Tidio starts at $29/month. Chatloop starts at $29.99/month. At first glance, they look the same price. But what’s included tells a very different story.
This guide goes beyond the headline number. It shows the real cost per AI message and the total value on each platform. The difference is larger than most buyers expect.
Chatloop Plan Breakdown
What’s Included at Each Tier
Here is exactly what Chatloop includes at each plan:
| Feature | Free | Hobbyist ($29.99/mo) | Pro ($59.99/mo) | Ultra ($99.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI messages/month | 100 | 10,000 | 100,000 | 10,000,000 |
| AI agents | — | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Team members | — | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| Documents | — | 15 (max 1MB) | 32 (max 12MB) | 100 (max 15MB) |
| URLs (crawl) | — | 25, manual | 100, monthly | 500, weekly |
| FAQs | — | 100 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Social channels | — | Telegram | Telegram, Instagram, Facebook | Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp |
| Branding removal | ❌ | $19.99/mo add-on | $19.99/mo add-on | ✅ Included |
| Extra channels | — | $9.99/channel/mo | $9.99/channel/mo | $9.99/channel/mo |
Key Points to Note
- WhatsApp is built into the Ultra plan. It is also available as a $9.99/month add-on on lower tiers.
- Branding removal is included on Ultra. It costs $19.99/month on Hobbyist and Pro.
- Any single extra channel (such as adding WhatsApp to a Pro plan) costs $9.99/month.
The Number That Changes Everything: AI Messages Per Dollar
| Chatloop Hobbyist | Tidio Starter | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $29.99 | $29.00 |
| AI messages included | 10,000/month | 50 (lifetime, not monthly) |
| AI renews monthly? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No — one-time only |
| Recurring AI cost | Included | Separate Lyro add-on required |
| Cost per AI message | $0.003 | $0.65+ |
Why This Gap Matters
Tidio’s base plan includes just 50 Lyro AI conversations. That is a lifetime limit, not a monthly one. Once those 50 are used, AI stops working. You must then buy the Lyro add-on at extra cost.
Chatloop’s Hobbyist plan gives you 10,000 AI messages every single month. That is 200 times more AI capacity at nearly the same price.
Tidio’s Three-Bill Pricing Model
Most Tidio customers don’t realise they are paying for three separate products.
Bill 1 — Customer Service Plan (Base)
This covers human-agent conversations. The $29/month Starter plan covers 100 billable human conversations per month.
Bill 2 — Lyro AI Agent (Separate Add-On)
Tidio’s AI chatbot is not part of any standard plan. You must buy it on top of your base plan. Entry-level Lyro starts at $32.50/month for just 50 AI conversations. To get 1,000 AI conversations per month, Lyro costs $500 or more.
Bill 3 — Flows (Automation, Also Separate)
Rule-based automation is billed per unique visitor who triggers it — even visitors who ignore it. This starts at $29/month for 2,000 flow triggers.
The Real-World Result
Most growing businesses end up paying two to three times Tidio’s advertised price. Teams using AI and automation regularly report monthly bills of $150–$216 or more — for a platform that advertised “$29/month.”
Cost Per AI Message: The Full Calculation
Chatloop
| Plan | Monthly Price | AI Messages | Cost per Message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 | — |
| Hobbyist | $29.99 | 10,000 | $0.003 |
| Pro | $59.99 | 100,000 | $0.0006 |
| Ultra | $99.99 | 10,000,000 | $0.00001 |
Tidio (Lyro AI Only, on Top of Base Plan)
| Lyro Tier | Monthly Cost | AI Conversations | Cost per Conversation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | $32.50 | 50 | $0.65 |
| ~100 convos | ~$39 | 100 | $0.39 |
| ~1,000 convos | ~$500+ | 1,000 | ~$0.50 |
Note: Lyro costs are in addition to the base Customer Service plan ($29+) and Flows ($29+).
Head-to-Head: 1,000 AI Conversations Per Month
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chatloop Hobbyist | $29.99 | 1,000 convos uses less than 10% of the 10,000 monthly limit |
| Tidio (realistic) | ~$560–$580 | Base + Lyro 1,000 convos + Flows |
For the same AI volume, Chatloop costs roughly 18 times less.
Channel Comparison
Which Channels Does Each Platform Support?
| Channel | Chatloop | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Website chat | ✅ All plans | ✅ All plans |
| Telegram | ✅ Hobbyist+ | ❌ Not available |
| ✅ Pro+ | ✅ Yes | |
| ✅ Pro+ | ✅ Yes | |
| ✅ Ultra (native) / $9.99 add-on | ⚠️ Available, but AI unreliable per user reports | |
| ❌ Not listed | ✅ Yes | |
| Add extra channel | $9.99/channel/mo | Not applicable (bundled) |
A Note on WhatsApp
On Chatloop, WhatsApp is built into the Ultra plan. Hobbyist and Pro users can add it for $9.99/month. A Pro customer at $59.99 + $9.99 = $69.98/month gets WhatsApp plus 100,000 AI messages. That is still far less than Tidio charges for the same AI volume.
