The Tidio alternative without three meters
Chatonbo is a flat-price AI chat agent: $19/mo for 5,000 AI conversations, AI included, branding removal included, and your bot never stops answering because a credit ran out. If you are leaving Tidio over Lyro pricing, Flows fees, or surprise upgrades, this is the boring-bill alternative.
Verdict: Chatonbo is the better fit for a store or small business that wants the AI to answer most chats at one flat price; Tidio is the better fit for a team that answers most chats by hand in a live-chat inbox and wants a visual flow builder, with Lyro AI as an overflow add-on.
| At a glance | Chatonbo | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price with AI answers | $19/mo flat (Pro: 5,000 AI chats a month) | Starter $24.17/mo yearly ($29 month to month) plus Lyro AI from $32.50/mo for 50 AI conversations |
| Price at about 5,000 chats a month | $19/mo, same flat price (Business $59/mo for 10,000) | Plus tier from $300/mo plus a Lyro AI pack sized in the Tidio dashboard |
| AI answers from your own content | Yes. Drafted from your website in about 2 minutes, answers from your pages, documents and catalog | Yes, Lyro answers from scraped FAQs and limited uploads, metered per AI conversation |
| Shopify cart and order lookup | Yes. Shopify app with product cards, add to cart and order lookup, included in paid plans | Basic Shopify app, no product recommendations; order lookup on higher tiers or add-ons |
| Languages | 50+ languages, auto-detected from what the visitor writes | Limited language support, manual translation |
| Install time | Median 6 minutes from signup to live; one script tag or the app; white-glove install included | Script or app, then flows built by hand in the visual builder |
| Free plan | Yes. 1 assistant, 250 chats a month | Yes. 50 conversations a month, no Lyro AI |
Competitor prices as listed on the vendor's own pricing page or app listing, checked September 2026, and subject to change. Chatonbo prices as of October 2026. Full Chatonbo plans: chatonbo.com/pricing.
Why merchants leave Tidio
Tidio is a capable product. The complaints are almost never about the chat widget. They are about the bill. Tidio meters three things separately: your base plan conversations, Lyro AI conversations (a separate add-on), and Flows automation triggers. Each one has its own allowance and its own price ladder.
In practice that means the advertised plan price and the real monthly cost are different numbers. Tidio's own pricing page (September 2026) lists Growth from $49.17/mo, Lyro from $32.50/mo and Flows from $24.17/mo, so a realistic Growth plan with Lyro and Flows starts around $106 per month before usage, against a $49.17 headline. On the free and Starter plans, Lyro answers a one-off lifetime allowance of conversations and then goes quiet.
Chatonbo takes the opposite approach: one flat price, AI included, and a written Fair Billing Guarantee that your bill will not change because you had a good month.
Chatonbo vs Tidio at a glance
| Chatonbo | Tidio + Lyro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly, AI included | Base plan + Lyro AI add-on + Flows add-on (three meters) |
| AI conversations at ~$59/mo | 10,000 (Business, flat) | Growth + Lyro + Flows starts around $106/mo before usage* |
| Entry price with real AI | $19/mo, 5,000 AI conversations | Lyro add-on from ~$32.50/mo for 50 AI conversations* |
| Bot behavior at the limit | Keeps answering, we email you | Lyro stops answering after the allowance on free/Starter* |
| Automatic plan upgrades | Never | Reported auto-upgrades near quota* |
| Remove branding | Included in Pro ($19/mo) | Extra monthly fee* |
| Order lookup / product cards (Shopify) | Included in paid plans | Higher tiers / add-ons |
| Free done-for-you installation | Yes, on every plan | Not offered |
| Export your Q&A and leads | CSV on every plan; your knowledge is yours | Not listed on the pricing page* |
*Based on publicly listed Tidio pricing as of September 2026. Tidio pricing and behavior may change; check tidio.com for current terms.
Want the full feature-by-feature breakdown? Read the complete Chatonbo vs Tidio comparison →
Switching is our job, not yours
Enter your website and Chatonbo drafts a brand-aware bot from your content in about 60 seconds: your tone, your products, your policies. Then either paste one script tag, or ask us to install it for you. White-glove setup is free on every plan, and your first charge is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Build my bot from my siteTidio alternative FAQ
Is Chatonbo a good Tidio alternative?
Chatonbo is the better fit for a store or small business that wants the AI to answer most chats at one flat price; Tidio is the better fit for a team that answers most chats by hand in a live-chat inbox and wants a visual flow builder, with Lyro AI as an overflow add-on.
How much does Tidio cost compared with Chatonbo?
Tidio prices the plan and the AI separately: Starter is $24.17/mo billed yearly ($29 month to month) for 100 conversations, Growth is $59/mo for up to 2,000, Plus starts at $300/mo, and the Lyro AI add-on starts at $32.50/mo for 50 AI conversations on top of the plan. Chatonbo is $19/mo flat for 5,000 AI conversations (Pro) or $59/mo for 10,000 (Business), AI included, with a free plan of 250 chats a month.
Why do people look for a Tidio alternative?
The most common reason is billing complexity. Tidio prices three things separately: base conversations, Lyro AI conversations (an add-on that starts around $32.50/mo for 50 AI replies), and Flows automation. On Tidio's own pricing page (as of September 2026) Growth starts at $49.17/mo, Lyro from $32.50/mo and Flows from $24.17/mo, so a realistic Growth + Lyro + Flows stack starts around $106/mo before usage, against the $49.17 headline price. On free and Starter plans, Lyro also stops answering after a one-off lifetime allowance.
How is Chatonbo priced compared to Tidio?
Chatonbo is flat: $19/mo for 5,000 AI conversations (Pro) or $59/mo for 10,000 (Business). AI is included, not an add-on. There are no credits, no per-resolution fees, and no automatic plan upgrades. Removing the Chatonbo badge is included in Pro; Tidio charges extra for branding removal.
Can Chatonbo do what Lyro does?
Yes. Chatonbo answers from your website, documents, and product catalog, hands off to a human when unsure, captures leads, and on Shopify it can look up real orders, recommend products, and validate discount codes. That agentic layer is included in every paid plan.
Is migrating from Tidio hard?
No. Point Chatonbo at your website and it drafts a brand-aware bot from your content in about 60 seconds. Install is one script tag, and if you prefer, our team will do the whole setup and installation for you, free on every plan.
Will my bot stop answering if I hit a limit?
No. Chatonbo never mutes your bot because a quota ran out. If you exceed your monthly conversations we email you and keep your bot answering, and upgrading is always your decision. That is part of our Fair Billing Guarantee.
The Fair Billing Guarantee
Flat price. No meters. No surprises.
No credits, no per-resolution fees, no forced upgrades. Your bot never goes silent, you can cancel in one click, and your first charge is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
See all six promises