LiveChat charges per seat and has no free plan: Team is $59 per agent a month billed monthly, and Starter at $25 is limited to one user. Tidio charges per workspace, includes 10 seats on every self-serve plan, and prices by conversation volume from $29 a month for 100 conversations.
Because every LiveChat seat is billed, the gap widens with each person you add, and Tidio costs less in all three worked examples. LiveChat makes more sense for a single agent with high chat volume, or for a team that wants per-seat billing with no conversation tiers. Tidio is built for small teams that want several people in the inbox on one price. Details in the LiveChat review, the Tidio review and the guide to per-seat vs per-workspace pricing.
Bottom line
- Tidio is the better pick for almost any team of two or more, because its 10 included seats beat LiveChat's per-agent price in every worked example. Choose LiveChat if you are a single agent with more chats than Tidio's entry tier allows, or you need mobile SDKs on a self-serve plan.
Side by side
| LiveChat | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 5.5 | 6.1 |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Tiers by conversation volume |
| Paid plans from | $19 per seat per month, billed annually | $24.17 per workspace per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | No free plan · 14-day trial | Yes — Free |
| Free plan: Free seats | — | 10 |
| Free plan: Conversations | — | 50 / month |
| Free plan: Chat history | — | Not documented |
| Free plan: Remove branding | — | No |
| Free plan: AI on the free plan | — | 50, one-off |
| Free plan: Beyond website chat | — | Yes |
| AI chatbot | AI Agent (sold in Text and ChatBot.com plans) — billed per resolution | Lyro AI Agent — billed per conversation |
| Channels | Website chat, Email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS | Website chat, Email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp |
| Languages | Widget in 48+ languages | Not documented |
| EU data hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance | GDPR DPA, HIPAA (Enterprise, BAA), CSA STAR | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR DPA (on request), CCPA/CPRA, EU-US Data Privacy Framework |
| Best for | Established teams with budget per agent | Small teams with low, predictable chat volume |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveChat | $118 a month (Team) | $295 a month (Team) | $590 a month (Team) |
| Tidio | $29 a month (Starter) | $129 a month (Growth) | $349 a month (Growth) |
Choose LiveChat if
- you are one person answering many chats: LiveChat Starter is $25 a month billed monthly and is priced by seat, while Tidio's paid tiers are priced by conversation volume, starting at 100 conversations.
- you want mobile SDKs and a public app marketplace: LiveChat documents iOS and Android SDKs and claims 200 marketplace apps, while Tidio's mobile SDK is on the quote-only Premium plan.
- you want to choose EU or US hosting yourself at sign-up, on any plan.
- you prefer a bill that does not change with chat volume: LiveChat's plans are priced per agent, not per conversation.
Choose Tidio if
- several people need to answer chats: every Tidio self-serve plan includes 10 seats, while LiveChat bills each agent at $59 a month on Team.
- you want a free plan to start with: Tidio Free has 10 seats and 50 conversations a month; LiveChat offers a 14-day trial only.
- you want the logo off the widget: Tidio sells a No Tidio branding add-on from Growth, while none of LiveChat's Starter, Team or Business plans lists branding removal.
- you want an AI agent inside the same product: Tidio sells Lyro AI Agent from $39 a month, while LiveChat's AI Agent is sold in separate Text and ChatBot.com plans.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | LiveChat | Tidio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-plan usability | 25% | 1/5 | 2/5 |
| Cost as you add agents | 25% | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| AI billing clarity | 20% | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Channels and integrations | 15% | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Data location and compliance | 15% | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is LiveChat more expensive than Tidio?
For teams, yes. LiveChat Team costs $59 per agent a month billed monthly, so five agents pay five times that, while Tidio's Growth tier for the same team starts at $59 for the whole workspace. For one agent, LiveChat Starter at $25 costs less than Tidio Starter at $29. See LiveChat pricing and Tidio pricing.
Does LiveChat have a free plan like Tidio?
No. LiveChat offers a 14-day free trial and then requires a paid plan. Tidio has a permanent Free plan capped at 50 conversations a month. For free options, see free live chat software.
Which one bills AI more clearly?
LiveChat's AI Agent is priced at $0.99 per resolution, but only in Text and ChatBot.com plans, not in classic LiveChat plans. Tidio's Lyro AI Agent is priced per Lyro conversation, from $39 for 50, and Tidio's own pages disagree on when a returning visitor counts again. The AI billing guide explains both units.
Related pages
- LiveChat reviewreview
- LiveChat pricing explainedpricing
- Tidio reviewreview
- Tidio pricing explainedpricing
- Free-plan audit: does your team fit a free live chat plan?
Sources
- WooCommerce integration — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat pricing — Text · September 18, 2026
- Text pricing (plans with the AI Agent) — Text · September 18, 2026
- ChatBot.com pricing — Text · September 18, 2026
- Pay-per-agent pricing model — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat subscription policy — Text · September 18, 2026
- Data storage policy — Text · September 18, 2026
- Data Processing Addendum — Text · September 18, 2026
- List of sub-processors — Text · September 18, 2026
- How to change the chat widget language — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat Marketplace — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat features — Text · September 18, 2026
- Tidio pricing — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Lyro AI Agent — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- About Tidio — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The free version and downgrading your account — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The monthly conversations limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The Lyro AI agent limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The monthly flow limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Automatic upgrades — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Chat history — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Change and add languages in your chat widget — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Lyro multilanguage support — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Privacy Policy and GDPR compliance — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- How are security matters handled at Tidio — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio trust centre — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio integrations — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio mobile SDK — Tidio · September 18, 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