails when no one is online.

  5. Manage tickets and track results

    Convert complex issues into tickets, use macros and assignment rules, and review analytics on higher plans.

Tidio key features

Lyro AI agent

Answers customer questions from your content, recommends products, recovers carts and replies in several languages.

Flows automation

A visual builder with more than 40 ecommerce templates for chatbots and automated actions.

Live chat

A website widget with typing preview and visited-page history on higher plans.

Help desk and ticketing

Turns chats and emails into tickets with priorities, tags, shared views and an AI reply assistant.

Multichannel inbox

Handles live chat, email, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp in one place.

Analytics and automations

Growth and above add advanced analytics, automatic assignment, macros and permissions.

Integrations and API

More than 120 integrations, including Shopify, WordPress, Wix and Zapier, plus an OpenAPI on Plus.

Plus and Premium extras

Larger plans add departments, multiple projects, custom branding, SSO, a mobile SDK and a managed Lyro service with a guaranteed resolution rate.

Why use Tidio?

  • A free plan lets very small stores start live chat at no cost.
  • Only conversations handled by humans count toward billable limits, so Lyro and Flows replies do not use them up.
  • Ecommerce templates make common automations quick to launch.
  • Apps for web, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android keep a small team responsive.
  • Lyro can take on repetitive questions so staff focus on harder cases.
  • Plans can grow from free to Premium, so you do not have to switch tools as volume rises.

Who is Tidio best for?

A good fit for

  • Small Shopify, WordPress and Wix stores
  • Solo founders who want a free starting point
  • Ecommerce teams that want AI answers plus human chat
  • Growing businesses moving from email-only support

Less suited to

  • Businesses that need predictable costs, since Lyro and Flows are billed as separate usage add-ons
  • Large enterprises needing deep workforce management and voice support

Tidio pricing

Pricing modelFreemium
Free planYes
Free trial7 days
Starting price$24.17/month billed annually (Starter)

Growth starts at $49.17 per month on annual billing and scales with billable conversations, Plus starts at $300 per month plus usage, and Premium is quoted by sales. Lyro starts at $32.50 per month and Flows at $24.17 per month as separate add-ons.

Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official Tidio pricing page before you buy.

Tidio pros and cons

Pros

  • Free plan with 10 seats
  • Strong ecommerce focus and templates
  • AI agent and human chat in one inbox
  • Native apps for desktop and mobile

Cons

  • Lyro and Flows add separate costs on top of the base plan
  • Free plan limits Lyro to 50 lifetime conversations
  • Advanced analytics and automation start on Growth

Tidio integrations and platforms

Works with

  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • Zapier
  • Instagram
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp

Available on

  • Web
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • WordPress plugin
  • API

Tidio alternatives

Tidio FAQ

Is Tidio free?

Yes, Tidio has a free plan with 50 billable conversations per month, 10 seats, 50 lifetime Lyro AI conversations and Flows that reach up to 100 visitors a month. Paid plans start with Starter at $24.17 per month billed annually. A 7-day trial lets you test paid features first.

What is Tidio Lyro?

Lyro is Tidio's AI agent. It answers customer questions using your website, help center and product data, recommends products, helps recover carts and replies in multiple languages. When it does not know an answer, it says so and hands the conversation to a human. Paid Lyro quotas start at $32.50 per month.

Does Tidio integrate with Shopify?

Yes. Tidio connects with Shopify, and also with WordPress and Wix. With Shopify connected, Lyro can recommend products from your inventory and Flows can run cart recovery automations. Tidio lists more than 120 integrations in total, including Zapier for linking other apps.

Tidio vs LiveChat: what's the difference?

Tidio offers a free plan and prices by conversation volume, with Lyro AI and Flows sold as add-ons. LiveChat has no free plan and charges per user, but includes stronger supervision, routing and reporting. Tidio suits small stores starting out, while LiveChat suits teams with several dedicated agents.

Is Tidio good for beginners?

Yes. Tidio is built for small businesses and installs through apps for popular store builders. Ready-made Flows templates and an AI agent that learns from your site reduce setup work. The free plan gives beginners a way to learn the tool before paying.

Sources

This overview is based on Tidio's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.