Customer Support comparison · 2026

Sendbird vs Tidio

Compare Sendbird and Tidio as Customer Support tools on fit, pricing, and the capabilities that actually overlap in 2026. Pick Sendbird for teams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps. Pick Tidio for shopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat..

Updated Aug 22, 2026

Sendbird
sendbird.com

AI customer experience platform with chat, messaging, and calls APIs for in-app conversations

Starts at $0/month·Customer Support

Tidio
tidio.com

Live chat, help desk, and the Lyro AI agent in one customer service platform

Starts at $0/month·Customer Support

At a glance

SendbirdTidio
CategoryCustomer SupportCustomer Support
PricingStarts at $0/monthStarts at $0/month
Free tierYesYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows desktop app, macOS desktop app, iOS, Android, REST API, Webhooks, Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Suitable forTeams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare appsShopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat.
CompanySendbird, Inc.Tidio LLC
Founded20132013

How they differ

Shared Customer Support rubric, filled from each listing. Not a score.

Channels

SendbirdTidio
Shared inboxNot publishedYes
Live chat widgetYesYes
EmailNot publishedYes
Phone / voiceYesNot published
Social channelsNot publishedYes
WhatsApp / SMSNot publishedYes

Self-serve

SendbirdTidio
Knowledge baseNot publishedLimited
In-app help centerNot publishedNot published
AI answer agentYesYes
Bot flowsNot publishedYes
Community forumLimitedNot published
Customer portalNot publishedNot published

Agent tools

SendbirdTidio
TicketingLimitedYes
Macros / saved repliesNot publishedYes
Collision detectionNot publishedNot published
Internal notesNot publishedYes
AI draft repliesNot publishedYes
Side conversationsLimitedNot published

Ops

SendbirdTidio
SLA policiesYesNot published
Routing rulesNot publishedYes
CSAT / surveysNot publishedYes
ReportingNot publishedYes
Multi-brandNot publishedNot published

Access

SendbirdTidio
Public APIYesYes
Official SDKYesNot published
Self-serve signupNot publishedYes
Free trialNot publishedYes
Team workspaceNot publishedYes
SSO / SAMLNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsNot publishedYes
Browser extensionNot publishedNot published
Self-host / on-premLimitedNot published

Commercial

SendbirdTidio
Commercial licenseNot publishedYes
Usage-based pricingNot publishedNot published
Invoice / PONot publishedNot published
SOC 2LimitedLimited
GDPR / DPANot publishedNot published
Audit logNot publishedNot published
Role-based accessNot publishedYes

Features

These listings describe different capabilities. What each one ships:

Only Sendbird

  • Private 1-to-1 chat and group channels for up to 100 members (300 in dedicated instances)
  • Open channels with dynamic partitioning for millions of participants
  • Supergroup channels for thousands of participants in a private group
  • UIKit prebuilt UI components for in-app messaging
  • Typing indicators, delivery receipts, read receipts, and presence
  • Reactions, mentions, unread message counts, and pinned messages
  • Push notifications with do-not-disturb and a push notifications tester
  • File, image, audio, and video sharing with auto-thumbnail generation

Only Tidio

  • Lyro AI agent trained on FAQ uploads, FAQ scraper, website scraper, or imported Zendesk articles
  • Live chat widget with proactive messaging and basic widget customization
  • Help desk with ticketing, tags, notes, and intent-based organization
  • Shared inbox unifying live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp
  • No-code Flows builder for rule-based chatbot and conversion paths
  • Automatic chat assignment, macros, and user permissions
  • Live visitors list, viewed pages history, and live typing preview
  • Basic and advanced analytics dashboards

Use cases

These listings describe different use cases. What each one ships:

Only Sendbird

  • Embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app
  • Running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps
  • Adding in-app support conversations to a banking or fintech product with HIPAA and SOC posture requirements
  • Powering patient-to-clinician messaging in healthcare apps under a BAA
  • Launching community open channels and Supergroup chats for live events or social products
  • Moderating user-generated chat content with rules, tickets, and Hive image detection
  • Sending in-app announcements and structured promotional messages to large user segments
  • Deploying AI agents that handle customer service turns inside an existing chat surface

Only Tidio

  • Answering repetitive ecommerce questions about orders, shipping, and returns with Lyro
  • Running one shared inbox for website chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp
  • Converting website visitors with proactive Flows triggered at checkout or on pricing pages
  • Deflecting first-line tickets before they reach a small support team
  • Adding an AI agent on top of an existing Zendesk or Salesforce desk via the standalone Lyro plan
  • Qualifying and routing leads to sales during and after business hours
  • Tracking CSAT and resolution trends across chat and ticket channels

Integrations

These listings describe different integrations. What each one ships:

Only Sendbird

Nothing exclusive in this list.

