Comparison · Customer support

Tidio vs Chatbase: AI chatbots for UK small businesses (2026)

Published 18 October 2026 · Checked 18 October 2026, prices change

How we research: this comparison is based on each vendor’s official documentation, help centre and published pricing, read on 18 October 2026. We haven’t tested these tools hands-on for this page, and we haven’t been paid to include any tool. Checked 18 October 2026, prices change.

Tidio and Chatbase both put an AI chatbot on your website that answers customer questions from your own content. Tidio is a live-chat and helpdesk tool with an AI agent (Lyro) built in; Chatbase is an AI-agent builder you train on your documents and embed. Here’s how they compare for a UK online shop or service business, based on each vendor’s published pricing and documentation.

Our verdict

Tidio (Lyro)

Tidio is the better starting point for most UK small shops: it has a free plan, live chat for when a human needs to step in, a Shopify integration, and it says its data is stored on servers in the EEA. Visit Tidio (Lyro) ↗

Pick Chatbase instead Chatbase if you mainly want an AI agent trained on your own documents, with Shopify, WhatsApp and Slack integrations on every plan and a clear statement that your data isn’t used to train models — and you’re fine with US data storage and no free plan.

Tidio vs Chatbase at a glance

	Tidio (Lyro)	Chatbase
Free plan	€0: 50 billable conversations, 50 Lyro AI conversations (one-time) and 100 Flows visitors	No free plan listed; 7-day trial on paid plans
Paid from (annual billing)	Starter €24.17/month, 100 conversations	Hobby US$32/month, 700 message credits a month
Paid from (monthly billing)	Starter €29/month	Hobby US$40/month
Next tier	Growth from €49.17/month annually (from €59 monthly), from 250 conversations	Standard US$120/month annually (US$150 monthly), 4,000 message credits, helpdesk inbox and API
AI agent	Lyro AI Agent add-on from €39/month for 50 Lyro conversations, 7-day trial	Included; message credits set how much it can answer
Live chat and handoff	Live chat and human handoff are core features	Chatbase helpdesk inbox from Standard
Integrations	Native Shopify actions, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and email (check the comparison table for which plan includes each)	Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp and Messenger on every plan; Zapier from Standard
Branding	“No Tidio branding” listed as an add-on at €20/month (plan availability shown in Tidio’s comparison table)	“Powered by Chatbase” removal is a US$1,188/year add-on
Where data is stored	Servers in EEA member countries	United States (AWS us-east-1)
Used to train AI?	Not stated on the pages we read	Says your data isn’t used to train models

Prices as shown in euros on tidio.com/pricing and in US dollars on chatbase.co/pricing, checked 18 October 2026. Neither page says whether VAT is included. VAT: UK VAT (standard rate 20%, see GOV.UK) may be added at checkout unless the vendor says otherwise; if you’re VAT-registered, check how the supplier invoices you and ask your accountant how to record it.

Pick Tidio if…

You want to start free and see how many chats your site really gets.
You need live chat with human handoff as well as AI, so a person can take over tricky orders or complaints.
You sell on Shopify and want native Shopify actions, or you also answer customers on Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp.
You’d prefer chat data stored in the EEA. Tidio says billing details go to its US subsidiary and some support staff are outside the EEA, under SCCs.

Pick Chatbase if…

You want a pure AI agent that answers from your FAQs, policies and documents, with message credits rather than conversation limits.
You want Shopify, WhatsApp, Slack and Messenger on the cheapest plan.
A clear no-training statement matters to you: Chatbase says connected data powers your agent and isn’t used to train models.
You’re comfortable with US storage and paying from US$32 a month (billed yearly) with no free plan.

Privacy note for UK businesses

A chatbot collects names, emails and order details, so tell visitors in your privacy notice and sign the vendor’s data processing agreement. Tidio says all its data is stored on servers in EEA member countries, that billing details are transferred to its US subsidiary, and that some support agents outside the EEA work under SCCs; you can request a DPA by emailing support (Tidio GDPR article). Chatbase says personal data is stored and processed in the United States, on AWS us-east-1, with UK transfers covered by the UK Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses (Chatbase privacy policy), and that it is SOC 2 Type II compliant and doesn’t use your data to train models (Chatbase security). Read the ICO guidance on international transfers. This is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Is Tidio free?

Yes, Tidio has a free plan at €0 with 50 billable conversations, 50 Lyro AI conversations (one-time) and 100 Flows visitors, as listed on 18 October 2026. Paid Starter is €29 a month, or €24.17 a month billed annually.

Does Chatbase have a free plan?

Chatbase’s pricing page did not list a free plan on 18 October 2026. Paid plans start with Hobby at US$32 a month billed yearly (US$40 monthly), each with a 7-day trial.

Which works with Shopify?

Both. Tidio lists native Shopify actions, and Chatbase lists a Shopify integration on all its plans.

Where do Tidio and Chatbase store data?

Tidio says its data is stored on servers in EEA member countries. Chatbase says it stores and processes data in the United States, on AWS us-east-1.

Does Chatbase train AI on my data?

Chatbase says data connected to Chatbase powers your agent and isn’t used to train models, using retrieval-augmented generation instead. Tidio’s pages we read did not state its training policy.

Have you tested both tools?

No. This comparison is based on each vendor’s official documentation and published pricing, checked on 18 October 2026. Prices change, so check the vendor’s page before you buy.

Sources

Official pages read on 18 October 2026. Checked 18 October 2026, prices change — always check the vendor’s own page before you buy.