Maxbound vs Tidio.

A website-first help desk with AI, or a per-client workspace across social, WhatsApp, web and app.

The short answer

Tidio is a website-first customer service platform for online stores, with live chat, a help desk and Lyro AI. Maxbound is the AI operating system for agencies, with a workspace per client answering DMs, comments, WhatsApp, web and app chat. Pick Tidio for store website chat and tickets, and Maxbound for social comments across clients.

Checked 23 October 2026 from public information. See where they differ

Pictured: one client’s inbox in Maxbound, every channel in one list, with example data.

Side by side

Where they differ. Including what we don’t do.

Of these 7, Tidio is stronger on 2, Maxbound on 3 and 2 depend on the work.

Question Tidio Maxbound
Primary channelDepends on the work Website chat first.Email and Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp DMs share the same inbox. Social, WhatsApp, web and app chat.Instagram and Facebook comments and DMs, WhatsApp, website chat and chat in the client's app.
Instagram and Facebook comments Tickets for a person to answer.No AI replies, moderation or comment-to-DM are documented. Stronger hereAnswered, moderated and moved to DMs.Spam, abuse and competitor links are hidden, logged and can be undone.
Store orders and products Stronger hereDeep Shopify and WooCommerce support.Order and refund lookups, product cards and add to cart inside the chat. No Shopify order actions.Answers come from the client's website, files and FAQs, with no refunds or edits.
Help desk and email Stronger hereYes, on every plan.Ticketing, an email inbox, macros and a hosted help centre, with departments on Plus. No email or ticketing.There are no response-time targets, and handoffs to a person carry the full history.
Multiple brands or clients Separate projects need Plus, from $300/mo.Sites on one project share one widget setup, and multi-brand AI is not released. Stronger hereA workspace per client.Clone it for the next client, with its own agents, channels and analytics.
Messaging first on WhatsApp Replies only, starting chats still in build.It includes 1,000 free support messages per number a month. Stronger hereYes, with broadcasts and follow-ups.The agent answers broadcast replies, and follow-ups stop on a booking or a no.
What you pay forDepends on the work Conversations a person replies to.Lyro starts at $39/mo for 50 conversations, with a free plan and 10 seats included. A price per workspace a month.$30 down to $8, with 100 AI credits each, no free plan and a 7-day trial.

Tidio is a trademark of its owner. Compared as of 23 October 2026 from public information; it describes product shape, not quality. Work at Tidio and see something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

What it costs

Their plans, next to ours. Drag to the size of your agency.

Tidio

Conversations your team answers, plus separate Lyro AI and Flows visitor quotas. Self-serve plans include up to 10 seats.

  • Free$0Forever. 50 human-handled conversations a month, 50 Lyro in total
  • Starter$29 / moOr $24.17/mo billed yearly. 100 human-handled conversations a month
  • GrowthFrom $59 / moOr from $49.17/mo yearly. 250 conversations, up to $349/mo for 2,000
  • PlusFrom $300 / mo + usageContact sales. Custom limits, seats, Multiproject for separate brands
  • PremiumContact salesFrom 3,000 Lyro chats. 50% resolution guarantee, pay per resolution

Lyro AI is extra, from $39/mo for 50 conversations to $700/mo for 1,000, billed monthly. Flows and removing Tidio branding also cost extra.

Yes, a free plan forever, with 50 conversations a month. Every plan has a 7-day free trial, no card needed.

From Tidio’s pricing page, checked 23 October 2026. Prices change; check theirs before you compare totals.

Maxbound

1–3 $30/mo 4–9 $20/mo 10–19 $14/mo 20–50 $8/mo 50+ Custom Talk to us

$130a month

$26 per client on average

  • Every feature in every workspace
  • 100 AI credits a client, each month
  • 7-day free trial, no free plan
What users say

Tidio, in its users’ words. From review sites and independent reviewers.

What they praise

  • Quick to set up

    Shopify and Capterra reviewers say chat and the AI go live fast. They describe the dashboard as clean and easy to navigate.

    Sources: Shopify App Store, Capterra, G2
  • Lyro handles repeat questions

    Merchants say Lyro answers routine questions without a person stepping in. G2 reviewers value it most during busy periods.

    Sources: Shopify App Store, G2
  • Helpful support team

    Positive Trustpilot reviews often describe support staff as patient and knowledgeable. Capterra reviewers report quick answers through chat support.

    Sources: Trustpilot, Capterra
  • Free plan suits small stores

    Shopify reviewers call the free plan strong value. Capterra reviewers say it suits small businesses but note its low limits.

    Sources: Shopify App Store, Capterra

What they complain about

  • Pricing is hard to predict

    Human chats, AI chats and Flows visitors are billed separately, so bills climb with volume. 'Expensive' and 'Cost' top G2's complaint tags.

    Sources: Getmacha, Featurebase, Eesel, Capterra
  • Billing and account disputes

    Trustpilot sits at 3.5, with a quarter of reviews at one star. Most cite unexpected charges, trouble cancelling and locked accounts with little explanation.

    Source: Trustpilot
  • Limited customisation

    G2 reviewers often flag limited customisation and missing features. They cite chatbot styling, flow limits and workflow control on lower plans.

    Sources: Getmacha, G2, Trustpilot
  • AI only knows what's written

    Lyro struggles with complex or multi-step questions beyond its sources. Its crawler stops at about 60 pages, and free AI is 50 conversations total.

    Sources: Eesel, MyAskAI
Which one

Pick by the work you sell.

Choose Tidio if you…

  • You run a Shopify or WooCommerce store, and most questions come via website chat or email.
  • You want AI to look up orders, show product cards and add to cart in chat.
  • You want to start free, or need a ticketing help desk and help centre beside chat.
  • You use Zendesk, Salesforce or Intercom and want Lyro Connect on top, on Plus or Premium.

Choose Maxbound if you…

  • You want Instagram and Facebook comments on posts and ads answered, moderated and moved to DMs.
  • You run several brands or clients and want a workspace each, cloned from the last.
  • You want to message customers first on WhatsApp with broadcasts and follow-ups, not only reply.
  • You want to test an agent on real past chats and approve it before going live.
Questions

What people ask. About Tidio and Maxbound.

Also compared

Is Maxbound a Tidio alternative?

For social-heavy businesses and agencies, yes. Maxbound fits better when questions come via Instagram and Facebook comments, WhatsApp outreach or several client brands. Tidio is purpose-built for website chat, email, Shopify order lookups and a help desk. It is also cheaper to start, with a free plan.

Does Tidio answer Instagram and Facebook comments?

Only as tickets for a person. Each top-level comment on your Facebook and Instagram posts becomes a ticket. Lyro answers Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp DMs, with no documented comment replies, moderation or comment-to-DM. Maxbound does all three.

How much does Tidio cost?

Free for 50 human-handled conversations a month. Starter is $29 a month for 100, or $24.17 a month billed yearly. Growth starts at $59, and Plus at $300 plus usage. Lyro AI is a separate add-on, from $39 a month for 50 up to $700 for 1,000.

Which is better for a small online store?

It depends on where customers write. Tidio suits site chat, email and DMs, with order lookups and product cards in chat. Maxbound suits Instagram or Facebook ad comments that need answering and moving to DMs. It also suits stores that want WhatsApp broadcasts.

Can an agency manage several clients in Tidio?

Only on the Plus plan, for separate projects. Plus costs from $300 a month plus usage, and multi-brand Lyro is on the roadmap. One project's sites share widget settings, and partners earn a referral revenue share. Maxbound gives each client its own workspace, from $8 to $30 a month.

Sources for this comparison (24) · checked 23 October 2026

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