LobbyChat vs Tidio – Live Chat & AI Chatbots

LobbyChat is a lightweight live-chat shoutbox you can drop into any WordPress page or sidebar with a single shortcode. Built for communities — fan sites, forums, fandoms, classrooms, internal teams — where you want a casual, always-on group chat without bolting on Slack or Discord. What you get Live chat feed with auto-refresh (configurable polling interval — no WebSocket server required) Guest posting — visitors can chat with just a display name, no signup wall Emoji reactions on every message — 👍 ❤️ 😂 🔥 🎉 Link previews for YouTube and any URL with Open Graph tags @mention highlighting — @username gets visually picked out Pinned messages — moderators can pin one important message above the feed Online presence — live count of members, guests, and search-engine bots in the room Moderator role — add a “LobbyChat Moderator” role to any user for pin/delete powers Reporting + auto-hide — 5 reports on a message and it’s hidden automatically Word blocklist for basic profanity filtering Rate limiting built in — separate cooldowns for guests vs members Fullscreen mode + collapse toggle Sound notification for new messages (toggleable per-visitor) Mobile responsive Optional: AI Chat Companion LobbyChat ships with an optional AI bot you can drop into your chat. The bot uses your own API keys — you bring your own Google Gemini key (the free tier works) or OpenAI key. The plugin does not route requests through any third-party server. Bring-your-own-key — Gemini (free tier) or OpenAI (paid) Configurable persona — name, system prompt, custom personality Smart triggers — replies to @mentions always; questions usually; random messages occasionally (all configurable) Hard rate limits — daily and hourly caps protect against runaway API costs Active-hours window — bot only chats during the hours you specify One-click test in the admin to verify the bot can post Privacy & data LobbyChat does not call any third-party server by default. The only network calls are: Fetching link previews when a user shares a URL (request goes from your server to that URL) Calling Google Gemini or OpenAI only if you explicitly enable the AI bot and provide an API key No telemetry, no analytics, no “phone home.” All data lives in your own wp_lobbychat* tables. Try it live See LobbyChat running in production at bejaunty.com/plugins/lobbychat. Roadmap LobbyChat is the free, standalone version. Premium add-ons with gaming-community features — looking-for-group buttons, platform tags, profile-card integration, and richer moderation tools — are in development. Updates and announcements at bejaunty.com. Support development LobbyChat is free and developed in spare time. If it helps your community, you can support development at wise.com/pay/me/asadk372. Every bit is appreciated. ♥ Usage After activating, drop this shortcode into any page, post, or text widget: [lobbychat] Then visit Settings → LobbyChat to configure rate limits, blocklist, and other options. For the AI bot, see Settings → LobbyChat AI Bot. Developer hooks LobbyChat exposes several filters and actions for theme/plugin developers: lobbychat_after_send — action, fires after a message is saved. do_action('lobbychat_after_send', $user_id, $message_id, $row) — the third arg is the database row object. lobbychat_profile_url — filter, override the URL linked from a username (default: WP author archive) lobbychat_allowed_reactions — filter, override the array of allowed reaction emoji lobbychat_report_threshold — filter, change the auto-hide report threshold (default: 5) lobbychat_emoji_set — filter, customize the array of emoji shown in the picker External services This plugin does not connect to any external service by default. Two optional features may, only when explicitly enabled by the site administrator, contact third-party services: 1. Link previews When the link-sharing feature is enabled (Settings → LobbyChat → “Allow link sharing”, which is on by default), and a logged-in user shares a URL in chat, the plugin’s server fetches that URL once to extract Open Graph / Twitter / metadata for a preview card. What is sent: The HTTP request from your server to the URL the user pasted. The request user-agent identifies as LobbyChatBot/1.0 and includes a link back to your site. When: Only at the moment a user posts a message containing a URL. What is received and stored: Title, description, and image URL extracted from the page’s metadata. Stored in the chat message row in your database. Special handling for YouTube URLs: YouTube URLs are first sent to YouTube’s public oEmbed endpoint (https://www.youtube.com/oembed) to retrieve title and author info. YouTube’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply. This feature can be fully disabled by un-checking “Allow link sharing” in plugin settings. 