For the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0, and the OpenAI tokens on your key come to about $0.97 at this volume (estimate).
The tools bill AI in different units: Tidio and Smartsupp per conversation, LiveChat per resolution, Chatbase and tawk.to per credit, and with the free chatbot by Roition OpenAI bills the tokens of each message. We convert every amount to a chat of 4 and of 10 customer messages.
Prices come from the vendors' price lists and help pages checked on 20 October 2026; features from their sites and help pages (read 15-20 October 2026). Smartsupp shows USD prices on its price list next to PLN.
How we count: billing units and assumptions
Five paid tools bill AI replies in four units: a Lyro conversation (Tidio), a conversation as a session (Smartsupp Mira), a resolution (LiveChat) and a credit (Chatbase, tawk.to). The free chatbot by Roition has no per-unit fee: you pay us $0, and you pay OpenAI for tokens on your own key (estimate $0.66-1.06 per 1,000 messages).
Different units, plus the fact that in Chatbase, tawk.to and with an OpenAI key the cost grows with the number of messages, mean the price lists cannot be compared without converting them to a common chat.
| Option | Billing unit | What uses up the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tidio Lyro | Lyro conversation | Lyro's first reply in a new thread; a thread closes after 15 minutes of inactivity (Tidio help) |
| Smartsupp Mira | conversation | a unique visitor session with an AI reply; a later return is a new conversation (price list) |
| LiveChat (Text) | resolution | a chat in which the AI solved the question; several questions in one chat are one resolution (price list) |
| Chatbase | credit | 1-5 credits per AI message depending on the model (docs); actions add requests (pricing FAQ) |
| tawk.to AI Assist | credit | from 1 credit (e.g. Claude Haiku 4.5) per reply; the default Auto model: 3 credits (tawk.to help) |
| Free chatbot by Roition | OpenAI tokens | estimate $0.66-1.06 per 1,000 customer messages, typically $0.81 |
Assumptions:
- a chat is 4 customer messages (typical) or 10 (long), with one AI reply per customer message;
- Chatbase and tawk.to on a 1-credit model (GPT-6 Luna or Auto in Chatbase, Claude Haiku 4.5 in tawk.to);
- LiveChat: one seat and every chat counted as a resolution, so an upper bound;
- Tidio and Smartsupp: AI added to the free plan;
- Chatbase top-ups ($40 per 1,000 credits) and tawk.to top-ups ($30 per 1,000) do not expire, so we count them pro rata; in the first month they are bought in blocks of 1,000 credits, so spend can be higher;
- always the cheapest setup on the price list, amounts before tax.
What free plans include
In free plans Tidio gives 50 Lyro conversations once, tawk.to 100 credits a month on the Hobby plan, Smartsupp offers Mira only in the trial, and LiveChat has no free plan. Free chatbot by Roition: you pay us $0 with no chat limit on our side, and OpenAI for tokens (estimate $0.66-1.06 per 1,000 messages).
| Option | AI for $0 | After the limit | Live chat for $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | 50 Lyro conversations once per project | Lyro stops working, the limit does not reset | 50 human conversations a month |
| Smartsupp | Mira only in the trial: 10 + 25 conversations | Mira needs a package | 25 conversations a month |
| LiveChat | no free plan, 14-day trial | none | none |
| tawk.to | Hobby plan: 100 credits a month (about 33 replies on Auto, 100 on a 1-credit model) | AI does not join new chats until the limit resets; top-ups only on paid plans | yes |
| Chatbase | price list: no free plan, 7-day trial; Shopify listing: Free plan, 50 credits, 1 MB | not stated on the site | helpdesk from the Standard plan |
| Free chatbot by Roition | $0 to Roition, no chat limit on our side; OpenAI tokens on your key (estimate $0.66-1.06 per 1,000 messages), OpenAI prepayment of at least $5 | once the hard spend limit of the OpenAI project is exceeded, the chatbot stops replying; the balance alone does not stop traffic at once | no live chat |
What one AI chat costs
One AI chat on the price lists costs from $0.12 (tawk.to, a 4-message chat on a 1-credit model) to $0.99 (an extra LiveChat resolution). With the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0 and OpenAI about $0.003 for tokens (estimate).
