Tidio vs Chatbase: a helpdesk with AI, or an AI agent you build yourself?
Tidio and Chatbase both put an AI that answers from your content on your website, and both can reach WhatsApp. They come at it from opposite sides. Tidio is a live chat helpdesk for human agents that added an AI, Lyro. Chatbase is an AI agent builder that lets you pick models, add actions and connect channels, with humans as the add-on. That changes what you pay for and who should set it up.
Quick answer
Choose Tidio if people on your team still answer many chats and you want a simple AI on top: free for 50 human chats, Lyro from $39 for 50 AI conversations. Choose Chatbase if the AI does most of the work and you want control over models and actions: Hobby $40 a month for 700 message credits, Basic $150 for 4,000. Both connect WhatsApp.
Opposite starting points
Tidio is built for a team answering chats, with AI to take the easy ones. Chatbase is built for an AI answering chats, with tools to connect it to other systems.
| Tidio | Chatbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | Live chat helpdesk plus Lyro AI | AI agent builder |
| AI pricing | Per AI conversation | Per message credit, varying by model |
| Choice of AI model | No, Tidio manages it | Yes, economical to premium models |
| Actions (booking, lookups) | Through Flows | AI actions per agent: 5, 8 or 12 by plan |
| Free plan | Yes | No; 7-day trial on paid plans |
| Best for | Stores with a team answering chat | Businesses that want the AI to do most of the work |
We build ReplyKit, an AI agent for WhatsApp and website chat, so we have a view here; we keep our own product to one section near the end.
Chatbase plans and add-ons
Chatbase has three self-serve plans, now called Hobby, Basic and Business, with 20% off for yearly billing.
| Chatbase plan | Monthly | Billed yearly, per month | Message credits | Members | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $40 | $32 | 700 | 2 | 1 agent, 5 actions, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Shopify, Calendly |
| Basic | $150 | $120 | 4,000 | 3 | API, Zapier, helpdesk and CRM integrations, voice and outbound campaigns |
| Business | $500 | $400 | 15,000 | 5 | Advanced analytics, source suggestions, tickets as a source |
Add-ons: extra credits at $40 per 1,000 (they never expire), an extra AI agent at $300 a year, extra storage at $300 per 10 MB a year, and removing the "Powered by Chatbase" label at $1,188 a year. Checked October 2026 on Chatbase's pricing page. Our Chatbase pricing guide was written when the middle and top plans were still called Standard and Pro; the prices and credit counts are the same.
Tidio plans and Lyro
Tidio splits its price into human conversations and AI conversations. You can buy Lyro without a paid helpdesk plan.
- Helpdesk: Free for 50 human-answered conversations a month, Starter $29 for 100, Growth from $59 for 250 up to 2,000.
- Lyro AI: from $39 a month ($32.50 annually) for 50 AI conversations; about $140 for 200 and $700 for 1,000.
- Seats: up to 10 on self-serve plans.
From Tidio's pricing page, October 2026, with per-tier Lyro prices from Tidio's calculator as recorded in our Tidio pricing guide. Every Tidio account also gets 50 Lyro conversations once, free.
Turning credits into conversations
A Lyro conversation is a whole chat; a Chatbase credit is spent on each AI reply, and premium models use several credits per reply. To compare, convert both to cost per conversation.
Our Chatbase pricing guide recorded Chatbase's FAQ as charging 1 credit per reply on economical models, 2 on most advanced models and 4 or 5 on the heaviest reasoning models, with actions able to add a second request. If an average customer chat has 4 AI replies:
| Credits per reply | Credits per chat (4 replies) | Chats from Hobby's 700 credits | Cost per chat on extra credits ($40 per 1,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 175 | $0.16 |
| 2 | 8 | 87 | $0.32 |
| 4 | 16 | 43 | $0.64 |
Lyro costs about $0.70 to $0.78 per conversation regardless of length. So Chatbase is cheaper per chat on economical models and similar on the heaviest ones. Count your real replies per chat in a week of history before trusting either figure.
Human handoff and the inbox
Tidio's strength is what happens when the AI cannot help: the chat drops into a full live chat inbox where your team picks it up with history, macros and ticketing. That is its core product.
Chatbase is AI-first. Its higher plans connect to helpdesks such as Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, HubSpot and Zoho Desk so the AI can pass chats to people there, which means paying for that helpdesk too. If your team answers many chats every day, Tidio's single tool is simpler. If the AI answers almost everything and handoffs are rare, Chatbase's approach works well.
WhatsApp on both
Both list WhatsApp. Tidio publishes a clear allowance; Chatbase lists WhatsApp as an integration on every plan.
