The best Chatbase alternative depends on what you are missing. For an AI agent plus a team inbox and a CRM for one flat price, try CRMsoftware.pro (free for 3 users, $19 a month for 8). For the cheapest AI-only website bot, Chatling (from $12 a month). For developers who want full control over flows, Botpress. For live chat with a simple AI add-on, Tidio or Crisp. For a strong AI agent on top of an existing help desk, Intercom Fin. For open source, Chatwoot.
We checked every price on the vendor's own pricing page on October 5–6, 2026. Prices are in US dollars, billed yearly unless we say otherwise, before tax. CRMsoftware.pro is our own product, so we list its limits too. No made-up scores or tests: each tool gets its real price, its pros and cons, and who it suits.
Why teams look for a Chatbase alternative
Chatbase is quick: you add your website or files and get a working AI agent in minutes. Teams usually start looking when one of these becomes a problem:
- Credits are hard to predict. Chatbase's own FAQ says each request to the AI model costs a number of message credits that depends on the model you choose, and an agent with actions may make several requests for one answer.
- Big steps between plans. Hobby is $40 a month (700 credits), Standard $150 (4,000 credits) and Pro $500 (15,000 credits), or 20% less billed yearly ($32, $120, $400). Extra credits cost $40 per 1,000 through auto-recharge.
- Paid extras add up. Removing the "Powered by Chatbase" badge is $99 a month, and each extra AI agent is $25 a month.
- The team inbox starts on Standard. Many comparison posts still say Chatbase has no live chat. Its Standard plan now includes a helpdesk, voice and telephony, but Hobby does not.
- The free plan is for testing. It has 50 message credits a month, and free agents are deleted after 14 days without activity.
- No sales pipeline. If your chats are leads, you still need a CRM.
Chatbase alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry price (checked Oct 5–6, 2026) | How AI is billed | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbase (for reference) | Fast AI agent from your content | $32/mo (Hobby, 700 credits) | Message credits; cost per reply depends on the model | Yes, 50 credits a month |
| CRMsoftware.pro | AI agent + team inbox + CRM | $19/mo for up to 8 users | AI messages included (1,000 a month on Launch) | Yes, 3 users, 100 AI messages |
| Chatling | Lowest price for an AI website bot | $12/mo (Basic, 2,000 credits) | Credits: 1 per reply on GPT-3.5, more on other models | Yes, 100 credits a month |
| Botpress | Custom flows and developer control | $150/mo (Plus, 250 conversations) | Per conversation; $25 of AI usage included on Plus | Yes, 100 conversations a month |
| SiteGPT | Simple website bot with lots of messages | $39/mo (Starter, 4,000 messages) | Messages (a question plus its reply) | No, 7-day trial |
| Botsonic | Low-cost bot from the Writesonic team | $16/mo (Starter, 1,000 messages) | Messages per month | No, 7-day trial |
| Tidio | Live chat with an AI add-on | $24.17/mo (100 conversations) | Lyro from $32.50/mo for 50 AI conversations | Yes, 50 conversations a month |
| Crisp | Flat-priced shared inbox with AI | $45/mo per workspace (4 seats) | Credits, about $0.05–$0.10 per AI conversation | Yes, 2 seats, no AI |
| Intercom Fin | Strong AI agent for support teams | $19/seat/mo | $0.99 per Fin outcome | No, 14-day trial |
| Chatwoot | Open source and self-hosting | $19/agent/mo (cloud) | Captain credits; extra $20 per 1,000 | Yes, 2 agents; or self-host |
What a small team really pays
Here is one realistic month: 3 people, 500 chats, the AI answers every chat (about 3 replies each, so about 1,500 AI replies), fully resolves 400 of them, and a person takes over the other 100. Billed yearly, list prices, before tax.
| Tool and plan | How the bill adds up | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| Chatling Basic | 2,000 credits cover about 1,500 replies at 1 credit each (GPT-3.5); better models use more credits | From $12 |
| CRMsoftware.pro Growth | $49 flat for 20 users; 3,000 AI messages included; inbox, handover and CRM included | $49 |
| Chatwoot Startups (cloud) | 3 × $19 = $57, plus AI credits beyond the included amount ($20 per 1,000) | From $57 |
| SiteGPT Growth | $79 for 10,000 messages; human takeover starts on Growth | $79 |
| Crisp Essentials | $95 flat (10 seats); 500 AI conversations at about $0.05–$0.10 each, minus the $25 of credits included | About $95–$120 |
| Chatbase Standard | $120 for 4,000 credits, 3 members and the helpdesk (Hobby has 700 credits and no helpdesk) | $120 |
| Botsonic Professional | $41 for 3,000 messages + $199 for the support handoff add-on (to Zendesk or Freshdesk, paid separately) | $240 + your help desk |
| Tidio Starter + Lyro | $24.17 (100 billable conversations) + $291.67 (500 Lyro conversations), from Tidio's calculator | $315.83 |
| Botpress Plus | $150 for 250 conversations + 3 packs of 100 at $65 = $195; $25 of AI usage included | $345 |
| Intercom Essential + Fin | 3 × $19 = $57 + 400 outcomes × $0.99 = $396 | $453 |
Two patterns stand out. Tools that bill per AI conversation or per resolution get expensive as the AI gets busier. And the cheapest AI-only bots cost more once you add a person to take over. On CRMsoftware.pro's Launch plan ($19), the 1,000 included AI messages cover roughly 330 AI-answered chats a month. Your mix will differ, so try our free AI chatbot pricing calculator.
