Quick answer
No winner yet. Gorgias and Tidio differ most in architecture and intended operating model. Use this researched comparison to decide which deserves a hands-on pilot—not as a substitute for one.
At a glance
| Decision factor | Gorgias | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Helpdesk tickets that get a reply from an agent, a Rule or AI Agent | Billable conversations that get a reply from, or are started by, a human agent |
| Seats | 3 on Starter, 500 on Basic and up; never priced per agent | 10 on Free, Starter and Growth; custom on Plus |
| AI pricing | AI Agent: $1.00 per automated interaction monthly, $0.90 annual; each also counts as a ticket | Lyro: separate plan from $39/month for 50 conversations; Lyro replies do not count as billable conversations |
| Rule-based automation | Rules and Flows inside the helpdesk; Rule replies make a ticket billable | Flows sold separately by visitors reached, 100 free a month, paid from $29/month for 2,000 |
| Channels | Email, chat, social, help center on all plans; Voice and SMS add-ons from Basic | Live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and live video calls on all plans |
| Over the limit | Overage per extra ticket, billed at month end | Monthly plans auto-upgrade at 95% of quota unless turned off; at the cap you cannot reply |
| Annual billing | Basic, Pro and Advanced; billed upfront for 12 months | Offered with 2 months free |
Architecture and target user
Gorgias
An ecommerce helpdesk that pulls email, chat, social and help-center conversations into one inbox, with an AI Agent add-on that resolves requests and can take actions such as cancellations and discounts on paid tiers.
Worth investigating for Shopify and other ecommerce brands with a support team that wants order data inside the helpdesk and expects ticket volume to grow.
Tidio
A live chat and helpdesk tool sold as three separate products: Customer Service (human conversations), Lyro AI Agent and rule-based Flows. Each can be bought on its own or bundled.
Worth investigating for smaller stores with up to 10 people answering chat, email and social messages, and for teams that want AI and chatbot usage billed apart from human replies.
Ease and implementation considerations
Gorgias
Gorgias lists self-serve onboarding on Starter and Basic, 1:1 onboarding on Pro and white-glove onboarding on Advanced. Starter, Basic and Pro list a free trial.
Tidio
Tidio offers a 7-day free trial of all plans with no card required. After the trial, the account drops to the Free plan unless you upgrade.
These are research observations, not timing or usability test results. Implementation depends on catalog, data migration, design, channels, integrations, internal skills, and partner scope.
Ecosystem and integrations
Gorgias
Gorgias lists Shopify and Shopify Plus, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magento, plus 150+ app integrations. BigCommerce is not shown on Starter, and Magento is not shown on Starter or Basic.
Tidio
Tidio lists Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and email integrations, app integrations such as HubSpot and Salesforce, and native Shopify actions on Growth and above.
Pricing approach
Gorgias: Helpdesk only, billed monthly: Starter $10 (50 tickets, 3 seats, monthly only), Basic $60 (300 tickets), Pro $360 (2,000 tickets) and Advanced $900 (5,000 tickets). Annual billing lowers Basic to $50, Pro to $300 and Advanced to $750 a month, billed upfront. Basic and up include 500 seats. Extra tickets cost $0.40 each on Starter and Basic and $0.36 on Pro and Advanced. AI Agent costs $1.00 per automated interaction on monthly plans or $0.90 on annual plans. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Current Gorgias pricingTidio: Billed monthly, Customer Service plans are Free (50 billable conversations), Starter $29 (100) and Growth from $59 (250) up to $349 (2,000). Free, Starter and Growth each include 10 seats. Plus starts at $300 a month plus usage, with custom seats. Annual billing gives 2 months free; the page shows Starter at $24.17 and Growth from $49.17 a month on that basis. Lyro AI Agent is separate: 50 conversations free once, then from $39 a month for 50 up to $700 for 1,000 on monthly billing. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Current Tidio pricingThe two vendors count different things. Gorgias bills every ticket your helpdesk replies to, including AI Agent and Rule replies, and lets you go over at a per-ticket rate. Tidio bills only conversations a human answers, sells AI separately, and stops replies at the cap if auto-upgrade is off. Price both on your real monthly volume and the share you expect AI to handle.
Build a scenario-based total-cost model. Include implementation, ongoing labor, extensions, communications or payments, support, and migration—not only the published base price.