2. Optional AI chat companion When the AI bot is explicitly enabled by the administrator (Settings → LobbyChat AI Bot → “Enable bot”, which is off by default) and the administrator has provided their own API key for one or both of the providers below, chat messages are sent to that provider for the bot to generate replies. Google Gemini API (https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/) * What it is: Google’s generative AI service, used here to produce conversational chat replies. * What is sent: Up to 6 most recent chat messages (sender display name + message text), the bot’s system prompt, and the administrator’s Gemini API key. * When: Only when the administrator has enabled the bot AND a chat message satisfies the bot’s reply-trigger rules (mention, question, or random chance — all configurable). * Terms and privacy: Google APIs Terms of Service, Gemini API Additional Terms, Google Privacy Policy. OpenAI API (https://api.openai.com/) * What it is: OpenAI’s chat completions API, used here as a fallback when Gemini fails or as the primary if only an OpenAI key is configured. * What is sent: Same as Gemini above (recent messages + system prompt + administrator’s OpenAI API key). * When: Same conditions as Gemini above. * Terms and privacy: OpenAI Terms of Use, OpenAI API Data Usage Policies, OpenAI Privacy Policy. The AI bot is disabled by default and will not contact any external service unless the administrator explicitly enables it and provides an API key. 3. Optional Cloudflare Turnstile spam protection When Turnstile is explicitly enabled by the administrator (Settings → LobbyChat → Spam protection, off by default) and a site key and secret key are provided, the plugin uses Cloudflare’s Turnstile service to verify that the person posting is not a bot. Cloudflare Turnstile (https://challenges.cloudflare.com/) * What it is: Cloudflare’s privacy-focused CAPTCHA alternative, used here to block automated spam before a message is posted. * What is sent: When a user submits a message, the Turnstile token generated in their browser plus the user’s IP address are sent from your server to Cloudflare’s siteverify endpoint, along with your secret key, to confirm the token is valid. The browser-side widget also loads Cloudflare’s api.js script from challenges.cloudflare.com. * When: Only when Turnstile is enabled and a user attempts to post a message (optionally limited to guests only). * Terms and privacy: Cloudflare Website Terms of Use, Cloudflare Privacy Policy. Turnstile is disabled by default and will not contact any external service unless the administrator explicitly enables it and provides their own keys.

🟦 Tidio – Live Chat for WordPress with AI Chatbots, Customer Support & Sales Tools Tidio Live Chat is an all-in-one customer support plugin for WordPress that lets you talk to your website visitors in real time. Provide 24/7 live chat support, generate leads, answer FAQs, and increase sales with our powerful AI chatbots and live chat widget. With Tidio’s Live Chat for WordPress, you can boost customer satisfaction, solve problems instantly, and grow your business with proactive messaging and automation — all from one intuitive dashboard. Plus, with Lyro – Tidio’s AI customer support agent – you can automate up to 70% of inquiries, providing fast, accurate answers 24/7 without human intervention. 💬 Why Use Tidio Live Chat on Your WordPress Website? ✅ Real-Time Live Chat Support: Chat instantly with visitors and customers to solve their issues and answer questions. ✅ Live Chat + AI Automation: Combine traditional live chat with AI-powered chatbots for faster, smarter responses. ✅ Automated Support with Lyro AI: Let Lyro, Tidio’s conversational AI, handle up to 70% of customer inquiries automatically, saving time and improving response speed. ✅ Boost Conversions with Proactive Chat: Start live chat conversations when visitors need help — recover abandoned carts and offer discounts in real-time. ✅ Mobile-Friendly Live Chat Widget: Fully responsive live chat widget that looks and works great on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. ✅ Multichannel Live Chat Plugin: Manage conversations from Live Chat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Email in one inbox. 🚀 Top Features of Tidio WordPress Live Chat Plugin 🟢 Live Chat Widget Customization – Match the live chat to your website branding and user experience. 🟢 AI Chatbot (Lyro) – Resolve up to 70% of customer questions instantly with our advanced conversational AI. 🟢 WooCommerce Live Chat Integration – View visitor carts, order history, and send product cards directly in chat. 🟢 Chatbot Templates & Visual Builder – Use drag-and-drop tools to build custom chatbots or choose from dozens of prebuilt templates. 🟢 Live Visitor Tracking – See who is online and start live chat conversations based on behavior or location. 🟢 Departments & Agent Routing – Route live chat messages to the right team instantly. 🟢 Smart Popups – Trigger proactive live chat messages based on user actions. 