Intercom alternatives: LiveChat and Tidio, priced
LiveChat, now sold as Text, and Tidio against Intercom, from each vendor's pricing page: seat prices, conversation tiers and the cost of AI answers for a team of 3. Read October 19, 2026.
About this guide
Published by StackOnSale. Publisher: Emmanuel Grenier. Guide updated: 2026-10-19.
Research based on official vendor pages, not a hands-on review.
StackOnSale may earn a commission through disclosed affiliate links on the site. This does not decide which tool fits your needs.
The offer we list
US dollars, before tax. We list no Intercom or Tidio offer.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-19. These are dated plan details, not a live checkout quote. Confirm current pricing and eligibility on the official pages.
Some vendor links on offer pages are disclosed affiliate links; this is not a paid ranking.
| Plan | Recorded price | Billing and limits | Before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Essential (LiveChat) | $19 per user/month | Billed annually; $25 billed monthly | Includes 10 AI resolutions a month; packages of 50 more cost $49.50. |
The short answer
LiveChat and Tidio are the two Intercom alternatives we priced. Intercom charges per seat, $29 a month on Essential billed annually, and adds $0.99 for each outcome of Fin, its AI agent. LiveChat now sells its plans to new customers as Text: Essential is $19 per user a month billed annually, with 10 AI resolutions a month included. Tidio charges by billable conversations and includes up to 10 seats: $24.17 a month for 100 conversations and $149.17 for 1,000, billed annually.
For 3 agents billed annually and no AI answers, Text Essential is $57 a month and Intercom Essential $87. Tidio ranges from $24.17 to $290.83 a month, depending on volume.
Prices were read on intercom.com/pricing, livechat.com/pricing and tidio.com/pricing on October 19, 2026, in US dollars. StackOnSale has not tested these products.
Three pricing models
Each tool charges for a different thing: seats on Intercom, users on Text, conversations on Tidio. AI answers are priced differently too. Intercom charges per Fin outcome, Text includes a monthly allowance and sells packages of 50, and Tidio sells its Lyro AI agent as a separate monthly plan.
| Tool | Unit | Entry price, billed annually | AI agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | Seat | Essential: $29 per seat a month, $39 billed monthly | Fin: $0.99 per outcome |
| LiveChat (Text) | User | Essential: $19 per user a month, $25 billed monthly | 10 AI resolutions a month included, then $49.50 for 50 |
| Tidio | Billable conversations, up to 10 seats | Starter: $24.17 a month for 100 conversations, $29 billed monthly | Lyro: 50 free conversations, then from $39 a month |
Read on intercom.com/pricing, livechat.com/pricing and tidio.com/pricing, October 19, 2026. Prices in US dollars.
Three agents for a month
The table prices a team of 3 on each tool's entry plan for that volume, billed annually and shown per month.
| Monthly volume | Intercom Essential | Text (LiveChat) | Tidio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 conversations, no AI answers | $87 | $57, Essential | $24.17, Starter |
| 1,000 conversations, no AI answers | $87 | $57, Essential | $149.17, Growth |
| 1,000 conversations, 200 answered by AI | $87 + $198 in Fin outcomes = $285 | $237, Growth with 200 resolutions included | $149.17 + $140 for a 200-conversation Lyro plan = $289.17 |
StackOnSale arithmetic: 3 x $29 for Intercom, 3 x $19 or 3 x $79 for Text. On Text Essential, 200 AI answers would need 4 packages of 50 at $49.50, for $255 in all. Lyro is shown at its monthly price; billed annually, Tidio lists Lyro from $32.50 a month instead of $39. Tidio's price covers up to 10 seats.
Which one fits which buyer
Intercom: a shared inbox, ticketing and a public help center on Essential, and an Early Stage program advertising up to 93% off and 1 year of Fin free for startups, on application. Its AI answers cost $0.99 per outcome.
Text (LiveChat): the lower seat price of the two seat-based tools, $19 per user billed annually, with AI resolutions included every month, 10 on Essential and 200 on Growth.
Tidio: up to 10 seats in one price, so a small team with low volume pays the least. Its price rises with billable conversations, to $290.83 a month for 2,000, billed annually.
What we could not verify
Intercom's charges for SMS, WhatsApp and phone, which vary by volume and region. What Tidio does when you pass your billable conversation limit during a month. Whether unused resolutions from a Text package carry over. Whether any annual price holds at renewal.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy LiveChat or Text through our link. Our partner link gives a 30-day free trial instead of 14 days and 10% off the first payment. We have no relationship with Intercom or Tidio.
Questions
What is the cheapest Intercom alternative?
For a small team with low volume, Tidio: $24.17 a month billed annually for 100 billable conversations, with up to 10 seats. For 3 agents, Text Essential, the plan LiveChat now sells, is $57 a month and Intercom Essential $87, billed annually. Read October 19, 2026.
Does LiveChat charge for AI answers like Intercom?
Text, the product LiveChat now sells, includes 10 AI resolutions a month on Essential and 200 on Growth, then sells packages of 50 for $49.50. Intercom charges $0.99 per Fin outcome.
How does Tidio count usage?
By billable conversations: conversations that include a message from your team. Unanswered messages and replies from Lyro or Flows are not counted.
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Sources
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