Comparison
Tidio vs Intercom
Tidio is the cheaper way into chat for a small store, with AI (Lyro) and branding removal sold as add-ons. Intercom (Fin) is an enterprise suite priced per seat plus $0.99 per AI outcome. For a small team wanting AI answers, inbox and tickets at a predictable price, neither bill is simple; SupportLime charges one flat fee for AI replies with unlimited seats.
Side by side
| Tidio | Intercom | SupportLime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Starter $29, Growth from $59, Plus from $300 per month (monthly rates) | Essential $29/seat, Advanced $85/seat, Expert $132/seat per month (annual rates) | Flat monthly: Free, $29, $79, $199 |
| What you pay for | Three meters: human conversations, Lyro AI conversations ($0.50–$0.65 each), Flows visitors | Fin AI agent $0.99 per outcome, 50-outcome monthly minimum when used standalone | AI replies only (1 reply = 1 reply) |
| Teammates | Up to 10 on Free, more on paid | Per seat, every teammate costs | Unlimited teammates on every paid plan |
| Remove branding | $16.67/month add-on on Growth; not available on Free or Starter | n/a | No branding on paid plans, no extra fee |
| When you hit the limit | Lyro stops when its allowance is used | Billed per outcome, including "assumed" resolutions when a visitor goes quiet | Assistant pauses, inbox keeps working |
| Setup | Quick install; the pricing calculator takes longer | Workflows, seat admin, onboarding | One script tag, 5-minute setup |
| Human inbox and tickets | Yes | Yes, per seat | Inbox, takeover, tickets included |
Figures from each vendor's public pricing page and reviews, checked October 2026. Full write-ups: Tidio alternative, Intercom alternative.
What people say
- Tidio
“They doubled my rate without notifying me and charged me for an entire year… I then tried cancel and they would not refund.”
Trustpilot, October 2025 - Tidio
“The entry price rarely reflects what you'll actually pay”
Drag, Tidio pricing breakdown, October 2026 - Intercom
“tickets that take a human 1 min to respond to now cost you $0.99 ($60+/hour)”
Hacker News, June 2026 - Intercom
“we would be forcibly migrated to seat-based pricing… paying 3 to 4 times our current expenditure”
Hacker News, May 2025
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper for a two-person team?
- Tidio, until you add Lyro and remove branding, at which point it is close to Intercom's Essential tier before outcomes. SupportLime Starter at $29 includes both.
- Which has the better AI?
- Both answer from your content. Intercom's Fin is more mature for large help centres; Tidio's Lyro is simpler. SupportLime shows sources under every answer and hands off instead of guessing.
Other comparisons
Or skip both
SupportLime: AI answers with sources, inbox and tickets, unlimited teammates, one flat price. Free plan, no card.