🌍 Multi-Language Live Chat for Global Support Tidio’s live chat widget supports 6 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Deliver a personalized live chat experience to users in their native language automatically. 📱 Live Chat on Mobile & Desktop Apps Download the Tidio mobile app for iOS and Android to respond to live chat messages wherever you are. Stay connected with your customers anytime, anywhere. 🛒 Live Chat for eCommerce Whether you run a WooCommerce store or a service website, Tidio’s Live Chat for WordPress helps you: Engage visitors in real time Recommend products and upsell with product cards Recover abandoned carts through chatbot campaigns Convert passive users into paying customers with live support 🔐 Reliable, Fast, Secure Tidio is optimized for performance and security. Your Live Chat for WordPress runs smoothly, loads fast, and protects your customer data. 💬 Real-Time Conversations with Website Visitors Engage visitors the moment they land on your site using a fast, responsive live chat widget. Answer questions, resolve issues, and guide users through their journey in real time — increasing satisfaction and conversion rates instantly. 📱 Mobile-Friendly & Fully Customizable Widget Tidio’s live chat widget adapts seamlessly to all devices — desktop, tablet, or mobile. Customize colors, greetings, and placement to match your brand and provide a smooth experience across your entire website. 🎯 Proactive Messaging & Visitor Triggers Don’t wait for visitors to reach out. Set up automated triggers to proactively start live chat conversations based on user behavior — like time on page or exit intent — turning passive browsing into active engagement. 📨 Unified Inbox for Multichannel Support Tidio acts as a central helpdesk, bringing together messages from live chat, email, Messenger, and Instagram into one simple interface. Manage all customer conversations efficiently without switching tabs or tools. 🧠 Lyro AI – Your 24/7 Support Agent Let Lyro AI, Tidio’s conversational chatbot, automatically resolve up to 70% of repetitive support queries. It learns from your FAQs, delivers instant answers, and keeps your human team focused on complex cases. 🔧 Built Specifically for WordPress – Seamless Live Chat Integration Tidio is a native WordPress live chat plugin, built to work flawlessly with your website from the moment you install it. You can set up Tidio in just a few clicks—no coding, no complex configuration. The entire integration process is smooth and intuitive, allowing you to: Add the live chat widget to your site automatically Manage all chat and chatbot settings directly from your WordPress admin panel Use shortcodes and native WordPress tools to display or hide the chat on specific pages Sync visitor data and conversations with WordPress user accounts for more personalized support Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, Tidio’s tight integration with WordPress ensures your live chat runs smoothly and feels like a natural part of your site — not an external add-on. 🌟 What Makes Tidio Live Chat the Best? Used by over 300,000 websites 4.8+ ★ average rating Trusted by businesses in 150+ countries Seamless installation – set up live chat in under 30 seconds 🆓 Start with Tidio’s Powerful Free Plan Tidio offers a fully functional free plan that includes everything you need to get started with live chat and AI-powered customer support. With no credit card required, you can: Add a customizable live chat widget to your WordPress site Chat with unlimited visitors in real time Use pre-built chatbot templates for lead generation and support Access Lyro AI to automate common questions (limited interactions) Manage conversations from live chat, Messenger, Instagram, and email — all in one place Download mobile apps and stay connected on the go Whether you’re running a small business or launching a new online store, Tidio’s free plan gives you the tools to offer high-quality customer support and grow your business — without paying a cent. ✅ Get Started with Tidio Live Chat Today Installing Tidio Live Chat for WordPress takes just a few clicks. Get started with our free plan and upgrade anytime to access powerful premium features like unlimited AI chatbot responses, automation, and multi-agent support. Download Tidio Live Chat Plugin and start chatting with your website visitors today! 💰 Pricing Most of our powerful features are available in the free plan. If you want to test all of them, sign up for a 7-day free trial. See all available pricing options on our website. ⚙️ Technical Requirements To run Tidio Plugin for WordPress we recommend your host support: – OpenSSL (to increase security by encrypting your access tokens) – cURL 🔥 Hot Features CC/BCC for tickets Filters for new Lyro Knowledge tab Historical conversations as data source Sort direction in Smart Views tickets First person perspective styling