A Tidio alternative that answers from Telegram
Tidio bundles live chat with the Lyro AI chatbot and a multichannel inbox — strongest in e-commerce. chatrelay strips the bundle to the part founders actually use: the chat on your site, relayed to your own Telegram, answered by you (with AI drafts when you want them).
chatrelay vs Tidio at a glance
| Feature | chatrelay | Tidio |
|---|---|---|
| Install | One script tag, before </body>. No SDK, no app. | Script snippet or platform apps (Shopify app etc.). |
| Where you reply | Your own Telegram bot (a thread per visitor), or the web dashboard — replies appear in the visitor's widget live. | The Tidio inbox (web/mobile app). |
| Pricing model | Flat $15–50/mo per account — unlimited messages, no per-seat math. Free plan included. | Free tier, then stacked plans — chat, Lyro AI and automation priced separately (as of 2026). |
| AI assistance | AI drafting/analysis included (50 drafts/mo on Starter, unlimited on Pro). | Lyro AI chatbot answers autonomously, billed by conversations. |
| Automation | None to configure — a human (you) answers, fast. | Flows/chatbot builders for cart recovery and FAQs. |
| Bot ownership | You create the Telegram bot yourself at @BotFather and can revoke its token any time — your bot, your audience. | You operate inside Tidio's platform. |
Comparison reflects publicly listed plans and features as of mid-2026 — shapes, not exact prices. Always check current pricing on both sites.
When Tidio is the better choice
- You want an autonomous chatbot (Lyro) answering FAQs with no human in the loop.
- You run an e-commerce store and want cart-recovery automations and deep Shopify flows.
- You need Messenger/Instagram/email unified in one inbox.
When chatrelay is the better choice
- You believe a fast human answer beats a chatbot — and you want it to reach you like a text.
- You want flat, predictable pricing without per-conversation AI metering.
- You want your support channel on infrastructure you control — your own Telegram bot.
Switching from Tidio
Remove their widget snippet, paste this one before </body>, and connect your Telegram bot in the setup — most people are live in a couple of minutes. Your project id arrives on signup.
<script src="https://www.chatwithdev.com/widget.js" data-chatrelay-project="your-project" data-chatrelay-convex="https://impressive-quail-820.convex.cloud" data-chatrelay-title="Chat with us" defer></script>
FAQ
Does chatrelay have a chatbot like Lyro?
No — by design. chatrelay's AI drafts replies, analyzes sentiment and answers your questions about a conversation, but a human always sends the message. If you want fully autonomous bot answers, Tidio is the better fit.
Which is better for a Shopify store?
Tidio has deeper Shopify automations (carts, order lookups). chatrelay is the lighter choice: one tag in theme.liquid, questions to your Telegram, no app overhead — see the Shopify install guide.
How does pricing compare?
Tidio stacks plans (chat + Lyro + automation, metered by usage); chatrelay is flat $15–50/mo with unlimited messages and a free plan. Fewer counters to watch.
Can I switch without losing my chat widget settings?
The widget is configured by data-attributes on the embed tag (accent, title, greeting), so recreating your look takes a minute. Swap the snippets and you're live.