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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Tidio vs Zipchat: which is better for Shopify brands?
It depends on the job. Tidio is live chat with Flows, a helpdesk and the Lyro AI agent, for every kind of business. Zipchat is one AI agent for ecommerce that sells and supports on every channel, with one memory per customer.
What does Tidio pricing cost compared with Zipchat?
Tidio lists Lyro from $32.50 a month with 50 AI conversations, Plus from $300 a month plus usage, and Premium on request with 3,000+ Lyro conversations. Zipchat costs $80 (Starter), $300 (Pro, 3,000 replies), $600 (Scale), $1,200 (Scale Plus) or from $2,100 fixed (Unlimited). See Zipchat pricing.
Yes, with Proactive Roles. Tidio's update from June 2026 says "Lyro can now start conversations, not just respond to them". Triggers start the chat, and they use your Lyro Flows quota. Before that, Tidio described Lyro as reactive, with proactive messages coming from Flows. Zipchat starts conversations as the same agent that answers, with the same memory.
How does Tidio bill Lyro?
By AI conversation. Tidio counts a conversation once when Lyro sends at least one reply, even across several replies or visits. Tidio lists Premium with pay-per-resolution billing and does not explain the price. Zipchat prices per reply, set by the plan.
What is the difference between Tidio Lyro and Zipchat?
Lyro is an AI agent added to a chat widget and a Flows builder that serve many industries. Zipchat started as the agent: it has tools and access, and it works in your search bar, on product pages, in chat and on WhatsApp. Ecommerce only.
Can Zipchat replace Tidio?
For an ecommerce brand, mostly. Zipchat handles 97%+ of conversations with the AI, and your team takes over any conversation from the Zipchat inbox. You can also run Zipchat in front of Tidio with an Agentic Skill, so your team keeps Tidio for escalations.
Does Zipchat handle returns?
Yes, with an Agentic Skill. Connect your returns platform with an Agentic Skill and the agent checks eligibility, then creates the return in the chat.
Is Zipchat free to use?
No. Tidio lists a free tier with its first 50 Lyro conversations. Zipchat starts with a 7-day free trial, then plans from $64 a month billed annually.
How long does it take to switch from Tidio to Zipchat?
Zipchat is live in under 30 minutes. Start the trial, connect your ecommerce platform, and the AI learns your catalog and site.
Which platforms does Zipchat support?
Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Wix. Shopify brands get cart recovery and the order lookup built in. On the others, connect order data through an Agentic Skill.
Does Zipchat reply in my customers' language?
Yes. Replies come back in the customer's language without any setup, on every channel.
Can my team review or take over the AI's replies?
Yes. A person takes over any chat from the Zipchat inbox, or you switch on Draft Mode so the team approves each reply first.
Last checked October 2026
Full comparison
Zipchat in one sentence
Zipchat is an AI agent for ecommerce brands: one agent, with one memory of each customer, that sells and supports on every channel.
Covered: Answers comments and DMs on Instagram and Messenger.
CoveredInstagram and Messenger in the inbox
2Website
Covered: AI agent in your website chat, search bar and product pages.
CoveredLive chat
3WhatsApp
Covered: Chat and cart recovery on WhatsApp.
CoveredWhatsApp
4Email
Covered: Replies to support email in the same thread.
Not listedfor Lyro on tidio.com (checked October 2026)
5Support
Covered: Tracks orders, answers after-sales, hands over to your team.
CoveredOrder and shipping details through API connections
6Memory
Covered: One memory per customer on every channel.
Not foundon tidio.com (checked October 2026)
Channels as listed on the pages we read. "Not listed" or "Not found" does not mean Tidio lacks it.
Full results table
What Tidio publishes compared with what Zipchat publishes
Metric
What Tidio publishes
What Zipchat publishes
Automation
Claims "Lyro AI has a 67% resolution rate"
97%+ handled by the AI, under 3% escalate
Sales
Not published
16.4%+ of AI conversations convert into sales, on average across channels
Best case
Not published
Up to 37.8% in chat, one supplement brand
WhatsApp cart recovery
Not found on tidio.com (checked October 2026)
13% to 39% purchase rate
Scroll sideways for more
The 67% is Tidio's own claim. The same article also quotes a 75% average for its customers, and neither figure is defined. Every figure here is a vendor's own published claim. Each vendor defines resolution differently.
Full side by side table: Tidio and Zipchat
Zipchat compared with Tidio
Topic
TidioLive chat with Flows and Lyro
ZipchatBuilt for ecommerceOne AI agent
Designed for
Small teams wanting live chat, Flows and a helpdesk
Ecommerce brands that want one agent for sales and support
How it is built
Chat widget and Flows first, Lyro AI added
Agent first, deployed on every channel
Pricing model
Plans by seats and features. Lyro counts AI conversations. Premium is pay-per-resolution
Per reply, set by the plan. Unlimited at a fixed price
Channels with AI
Lyro answers on live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
Not found on tidio.com (checked October 2026). Cart recovery Flows are listed, with no channel named
Yes, 13% to 39% purchase rate
Shared memory across channels
Not found on tidio.com (checked October 2026)
Yes, one memory per customer
Custom actions
Lyro Tasks and API connections
Agentic Skills for any tool with an API
Setup
Not published
Live in under 30 minutes
Shopify App Store rating
4.8/5
5.0/5
Scroll sideways for more
Tidio's help center did not load for us, so "Not found on tidio.com" covers its website and FAQ pages only. It does not mean Tidio lacks it.
Price assumptions and notes
In every row, each AI conversation is counted as one AI conversation.
Tidio: lists Lyro from $32.50 a month with 50 AI conversations, Plus from $300 plus usage, and Premium from 3,000 Lyro conversations at a price on request.
Zipchat: about 2.5 replies per conversation, monthly billing, unlimited team members, extra replies at $49 per 250 on Starter, Pro and Scale.
Prices checked October 2026.
At 3,000 AI conversations a month, Zipchat costs $894 (Scale + 1,500 extra replies). Tidio does not publish a price for that volume.
How the positioning map was drawn
Horizontal axis: Chat widget to Agent first. Vertical axis: Part of the journey to Whole journey. Zipchat's own positioning. Tidio is a chat widget with the Lyro agent added. The vertical position follows the journey table: steps covered, with partial steps counted as half.
Zipchat plans compared
The five Zipchat plans compared
Plan
Price a month
Billed annually
Replies a month
Extra replies
Starter
$80
$64 a month
750
$49 per 250
Pro
$300
$240 a month
3,000
$49 per 250
Scale
$600
$480 a month
6,000
$49 per 250
Scale Plus
$1,200
$960 a month
14,000
$49 per 500
Unlimited
from $2,100
Fixed price, rate locked for 12 months
Unlimited
No overage
Scroll sideways for more
Every plan includes all channels, all languages and unlimited team members, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Annual billing saves 20%. See Zipchat pricing.
Footnotes and notes
* Tracking orders is built in on Shopify. Returns, exchanges and order edits need an Agentic Skill connected to your tools.
For Shopify brands that want one AI agent on every channel, the best Tidio alternative is Zipchat. Gorgias, Richpanel, Intercom (Fin), Zendesk and Freshdesk follow, with one neutral line each.
1
Zipchat
One AI agent for sales and support on every channel, built only for ecommerce.
Best for: Shopify brands that want one agent from search to repeat order
