Alternatives

Comparing website chatbots? Here’s the honest version.

Honest comparisons with the chat and AI chatbot tools small businesses look at most: what each is built for, what it costs, and when it’s the better pick.

At a glance

ProductBuilt forFree planPaid plans start at
BusinessLyftTurning website visitors into qualified leadsYes, forever: 1 assistant, 100 messages a monthPro, $10 a month (plus a 6% processing fee): 2 assistants, 2,000 messages
ChatbaseCustomer-experience teams that want one AI agent across web, WhatsApp, Meta apps, Slack, email and voice.No free plan; 7-day trialHobby, $40 a month ($32 a month billed yearly): 1 AI agent, 700 message credits
Intercom FinSupport teams that want an AI agent paired with an omnichannel helpdesk.No free plan; 14-day trialHelpdesk seats priced per agent, plus Fin usage
TidioE-commerce stores and small businesses that want live chat plus an AI agent.Yes: 50 billable conversations a month, 50 Lyro conversations in totalStarter, listed at $24.17 a month
DriftB2B sales teams turning website visitors into pipeline.No public plansNot published; sales-led
CrispSupport teams that want one shared inbox across chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.Yes: 2 agents, no AI creditsMini, $45 a month per workspace: 4 agents, $5 of AI credits
tawk.toBusinesses that want free live chat, answered by their own team.Yes: free live chatAdd-ons, such as branding removal at $29 a month per property
LiveChatSupport and sales teams answering website visitors in real time.No free plan; 14-day trialEssential, $19 per user a month billed yearly ($25 monthly)
ZendeskSupport teams running a multi-channel helpdesk with ticketing.No free plan; 14-day trialSupport Team, $19 per agent a month billed yearly ($25 monthly)
VoiceflowCX teams designing AI agents across web, app, WhatsApp, SMS and voice.Free trial for agencies and partners; no free plan listedNot published; request pricing

From each product’s own pricing page, checked on 2026-10-29. Each comparison page links its sources.

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