Customer service is a fundamental part of any business, but customers nowadays have more exacting expectations than ever before. Being left on hold for what feels like a lifetime? Emails that are left unresponded to for days? Practices like these are just not going to cut it with the modern consumer.
Efficiency, convenience, and personalized service are increasing priorities for customers, so businesses must be agile, adaptable, and offer as many different avenues for communication as possible — email and phone support still have their place, but communication methods such as live chat and instant messaging are being used more widely.
In fact, many modern customer communication platforms incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), streamlining the support experience by automating some of the more routine tasks and allowing support agents to focus on delivering exceptional service where needed.
Tidio is one such tool, with its AI chatbot functionality allowing businesses to decrease customer waiting times while still providing efficient support. Before you consider using Tidio, however, you should survey the market and assess whether one of its many alternatives fits your business needs better.
So, if you’ve tried Tidio and it didn’t have the exact features that you need, or you’d simply like to consider your options before committing to one, this guide is for you.
1. Crisp
Crisp is a popular alternative to Tidio not just in terms of its cost-effective pricing but also in the wide range of features it offers. Similarly to Tidio, Crisp offers a chatbot, live chat, and knowledge base tools, but goes one step further by centralizing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email and WhatsApp messages through a single platform. This simplifies your communication workflows while improving your overall efficiency — reducing the time spent switching between apps or platforms.
Better yet, you’ll benefit from video and audio call capability without the need for additional plugins, and a co-browsing feature which offers more personalized support to customers — both unavailable with Tidio. When it comes to pricing, Crisp may offer better value for money. Crisp offers a free plan with basic features, a startup plan for $25 per month, and for those requiring a full-featured solution, the most expensive plan is $95 per month. Considering the additional features you get with Crisp, it’s worth making the switch!
2. Intercom
Intercom is another strong contender when looking for a Tidio alternative. It’s the only complete AI-first customer service platform, with the aim of enhancing the customer experience, improving operational efficiency, and scaling your business. This platform is well-known for its robust customer communication capabilities, including live chat, chatbots, and a comprehensive help center.
Additionally, Intercom integrates seamlessly with various CRM and marketing automation tools, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to streamline their operations. While Intercom’s pricing can be on the higher end, the depth of its features and the value it provides often justify the cost for many businesses.
3. Zendesk
Zendesk is a well-established name in the customer service industry, known for its versatility and comprehensive suite of tools. It offers live chat, ticketing, knowledge base, and a robust CRM system. Zendesk’s standout feature is its powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, which allow you to monitor customer interactions and agent performance closely.
Moreover, Zendesk supports a wide range of integrations with other software solutions, enabling you to create a cohesive and efficient customer service ecosystem. Although Zendesk can be more complex and expensive compared to Tidio, its extensive customization options and scalability make it an ideal choice for larger organizations or those with more sophisticated customer support needs.
4. Help Scout
Help Scout is designed to provide a seamless customer support experience with a focus on simplicity and efficiency. It offers email and live chat support, a knowledge base, and customer management tools. Help Scout’s unique selling point is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for support teams to navigate and manage customer interactions.
The platform also includes features like saved replies, workflows, and customer satisfaction ratings, which help streamline your support processes. Help Scout integrates well with other popular business tools, making it a versatile option for businesses of all sizes. Its pricing is very competitive, making it a great alternative to Tidio for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an efficient and straightforward support solution.
5. HelpCrunch
HelpCrunch is an all-in-one customer service platform and a top Tidio alternative for businesses seeking live chat, chatbots, a knowledge base, and email marketing tools. The platform also features a popup builder, which is invaluable for boosting customer engagement.
Unlike Tidio, HelpCrunch has great customisation features. The knowledge base tool allows you to publish articles enriched with videos, images, and GIFs. It also supports metadata optimization, enhancing ymy articles’ performance in Google searches. This feature alone can significantly improve your support efficiency and reduce repetitive inquiries. With plans starting at $15 per month, HelpCrunch is an affordable solution for businesses needing a comprehensive mix of support and marketing tools in one platform.
6. LiveChat
LiveChat is one of the oldest customer service platforms available, making it a reliable and robust choice. The platform’s primary purpose is to provide a single place where agents can handle all communication with customers. While some advanced features, such as the knowledge base and chatbots, require additional payments, LiveChat offers a comprehensive set of tools to ensure high-quality conversational experiences. These include real-time live chat, detailed reporting, and seamless integrations with over 170 other tools, enhancing its functionality and versatility.
If credibility is an important factor for you, LiveChat is an excellent alternative to Tidio as it has 21 years of knowledge under its belt. With its robust features and extensive integration capabilities, LiveChat is well-suited for businesses looking for a dependable and feature-rich customer support solution.
7. Gorgias
If you’re looking for a Tidio alternative for your ecommerce business, Gorgias is a standout option with its deep integrations with platforms like Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce. It provides comprehensive support through live chat, email, and social media, enabling you to manage all customer interactions in one centralized location.
Gorgias excels in automating repetitive tasks such as order status inquiries and returns processing, which frees up your support team to tackle more complex issues. Additionally, Gorgias’s pricing is based on the number of tickets, making it a scalable and cost-effective solution for growing ecommerce businesses. This flexibility allows you to expand your support capabilities without incurring prohibitive costs.
8. Hiver
Hiver is a unique customer support tool that integrates directly with Gmail, transforming it into a powerful helpdesk. This makes it an excellent choice for teams already using Google Workspace, and although it does bring conversations from all channels such as emails, chats, voice calls and WhatsApp, in one place, if you’re not an email-heavy business it may not provide the tools you need.
Hiver also provides automation features, such as email templates and workflows, to streamline your support processes. Its reporting tools help you track team performance and identify areas for improvement. Hiver’s pricing is competitive, making it a suitable alternative for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a straightforward and integrated support solution.
9. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is part of the Zoho suite of business applications, offering a comprehensive set of tools for customer support. It includes multi-channel support, ticketing, automation, and a knowledge base. Zoho Desk’s standout feature is its AI-powered assistant, Zia, which can help with ticket classification, sentiment analysis, and support suggestions.
The platform integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications, as well as third-party tools, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking for a cohesive support system. Zoho Desk’s pricing is very competitive, with a free plan available for small teams and affordable paid plans for larger organizations.
10. Olark
Olark is a straightforward alternative to Tidio for adding live chat to your website. While it may not boast the most extensive feature set, it satisfactorily fulfills the need for live chat functionality. The core feature of Olark is its live chat, which includes basic customisation options, automated messages, forms, and reporting capabilities. Integration with platforms like HubSpot, Zendesk, and Salesforce is supported, enhancing its utility for managing customer interactions across different channels.
Olark offers additional features known as PowerUps, which are available for separate purchase including the chatbot function, exclusive to users on the Pro plan, visitor co-browsing, visitor insights, and live chat translation. Visitor insights provide access to general customer data gathered from public social profiles and company websites, although specifics on this feature may raise questions. Pricing for Olark starts at $29 per month per seat.
Tidio is not your only option when looking for customer service tools. Try one of these alternatives and power up your customer service experience with the features you need, at the right price point.