Only Tidio

  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • Squarespace
  • PrestaShop
  • Shopware
  • BigCommerce

Plans

Sendbird

  • Free trial $0/mo or $0/yr

    Experiment with chat · No overages allowed · All Pro features · No credit card required · Community support · Up to 1,000 MAUs · Up to 20 peak concurrent connections

  • Starter 5K $399/mo or $4188/yr

    Get started with chat · Messaging essentials · Basic moderation · Ticketed support · Overages may apply · Platform offer: Business messaging with 30K free in-app messages ($122/month value included for free)

  • Pro 5K $599/mo or $5988/yr

    Grow your business · All Starter features · Translation · Data export · Image moderation · Supergroup channel · Overages may apply · Platform offer: Business messaging with 30K free in-app messages ($122/month value included for free)

Tidio

  • Free $0/mo or $0/yr

    50 billable conversations · 10 seats · Live chat and ticketing · First 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations free (lifetime) · First 100 Flows visitors reached free · Basic analytics · Basic widget customization · Desktop and mobile app

  • Starter $32.5/mo or $290.04/yr

    100 billable conversations · 7-day free trial · 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations (one-off) · 100 Flows visitors reached · Live chat · Ticketing · Live visitors list · Operating hours · Basic analytics · Live chat channels

  • Growth $66/mo or $590.04/yr

    From 250 billable conversations · 7-day free trial · Everything in Starter · Advanced analytics · User permissions · Automatic chat assignment · Automatic reply · Live typing preview · Viewed pages history · Macros

  • Plus $360.99/mo or $3600/yr

    Starts at $300/mo. + monthly usage · Custom billable conversations · Everything in Growth · Premium support · Dedicated Success Manager · Discounted usage rates · Departments · Multiproject · Custom branding · Ticketing automations · Live chat support · Open API

  • Premium Contact sales/mo or Contact sales/yr

    Custom billable conversations · Everything in Plus · Guaranteed 50% Lyro AI resolution rate · Pay-per-resolution billing · Mobile SDK · AI insights · CSAT · Super admin role · Custom analytics · Advanced Copilot · Security services · Lyro AI as managed service

  • Lyro AI Agent (add-on) $49.17/mo or $390/yr

    Starts at $32.50/mo. from 50 Lyro AI conversations · 7-day free trial · Human handoff · Customizable communication style · Knowledge-based responses · Available as stand-alone

  • Flows (add-on) $32.5/mo or $290.04/yr

    Starts at $24.17/mo. · 7-day free trial · Collect data · Quote request · Handle missed conversations · Available as stand-alone

Sendbird strengths

  • Sendbird publishes concrete Chat pricing by MAU tier instead of quote-only pricing for small and mid volumes
  • Sendbird's free trial includes all Pro features with no credit card and no overages allowed
  • Sendbird UIKit reduces build time for common chat UI, with the vendor FAQ citing under 15 minutes to add chat
  • Sendbird ships a moderation console with rule engine, tickets, logs, and Hive-powered image moderation rather than leaving moderation to the customer
  • Sendbird lets Enterprise customers choose AWS regions across nine geographies and run private dedicated servers
  • Sendbird covers SOC, ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA with BAA for regulated buyers
  • Sendbird bundles Business Messaging with 30K free in-app messages on paid Chat plans

