Starlix vs Tidio (Lyro): AI agent pricing and features for online stores
Tidio's free plan looks generous until you read the line under it: 50 Lyro AI conversations, lifetime. Not per month. For a store that wants the AI to do the answering, that line matters more than anything else on the page.
Short answer: Tidio is a live chat and helpdesk tool with an AI agent called Lyro, priced with separate limits and an add-on. Starlix is an AI agent first, trained on your store's content, with handoff to your team built in. Starlix's free plan includes 50 AI conversations every month; its $19.99 plan includes 100. If the AI agent is what you're buying, Starlix gives you more AI conversations for the money. If you mainly want a live chat inbox with some automation, Tidio is built around that.
We make Starlix. Tidio figures come from Tidio's pricing page as of October 2026.
Pricing side by side
| Starlix | Tidio | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 50 AI conversations every month | 50 Lyro conversations total (lifetime) |
| Entry plan | $19.99/mo: 100 AI conversations | $24.17/mo: 50 Lyro conversations, 100 billable conversations |
| Next plan | $68.99/mo: 500 AI conversations | Growth from $49.17/mo, 250+ billable conversations |
| AI add-on | Included | Lyro add-on from $32.50/mo |
Tidio's plans mix three meters: billable conversations, Flows visitors and Lyro conversations. Starlix has one: AI conversations, and chats your team handles never count. That means you can predict next month's bill from one number.
Different starting points
Tidio started as live chat and added automation (Flows) and AI (Lyro) on top. Its plans assume your team does a lot of the chatting.
Starlix started as an AI agent. You train it on your products, policies and docs, put it on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, and it hands the chat to your team with the full history when it can't help. That means the AI takes the repeat questions and your team only sees the ones that need a person.
Where Starlix is the better fit
The AI is the main thing you're buying. A predictable number of AI conversations each month, with no separate add-on to unlock.
You run a Shopify store. Starlix checks live order status and recommends products from your catalog, which means a shopper asking about a size gets an answer and a suggestion in the same chat. It's on the Shopify App Store.
You sell in DMs as well as on your site. One agent, one training, the same answer on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
Where Tidio may be the better fit
Your team does most of the chatting and wants a live chat inbox first, with AI as a helper. You want Tidio's visual Flows for rule-based automations. You're already on Tidio and your AI volume is small.
A fair test
Pick twenty chats from last month that a good agent should handle. Train both tools on your site and ask the same questions. Count correct answers from your content, check how cleanly each handed off the rest, then price your real monthly volume on both.
FAQ
Is Lyro included in Tidio's free plan? The free plan includes 50 Lyro conversations in total (lifetime), as of October 2026.
Do human conversations count toward Starlix's limit? No. Only AI-handled conversations count; conversations your team handles are unlimited on every plan.
Does Starlix work with Shopify? Yes. It checks live order status and recommends products from your catalog, and installs from the Shopify App Store.