AI-first support without the quota math
Tidio is friendly SMB live chat — but its AI, Lyro, is a separately-priced add-on metered per conversation, and growth runs into the $749/month Tidio+ cliff. Asks includes the AI agent in every flat plan.
7-day trial · No per-resolution fees
Choose Asks if AI should handle most of your volume and you want one predictable bill. Stay on Tidio if you mostly want human live chat with light AI and a free tier to start.
Asks vs. Tidio
| Asks | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat $39 / $149 / $349 per month with AI credits included — no per-resolution or per-conversation meter | Free / $29 / $59 per month with conversation quotas; next stop above Growth is Tidio+ at ~$749/month |
| AI answering | Included in every plan (500–10,000 credits) — trained on your site, docs, and help center with citations | Lyro sold as an add-on from ~$39/month per 50 AI conversations — cost scales with usage |
| Answer quality controls | Citations on every answer plus a groundedness check before the customer sees it | Lyro answers from your content; no customer-visible citations |
| Inbox | Assignment, notes, canned responses, tags, SLAs (Business+), business hours | Good SMB inbox; deeper features gated by plan tier |
| Shopify | Live shopper context (products viewed, cart), catalog answers, checkout links, order tracking | Solid Shopify app, popular with small stores |
Competitor details from public pricing pages and docs, as of mid-2026 — verify before deciding. Read the full field in 7 best Tidio alternatives in 2026.
Three meters become one flat price
Tidio meters billable conversations, Lyro AI conversations, and plan tiers separately. Asks is one flat plan with AI included.
No $749 cliff
Outgrowing Tidio Growth means Tidio+ at ~$749/month. Asks Business is $149/month with 25 seats and 4,000 AI credits.
AI that shows its work
Asks answers carry citations back to your content, so you (and your customers) can see why the bot said what it said.
When Tidio is the better choice
- You want a genuinely free plan for a very small site (Tidio's free tier includes 50 conversations).
- You mostly need human live chat and treat AI as a nice-to-have.
- You rely on Tidio's email marketing and automation flows.
Is Asks cheaper than Tidio with Lyro?
Once AI handles real volume, usually yes. Tidio Growth ($59) plus Lyro for a few hundred AI conversations a month adds up quickly, and each meter grows with your traffic. Asks Starter is $39/month flat with 500 AI credits included, and the upgrade path is a predictable $39 → $149 → $349.
Can Asks do live chat like Tidio?
Yes — a real-time widget with a full team inbox behind it. The difference is the default: Asks answers with AI first and hands to your team when it matters, instead of humans fielding everything.
Does Asks work on Shopify like Tidio?
Yes, and deeper: the Asks Shopify app gives the agent live storefront context — what the shopper is viewing, what's in their cart — plus catalog answers, checkout links, and order tracking.
Try the Tidio alternative today
Train Asks on your website in minutes, test it in the playground, and see the difference before your trial ends.