| Option | Unit price (monthly / annual billing) | 4-message chat | 10-message chat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio Lyro | $0.70-0.78 / $0.58-0.65 per conversation | $0.70-0.78 | $0.70-0.78, if no break longer than 15 minutes |
| Smartsupp Mira | $0.20 / $0.16 per conversation | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| LiveChat | $0.99 per extra resolution or $49.50 per 50; 200 resolutions included in Growth | up to $0.99 | up to $0.99 |
| Chatbase | $0.04 per top-up credit; Hobby: $40 for 700 credits | $0.16-0.23 | $0.40-0.57 |
| tawk.to | $0.03 per top-up credit; Growth: $29 for 1,000 credits | $0.12 (Auto: $0.35-0.36) | $0.29-0.30 (Auto: $0.87-0.90) |
| Free chatbot by Roition | $0 to Roition; OpenAI tokens $0.66-1.06 per 1,000 messages (estimate) | about $0.003 | about $0.008 |
In Tidio, Smartsupp and LiveChat the price of a chat does not depend on the number of messages; in Chatbase, tawk.to and with an OpenAI key it grows with every reply. A customer returning after a break counts as another conversation in Tidio and Smartsupp.
What an AI chatbot costs at 100, 300 and 1,000 chats a month
With monthly billing and before tax an AI chatbot costs from $20 (Smartsupp Mira) to $99 (LiveChat) at 100 chats, from $35 (tawk.to) to $210 (Tidio) at 300 and from $99 (tawk.to) to $891 (LiveChat) at 1,000 chats.
For the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0, and OpenAI tokens cost from about $0.32 (100 chats of 4 messages) to about $8.10 (1,000 chats of 10 messages), estimate.
Where the number of messages changes the cost, the table shows two amounts: a 4 / 10-message chat.
| Option (monthly billing, USD before tax) | 100 chats | 300 chats | 1,000 chats | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio Lyro | 75 | 210 | 700 | Lyro package of 100 / 300 / 1,000 conversations |
| Smartsupp Mira | 20 | 60 | 200 | packages of 100 conversations ($20) |
| LiveChat | 99 | 198 | 891 | Growth plan, 1 seat ($99, 200 resolutions) and packs of 50 |
| Chatbase | 40 / 52 | 60 / 132 | 150 / 390 | Hobby or Standard plus top-ups |
| tawk.to | 29 / 29 | 35 / 89 | 99 / 249 | Growth or Business plus top-ups |
| Free chatbot by Roition | 0 + about 0.32 / 0.81 | 0 + about 0.97 / 2.43 | 0 + about 3.24 / 8.10 | OpenAI tokens (estimate, typically $0.81 per 1,000 messages) |
With annual billing the monthly amounts are: Tidio $62.50 / $175 / $583.33, Smartsupp $16 / $48 / $160, LiveChat $79 / $178 / $871, Chatbase $32-44 / $52-120 / $120-360, tawk.to $24.17 / $30.17-82.50 / $82.50-232.50. Tidio and tawk.to give 2 months free on annual billing, Chatbase 20% off.
On the default Auto model tawk.to uses 3 credits per reply, so 300 chats of 4 messages are 3,600 credits and the Business plan at $99 instead of $35. In LiveChat chats without a resolution do not use the limit, so the LiveChat amounts in the table are an upper bound.
Features next to the price
Live chat with human takeover is offered by Tidio, Smartsupp, LiveChat, tawk.to (AI handoff on paid plans) and Chatbase (from the Standard plan); AI on WhatsApp and Messenger by Tidio, Chatbase, tawk.to and LiveChat.
The free chatbot by Roition works only as an AI advisor on the store website, with products from a Google Merchant Center or Ceneo XML feed.
