Bouts / Tidio vs Zoho Desk
Tidio vs Zoho Desk
Red cornerTidio
$24.17 a month billed annually, or $29 month to month, for 100 billable conversations (Starter)
Blue cornerZoho Desk
$7 per user a month, billed annually (Express)
Tidio wins 4–2 at 10 agents (clear win). Tidio takes the bill, price tags, AI and user verdict; Zoho Desk takes desk basics and security.
The judges' card
| Round | Tidio | What happened | Zoho Desk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Tidio $583, Zoho Desk $400 (an AI price is not public) a month. Tidio's bill is complete and the other is not, so Tidio takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | W | Tidio offers AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits; Zoho Desk offers seat prices, with the AI priced by quote or not at all. Tidio takes the round. | |
| Round 3AI | W | Tidio offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems; Zoho Desk offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Tidio takes the round. | |
| Round 4Desk basics | Zoho Desk offers all that plus phone and messaging apps; Tidio offers email plus one more channel. Zoho Desk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | Zoho Desk offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Tidio offers one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001). Zoho Desk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: Tidio 4.6 from 1,962 reviews, Zoho Desk 4.4 from 7,988 reviews. Tidio takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 4 | Tidio wins | 2 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Tidio
- $199
- Zoho Desk
- $120
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Tidio wins 4–2.
Mid-size team
- Tidio
- $583
- Zoho Desk
- $400
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Tidio wins 4–2.
Large team
- Tidio
- —
- Zoho Desk
- $1,000
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Draw, 3–3.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Tidio Growth + Lyro AI Agent; Zoho Desk Enterprise.
Tale of the tape
| Tidio | Made by | Zoho Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| per conversation | Pricing | per agent |
| $24.17 a month billed annually, or $29 month to month, for 100 billable conversations (Starter) | Paid plans from | $7 per user a month, billed annually (Express) |
| Growth + Lyro AI Agent | Plan we priced | Enterprise |
| $199 | 3 agents, AI on | $120 |
| $583 | 10 agents, AI on | $400 |
| — | 25 agents, AI on | $1,000 |
| From $39 a month for 50 Lyro conversations ($32.50 billed annually), up to $700 for 1,000 ($583.33 billed annually); Contact for pricing | AI agent price | Not published; uses Zia Agent credits with no published rate per reply; Included in Standard, Professional and Enterprise |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social | Channels | Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social |
| 50 billable conversations a month, 10 seats and 50 one-time Lyro conversations | Free plan | Up to 3 users with email ticketing |
| 7 days | Free trial | 15 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, SOC 2 + HIPAA Type 2 |
| Data mainly processed on servers in the EEA; some data is transferred to the US | Data hosting | Choice of US, EU (Amsterdam and Dublin), India, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore and China data centers |
| 4.6 (1,962) | G2 rating | 4.4 (7,988) |
| 4.7 (590) | Capterra rating | 4.5 (2,216) |
Questions
Which is better, Tidio or Zoho Desk?
Tidio wins 4–2 at 10 agents (clear win). Tidio takes the bill, price tags, AI and user verdict; Zoho Desk takes desk basics and security.
Is Tidio cheaper than Zoho Desk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Tidio comes to $583 a month and Zoho Desk to $400, from list prices. Tidio takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Tidio or Zoho Desk?
Tidio offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems; Zoho Desk offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Tidio takes the round.
