Tidio and Crisp both charge per workspace, not per agent, but they meter different things. Tidio includes 10 seats on every self-serve plan and prices by conversation volume: Starter is US$29 a month for 100 conversations, and the Growth tiers climb to US$349 a month at 2,000 conversations. Crisp does not cap conversations on any plan and prices by seat bundle instead: Mini is US$45 a month for 4 seats, Essentials US$95 for 10 seats.
That difference decides most choices. Crisp suits teams with steady or growing chat volume, because adding conversations never changes the bill, and its Free plan has no conversation cap for up to 2 agents. Tidio suits teams with many people but few chats: its Free plan admits 10 seats but only 50 conversations a month. See how the two pricing models work, or the full Tidio review and Crisp review.
Bottom line
- Crisp is the better pick for most small teams, because it costs less than Tidio in all three worked examples and never charges for extra conversations. Choose Tidio only if you have more than 4 people answering a small number of chats, or need a SOC 2 report.
Side by side
| Tidio | Crisp | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.1 | 7.2 |
| Pricing model | Tiers by conversation volume | Per workspace |
| Paid plans from | US$24.17 per workspace per month, billed annually | US$45 per workspace per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Yes — Free | Yes — Free |
| Free plan: Free seats | 10 | 2 |
| Free plan: Conversations | 50 / month | Unlimited |
| Free plan: Chat history | Not documented | Not documented |
| Free plan: Remove branding | No | No |
| Free plan: AI on the free plan | 50, one-off | No |
| Free plan: Beyond website chat | Yes | Chat only |
| AI chatbot | Lyro AI Agent — billed per conversation | Hugo — billed per credit |
| Channels | Website chat, Email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp | Website chat, Email, Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, Voice |
| Languages | Not documented | Widget in 60+ languages |
| EU data hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR DPA (on request), CCPA/CPRA, EU-US Data Privacy Framework | GDPR DPA (all plans), EU hosting (all plans), Published sub-processor list, 2FA |
| Best for | Small teams with low, predictable chat volume | Teams wanting flat pricing and EU hosting |
What it costs at 2, 5 and 10 seats
| Product | 2 seats · 100 conversations a month | 5 seats · 500 conversations a month | 10 seats · 2,000 conversations a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | US$29 a month (Starter) | US$129 a month (Growth) | US$349 a month (Growth) |
| Crisp | Free (Free) | US$95 a month (Essentials) | US$95 a month (Essentials) |
Choose Tidio if
- you have five to ten people answering chats but low volume: Tidio Starter at US$29 a month covers all 10 seats up to 100 conversations, while Crisp needs Essentials at US$95 once you pass 4 seats.
- you want to remove the vendor logo without a top-tier plan: Tidio sells a No Tidio branding add-on at US$16.67 a month billed annually from Growth, while Crisp's white label is on Plus at US$295 a month.
- you want AI billing with a published price per unit: Tidio's Lyro AI Agent starts at US$39 a month for 50 Lyro conversations, where Crisp publishes only an estimate of US$0.05–US$0.10 per AI conversation.
- you need a vendor with a SOC 2 Type II report: Tidio lists one; Crisp states it has had no SOC 2 audit.
Choose Crisp if
- your chat volume is high or unpredictable: no Crisp plan caps conversations, while Tidio's Growth tiers rise with every step in volume up to US$349 a month.
- you are a team of two: Crisp Free covers 2 agents with unlimited conversations, while Tidio Free stops at 50 conversations a month and locks new messages at the cap.
- you need channels beyond Tidio's list: Crisp adds Telegram from Mini, and SMS and phone from Essentials.
- you want AI credits included in the plan: Crisp Mini includes US$5 of Hugo credits a month and Essentials US$25, while Tidio's Lyro is a separate purchase after the one-off free allowance.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Tidio | Crisp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-plan usability | 25% | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| Cost as you add agents | 25% | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| AI billing clarity | 20% | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Channels and integrations | 15% | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Data location and compliance | 15% | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Tidio or Crisp cheaper for a team of five?
It depends on volume. At low volume, Tidio Starter at US$29 a month covers five seats up to 100 conversations, which is less than Crisp Essentials at US$95. Once a five-person team needs Tidio's Growth tier for 250 conversations or more, the bill starts at US$59 and passes Crisp Essentials as volume grows. The free-plan audit runs this for your own numbers.
Which free plan is better, Tidio or Crisp?
Crisp Free fits a small team with real traffic: 2 agents and no conversation cap, but a limit of 100 customer profiles. Tidio Free fits a larger team with very few chats: 10 seats, but only 50 conversations a month. Neither lets you remove the vendor logo. More in is a free plan enough.
Do Tidio and Crisp host data in the EU?
Both say so. Tidio states that data is kept in the EEA on every plan, and Crisp states EU hosting and a DPA on every plan. Tidio also lists a SOC 2 Type II report; Crisp states it has none. See EU-hosted live chat.
How do Tidio and Crisp bill for AI?
Tidio bills Lyro AI Agent by Lyro conversation, from US$39 a month for 50, though its own pages disagree on when a returning visitor counts again. Crisp bills Hugo in token-based credits and publishes only an estimate per conversation. The AI billing guide compares both units.
Related pages
- Tidio reviewreview
- Tidio pricing explainedpricing
- Crisp reviewreview
- Crisp pricing explainedpricing
- Free-plan audit: does your team fit a free live chat plan?
Sources
- Tidio pricing — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Lyro AI Agent — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- About Tidio — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The free version and downgrading your account — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The monthly conversations limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The Lyro AI agent limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The monthly flow limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Automatic upgrades — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Chat history — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Change and add languages in your chat widget — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Lyro multilanguage support — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Privacy Policy and GDPR compliance — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- How are security matters handled at Tidio — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio trust centre — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio integrations — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio mobile SDK — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Crisp pricing — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Getting started with the Free plan — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Hugo pricing and billing explained — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- How to increase my limits and quotas — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp EU GDPR compliance status — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp compliance status with SOC 2 — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp compliance with ISO 27001 — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp sub-processors — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- What languages are supported by Crisp — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Chatbox SDKs — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- About Crisp — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp live chat — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp AI Core Update (Hugo launch, AI replies become paid) — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Summer 2026 Crisp product update — Crisp · 18 September 2026
This page was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on it. We have not installed or tested these products ourselves. Method: How we review