CRMsoftware.pro includes AI messages, users, human handover and a CRM pipeline in one flat price. Start free with 3 users, or see pricing.
The 9 best Chatbase alternatives
1. CRMsoftware.pro: best for an AI agent plus a CRM
CRMsoftware.pro trains an AI chat and voice agent on your website and files, puts it on your site and messengers, and hands the conversation to a person when needed. Every chat can become a contact and a deal in the same workspace, and the AI can book a meeting. The AI replies in 95+ languages; DanEri Yachts, for example, uses it to answer yacht buyers in their own language.
- Price: Free (3 users, 100 AI messages and 3 AI voice minutes a month, 1 bot, 1 website); Launch $19/mo for 8 users and 1,000 AI messages; Growth $49 for 20 users and 3,000; Scale $99 for 50 users and 10,000. Monthly billing: $24, $59 and $119.
- Pros: AI messages and users are included; team inbox and human handover built in; WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger and Slack from Launch; bookings, quotes and invoices built in.
- Cons: not a full ticketing help desk with SLAs; the email inbox is in beta; the API and HubSpot/Salesforce sync start on Scale.
- Best for: small businesses where the same people answer customers and close sales.
2. Chatling: cheapest AI-only bot
Chatling builds an AI agent for your website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and Messenger. Basic is $12 a month billed yearly ($15 monthly) for 2,000 credits and 5 chatbots; Pro $28 ($35) for 5,500 credits; Ultimate $79.20 ($99) for 20,000. One reply costs 1 credit on GPT-3.5 and more on other models. Extra credits are $5 per 1,000, and removing the branding is $35 a month.
- Pros: very low entry price; cheap extra credits; a free plan with 100 credits and 2 chatbots.
- Cons: few seats (1 to 6 by plan, extra seats $10); credit use rises with stronger models.
- Best for: small sites that want an AI FAQ bot for the lowest price.
3. Botpress: best for custom flows
Botpress is a builder for AI agents with visual flows, code and many integrations. The free plan includes 100 conversations a month, 3 seats and 3 AI agents. Plus is $150 a month billed yearly ($189 monthly) for 250 conversations, with packs of 100 more for $65 and $25 of AI usage included. Team is $750 ($939) for 1,500 conversations and unlimited seats.
- Pros: deep control over logic, tools and channels; unlimited agents from Plus; white-label web chat on Plus.
- Cons: takes more setup than Chatbase; per-conversation pricing is high for a small team.
- Best for: teams with a developer who want an agent that follows complex rules.
4. SiteGPT: best for many messages on one bot
SiteGPT trains a chatbot on your website. Starter is $39 a month billed yearly ($59 monthly) for up to 4,000 messages a month on GPT-4.1-mini and 1 chatbot; Growth $79 ($129) for 10,000 messages and 2 chatbots; Scale $259 ($429) for 40,000. A message counts the user's question and the AI's reply. Taking over a chat from the AI starts on Growth. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial with a card.
- Pros: generous message limits; clear plans; quick setup from a URL.
- Cons: no free plan; human takeover, branding removal ($39) and WhatsApp ($39) cost extra or need a higher plan.
- Best for: content-heavy sites that expect a lot of questions.
5. Botsonic: low-cost bot with paid handoff
Botsonic, from Writesonic, builds a bot from your website, files and help center. Starter is $16 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly) for 1,000 messages; Professional $41 ($49) for 3,000 messages and 2 chatbots; Advanced $249 ($299) for 12,000. Handing chats to Zendesk or Freshdesk is a $199-a-month add-on or part of Advanced. Branding removal is $49 a month.
- Pros: low entry price; a 7-day trial on every plan; 30% discount for education and nonprofits.
- Cons: human handoff is expensive and needs a separate help desk; extra team members are $25 a month each.
- Best for: teams that only need an AI bot and already use Zendesk or Freshdesk.
6. Tidio: best for live chat with an AI add-on
Tidio combines live chat, a team inbox and the Lyro AI agent. Starter is $24.17 a month billed yearly ($29 monthly) for 100 billable conversations and 10 seats; Lyro starts at $32.50 a month ($39) for 50 AI conversations. Tidio counts a Lyro conversation whenever the AI sends at least one reply.
