Top 7 Alternatives to Tidio for Gyms & Fitness

Intercom has built a reputation as a versatile customer messaging platform that blends live chat, help desk, and marketing automation into a single hub. For gyms and fitness studios, Intercom offers a rich set of tools that can be leveraged to keep members engaged, automate booking inquiries, and nurture leads. The platform’s live chat widget can be embedded on any website or mobile app, and its visual flow builder lets users design conversational bots that answer common questions about class schedules, membership pricing, and trainer availability. Intercom’s product catalog features help center articles, product tours, and in‑app messages that can guide new members through the registration process, suggest add‑ons like nutrition plans, or alert them to upcoming special events. The platform’s email integration and automated drip campaigns are ideal for re‑engaging lapsed members or promoting new class offerings. While Intercom is a powerful all‑in‑one solution, it can be pricey for small studios and may require a learning curve for non‑technical users. However, its robust analytics dashboard and integrations with popular CRMs such as HubSpot and Salesforce make it a strong choice for gyms that already use other enterprise tools.

Drift positions itself as a conversational marketing platform designed to accelerate sales and lead generation. For fitness businesses, Drift’s chatbots can be programmed to qualify prospects, book trial classes, or capture contact information for follow‑up. The platform’s live chat widget is highly customizable and can be embedded on landing pages or fitness blogs, enabling gyms to engage visitors in real‑time. Drift’s strength lies in its integration with popular marketing stacks such as HubSpot, Marketo, and Salesforce. It offers a robust scheduling feature that can sync with Google Calendar, making it easy for prospective members to book a free session or a consultation. Drift also provides a video chat option, which can be used for virtual consultations or live workout demos. While Drift excels at lead capture and sales funnel integration, it may be overkill for studios that primarily need basic support or booking chat. The platform’s pricing starts at a higher tier, which could be a barrier for smaller operations.

ManyChat is a popular Facebook Messenger marketing platform that has expanded into web chat and SMS, making it a versatile choice for gyms that leverage social media to attract new clients. The platform offers a drag‑and‑drop visual builder that allows fitness studios to create conversational flows for class schedules, membership promotions, and FAQ answering without any coding. ManyChat’s broadcast feature enables studios to send one‑time or scheduled messages to a targeted audience, which can be used to promote special offers, announce new classes, or remind members of upcoming sessions. The platform also supports tagging, segmentation, and automated workflows that can be triggered by user actions or time‑based events. While ManyChat is especially strong on Facebook Messenger, its web chat and SMS capabilities are comparatively limited. Pricing tiers are affordable, but the free plan has substantial limitations in terms of subscribers and broadcast messages.

Chatfuel is another leading chatbot platform that specializes in Facebook Messenger bots, but has recently added web chat and streaming capabilities. With a no‑code interface, fitness studios can create automated conversations that answer common questions about class times, trainer credentials, and membership packages. Chatfuel’s AI module can handle natural language queries, while its visual flow builder lets users design step‑by‑step interactions. Chatfuel’s strengths include a rich set of integrations, such as Google Sheets, Zapier, and e‑commerce platforms, which can be used to pull class schedules or process payments. The platform also offers a built‑in analytics dashboard and a library of pre‑built templates that can accelerate setup. However, Chatfuel’s web chat support is still relatively new, and its AI capabilities may not be as advanced as some newer platforms. Additionally, the free plan is heavily limited, and advanced features require a paid subscription.

MobileMonkey is an omni‑channel chatbot platform that unifies Facebook Messenger, web chat, SMS, and even WhatsApp into a single dashboard. For gyms and fitness studios, this means the ability to reach members wherever they are, whether that’s on the studio’s website, a Facebook post, or directly via SMS. The platform offers a visual chatbot builder, automated broadcast campaigns, and real‑time analytics. MobileMonkey also has a feature called Multi‑Page Chat, which can be used to guide members through a multi‑step process such as signing up for a trial class or purchasing a membership plan. Pricing is tiered, with a Pro plan that starts at $19/month, which is suitable for small studios. However, the platform’s advanced features, such as WhatsApp integration and automated SMS, are only available on higher tiers.

Zendesk Chat, now part of Zendesk Messaging, offers a robust live chat solution that can be embedded on any website or mobile app. For fitness studios, it provides a straightforward way to answer questions about class schedules, pricing, and membership benefits in real time. The platform’s chat widget is customizable and can be branded to match the studio’s look and feel. Zendesk Chat integrates seamlessly with the Zendesk Support ticketing system, allowing chat transcripts to be automatically converted into support tickets for follow‑up. The platform also offers a knowledge base feature that can be used to store FAQs and help articles, which can be referenced by the chatbot to resolve common queries. While Zendesk Chat is reliable and feature‑rich, its AI capabilities are limited compared to newer platforms. Pricing starts at a modest $15/month, but advanced features such as AI bots and advanced analytics require the higher Growth or Enterprise plans.