Watch-outs

  • Sendbird retains messages for only six months unless extended message retention is purchased on the Enterprise plan
  • Sendbird caps Peak Concurrent Connections at 5% of the MAU limit on Starter and Pro, counts devices rather than users, and aggregates peak concurrent connections across every app in an organization
  • Sendbird charges overage fees once an account passes its MAU tier, so costs can move with traffic spikes
  • Data export, translation, image moderation, and Supergroup channels are withheld from the Sendbird Starter plan
  • Standard Sendbird group channels are limited to 100 members, or 300 on dedicated instances, pushing larger rooms to Supergroup or open channels
  • Vendor contradiction: the Sendbird pricing table lists the entry tier as a "Free trial" while the Sendbird FAQ states the Developer plan "is free and remains active as long as you log into the Sendbird dashboard once a year" — both statements appear on the same page
  • Vendor contradiction: the Sendbird pricing cards show Starter at $399/month and Pro at $599/month billed monthly, while the FAQ price table for the same 5K MAU tiers is labelled as the June 2021 pricing list
  • Sendbird's cancellation and upgrade guidance cites Terms of Service language that payments already made are non-refundable, and the FAQ references section 11 in one place and section 10 in another

Tidio strengths

  • Conversation-based metering means all self-serve Tidio plans include 10 seats, so adding agents does not raise the bill
  • Tidio does not count Flows or Lyro replies as billable conversations, only human agent replies
  • A permanent Free plan and a 7-day trial with no credit card let teams evaluate Tidio before paying
  • Lyro, Flows, and the Customer Service plans can be bought individually or bundled in any configuration
  • Native Shopify actions and no-code installs for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and PrestaShop suit non-technical store owners
  • Published per-step upgrade pricing for Lyro conversations and Flows visitors makes volume costs easy to model

Watch-outs

  • Vendor contradiction: the Tidio pricing page shows Plus at "Starts at $300/mo. + monthly usage" while Tidio llms.txt lists Plus at "Starts at 749 USD/mo." and Premium at "Starts at 2999 USD/mo." against a contact-sales listing on the pricing page
  • Vendor contradiction on Lyro ceilings: llms.txt caps upgrades at 300 Lyro conversations per month while the Tidio pricing table says the monthly limit can be raised to 50,000 and cites paid quotas of 50 to 1,000
  • The 50 Lyro conversations included with every Tidio account are a one-off lifetime allowance and only refresh monthly on a paid Lyro AI Agent or Plus plan
  • The Tidio Free plan caps usage at 50 billable conversations and 100 Flows visitors per month
  • Removing Tidio branding on the Growth plan costs an extra $16.67/mo. as an add-on rather than being included
  • Open API, departments, multiproject, multilanguage, and custom branding are gated to Plus and above
  • One Tidio widget shares appearance, DND hours, and offline messages across every site it is installed on unless you talk to Tidio about custom behavior
  • Homepage claims such as "the highest resolution rate on the market" and "#1 AI agent for SMBs" are vendor marketing statements without published methodology

Sendbird vs Tidio verdict

Who each product is for, then labeled AI takes. Not a generic winner.

Bottom line

Pick Sendbird for teams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps. Pick Tidio for shopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat..

Who Sendbird is for

Teams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps

AI customer experience platform with chat, messaging, and calls APIs for in-app conversations

Who Tidio is for

Shopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat.

Live chat, help desk, and the Lyro AI agent in one customer service platform

AI take on Sendbird

As of August 2026, Sendbird remains a capable chat platform with unusually deep moderation, but its pricing page needs tighter operational clarity.

AI take on Tidio

As of August 2026, Tidio stands out for lean ecommerce support, though buyers should get usage limits and Plus pricing confirmed in writing.

Sendbird vs Tidio FAQ

Common questions when choosing between Sendbird and Tidio.

Is Sendbird or Tidio the better Customer Support tool?

Pick Sendbird for teams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps. Pick Tidio for shopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat..

Which is cheaper, Sendbird or Tidio?

Sendbird starts at $0/month. Tidio starts at $0/month. Confirm current pricing on each vendor site.

Who should choose Sendbird?

Teams embedding 1-to-1 buyer-and-seller chat inside a marketplace or e-commerce app and running courier, driver, and customer messaging for delivery and rideshare apps

Who should choose Tidio?

Shopify and small-business support teams that want an AI agent deflecting FAQ traffic while paying by human-answered conversation instead of per agent seat.

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