Tidio vs Gorgias for Shopify 2026 — Which Is Actually Worth It?
Gorgias costs £60–£300/month. Tidio’s free plan resolves approximately 70% of support queries without human intervention. For most Shopify stores, the cost difference is not justified by the feature gap.
This comparison covers pricing, AI capabilities, Shopify integration depth, and the decision framework by store size.
The Core Difference
Tidio is an AI-first support platform. Lyro AI handles first-response for most queries automatically — customers get immediate answers without waiting for an agent. Human agents handle the 30% of queries Lyro escalates.
Gorgias is a helpdesk platform for human agents. It gives agents excellent tooling — deep Shopify data access, macro automation, multi-channel ticketing, revenue attribution — but the primary workflow is still agent-driven. AI features assist agents rather than replacing first-response handling.
This architectural difference matters for cost. Tidio’s free plan costs nothing and reduces the human support hours required. Gorgias at £60/month for 300 tickets still requires a human agent for most of those tickets.
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Tidio | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Live chat + 50 Lyro AI conversations/month | No free plan |
| Entry paid | £29/month — 200 Lyro conversations | $10/month — 50 tickets/month |
| Standard | £59/month — 2,000 Lyro conversations | $60/month — 300 tickets/month |
| Growth | Custom | $360/month — 2,000 tickets/month |
| Overage | N/A | $0.04–$0.36 per ticket above plan |
The ticket overage model in Gorgias is a significant operational risk. A promotion or product issue that spikes support volume can generate unexpected costs without warning.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Tidio | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| AI first-response | Yes — Lyro resolves ~70% automatically | Assist mode only |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Email support | Yes | Yes |
| Social media integration | Basic | Deep (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) |
| Shopify order data in chat | Yes — sidebar view | Yes — deep integration, direct edit |
| Issue refunds from helpdesk | No | Yes |
| Edit orders from helpdesk | No | Yes |
| Macro automation | Basic | Advanced |
| Revenue attribution | Basic | Advanced — per ticket revenue tracking |
| Free plan | Yes — functional | No |
| Setup time | 30 minutes | 2–4 hours |
The Gorgias advantages are real: direct order editing, refund processing, and multi-channel ticketing from within the helpdesk are genuinely better for stores with complex support workflows. The question is whether the cost is justified for your support volume.
Shopify Integration Depth
Tidio’s Shopify integration pulls order status, tracking numbers, purchase history, and product data into the chat sidebar. Agents see relevant customer data during conversations. Lyro AI uses this data to answer order-specific queries without agent involvement.
What Tidio cannot do from the helpdesk: issue refunds, edit order details, add notes to Shopify orders, or tag customers — these require switching to the Shopify admin.
Gorgias’s Shopify integration is deeper. Agents can issue refunds, edit orders, apply discount codes, add order notes, and tag customers directly from the Gorgias ticket view. For stores where support agents regularly modify orders, this eliminates the context-switching to Shopify admin.
This depth matters at scale. For a team of 3+ agents handling 500+ tickets/month, the time saved by not switching to Shopify admin for every order action is meaningful. For a solo operator or small team handling under 200 tickets/month, it is less significant.
Decision Framework by Store Size
Under £20,000/month GMV — Use Tidio free
At this size, support volume is typically under 100 tickets/month. Lyro AI’s free tier (50 conversations/month) handles 50% of queries automatically. Human response handles the rest. Total cost: £0/month.
£20,000–£100,000/month GMV — Tidio paid or Gorgias Basic
Support volume typically 100–500 tickets/month. Tidio’s £59/month plan (2,000 Lyro conversations) covers most stores in this range with AI-first resolution. Gorgias Basic at $60/month requires more human agent time for the same ticket volume.
If your team is already agent-trained on a helpdesk workflow and the Shopify direct integration matters, Gorgias Basic is defensible. If you are evaluating from scratch, Tidio’s AI-first approach is more cost-efficient.
£100,000+/month GMV — Evaluate Gorgias Growth or Pro
At this size, support complexity increases. Multiple agents, multi-channel queries (email, social, SMS), complex order modifications, and revenue attribution reporting become important. Gorgias’s tooling is purpose-built for this workflow. Tidio’s free and starter plans become limiting.
The Verdict
Choose Tidio if:
- You want to reduce support cost from the start
- Most of your queries are repetitive (order status, shipping, FAQs)
- You are a solo operator or small team under 500 tickets/month
- You want AI to handle first-response, not just assist agents
Choose Gorgias if:
- You have 3+ support agents with a structured helpdesk workflow
- Your agents regularly modify orders, issue refunds, or tag customers from the helpdesk
- You need multi-channel ticketing (email + social + SMS + phone) in one place
- Revenue attribution per support interaction matters for your reporting
For most Shopify stores, Tidio is the right starting point. The free plan is genuinely functional. Lyro AI reduces human support time by 70% when properly configured. The £29–£59/month paid plans extend this for growing stores at a fraction of Gorgias’s cost.
Start with Tidio free. The setup guide covers the full configuration including the Lyro knowledge base structure that achieves 70% resolution rates.
Complete your free stack alongside whichever helpdesk you choose
The Complete Kit handles the rest of your automation — server-side tracking (replaces Elevar/Triple Whale), Stocky replacement (before August shutdown), and live P&L reporting. Four pre-built Make.com JSON blueprints. $29 one-time, $0/month ongoing.