Tidio vs Crisp: metered conversations or a flat price per workspace?
Tidio and Crisp are both friendly, small-business live chat tools with a shared inbox, chatbots, an AI agent and channels like WhatsApp and Instagram. Feature lists barely separate them. Their pricing does: Tidio charges for conversations, while Crisp charges a fixed monthly price per workspace with seats and AI credits included. That choice matters more than any single feature, so this guide starts there.
Quick answer
Crisp charges a flat price per workspace: free for 2 seats, then $45, $95 or $295 a month, with AI credits and seats included and WhatsApp from Essentials. Tidio starts cheaper at $29 a month but charges by human conversations, plus Lyro AI from $39 for 50 AI conversations. Busy teams usually pay less on Crisp; quiet ones on Tidio.
Two pricing models
Tidio's bill rises with the number of chats your team and its AI handle. Crisp's bill is fixed per workspace and rises only when you change plan or add seats.
Tidio: pay for conversations
A plan sets how many human-answered conversations you get a month. Lyro AI conversations and Flows automation are separate meters. Up to 10 seats on self-serve plans at no extra cost.
Crisp: pay for the workspace
One price per workspace with a set number of seats and an AI credit allowance. Extra seats cost $10 a month. Conversations are not counted on the paid plans' cards.
Flat pricing has a downside too: you pay the same in a quiet month as in a busy one, and seasonal businesses may prefer Tidio's ability to drop to a smaller tier. Crisp softens this in other ways: its FAQ mentions 20% off three additional Essentials or Plus workspaces for multi-brand businesses, and 50% off for nonprofits and students. Tidio's lever is annual billing, which gives two months free.
We build ReplyKit, which uses a third model, a reply allowance; we mention it once at the end. Both Tidio and Crisp are good products for website chat.
Tidio and Crisp prices in one table
| Tier | Tidio (monthly) | Crisp (monthly, per workspace) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0: 50 human conversations, 50 Lyro conversations once | $0: 2 seats, no AI listed |
| Entry paid | Starter $29: 100 conversations | Mini $45: 4 seats, $5 AI credits (about 90 automated conversations) |
| Main plan | Growth from $59: 250 to 2,000 conversations | Essentials $95: 10 seats, AI chatbot, WhatsApp, $25 AI credits (about 450) |
| Upper plan | Plus from $300 plus usage | Plus $295: 20 seats, AI agent connections, $75 AI credits (about 1,350) |
| AI agent | Lyro from $39 for 50 AI conversations | Included through AI credits |
| Trial | 7 days, no card | 14 days, no card |
Checked October 2026 on Tidio's pricing page and Crisp's pricing page. Tidio's annual billing gives two months free; Crisp's listed prices exclude VAT. Crisp's automated conversation counts are its own estimates of what the AI credits cover.
How each bill grows with volume
On Tidio, doubling your chat volume roughly doubles the bill. On Crisp, it usually changes nothing until you need more seats or AI credits.
| Human conversations a month | Tidio plan (monthly) | Crisp Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Starter, $29 | $95 |
| 250 | Growth, $59 | $95 |
| 600 | Growth, about $129 | $95 |
| 1,000 | Growth, about $179 | $95 |
| 2,000 | Growth, about $349 | $95 |
Tidio's steps above 250 come from its calculator as recorded in our Tidio pricing guide. The crossover sits around 400 to 600 human conversations a month: below it Tidio is cheaper, above it Crisp's flat price wins, before AI on either side.
Lyro against Crisp's AI credits
Tidio sells AI by the conversation; Crisp includes a dollar amount of AI credits in each paid plan. On published numbers, Crisp's included AI goes much further.
Lyro costs about $0.78 per AI conversation on the smallest tier and about $0.70 from 200 a month, and Tidio states a 75% average resolution rate for Lyro, which is its own figure. Crisp's Essentials plan includes $25 of AI credits that Crisp estimates at about 450 automated conversations, which works out to roughly 6 cents each. Crisp does not explain on the pricing page how credits are used per answer, so long or complex answers may use more. Ask during the trial what happens when credits run out.
WhatsApp and other channels
Both connect to WhatsApp through Meta's business platform. Tidio includes it on every plan; on Crisp, WhatsApp comes with the omnichannel inbox on Essentials and above.
