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Live Chat · head to head

Freshchat vs Tidio

Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tidio logo

Tidio

Live Chat

Customer service platform driven by live chat

From
$24.17/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshchat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting; Tidio free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • They diverge on capability: Freshchat covers Campaigns, Tidio covers Visitor tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshchat and Tidio actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshchat and Tidio differ
AttributeFreshchatTidio
Starting priceFree$24.17/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud-based SaaS
Founded20102013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Freshchat

  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshdesk
  • Freshsales
  • Slack
  • Zendesk

Only in Tidio

  • Visitor tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Mobile apps
  • Canned responses
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • BigCommerce
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Shopify
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Freshchat

  • Live chat on a website or in an appnot Tidio
  • Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot Tidio
  • Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot Tidio
  • Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot Tidio

Tidio

  • Live chat customer support across web and mobilenot Freshchat
  • AI-powered customer service automation with Lyro AI Agentnot Freshchat
  • Ticketing and conversation management for support teamsnot Freshchat
  • Multi-agent support with team collaboration featuresnot Freshchat

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Freshchat

  • The free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • Reporting and social channels need Growth at $19 per agent per month billed annually
  • Intelligent routing, multilingual support and custom dashboards require Pro at $49 per agent per month
  • Skill-based routing, audit logs and IP whitelisting are Enterprise only at $79 per agent per month
  • Freddy AI is charged on top of the seat price, at $49 per 100 agent sessions and $29 per agent per month for Copilot

Tidio

  • Free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • Advanced analytics, user permissions, and macros excluded from Free and Starter tiers
  • Custom branding, multiproject, and department features only available in Plus tier ($300+/month)
  • Guaranteed AI resolution rates (50% minimum) only in Premium tier; Premium pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 agents
    • Chat widget for web and mobile
    • Shared inbox
  • Growth$19/month
    • Per agent, billed annually
    • Social media messengers, SMS/text messaging
    • Reporting and analytics
  • Pro$49/month
    • Per agent, billed annually (marked Most Popular)
    • Multilingual conversations
    • Custom dashboards, intelligent routing
  • Enterprise$79/month
    • Per agent, billed annually
    • Skill-based routing, audit logs
    • JWT authentication, IP whitelisting

Tidio

$24.17/month
  • Starter$24.17/month
    • 100 billable conversations
    • 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations
    • 100 Flows visitors reached
  • Growth$49.17/month
    • 250+ billable conversations
    • Advanced analytics
    • User permissions
  • Plus$300/month
    • Custom billable conversations
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated Success Manager
  • Premium$null/custom
    • 3000+ Lyro AI conversations
    • Guaranteed 50% Lyro AI resolution rate
    • Pay-per-resolution billing option

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshchat if

  • You need campaigns.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want whatsapp.
Freshchat review

Choose Tidio if

  • You need visitor tracking.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want email marketing.
Tidio review

Questions people ask

Is Freshchat or Tidio better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshchat starts at Free and Tidio at $24.17/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshchat or Tidio?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshchat and $24.17/month for Tidio.
Does Freshchat or Tidio run on more platforms?
Freshchat runs on Web, Ios, Android. Tidio runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Freshchat for free?
Yes. Freshchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tidio starts at $24.17/month.
What is Freshchat best used for?
Freshchat is most often used for live chat on a website or in an app, shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers, chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agent, routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiers. Of those, live chat on a website or in an app and shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers are not what Tidio is typically brought in for.
What can Freshchat do that Tidio cannot?
Freshchat covers Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram, Apple Business Chat. Tidio covers Visitor tracking, Email marketing, Mobile apps, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, Chatbots, Shopify, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshchat: What is the cost of Freshchat's Growth plan?

Growth plan costs $19 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes social media messengers, SMS/text messaging, and reporting. AI agent features are available as an add-on at $49 per 100 sessions.

Source
Tidio: What is the cheapest way to start with Tidio?

The Starter plan at $24.17/month (annual billing) includes 100 billable conversations, live chat, ticketing, and basic analytics. Annual billing provides 2 months free compared to monthly billing.

Source
Freshchat: Does Freshchat offer a free trial?

Yes. Freshchat provides a 14-day free trial with full Enterprise plan access. After trial expiration, the Free plan supports up to 10 agents at $0/month, with no cancellation fees.

Source
Tidio: Does Tidio offer a free trial?

Yes, Tidio provides a 7-day free trial that does not require a credit card and automatically downgrades to the free plan unless you upgrade after the trial ends.

Source
Freshchat: How much does Freshchat's Pro plan cost?

The Pro plan (marked Most Popular) costs $49 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes multilingual conversations, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, and multiple SLA policies. AI Copilot is available as an add-on at $29/agent/month.

Source
Tidio: How much does Lyro AI Agent cost?

Lyro AI Agent is an add-on starting at $32.50/month for 50 conversations. It is available on all plans and can be added separately from the base subscription.

Source
Tidio: What are Tidio's billable conversation limits?

Starter includes 100 billable conversations per month. Growth includes 250+. Plus and Premium have custom limits. Each plan tier includes conversations for the AI Agent feature separately.

Source
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