TidioFacebook ChatTidio vs Facebook Chat

Tidio vs Facebook Chat: $49 or $0 for five people

A live chat and AI for small business against a Meta Business Suite inbox: Facebook Chat is $49 a month cheaper for five people. The six differences, what five people pay on each, and a third option.

By Khalid Nouri, founder of SellioPricing check dates are listed with each vendor below

Try the third optionSellio pricing

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The short answer

Pick Tidio if you run a Shopify or WordPress store and want a bot answering FAQs by tonight. Pick Facebook Chat if customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget. For five people, Facebook Chat is $49 a month cheaper than Tidio ($49 or more a month on Tidio against $0 on Facebook Chat), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Facebook Chat's figure comes under. Tidio and Facebook Chat both include Instagram in the price; only Tidio has website chat, email and WhatsApp. Neither Tidio nor Facebook Chat includes Telegram outright. Below, a third option for a team of two to ten that wants what Tidio and Facebook Chat sell here at one price.

At a glanceTidioTidioFacebook ChatFacebook Chat
Built aroundThe chat widget and Lyro · billed by conversations, not seatsMessenger and Instagram DMs · free with a Page
Entry plan$24.17/mo · Starter: 100 conversations$0 · with a Facebook Page
Chat in the priceFrom $49.17/mo · Growth: 250+ conversationsNone · the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024
AI agentLyro from $32.50/mo · 50 conversationsNone to buy · instant replies and FAQs
Copilot for agentsIncluded · reply assistantMeta AI drafts · for some businesses
Free planYes · 50 conversations a monthYes · the whole inbox is free

The six differences that decide it

Everything else on this page follows from these.

  1. 01

    Where a conversation starts

    TidioTidio

    As a chat in the widget, often answered first by the Lyro bot; a busy month counts against the conversation cap. Facebook Chat has no ticket queue either.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    As a Messenger or Instagram message in the Business Suite inbox, with the customer's profile beside it. Tidio has no ticket queue either.

  2. 02

    What the seat buys

    TidioTidio

    Ten seats are included; what you pay for is conversations, from 100 on Starter to 250 or more on Growth. $49 for five people, against $0 on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    There are no seats and no price; anyone with a Page role can answer. $0 for five people, against $49 on Tidio.

  3. 03

    How the AI is billed

    TidioTidio

    Lyro is bought in packs: from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, on top of the plan. Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy) instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    No AI agent to buy. Instant replies, away messages and FAQs are rules; Meta AI drafts replies for some businesses. Tidio meters AI (Lyro from $32.50/mo) above the seats instead.

  4. 04

    Channels in the price

    TidioTidio

    Website chat, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and email, with native Shopify and WordPress apps. website chat, email and WhatsApp are here and not on Facebook Chat.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Messenger, Instagram DMs and comments; WhatsApp lives in its own app, and the website plugin is gone. Tidio adds website chat, email and WhatsApp, which Facebook Chat lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    TidioTidio

    Flows, the visual bot builder, and email campaigns for small ecommerce teams. Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox instead.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    Posting, scheduling and ads for the Page; nothing beyond Meta's own channels. Tidio is a live chat and AI for small business instead.

  6. 06

    Time to the first reply

    TidioTidio

    An hour: install the app on Shopify or WordPress and switch on Lyro. Facebook Chat is none.

    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat

    None: it is already there when you have a Page. Tidio is an hour.

Sources: Tidio pricing · Facebook Chat pricing. Each vendor’s own comparison of the other is linked so you can weigh both sides against ours.

What each one looks like

A look at the agent workspace. Interfaces can vary by plan and product version.

The Tidio inbox: the conversation list, the chat and Lyro's suggested answers
TidioTidio. The Tidio inbox: the conversation list, the chat and Lyro's suggested answers
The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list
Facebook ChatFacebook Chat. The Meta Business Suite inbox: Messenger and Instagram threads in one list

Pricing references: Tidio pricing page (recorded 2026-09-06); Facebook Chat pricing page (recorded 2026-09-13). Prices change; confirm current terms with each vendor.

Tidio, Facebook Chat and Sellio, side by side

Fifteen things a support team checks. A dash means the product does part of it or charges extra for it.

FeatureTidioTidioFacebook ChatFacebook ChatSellio

Pricing

Pricing model
By billable conversations; AI by conversation packs.
Free
Per workspace; seats and channels are plan limits
Free plan
50 conversations a month, 10 seats.
The whole product
2 seats, 1 channel, 1 AI agent, no trial clock

Channels

Website live chat
Yes.
Website Chat Plugin retired in 2024
One script tag; guides for HTML, React, Next.js and more
Email in the inbox
Paid plans.
Not offered
From Mini: forward your support address; reply from the thread
WhatsApp
Paid plans.
Separate WhatsApp Business app
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Paid plans.
DMs and comments
From Mini: Instagram DMs beside web chat
Telegram
Not a channel.
Not offered
From Mini: paste a bot token; the webhook is set for you
Slack, Discord, Teams (two-way)
Not offered.
Not offered
From Mini: two-way threads; a reply there reaches the customer

