Can Carti handle live chat with agents, or is it purely AI?

Carti is primarily an AI-powered sales assistant, but it's designed to seamlessly hand over complex or specific customer queries to your human support team when needed, ensuring no customer is left without assistance.

How does Carti's AI compare to Tidio's Lyro AI?

Carti's AI is built specifically for Shopify and excels in product intelligence, automatically learning your entire catalog for specific answers. Lyro AI is a paid add-on that requires manual training and doesn't natively understand your product data in the same deep, sales-focused way.

Is Carti really free, or are there hidden costs?

Carti offers a completely free tier for your first 100 customers, and all paid plans start free, scaling based on visitor volume. There are no hidden costs, and you get full access to its powerful AI capabilities from the start, unlike Tidio where Lyro AI is a separate add-on.

What happens to my old Tidio conversations if I switch?

When you switch from Tidio to Carti, your past Tidio conversation history will remain within your Tidio account. Carti will start fresh, building its own conversation history and learning from new customer interactions on your store.

How long does it take to set up Carti compared to Tidio?

Carti boasts a 5-minute, zero-configuration setup. Its AI automatically learns your store. Tidio typically requires 30-60 minutes to install and configure the chat widget, plus additional setup for Flows and the Lyro AI add-on.

Honest comparison

Carti vs Tidio: Honest Comparison for Shopify Stores (2026)

Choosing the right chatbot for your Shopify store can significantly impact customer satisfaction and sales. Tidio is an established player in the market, offering a robust platform for customer service. However, for Shopify merchants specifically seeking an AI-powered sales assistant, a closer look at Carti reveals distinct advantages.

✓ Carti wins 7 of 11 feature categories against Tidio. Try Carti free →

Carti wins

Ties

Tidio wins

Carti 64%Tidio 27%

About Tidio

Tidio strengths

Established platform with large user base and extensive documentation
Multi-channel support (email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp)
Live typing preview lets agents see what customers type before sending
Visual automation builder (Flows) for creating chat workflows without code
Mobile app for managing conversations on the go

Tidio limitations

AI chatbot (Lyro) is a paid add-on — not included in base plans
Conversation-based pricing means costs scale with traffic
Not built specifically for Shopify — serves all website platforms generically
No proactive sales engagement or exit-intent triggers in base plans
Setup requires configuring live chat AND AI separately
No native product recommendation engine trained on your catalog

Feature-by-feature comparison

FeatureCartiTidio

AI Product KnowledgeAI automatically ingests your entire Shopify product catalog, learning product attributes (sizing, materials, compatibility) to give specific, accurate answers without manual training.Lyro AI is a paid add-on that requires manual training on your knowledge base. It does not natively ingest or understand your Shopify product catalog for specific product details.

Proactive Sales EngineFeatures behavioral triggers like exit intent detection, scroll depth thresholds, and time-on-page triggers. Provides smart product recommendations and actively guides browsers toward purchase.Offers automation Flows that can trigger messages based on page visits. However, it lacks advanced behavioral triggers like exit-intent detection in standard plans and is primarily reactive.

Cart Abandonment RecoveryOffers intelligent cart abandonment recovery with personalized re-engagement based on shopper behavior and cart contents.Can be configured for cart recovery using automation Flows, but requires manual setup and lacks the deep, personalized AI-driven re-engagement of Carti.

Setup Speed & EaseA 5-minute install with zero coding and zero configuration headaches. The AI automatically learns from your store content.Requires installing the app, configuring chat widget appearance, and setting up Flows or Lyro separately. Full setup typically takes 30-60 minutes.

Shopify Integration DepthBuilt exclusively for Shopify with deep integration into your products, orders, collections, and inventory, acting as a native sales assistant.Offers basic Shopify integration to view customer and order data. It is not deeply integrated with the Shopify product catalog, collections, or inventory as a core component.

Self-Improving AIThe AI is self-improving, getting measurably smarter and more accurate from every real customer conversation it handles.Lyro AI requires manual training and updates to its knowledge base. It does not feature a self-improving learning mechanism from live interactions.

Revenue Attribution & AnalyticsProvides a clear revenue attribution dashboard showing exactly which AI-assisted conversations drive sales and contribute to revenue.Offers general conversation analytics and reporting, but lacks a dedicated revenue attribution dashboard specifically linking AI conversations to sales outcomes.

Pricing & ValueCompletely free for the first 100 customers, with a 14-day free trial for everyone else. Paid plans start free and scale based on visitor volume, making it highly accessible.Offers a 7-day free trial. Base plans start at $29/month (100 conversations), with Lyro AI as a separate add-on from $39/month. Costs scale significantly with conversation volume.

Multi-channel SupportFocused on delivering an exceptional AI-powered sales and support experience directly within your Shopify store's chat widget.Excels in multi-channel capabilities, supporting customer interactions across email, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp in addition to live chat.

Live Agent ToolingDesigned to seamlessly hand off complex queries to human agents when needed, focusing on optimizing the AI-first experience.Offers strong live agent features including a live typing preview, a dedicated mobile app for agents, and robust ticketing system for human support.

Platform Maturity & EcosystemA newer, highly specialized solution built ground-up for Shopify, rapidly evolving with merchant needs.An established platform founded in 2013 with a large user base, extensive documentation, and a broad feature set appealing to a wide range of websites.

What makes Carti different

Unrivaled Product Intelligence for Shopify

Carti's AI automatically learns your entire Shopify product catalog, including specific attributes like sizing, materials, and compatibility. This means it provides precise, confident answers about your products without any manual training or knowledge base setup, a capability Tidio's Lyro AI does not offer natively.

Proactive Sales, Not Just Support

Beyond answering questions, Carti actively drives sales. It uses behavioral triggers like exit intent and scroll depth to engage shoppers with smart product recommendations and personalized re-engagement, effectively guiding them towards a purchase. Tidio's automation flows are less sophisticated in proactive sales engagement.

Truly Shopify-Native Architecture

Carti is built from the ground up for Shopify, ensuring deep integration with your store's products, orders, collections, and inventory. This native architecture means a 5-minute install with zero coding, offering a seamless experience that generic platforms adapted for Shopify, like Tidio, cannot match.

Self-Improving AI with Revenue Attribution

Carti's AI constantly learns and improves from every customer conversation, making it smarter over time. Furthermore, it provides clear revenue attribution, showing exactly which AI interactions lead to sales, giving you measurable ROI that general chatbot analytics often miss.

Switching from Tidio? Here's how.

First, disable or uninstall the Tidio app from your Shopify store.

Install the Carti app from the Shopify App Store. The setup is automatic and takes just 5 minutes.

Carti's AI will automatically ingest your product catalog and store policies. You can review its initial responses and adjust your brand voice if desired.

Start seeing Carti engage with your customers and drive sales!

Common questions

The Bottom Line

Carti

Wins 7 categories. Best for merchants focused on revenue and conversions.

Tidio

Wins 3 categories. Strongest in established platform with large user base and extensive docu.

Choose Carti if you want an AI that actively drives sales with proactive engagement, cart recovery, and revenue attribution. Choose Tidio if you prioritize established platform with large user base and extensive documentation and multi-channel support (email, messenger, instagram, whatsapp).

Ready to try Carti?

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Carti for other industries

Our AI-powered Shopify chatbot works across every ecommerce vertical

Kids & Baby Sports & Fitness Electronics & Gadgets Streetwear