Intercom vs Tidio for small business
Tidio is the better pick for most small businesses: it has a free live chat plan, and its AI agent, Lyro, starts at US$32.50 a month. Intercom suits growing support teams that want a full help desk with its AI agent, Fin, built in, from US$29 per seat a month (billing period not stated) plus US$0.99 per Fin outcome.
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Side by side
| Intercom | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Growing support teams | Getting started |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | Yes |
| Paid from | US$29/seat/mo (billing period not stated) | US$24.17/mo, yearly |
| AI | Fin, US$0.99 per outcome | Lyro, from US$32.50/mo |
| Checked on | Oct 20, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
Prices are each maker’s regular list price in US dollars, read on the date shown. We never convert currencies. We left out intro and startup discounts.
Where Intercom wins
- A full help desk. Every Intercom plan includes Fin, its AI agent, plus a shared inbox, ticketing, a public help center, and unlimited live chat.
- Pay only when AI solves it. Fin costs US$0.99 per outcome, and Intercom says you don’t pay if Fin can’t answer.
- Works with your current help desk. Intercom says Fin can also run on an existing help desk such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Freshdesk.
Where Tidio wins
- Free to start. Tidio has a free plan for live chat on your website, and every account gets 50 Lyro conversations to try.
- Simple AI pricing. The Lyro AI Agent plan starts at US$32.50 a month, and Lyro hands off to a person when needed.
- No-card trial. You get 7 days of every feature without a credit card.
The verdict
Pick Intercom if you have a support team and want a help desk with AI built into every plan.
Pick Tidio if you want website chat today and an affordable AI agent when you’re ready.
Questions people ask
Is Intercom or Tidio better for small business?
For most small businesses, Tidio. It has a free plan and an AI agent from US$32.50 a month. Intercom fits teams that need a full help desk (checked October 2026).
How does Intercom charge for AI?
Intercom charges US$0.99 per Fin outcome on top of seats. Intercom says you don’t pay when Fin can’t answer.
Does Tidio have a free plan?
Yes. Tidio has a free live chat plan, and every account starts with 50 Lyro conversations to try.
Do both offer free trials?
Yes. Intercom has a 14-day trial with no credit card, and Tidio has a 7-day trial of all features with no credit card.
Related pages
- Tool pages: Intercom · Tidio
- Best AI chatbot for small business
- Tidio vs Manychat
- Zendesk vs Freshdesk
- Customer chat & support tools
- Visit Intercom → · Visit Tidio →
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