| Option | Live chat and human takeover | AI outside the website | Order status | Products | Polish platforms | Own API key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | yes | Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, email | via Actions, a template for Shopify (Plus, Premium, selected Lyro subscribers) | Google Merchant Center XML feed, Shopify, WooCommerce | Shoper, IdoSell: not stated on the site; PrestaShop: widget code | not stated on the site |
| Smartsupp | yes | Mira only in the website widget | Mira: not stated on the site | Google Merchant or Heureka feed, up to 30,000 products | app in the Shoper App Store; live chat integration with IdoSell | not stated on the site |
| LiveChat | yes | WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS (pricing FAQ) | AI with order data through the Shopify integration (WISMO page) | live catalog only from Shopify | Shoper, IdoSell: not in the marketplace | not stated on the site |
| Chatbase | from the Standard plan ($150) | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram | Shopify action on all plans | website, files, Shopify; WooCommerce: not stated on the site | Shoper, IdoSell: not stated on the site | not stated on the site |
| tawk.to | live chat $0; AI handoff only on paid plans | Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS | Shopify and WooCommerce from the Growth plan | website, files, CSV tables; XML feed: not stated on the site | Shoper: not stated on the site; PrestaShop: widget module | not stated on the site |
| Free chatbot by Roition | no | no | no | Google Merchant Center or Ceneo XML feed, website content | any platform with a field for a script tag; no app in app stores | yes, OpenAI only (required) |
The free chatbot by Roition does not perform actions (returns, discount codes, cart), has no sales analytics from chat, no support with an SLA and no data processing agreement for users.
AI models: Tidio names Claude (Anthropic) and its own models, Smartsupp lists OpenAI among its sub-processors, Chatbase and tawk.to offer a choice of model, LiveChat does not name a model, and the free chatbot by Roition uses GPT-6 Luna by default on the user's OpenAI account.
Which option for which scenario
AI and a human in one chat window are offered by Tidio, Smartsupp, LiveChat, tawk.to (AI on paid plans) and Chatbase (from Standard); AI on WhatsApp and Messenger by Tidio, Chatbase, tawk.to and LiveChat; a product advisor from an XML feed on Shoper by Smartsupp Mira and the free chatbot by Roition.
At 1,000 chats of 4 messages the monthly amounts start at $99 (tawk.to). So the choice comes down to two things: the feature you need and the number of chats a month.
| Scenario | Options that offer it according to vendor sites | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| AI and a human in one chat window | Tidio, Smartsupp, LiveChat, tawk.to (handoff from Growth, $29), Chatbase (from Standard, $150) | the free chatbot by Roition has no live chat |
| AI on Messenger, WhatsApp or Instagram | Tidio, Chatbase, tawk.to (Messenger, WhatsApp), LiveChat (WhatsApp, Messenger) | Smartsupp Mira and the free chatbot by Roition work only on the website |
| Order status via AI on Shopify | Chatbase, tawk.to (from Growth), Tidio (Actions), LiveChat (Shopify integration) | on WooCommerce: tawk.to from Growth; Chatbase: WooCommerce integration not stated on the site |
| Product advisor from an XML feed in a store on Shoper or IdoSell | Smartsupp Mira (Google Merchant feed, Shoper app), free chatbot by Roition (Google Merchant or Ceneo feed, script tag) | Smartsupp has feed instructions for Shoper, for IdoSell not stated on the site; Tidio has an XML feed, but Shoper and IdoSell are not on its site; Mira $0.20 per conversation; free chatbot by Roition $0 to Roition + OpenAI tokens (estimate about $0.003 per 4-message chat) |
| 1,000 or more chats a month | at 1,000 chats (monthly billing, 4 / 10 messages): tawk.to $99 / $249, Chatbase $150 / $390, Smartsupp $200, Tidio $700, LiveChat $891 | Tidio, Smartsupp and LiveChat grow with the number of chats, Chatbase and tawk.to with the number of messages and the model |
| Testing AI at no cost | tawk.to (100 credits a month), Tidio (50 conversations once), Smartsupp (35 conversations in the trial), Chatbase (50 credits in the Shopify listing, 7-day trial), LiveChat (14 days) | free chatbot by Roition: $0 to Roition, but OpenAI requires a prepayment of at least $5 |
Series posts: each tool on its own
Prices of Tidio, Smartsupp, LiveChat, Chatbase and tawk.to, unit definitions and plan limits are covered in five separate posts of the series:
- Tidio pricing and Lyro AI
- Smartsupp pricing and Mira AI
- LiveChat AI chatbot pricing
- Chatbase free plan and pricing
- tawk.to AI Assist pricing
How to set up the free chatbot by Roition in a store step by step is covered in our chatbot setup guide.
What this comparison does not tell you
The comparison is based on vendor price lists and help pages checked on 15-20 October 2026, not on a test of answer quality of any tool.
