TidioShopify InboxTidio vs Shopify Inbox

Tidio vs Shopify Inbox: live chat and AI or free chat

A live chat and AI for small business against a free chat for Shopify stores: Shopify Inbox is $49 a month cheaper for five people. What decides between Tidio and Shopify Inbox, and a third option for small teams.

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

Try the third optionSellio pricing

No credit card. Live in minutes.

The short answer

Pick Tidio if you run a Shopify or WordPress store and want a bot answering FAQs by tonight. Pick Shopify Inbox if you run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view. For five people, Shopify Inbox is $49 a month cheaper than Tidio ($49 or more a month on Tidio against $0 on Shopify Inbox), before AI. Sellio Mini is $45, which only Shopify Inbox's figure comes under. Tidio and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Tidio has email, WhatsApp and Instagram. Neither Tidio nor Shopify Inbox includes Telegram outright. A team of two to ten choosing between Tidio and Shopify Inbox for chat and tickets at one price has a third option below.

At a glanceTidioTidioShopify InboxShopify Inbox
Built aroundThe chat widget and Lyro · billed by conversations, not seatsThe storefront chat · free with a Shopify plan
Entry plan$24.17/mo · Starter: 100 conversations$0 · with any Shopify plan
Chat in the priceFrom $49.17/mo · Growth: 250+ conversations$0 · storefront and Shop app
AI agentLyro from $32.50/mo · 50 conversationsIncluded · AI chat from the catalog and policies
Copilot for agentsIncluded · reply assistantIncluded · suggested replies
Free planYes · 50 conversations a monthYes · the app 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. Shopify Inbox has no ticket queue either.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    As a chat on the storefront or in the Shop app, with the cart and orders 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 Shopify Inbox.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    There is no seat price; staff are limited by the Shopify plan's staff accounts. $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. Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    The AI chat learns the catalog and policies and is included; there is nothing to meter. 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. email, WhatsApp and Instagram are here and not on Shopify Inbox.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Storefront chat and the Shop app; no email, WhatsApp, Instagram or Telegram in the inbox. Tidio adds email, WhatsApp and Instagram, which Shopify Inbox lacks.

  5. 05

    Beyond the inbox

    TidioTidio

    Flows, the visual bot builder, and email campaigns for small ecommerce teams. Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores instead.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Product recommendations, discount codes and order updates inside the chat. 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. Shopify Inbox is minutes.

    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox

    Minutes: install the app from the Shopify admin. Tidio is an hour.

Sources: Tidio pricing · Shopify Inbox 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 Shopify Inbox conversation: the chat with the customer's cart and orders on the side
Shopify InboxShopify Inbox. The Shopify Inbox conversation: the chat with the customer's cart and orders on the side

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

Tidio, Shopify Inbox 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.

FeatureTidioTidioShopify InboxShopify InboxSellio

Pricing

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

Channels

Website live chat
Yes.
Storefront and Shop app
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.
Not offered
From Mini: WhatsApp Business API, several agents on one number
Instagram DMs
Paid plans.
No longer connected
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.
Learns the catalog
Crawl your site, upload PDFs and FAQs; answers only from those
How AI is billed
From $32.50/mo for 50 conversations.
Included
Metered from an included credit, with caps you set
AI hands off to a person
Lyro hands to an operator.
Hands to staff
On low confidence, a keyword, or a teammate taking over

Support operations

Tickets
Ticketing on paid plans, email-style.
Chats only
On Plus: raise from any chat; customer, back-office and tracker
Visual workflow automation
Flows, visitor-count limited.
Instant answers, greetings
From Mini: 11 triggers, 18 actions, no code
Analytics and CSAT
Analytics on Growth and up.
Assisted orders
From Essentials: response times, resolution, CSAT; topics and email reports on Plus

Apps

Desktop app (Windows, macOS)
Desktop apps available.
Admin 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 email, WhatsApp and Instagram in the price, which Shopify Inbox does not include outright.
  • You want native desktop apps, which Shopify Inbox does not ship.

Pick Shopify Inbox if

  • You run a Shopify store and want free chat with the cart in view.
  • One channel is enough and you do not need tickets.
  • Five people cost $49 a month less than on Tidio ($0 against $49), before AI.
  • You want the AI in the seat price (included) rather than Tidio's meter at Lyro from $32.50/mo.

The third option: Sellio

  • Two to ten of you answer chat, messaging and email. Compare Sellio's workspace plans with $49 or more a month on Tidio against $0 on Shopify Inbox for five people, including each product's limits.
  • The AI invoice should be known in advance: Tidio meters AI (Lyro from $32.50/mo) above the seats and Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan, where Sellio's credit is included and capped by you.
  • You need Telegram and tickets raised from a chat, which neither Tidio nor Shopify Inbox 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. Shopify Inbox: $0 a month for five (free; five staff need the Shopify plan that allows them); 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 Shopify Inbox'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; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat. Both have a free plan: Tidio's is 50 conversations a month, Shopify Inbox's is the app is free. Tidio and Shopify Inbox both include website chat in the price; only Tidio has email, WhatsApp and Instagram. Neither Tidio nor Shopify Inbox includes Telegram outright. Tidio meters AI (Lyro from $32.50/mo) above the seats; Shopify Inbox folds AI (included) into the plan. Neither Tidio nor Shopify Inbox has a ticket queue, and only Tidio ships desktop apps. Tidio is an hour; Shopify Inbox is minutes.

What each price leaves out

Tidio: Lyro AI from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, sold separately or bundled. Shopify Inbox: AI chat and suggested replies included. Beside Tidio's Lyro from $32.50/mo and Shopify Inbox's included, 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
    Shopify InboxShopify InboxSee 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
    Shopify InboxShopify Inbox · 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 Shopify Inbox: the questions people ask

Tidio is a live chat and AI for small business built around the chat widget and Lyro; Shopify Inbox is a free chat for Shopify stores built around the storefront chat.

  • Entry plan: Tidio $24.17/mo (Starter: 100 conversations); Shopify Inbox $0 (with any Shopify plan).
  • Chat in the price: Tidio From $49.17/mo (Growth: 250+ conversations); Shopify Inbox $0 (storefront and Shop app).
  • Sellio: Telegram, which neither Tidio nor Shopify Inbox has outright, plus the rest of the five, on every paid plan.

Sellio's side of the Tidio and Shopify Inbox 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

No credit card required