Tidio is a live chat and AI chatbot platform that sits on a website and answers visitor questions in real time, with a paid AI agent (Lyro) that can resolve common questions without a human on standby. For an impact organization fielding repeat questions from beneficiaries, applicants, or donors, a chatbot can absorb the routine questions and free staff time for the ones that need a real answer.
Key features
- Live chat widget with a free tier covering up to 50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats.
- Lyro, an AI agent add-on that answers common questions automatically based on a knowledge base you provide.
- Flows, a visual automation builder for triggering messages based on visitor behavior.
- Ticketing system for tracking and assigning conversations that need a human follow-up.
- Integrations with common website platforms and messaging channels.
Pricing
Tidio’s free plan covers 50 billable conversations a month across 10 seats, enough for a small organization to test the tool. The Starter plan runs around $24/month billed annually for 100 conversations and a limited allotment of Lyro AI conversations. The Growth plan starts around $49/month billed annually for up to 2,000 conversations with more automation. The Lyro AI add-on itself starts around $32.50/month for 50 conversations if bought separately from a base plan. All paid plans include a 7-day free trial.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free tier is genuinely usable for a small program or NGO website with light chat volume | Costs scale with conversation volume, so a busy support inbox can get expensive quickly on paid tiers |
| Lyro AI can handle repetitive FAQ-style questions without staff involvement | AI answers are only as good as the knowledge base behind them, and still need review for accuracy on sensitive program questions |
| Simple setup with no coding required for a basic widget | Higher-volume plans (Plus and Premium) are priced for commercial support teams, not typical nonprofit budgets |
Who it’s for
Impact organizations with a public-facing website that gets repeat questions from beneficiaries, applicants, or donors, and that want to automate the routine ones without losing the option for a human to step in.
Who should skip it
Organizations whose website traffic and inquiry volume are low enough that email or a simple contact form already handles the load. Adding a chat widget in that case is more infrastructure than the traffic justifies.
How to get started
Start on the free plan and build a small FAQ knowledge base before adding the paid Lyro AI agent.
FAQ
Can Tidio’s AI answer questions about our specific programs?
Only as accurately as the knowledge base or FAQ content you feed it. It works best for well-documented, repeated questions, not nuanced case-by-case program decisions.
Does the free plan include the AI chatbot?
The free plan includes basic live chat; Lyro AI conversations are a separate paid add-on beyond a small trial allotment.
Disclosure: Impact DOTS may earn a commission if you sign up for Tidio through the links in this article. This does not change what you pay, and it does not influence which tools we choose to cover.
