Simple Chat vs Tidio
App comparison
Simple Chat vs Tidio
Tidio approaches support from the chat widget up: live chat first, then visual Flows for automation, a ticketing inbox, and Lyro, its AI agent. It carries one of the biggest review counts in the category and placed second in a 2026 scan of 154k Shopify storefronts, appearing on about 31% of stores that had a detectable support app.
Checked against public Shopify App Store listings and vendor pricing pages. List prices change; confirm with the vendor before you buy.
Who each one is for
Pick Tidio when you want a chat widget today at no cost, visual Flows for proactive messages, or social channels on a chat-first product. Pick Simple Chat when email matters as much as chat, you want the inbox inside Shopify Admin, and you’d rather pay per closed AI ticket than size conversation packs.
Pricing
Three products, three meters. Customer Service bills on human conversations, Flows on visitors reached, Lyro on AI conversations. The App Store lists Customer Service from $29/month, Flows from $29/month, and Lyro from $39/month for up to 200 AI conversations; tidio.com/pricing shows annual rates of $24.17/mo for Starter (100 billable conversations) and Lyro from $32.50/mo for 50.
| Line item | Tidio | Simple Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 50 live-chat users, Flows for 100 visitors/mo, ticketing | Development stores free; production usage billing only |
| Human conversations | App Store: $29/mo for 100, $59 for 250–1,000; vendor Starter $24.17/mo annual | $0 when staff reply |
| Lyro AI pack | App Store $39/mo up to 200 conversations; vendor from $32.50/mo for 50 | $0.29 per closed AI conversation, no pack |
| Flows | From $29/mo (App Store) or $24.17/mo annual from 2,000 visitors | Not a separate product |
| Per-seat fee | Not the primary meter; conversation packs apply | None |
| At 1,000 AI conversations | Not a single published pack; Lyro and helpdesk are bought separately and scale with usage | $290 |
There is no single Tidio price to print at 1,000 AI conversations; Lyro and the helpdesk are bought as separate packs that scale with usage. The published anchors: $32.50/mo buys 50 Lyro conversations on annual billing at tidio.com/pricing, and the App Store lists $39/mo for 200. Human conversations bill separately once you outgrow the free plan’s 50-user cap. Simple Chat’s $290 covers AI resolutions only.
Features
Capabilities below are for a typical Shopify store. Plan, channel, and add-on limits apply. Tidio features come from its App Store listing and public docs, not from a paid trial of every SKU.
| Feature | Simple Chat | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ||
| Shopify Admin embedded app | YesShopify Admin app home | —External product + Shopify app |
| Shopify App Store listing | Yes | Yes |
| Built primarily for Shopify support | Yes | Yes |
| No per-seat platform fee | YesNo per-seat fee | YesConversation packs, not seats |
| Shopify usage billing | Yes$0.29 per AI resolution | — |
| Channels | ||
| Storefront live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Email in the same inbox | YesSame inbox as chat | YesTicketing / email chat |
| SMS | — | — |
| Social messaging | — | YesInstagram, Messenger, WhatsApp |
| Video calls | — | Yes |
| AI and Shopify work | ||
| AI resolves support questions | Yes | YesLyro |
| Visual flow builder | — | YesFlows |
| AI on another helpdesk | — | YesLyro standalone |
| Order lookup | YesLookup, cancel, hold, address | YesNative Shopify actions on Lyro |
| AI address validation before changes | YesValidate, then modify | — |
| Shopify Payments chargebacks | YesAI representment drafts | — |
| Product subscriptions | YesSelling plans included | — |
| Back-in-stock alerts | YesWaitlists and restock email | — |
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Simple Chat vs Tidio. Updated August 17, 2026.
Does Tidio have a free plan?
A real one, per the Shopify listing: live chat for 50 users, Flows for up to 100 visitors a month, ticketing, a mobile app, and social integrations. Simple Chat has no free production tier. Development stores run free; production stores pay per AI-closed conversation instead of a subscription.
How is Simple Chat priced next to Tidio’s packs?
Tidio sells usage in packs: Lyro AI conversations in one, billable human conversations in another, Flows by visitors reached. You size them up front and top up when they run out. Simple Chat has nothing to size. Shopify usage billing charges $0.29 when the AI closes a conversation; a thread your team answers costs nothing, and there is no monthly or per-seat fee. Pack prices move, so check tidio.com/pricing for the current numbers.
Can I buy only Tidio’s AI?
You can. Lyro sells standalone on tidio.com/pricing, including for other helpdesks. Simple Chat doesn’t unbundle that way; it is the whole support app for Shopify, chat, email, order tools, and billing in one piece.
Where does my team actually answer tickets?
Tidio gives your team its own panel, web or mobile, connected to Shopify through an integration, which is the normal shape for a chat platform. Simple Chat is built the other way around, as an embedded app: the inbox lives inside Shopify Admin next to orders and customers, with no second product to sign into.
What happens when a chargeback comes in?
If it is a Shopify Payments chargeback and you run Simple Chat, it becomes a thread in the merchant inbox with drafted representment evidence attached, text and PDF, and Shopify Admin’s dispute tools take it from there. Tidio’s listing and docs, as reviewed here, make no mention of chargebacks; it is a chat and automation product, not a disputes product.
Sources and other comparisons
- Tidio on the Shopify App Store (4.8 from 1,252 reviews, free plan available)
- Tidio pricing
- All Simple Chat vs pages
- Three-way feature chart vs Gorgias and Intercom
- Three-way pricing chart vs Gorgias and Intercom
- Simple Chat vs Gorgias
- Simple Chat vs Zendesk
- Simple Chat vs Re:amaze
- Simple Chat vs Intercom
- Simple Chat vs Richpanel
- Simple Chat vs Help Scout
Tidio is a trademark of its owner. Simple Chat is not affiliated with Tidio. Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc. Simple Chat is a third-party Shopify App Store app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Shopify. These pages compare independent App Store products and do not recommend uninstalling Shopify products such as Shopify Inbox. See shopify.com. List prices and review counts verified .