Worked example
Monthly cost at three support volumes
Three stores, priced on monthly billing at list price. The first two have no AI. The third adds AI that fully resolves 300 of its 1,500 monthly requests.
| Scenario | Gorgias | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| 2 agents, 300 tickets a month | Basic: $60/month (300 included) | Growth 400 tier: $89/month (250 tier is too small) |
| 5 agents, 1,500 tickets a month | Pro: $360/month (Basic would be $60 + 1,200 × $0.40 = $540) | Growth 1,500 tier: $249/month |
| 5 agents, 1,500 requests, AI resolves 300 | Pro with AI Agent: $550/month incl. 190 interactions, + 110 × $1.50 = $165, total $715 | Growth 1,500 tier $249 (1,200 human; 1,000 tier is too small) + Lyro 300 at $210 = $459 |
| Seats used | 2 of 500, then 5 of 500 | 2 of 10, then 5 of 10 |
Monthly-billing list prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 10, 2026. On annual billing, Gorgias Basic is $50 and Pro $300 a month, billed upfront. Tidio's annual billing gives 2 months free, so its tiers work out to 10 times the monthly price per year ($890 and $2,490). Gorgias counts each AI interaction as a ticket, so the third scenario stays at 1,500 tickets inside Pro's 2,000; the $1.50 rate is the published overage for AI interactions beyond the included allowance. Excludes Voice, SMS, Flows and taxes.
What decides it. At these volumes Tidio's list prices are lower, and the gap widens once AI is added, because Lyro replies do not count against Tidio's human quota. Gorgias pulls ahead on seats: Tidio caps self-service plans at 10, while Gorgias Basic and up include 500. A team past 10 agents faces Tidio's sales-quoted Plus plan. Get both quotes at your real AI share before deciding.
Contract and limits
Limits and terms that cost buyers money
Gorgias overage is a running charge. Tickets above your plan's allowance are billed at a fixed rate at the end of the month. Gorgias says it may recommend a higher tier if that would cost less; the pricing page does not describe an automatic upgrade.
AI replies count twice on Gorgias. Its pricing FAQ says each AI Agent interaction also counts as a helpdesk ticket. A Rule reply also makes a ticket billable, and a reply to an old thread can become a new ticket after a period of inactivity that the page does not define.
Gorgias annual plans are paid upfront. Annual billing is charged for all 12 months at the start. Starter is monthly only.
Tidio upgrades you by default on monthly plans. Its help center says standard monthly plans move to the next tier at 95% of quota, unless you turn it off. Annual and Plus plans are excluded. If you turn it off and hit the cap, you cannot reply to or see new conversations until you upgrade or the quota resets.
Tidio changes take effect next cycle. Downgrades and upgrades made from the plan page apply at the start of the next billing cycle. Lyro's 50 free conversations are a one-time allowance, not monthly.
Which businesses should investigate each
Investigate Gorgias if…
- Your team is more than a few people and you do not want to pay per seat.
- You want AI to take order actions, not only answer questions.
- You need voice or SMS support in the same inbox as an add-on.
Investigate Tidio if…
- Your team is 10 people or fewer.
- You want AI and chatbot replies kept out of your human conversation count.
- Most of your support happens in live chat and social DMs.
Buyer checklist
What to check in a side-by-side trial
- Export one month of conversations and count how many got a human reply, a Rule reply or an AI reply.
- Ask Gorgias to confirm in writing whether an AI Agent interaction is billed as a ticket and as an interaction.
- Ask Gorgias how long a thread must be inactive before a reply counts as a new ticket.
- In Tidio, check whether auto-upgrade is on and decide whether you want it.
- Count the people who need to answer messages; above 10, get a Tidio Plus quote.
- Connect your store in each trial and test order lookup from inside a chat.
BestStorefront does not name a winner. Run these checks against your own catalog and volumes.
Decision support
Frequently asked questions
Is Gorgias or Tidio cheaper?
It depends on volume. At 300 a month, Gorgias Basic at $60 is lower than Tidio Growth at $89. At 1,500 a month, Tidio Growth at $249 is lower than Gorgias Pro at $360, and with 300 AI resolutions Tidio comes to about $459 against about $715 for Gorgias, on monthly list prices.
How do the two count usage differently?
Gorgias counts a ticket when a human agent, a Rule or AI Agent replies. Tidio counts a conversation only when a human agent replies or starts it; Lyro and Flows replies are billed under their own plans.
What happens if I go over my limit?
Gorgias charges an overage fee for each extra ticket at month end. Tidio monthly plans auto-upgrade to the next tier at 95% of quota unless you turn that off, and at the cap you cannot reply to new conversations.
Has BestStorefront tested either product?
No. This comparison is built from each vendor's published pricing and documentation, not hands-on testing.