Tidio gives each WhatsApp number 1,000 free support messages a month, including Lyro replies, then charges the local WhatsApp rate with no markup and an optional spending cap, per Tidio's WhatsApp page. On Chatbase, every AI reply on WhatsApp also uses message credits. Both run on Meta's official platform, where since 1 October 2026 service replies are charged after 1,000 free per business number each month. Our API pricing explainer covers who pays Meta on each kind of tool.
A physiotherapy clinic, priced both ways
A hypothetical physiotherapy clinic gets about 300 AI-handled chats a month on its website and WhatsApp, averaging 4 AI replies each, plus about 60 chats a person answers. Monthly billing.
| Line | Tidio | Chatbase, economical model | Chatbase, advanced model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan | Starter $29 (60 human chats is over Free's 50) | Hobby $40, 700 credits | Basic $150, 4,000 credits |
| AI | Lyro at 300, about $210 | 1,200 credits needed: 1,000 extra = $40 | 2,400 credits, within plan |
| Human chats | In Tidio's inbox | Need a separate inbox or helpdesk | Helpdesk integrations available |
| Total | About $239 | About $80 | $150 |
Chatbase is cheaper on AI for this clinic, especially on an economical model. Tidio costs more but includes the inbox where staff handle the 60 human chats. Unused Chatbase plan credits reset monthly, while extra credits bought separately never expire.
Pick Tidio if, pick Chatbase if
Pick Tidio if
- Your team answers a lot of chats and needs a proper inbox.
- You want simple, per-conversation AI pricing.
- You run a store and want Flows for carts and orders.
- You want a free plan to start.
Pick Chatbase if
- The AI should handle almost every chat.
- You want to choose the model and build actions.
- You need API access or many integrations on Basic.
- You already have a helpdesk for handoffs.
See also our lists of Chatbase alternatives and Tidio alternatives.
If you want WhatsApp handled end to end
We build ReplyKit, so read this as a vendor speaking. ReplyKit is an AI agent for WhatsApp and website chat with a shared inbox, one-click handoff that pauses the AI, its own booking with reminders, and a hot, warm and cold leads list. Plans are $29, $49 or $99 a month with a fixed reply allowance, AI included and no Meta fees.
The limits: it connects WhatsApp by QR code as a linked device, an unofficial route Meta does not sanction, so a number can be restricted; use a dedicated number. You cannot pick models or build custom actions, and there are no integrations beyond CSV export, so Chatbase suits builders better and Tidio suits store helpdesks better. To try it on your own questions, start a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatbase cheaper than Tidio?
For AI-heavy use on economical models, usually yes. Chatbase Hobby is $40 a month for 700 message credits, which can cover over 150 short chats, while Tidio's Lyro costs about $0.70 to $0.78 per AI conversation. Tidio includes a full human inbox, which Chatbase does not focus on.
What is a Chatbase message credit?
It is Chatbase's unit of AI usage. Each AI reply uses one or more credits depending on the model, and actions can add requests. Plan credits reset monthly; extra credits cost $40 per 1,000 and never expire.
Does Chatbase have a free plan?
Chatbase's pricing page does not list a free plan. Each paid plan starts with a 7-day trial. Tidio has a permanent free plan with 50 human-answered conversations a month.
Can Tidio and Chatbase answer on WhatsApp?
Yes. Tidio includes WhatsApp on every plan with 1,000 free support messages per number a month. Chatbase lists WhatsApp as an integration on every plan, and AI replies there use message credits.
Which is easier for a non-technical owner?
Tidio is usually easier because the AI and the human inbox are one product with few settings. Chatbase gives more control over models and actions, which is powerful but takes more setup.
Can I choose the AI model on Tidio?
No. Tidio manages Lyro's model for you. Chatbase lets you choose between economical and premium models, which changes how many credits each reply uses.
Want AI on WhatsApp without counting credits?
ReplyKit answers WhatsApp and website chat from your content with a flat reply allowance. Start free for 7 days, no credit card.
Sources and further reading
- Chatbase, Pricing · Hobby, Basic and Business prices, credits, members, actions, integrations including WhatsApp, add-ons, trial, checked October 2026
- Tidio, Pricing · helpdesk plans, Lyro starting price, seats, free plan, checked October 2026
- Tidio, WhatsApp integration · 1,000 free support messages per number, local rates with no markup
- ReplyKit, Chatbase pricing explained · credits per reply by model type, from Chatbase's FAQ
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing · service message charges after 1,000 free per number from 1 October 2026
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. Prices and features for other vendors are taken from their public pages as checked in October 2026 and may change. This article is general guidance, not financial or legal advice.