The chat bubble in the corner of your website asks "How can I help you?" The visitor types "Do you accept Delta Dental?" The scripted chatbot responds with "Thanks for reaching out. A team member will get back to you shortly." That is not help — that is a delayed email with extra steps. If your chatbot cannot answer the question, it is not a chatbot. It is a contact form with a speech bubble.
TL;DR
Tidio ($29-$59/month) provides chat widgets with scripted automation flows. The chatbot follows decision trees — it cannot access your schedule, check insurance, or book appointments. Optimal.dev's AI chat connects to your CRM and scheduling system, answering questions from real data and completing transactions within the conversation.
Scripted Flows vs. Intelligent Conversations
Tidio's chatbot builder lets you create visual decision trees: "If visitor types X, respond with Y." These scripted flows handle predictable questions — directions, business hours, basic pricing. They fail on anything that requires live data: "Is Dr. Patel available Thursday?" "Do you accept my insurance?" "How much does Botox cost for my specific area?"
Key Insight: Tidio's chatbot cannot tell a visitor that Dr. Patel has a 2 PM opening next Thursday. It does not have access to your scheduling system. The best it can do is collect the visitor's phone number and promise a callback — which is functionally identical to a contact form. The visitor who asked about Thursday availability needs an answer now, not a callback promise.
The scripted model creates a frustrating visitor experience. The chatbot handles 3-4 simple questions well (hours, location, general services) and then falls back to "Let me connect you with our team" for everything else. The visitor who typed a specific question about Botox pricing or insurance coverage receives a generic response that signals "this chatbot cannot actually help you."
| Factor | Tidio | Optimal.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Chat widget | ✅ Customizable | ✅ AI-powered |
| Bot model | Scripted flows | LLM with CRM context |
| Schedule access | ❌ No | ✅ Real-time availability |
| Insurance check | ❌ No | ✅ From practice data |
| Appointment booking | ❌ Collects contact info | ✅ Books directly |
| Voice AI | ❌ Chat only | ✅ Voice + chat |
| CRM | ❌ Not included | ✅ Same database |
| Monthly cost | $29-$59 | Included in platform |
From Reactive Widgets to Proactive AI
Traditional chat widgets are reactive — they wait in the corner until a visitor clicks. Most visitors never click. The average chat widget engagement rate is 2-4% of website visitors. The 96-98% who do not click leave without interaction — many of them potential patients with unasked questions.
Optimal.dev's AI chat is proactive. It monitors visitor behavior in real-time: which pages they visit, how long they stay, and when they show exit intent. A visitor who views the "Dental Implants" page for 90 seconds, then scrolls to pricing, then moves their cursor toward the browser's close button receives a targeted prompt: "Considering dental implants? Our AI can check insurance coverage and show you available consultation times."
This proactive approach doubles chat engagement rates because the prompt is contextual and helpful — not a generic "How can I help?" The visitor already showed interest in dental implants through their behavior. The AI meets them where they are with a relevant offer.
For service businesses, proactive engagement on high-value service pages (cosmetic procedures, emergency services, complex treatments) captures visitors who would otherwise leave silently. Each captured visitor is a potential $2,000-$10,000 procedure that no reactive chat widget would have converted.
See also: Intercom alternative and Drift alternative.