- Tidio: 1,000 free support messages per number a month, including Lyro and Flows replies, then the local WhatsApp rate with no Tidio markup and an optional spending cap, per Tidio's WhatsApp page.
- Crisp: a shared inbox for the WhatsApp Business Platform, with templates to reach customers after the 24-hour window and no-code chatbots, per Crisp's WhatsApp page. The page does not state message fees.
The underlying rule is Meta's: since 1 October 2026, service replies are free only for the first 1,000 per number each month. If WhatsApp is a big channel for you, read our API pricing explainer before choosing.
A five-person team, worked out
A hypothetical home furnishings store has 5 people on chat, about 600 human-answered conversations and 300 AI-answered conversations a month. Monthly billing.
| Line | Tidio | Crisp Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Helpdesk | Growth at 600 conversations, about $129 | $95, 10 seats included |
| AI | Lyro, 300 conversations, about $210 | Within $25 of included credits, by Crisp's estimate |
| Seats | 5 of 10 included | 5 of 10 included |
| Total | About $339 | $95 plus VAT |
For this store Crisp is far cheaper on paper. Flip it to a solo owner with 80 chats a month and 30 AI answers: Tidio Starter plus the smallest Lyro tier is $68, while Crisp Mini is $45 with AI credits, or the free plan without AI. Tidio wins only when volume is small and you want Tidio's Shopify-friendly flows.
Tidio or Crisp: the short list
Tidio fits when
- You handle under a few hundred chats a month.
- You run a Shopify or WordPress store and want ready-made flows.
- You want to buy AI separately and scale it month by month.
Crisp fits when
- Your chat volume is high or growing fast.
- You want a predictable monthly bill.
- You need several seats and AI without separate meters.
More options sit in our lists of Tidio alternatives and Crisp alternatives.
If WhatsApp is your main channel
We build ReplyKit, so this part is our own pitch. Tidio and Crisp are website-chat tools first. If most of your customers reach you on WhatsApp, ReplyKit answers there and on your website from your own content, books appointments and flags hot leads, for $29 to $99 a month with a fixed reply allowance and no Meta fees.
It connects by QR code as a linked device, an unofficial method Meta does not sanction, so a number can be restricted; use a dedicated number. It has no Instagram, Messenger, email, help center or integrations beyond CSV export, so for a full website helpdesk, Tidio or Crisp is the better choice. To test the WhatsApp side, start a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crisp cheaper than Tidio?
For busy teams, usually yes, because Crisp charges a flat price per workspace while Tidio charges by conversation. For a solo owner with under about 250 chats a month, Tidio's $29 Starter plan is cheaper than Crisp's paid plans.
Does Crisp have an AI agent like Tidio's Lyro?
Yes. Crisp includes AI through credits on its paid plans, with an AI chatbot from Essentials and AI agent connections on Plus. Tidio sells Lyro separately by AI conversation, from $39 a month for 50.
Does Crisp charge per seat?
Not in the usual way. Each Crisp plan includes a set number of seats per workspace, 4 on Mini, 10 on Essentials and 20 on Plus, and extra seats cost $10 a month each.
Do Tidio and Crisp support WhatsApp?
Yes. Tidio includes WhatsApp on every plan with 1,000 free support messages per number a month. Crisp includes WhatsApp in its omnichannel inbox from the Essentials plan.
Which has a better free plan?
Tidio's free plan includes 50 human conversations a month and 50 Lyro AI conversations once. Crisp's free plan includes 2 seats but no AI credits on the plan card.
Can I switch from Tidio to Crisp easily?
Yes, both install with a snippet on your website, so switching the widget is quick. You will need to rebuild chatbots, AI knowledge and saved replies, and reconnect WhatsApp and other channels.
Customers mostly on WhatsApp?
ReplyKit answers WhatsApp and website chat from your content with a flat reply allowance. Try it free for 7 days, no credit card.
Sources and further reading
- Tidio, Pricing · plans, billable conversations, Lyro and Flows starting prices, seats, trial, checked October 2026
- Tidio, WhatsApp integration · 1,000 free support messages per number, local rates with no markup
- Crisp, Pricing · workspace prices, seats, $10 extra seat, AI credits and estimated automated conversations, trial, checked October 2026
- Crisp, WhatsApp integration · shared inbox for the WhatsApp Business Platform, templates, chatbots
- 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.