Small store: 200 support conversations/mo, 1 agent seatMedium store: 1,000 support conversations/mo, 2 agent seatsLarge store: 4,000 support conversations/mo, 5 agent seatsAI resolves 50% of conversations
| Tidio | Shopify Inbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Live chat + AI agent | Free chat + AI agent (by Shopify) |
| How AI is billed | Per Lyro conversation: any conversation with at least one Lyro reply counts once, whether or not it's resolved. Lyro plan: $39/mo for up to 200 Lyro conversations. Every account gets 50 Lyro conversations once. | Free. No usage fee is listed on the App Store. |
| Small store (200 conv) | $68 Lyro AI Agent + Customer Service Starter | $0 Free |
| Medium store (1,000 conv) | Not public Higher Lyro / Customer Service tiers | $0 Free |
| Large store (4,000 conv) | Not public Higher Lyro / Customer Service tiers | $0 Free |
| Free Shopify alternative | Shopify Inbox's free AI agent overlaps with Lyro for pre-sales and FAQ chat. | This is the free Shopify option. |
| Checked | 2026-10-26 | 2026-10-26 |
| Details | Tidio pricing & math | Shopify Inbox pricing & math |
Bottom line on cost
- Small store: Shopify Inbox is lower on our assumptions ($0 vs $68, a $68/mo difference).
- Medium store: can't compare, because one price isn't public at this volume.
- Large store: can't compare, because one price isn't public at this volume.
Tidio official pricingShopify Inbox official pricing
Cost is only one factor. Features, channels, integrations and AI quality differ, and your real volume and resolution rate will move these numbers. See the full math on each app's page.