The cost of the free chatbot by Roition is a token estimate for the GPT-6 Luna model, not a reading from OpenAI bills; the cost of refreshing the feed and the website on the user's key comes on top.
Smartsupp and LiveChat show prices before VAT, while the Tidio, Chatbase and tawk.to price lists do not mention VAT. "Not stated on the site" in the tables means the vendor's site does not mention the feature, not that the feature does not exist.
The "$0.5 per conversation" slogan on the Lyro page has no matching package on the Tidio price list, so we give the package prices.
An AI chatbot in an online store at 100 chats a month costs from $20 (Smartsupp Mira) to $99 (LiveChat) before tax; for the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0 and OpenAI about $0.32 for tokens (estimate).
The free chatbot by Roition
Launch the free chatbot: you pay us $0, no chat limit on our side, on your OpenAI key (estimate about $0.81 per 1,000 customer messages, OpenAI prepayment of at least $5).
Founder of Roition, independent Google Ads API developer
Founder of Roition, with almost 3 years of Google Ads experience. Designs and builds process automation for Polish companies: system integrations, handling enquiries and quotes, AI assistants working on company data.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI chatbot for an online store cost?
An AI chatbot for a store at 300 chats of 4 messages with monthly billing costs from $35 (tawk.to on a 1-credit model; $99 on the default Auto) to $210 (Tidio), before tax. For the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0, and the OpenAI tokens at this volume come to about $0.97 (estimate).
Is there a free AI chatbot for an online store?
tawk.to gives 100 AI credits a month on the Hobby plan, Tidio 50 Lyro conversations once, Chatbase 50 credits on the plan in its Shopify listing. For the free chatbot by Roition you pay us $0, with no chat limit on our side, and OpenAI tokens on your own key are about $0.81 per 1,000 messages (estimate); OpenAI requires a prepayment of at least $5.
Tidio vs LiveChat: what does the AI cost?
At 300 chats with monthly billing Tidio Lyro is $210 and LiveChat (Growth plus resolution packs) $198. At 100 chats Tidio is $75 and LiveChat $99. LiveChat counts only chats resolved by the AI. Both tools have live chat with human takeover; Tidio Lyro also replies on Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and email, and LiveChat on WhatsApp, Messenger and SMS according to its pricing FAQ.
tawk.to vs Tidio: what does the AI cost?
At 300 chats of 4 messages tawk.to is $35 (1-credit model) or $99 (Auto), and Tidio $210. tawk.to bills credits per reply, Tidio Lyro conversations.
Chatbase vs Tidio: what does the AI cost?
At 300 chats of 4 messages Chatbase is $60, and at 10 messages $132; Tidio is $210 regardless of the number of messages. Chatbase offers human takeover from the Standard plan ($150).
How much does LiveChat with AI cost?
LiveChat costs $25 a month per seat on the Essential plan ($19 on annual billing) with 10 AI resolutions, and $99 ($79) on Growth with 200 resolutions. An extra resolution is $0.99 or $49.50 per 50; according to the price list LiveChat has no permanent free tier, and the trial lasts 14 days.
How much does Chatbase cost?
Chatbase costs $40 a month on Hobby ($32 on annual billing) for 700 credits, $150 ($120) on Standard for 4,000 credits, and $500 ($400) on Pro for 15,000 credits. A Chatbase top-up is $40 per 1,000 credits, and the price list shows a 7-day trial and no free plan; the Chatbase listing on Shopify shows a Free plan with 50 credits.
How much does tawk.to AI Assist cost?
tawk.to AI Assist costs $29 a month on Growth for 1,000 credits, $99 on Business for 5,000 and $399 on Enterprise for 20,000; with annual billing $290, $990 and $3,990. The Hobby plan gives 100 credits a month, a top-up is $30 per 1,000 credits, and tawk.to live chat costs $0.
How much do Tidio Lyro and Smartsupp Mira cost?
Tidio Lyro costs from $39 a month for 50 conversations to $700 for 1,000 conversations, with 2 months free on annual billing. Smartsupp Mira costs $20 a month for 100 conversations ($16 on annual billing), in packages from 100 to 5,000 conversations.
What is a credit in Chatbase and tawk.to?
A credit is the unit used by each AI reply. In Chatbase a reply costs 1-5 credits depending on the model, in tawk.to from 1 credit, and the default Auto model 3 credits.