Tidio does list WhatsApp as supported. However, many user reviews — especially from Latin America and Europe — say that Lyro AI on WhatsApp is unreliable. Getting it to work requires complex setup steps that are poorly documented.
What’s Coming to Chatloop
The Roadmap
One thing pricing tables cannot show is where a platform is heading. Chatloop has several features in development:
- Calendar booking — AI agents handle appointment scheduling
- Calendar booking with payment — End-to-end booking and payment through the AI agent
- Native Shopify integration — Direct e-commerce connection (this closes one of Tidio’s current strengths)
- Native WordPress integration — First-party WordPress support
- Hotel booking module — AI agent that accepts accommodation bookings
- Campaigns — Tools to re-engage existing customers
Pricing for these features will be confirmed at launch. The roadmap shows that Chatloop is closing the gaps where Tidio currently leads — especially in e-commerce. It is also building use-case-specific tools for hospitality and campaigns that Tidio does not offer.
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Chatloop | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| AI messages (entry paid plan) | 10,000/month ✅ | 50 lifetime ❌ |
| AI included in base price | ✅ Yes | ❌ Separate add-on |
| Predictable billing | ✅ Single price | ❌ Three billing pools |
| WhatsApp (native) | Ultra / $9.99 add-on | ⚠️ Available, AI unreliable |
| Telegram | ✅ Hobbyist+ | ❌ No |
| Multiple AI agents | ✅ Up to 20 | ❌ Limited |
| No-code setup | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Moderate complexity |
| Branding removal | Ultra / $19.99 add-on | ❌ Extra cost |
| Free plan | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (very limited) |
| Pricing cliff | ❌ None | ❌ $49 → $749 (15x jump) |
| Shopify native (current) | 🔄 In development | ✅ Yes |
| E-commerce (current) | Via integrations | ✅ Deep native |
| Campaigns / outbound | 🔄 In development | ⚠️ Limited |
The Pricing Cliff Problem
Tidio has a structural pricing problem for growing businesses. The Growth plan is $49/month. The next tier is Plus at $749/month — a 15x jump with no mid-tier option. Any team that needs more volume, more agents, or custom limits has only one choice: move to enterprise pricing.
Chatloop scales in a straight line: $29.99 → $59.99 → $99.99. No sudden jumps. No surprises.
Where Tidio Has an Advantage Today
E-Commerce Integrations
Tidio’s native Shopify and WooCommerce tools are strong. Abandoned cart flows, order-triggered messages, and product suggestions work out of the box. Chatloop’s native Shopify and WordPress integrations are still in development.
Email Marketing Included
Some Tidio plans bundle basic email marketing. This is useful for teams that want chat and email from one tool.
Longer Track Record
Tidio has been around since 2013. It has a larger template library and more tutorials available online.
Who Should Choose Which Platform
Choose Chatloop When:
- You need high AI message volume without per-conversation fees
- You want clear, one-line monthly pricing
- Your customers use Telegram (Chatloop has native support; Tidio does not)
- You want WhatsApp built in (Ultra) or as a low-cost add-on ($9.99)
- You run a SaaS company, agency, or service business not based on Shopify
Choose Tidio When:
- You run a Shopify or WooCommerce store and need deep e-commerce automation right now
- Your main need is human live chat with light AI support
- You want email marketing bundled with your chat platform
FAQ
Q: Does Chatloop include WhatsApp in every plan? A: WhatsApp is built into the Ultra plan ($99.99/month). On Hobbyist and Pro plans, it is available as an add-on for $9.99/month.
Q: What social channels does Chatloop support? A: Hobbyist includes Telegram. Pro adds Instagram and Facebook. Ultra adds WhatsApp. Any channel can also be added on any plan for $9.99/month.
Q: Is Chatloop’s branding removal included? A: Yes — on the Ultra plan. For Hobbyist and Pro users, it is available for $19.99/month.
Q: Tidio says “from $29/month” — isn’t that the same as Chatloop? A: The headline price is similar. What you get is not. Tidio’s $29 plan includes no recurring AI messages. Chatloop’s $29.99 plan includes 10,000 AI messages every month.
Q: When will Chatloop’s Shopify integration be available? A: Native Shopify support is in active development. Launch timing and pricing will be announced. If Shopify is your key need today, factor this into your decision.
Q: Can I try Chatloop before buying? A: Yes. Chatloop offers a free plan with 100 AI messages and a 7-day free trial of paid features. No credit card is needed.
Conclusion
At first glance, Chatloop and Tidio look like similar products at similar prices. Look at what each plan actually includes — AI volume, channel support, billing structure — and the gap becomes very clear.
Tidio’s three-pool billing means most businesses pay two to three times the advertised price. Its AI allowance at entry level is 50 conversations total — not per month. Chatloop gives you 10,000 AI messages per month at its entry price, multi-channel social support from the Hobbyist tier up, and scales to 10 million messages at $99.99/month.
Chatloop’s active roadmap — Shopify, campaigns, booking modules — will close remaining gaps within the year.
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