Chat marketing automation for Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and SMS with AI features.
Chatbase vs Tidio
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Editor’s verdict
Chatbase is an AI-agent builder trained on your content, while Tidio is a live chat and helpdesk suite with an AI agent (Lyro) added on. Choose Chatbase if your main goal is an AI agent that answers from your website and documents, runs custom actions through APIs, and deploys to several channels from one setup, with human takeover as a secondary need. Choose Tidio if you run a Shopify or WooCommerce store, want human agents working in a shared inbox with ticketing and mobile apps, and need the AI to handle order status and refunds natively. Tidio's free plan is more useful for teams that mostly chat live today, while Chatbase's free plan is mainly for testing an AI agent. Neither is ideal if you need complex branching flows or phone agents; Botpress or Voiceflow give more control there.
Both Chatbase and Tidio offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Chatbase if…
- You need quickly launching an AI support agent trained on your website and documents
- You're one of: small and mid-size businesses, saas support teams, agencies deploying simple support bots
- Fast setup: a working agent from a URL in minutes
Choose Tidio if…
- You need small and mid-size ecommerce stores that want live chat, helpdesk and an AI agent in one tool
- You're one of: shopify and woocommerce stores, small support teams, smbs needing live chat plus ai
- Live chat, helpdesk and AI in one product
At a glance
| Chatbase | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Quickly launching an AI support agent trained on your website and documents | Small and mid-size ecommerce stores that want live chat, helpdesk and an AI agent in one tool |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $40/mo | From $24.17/mo |
| Learning curve | Low | Low |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, API |
| Ideal for | Small and mid-size businesses, SaaS support teams, Agencies deploying simple support bots | Shopify and WooCommerce stores, Small support teams, SMBs needing live chat plus AI |
Feature comparison
| Chatbase | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Train on your website / docs | Yes | Yes |
| Human handoff | Yes | Yes |
| Website widget | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Instagram / Messenger | Yes | Yes |
| Live chat inbox | Standard plan and above | Yes |
| Multilingual | Yes | Yes |
| Takes actions / API calls | Yes | Shopify actions |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Chatbase | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | — |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | EU (default) |
| No training on your data | Yes | — |
| Audit logs | Enterprise plan | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Chatbase
Chatbase lets you create an AI agent by pointing it at your website, files or text, then embed it as a chat widget or connect it to messaging channels. Agents can run custom actions such as looking up orders or collecting leads, and escalate to humans through a built-in help desk. It is popular with small and mid-size businesses that want a support bot without building flows.
Key features- Trains on websites, files, text and Q&A with auto-resync
- Custom actions that call external APIs and collect leads
- Native help desk with live human takeover
- Deploys to web widget, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Slack
- Escalation to Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, Freshdesk and others
- Choice of AI models on paid plans
Tidio
Tidio combines live chat, a ticketing helpdesk, Flows automation and the Lyro AI agent in a single inbox. Lyro answers from your help content and can perform Shopify actions such as order status checks and refunds. It is widely used by Shopify and WooCommerce stores and other small support teams.
Key features- Lyro AI agent trained on your FAQs and website content
- Native Shopify actions (order status, refunds, order edits)
- Unified inbox for live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp
- Flows automation for lead capture and cart recovery
- Ticketing helpdesk with macros and assignment
- Mobile and desktop apps for agents
Pricing
Chatbase
Free plan (50 message credits); paid from $40/mo (Hobby); Standard $150/mo, Pro $500/mo
Tidio
Free plan (50 conversations/mo); paid from $24.17/mo billed annually (Starter); 7-day free trial
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Chatbase
Strengths- Fast setup: a working agent from a URL in minutes
- Custom actions and Stripe integration go beyond Q&A
- Broad channel coverage from one agent
- Free plan for testing
- Message-credit model means heavy usage consumes credits quickly
- Removing Chatbase branding is a paid add-on
- Help desk and advanced analytics require higher tiers
- Limited control over complex, multi-step conversation logic
Not ideal for: Teams that need detailed conversation flows and branching logic may prefer Botpress or Voiceflow.
Tidio
Strengths- Live chat, helpdesk and AI in one product
- Deep Shopify integration with order actions
- Free plan includes live chat and ticketing
- Mobile apps included on all plans
- Lyro and Flows are billed as separate add-ons
- Conversation-based limits make costs rise with volume
- Lyro supports fewer languages than some LLM-first bots
- Advanced analytics and permissions require Growth plan or higher
Not ideal for: Teams building complex custom agents with API logic across many systems may find Botpress or Voiceflow more flexible.
Integrations
Chatbase
Tidio
FAQ
What is the main difference between Chatbase and Tidio?
Chatbase is built for quickly launching an AI support agent trained on your website and documents; Tidio is built for small and mid-size ecommerce stores that want live chat, helpdesk and an AI agent in one tool.
Is Chatbase or Tidio cheaper?
Chatbase starts from $40/mo and Tidio starts from $24.17/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Tidio is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Chatbase and Tidio have free plans?
Both Chatbase and Tidio offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Chatbase or Tidio?
Both have a low learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Chatbase and Tidio?
Other chatbots tools worth comparing include ManyChat, Botpress and CustomGPT.ai.