AI

AI agent trained on your docs
Lyro, trained on your site and FAQs.
Rules, not an AI agent
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
From $32.50/mo for 50 conversations.
No AI to bill
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Lyro hands to an operator.
No AI to hand off from
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Ticketing on paid plans, email-style.
Labels and done state only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Flows, visitor-count limited.
Instant replies, away messages, FAQs
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Analytics on Growth and up.
Page insights
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

Desktop app (Windows, macOS)
Desktop apps available.
Browser and mobile
Native Windows and macOS apps

Which one, for whom

Pick Tidio if

  • You run a Shopify or WordPress store and want a bot answering FAQs by tonight.
  • Conversation volume is small enough that paying by conversation is cheaper than seats.
  • You need website chat, email and WhatsApp in the price, which Facebook Chat does not include outright.
  • You want native desktop apps, which Facebook Chat does not ship.

Pick Facebook Chat if

  • Customers only write on Messenger and Instagram and you have no budget.
  • One or two people answer and you do not need assignment or tickets.
  • Five people cost $49 a month less than on Tidio ($0 against $49), before AI.
  • Time to the first reply is none here and an hour on Tidio.

The third option: Sellio

  • You are two to ten people on Tidio or Facebook Chat who answer chat, messaging and email, and want to compare workspace pricing with $49 or more a month on Tidio against $0 on Facebook Chat for five people.
  • You want the AI bill known before the month starts: Tidio meters AI (Lyro from $32.50/mo) above the seats, Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy); Sellio includes a credit and lets you cap it.
  • You need Telegram and tickets raised from a chat, which neither Tidio nor Facebook Chat includes.

What two, five and ten people pay

Tidio: $49+ a month for five (from $49.17 for 250 conversations; seats are not the limit); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Facebook Chat: $0 a month for five (free for anyone with a Page role); it does not print a per-seat rate to extend to two or ten. Sellio: Free for two seats; Mini at $45 for five, $4 less than Tidio and more than Facebook Chat's $0 for five people; Essentials at $95 for ten, the AI credit included.

Where the two agree, and where they split

Tidio is a live chat and AI for small business built around the chat widget and Lyro; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs. Both have a free plan: Tidio's is 50 conversations a month, Facebook Chat's is the whole inbox is free. Tidio and Facebook Chat both include Instagram in the price; only Tidio has website chat, email and WhatsApp. Neither Tidio nor Facebook Chat includes Telegram outright. Tidio meters AI (Lyro from $32.50/mo) above the seats; Facebook Chat has no AI to bill (none to buy). Neither Tidio nor Facebook Chat has a ticket queue, and only Tidio ships desktop apps. Tidio is an hour; Facebook Chat is none.

What each price leaves out

Tidio: Lyro AI from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, sold separately or bundled. Facebook Chat: No AI agent; instant replies and FAQs are rule-based. Beside Tidio's Lyro from $32.50/mo and Facebook Chat's none to buy, Sellio includes an AI credit with each paid plan. Usage consumes that credit; additional credits cost extra, and you can set a spending cap.

How to decide in an afternoon

  1. Step 1

    Count agents and channels

    Anyone who replies is a seat. List the channels customers actually use.

    5 people reply5 seats
    Website chat61%
    WhatsApp27%
    Email12%
  2. Step 2

    Price the AI you would use

    Estimate monthly conversations the AI could close, then apply each vendor's per-resolution or per-session rate.

    1,200 conversations × 40% AI closes480
    TidioTidioSee vendorNot quoted
    Facebook ChatFacebook ChatSee vendorNot quoted
    Sellio$0.05$19

    Illustrative AI-only estimate; vendor units differ. Pack billing is rounded up. Sellio assumes Mini’s $5 credit and $0.05 per conversation.

  3. Step 3

    Trial the shortlist

    Check each vendor’s trial, free plan or demo terms. Where access is available, test one real channel before committing.

    TidioTidio · 7-day trial
    Facebook ChatFacebook Chat · Not applicable; free
    Sellio · Free plan, no card

    Confirm trial access and limits, then evaluate one real channel on each.

Continue your research

FAQ

Tidio vs Facebook Chat: the questions people ask

Tidio is a live chat and AI for small business built around the chat widget and Lyro; Facebook Chat is a Meta Business Suite inbox built around Messenger and Instagram DMs.

  • Entry plan: Tidio $24.17/mo (Starter: 100 conversations); Facebook Chat $0 (with a Facebook Page).
  • Chat in the price: Tidio From $49.17/mo (Growth: 250+ conversations); Facebook Chat None (the website Chat Plugin was retired in 2024).
  • Sellio: Telegram, which neither Tidio nor Facebook Chat has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Tidio and Facebook Chat rows is on the shared inbox page.

Still have a question? Contact us or browse the docs.

Or the third option: one price, every channel.

Sellio puts website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and email in one inbox with tickets and an AI agent, for $45 to $295 a month per workspace.

Get startedRead the docs

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