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Tidio vs Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Tidio logo

Tidio

Live Chat

Customer service platform driven by live chat

From
$24.17/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations logo

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Live Chat

Omnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tidio free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade; Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • They diverge on capability: Tidio covers Chatbots, Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers SMS messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tidio and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations actually diverge.

Attributes where Tidio and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations differ
AttributeTidioZendesk Sunshine Conversations
Starting price$24.17/monthOn request
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20132015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Tidio

  • Chatbots
  • Visitor tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Mobile apps
  • Canned responses
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Wix

Only in Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • SMS messaging
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp integration
  • Salesforce
  • Zendesk Support
  • Slack
  • API
  • Mobile app support

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Tidio

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

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Customer engagementnot Tidio
  • Lead generationnot Tidio
  • Customer supportnot Tidio
  • Sales automationnot Tidio

Where each one falls short

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

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

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • Low included monthly active users (1,000 MAU) and notifications (1,000) necessitate paid add-ons for most businesses
  • Custom implementations require developer resources for webhooks and API configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

On request
  • Team$19/month
    • Chat + messaging
    • Basic features
    • Limited agents
  • Growth$49/month
    • Omnichannel
    • Advanced automation
    • Routing
  • Professional$99/month
    • All features
    • Custom workflows
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Tidio if

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

Choose Zendesk Sunshine Conversations if

  • You need sms messaging.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want facebook messenger.
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations review

Questions people ask

Is Tidio or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations better?
Neither clearly leads. Tidio starts at $24.17/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tidio or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?
Tidio starts at $24.17/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request.
Does Tidio or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations run on more platforms?
Tidio runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Tidio best used for?
Tidio is most often used for live chat customer support across web and mobile, ai-powered customer service automation with lyro ai agent, ticketing and conversation management for support teams, multi-agent support with team collaboration features. Of those, live chat customer support across web and mobile and ai-powered customer service automation with lyro ai agent are not what Zendesk Sunshine Conversations is typically brought in for.
What can Tidio do that Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot?
Tidio covers Chatbots, Visitor tracking, Email marketing, Mobile apps. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers SMS messaging, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp integration, Salesforce. Both handle Live chat, Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: Can I buy Zendesk Sunshine Conversations standalone?

No. Sunshine Conversations is only available with Zendesk Suite Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus plans. It cannot be purchased as a standalone product.

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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What messaging channels does Sunshine Conversations support?

Sunshine Conversations connects 15+ messaging channels including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, and provides a Web Widget for on-site chat.

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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What are the usage limits on Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?

The base includes 1,000 Monthly Active Users and 1,000 notifications per month. Additional usage requires $50 add-ons for each 2,500 MAU pack or $50 for each 25,000 notification pack.

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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