- Pros: mature live chat and inbox; Shopify integration; a free plan.
- Cons: AI is billed per conversation on top of the plan; 10 seats on self-serve plans.
- Best for: online stores that want people and AI in one chat tool. Compare more options in our Tidio alternatives guide.
7. Crisp: flat-priced inbox with AI credits
Crisp charges per workspace: Mini $45 a month for 4 seats, Essentials $95 for 10 seats, Plus $295 for 20. Its AI runs on credits; Crisp's help center puts a full AI-handled conversation at about $0.05–$0.10, and Essentials includes $25 of credits.
- Pros: predictable seat pricing; email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in one inbox.
- Cons: the free plan has no AI; no sales pipeline.
- Best for: teams that want a shared inbox first and AI second.
8. Intercom Fin: strongest AI agent for support
Fin is Intercom's AI agent. It costs $0.99 per outcome, and Intercom seats start at $19 a month billed yearly ($29 monthly) on Essential. Fin can run in Intercom's own inbox or alongside another help desk such as Zendesk. There is a 14-day trial and no free plan.
- Pros: strong answers and reporting; you pay for results rather than replies.
- Cons: per-outcome costs grow fast with volume; more than a small site needs. See our Intercom alternatives if price is the issue.
- Best for: support teams with steady volume and a budget for AI.
9. Chatwoot: best open-source option
Chatwoot is an open-source support inbox with its own AI agent, Captain. You can self-host it for free or use the cloud: Startups is $19 per agent per month, Business $39. The free cloud plan covers 2 agents and 500 conversations a month with 30-day data retention. Extra Captain credits are $20 per 1,000.
- Pros: open source; keep data on your own servers; many channels, including WhatsApp and email.
- Cons: self-hosting needs technical skills; cloud plans are priced per agent.
- Best for: technical teams that want control over their data.
Also checked: Voiceflow's pricing page no longer lists self-serve plans for businesses; you book a demo for a quote (checked October 6, 2026).
Free Chatbase alternatives
Chatbase's free plan has 50 credits a month and deletes agents after 14 days without activity. Here is what other free plans include today.
| Tool | What the free plan includes (Oct 5–6, 2026) | Main catch |
|---|---|---|
| CRMsoftware.pro | 3 users, 100 AI messages and 3 AI voice minutes a month, 1 bot, 1 website, a pipeline | 3 users |
| Botpress | 100 conversations a month, 3 seats, 3 AI agents | No top-ups or overages |
| Chatling | 100 credits a month, 2 chatbots, 1 seat | Limited customization |
| Tidio | 50 conversations a month, 10 seats, 50 one-time Lyro AI conversations | The AI allowance does not renew |
| Chatwoot | 2 agents, 500 conversations a month (cloud), or self-host | 30-day data retention on the free cloud plan |
| Crisp | 2 seats, chat widget, basic inbox | No AI |
How to choose
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| want an AI agent, a team inbox and a CRM for one flat price | CRMsoftware.pro |
| only need a cheap AI FAQ bot | Chatling |
| have a developer and need complex flows | Botpress |
| expect many questions on one content-heavy site | SiteGPT |
| already use Zendesk or Freshdesk and only need a bot | Botsonic or Intercom Fin |
| run an online store and want live chat first | Tidio |
| want a shared inbox with predictable pricing | Crisp |
| want to host the software yourself | Chatwoot |
How to switch from Chatbase in a week
- List your training sources (website pages, files, Q&A) and the actions your agent uses.
- Load the same sources into the new tool and test it with 20 real questions from your Chatbase history.
- Write the agent's instructions and fallback answers. Our chatbot script templates help.
- Decide when the AI hands a chat to a person, and who gets it.
- Go through the AI agent go-live checklist, then swap the widget script on your site.
- Cancel Chatbase before the next billing date; credits renew on the 1st of each month.
FAQ
What is the best Chatbase alternative?
For small teams that want an AI agent, a team inbox and a CRM together, CRMsoftware.pro. For the cheapest AI-only bot, Chatling. For complex custom flows, Botpress. For a strong AI agent on an existing help desk, Intercom Fin.
Is there a free alternative to Chatbase?
Yes. Botpress has 100 free conversations a month, Chatling 100 free credits, CRMsoftware.pro 3 free users with 100 AI messages a month, and Chatwoot can be self-hosted for free.
How much does Chatbase cost in 2026?
On October 6, 2026: Hobby $40 a month (700 message credits), Standard $150 (4,000), Pro $500 (15,000), or 20% less billed yearly. Extra credits are $40 per 1,000, and removing the branding is $99 a month.
Does Chatbase have live chat with a human?
Yes, on Standard and higher: the Standard plan includes a helpdesk where your team can take over. The Free and Hobby plans do not.
Is there an open-source Chatbase alternative?
Chatwoot is open source and includes its own AI agent, Captain. You can self-host it for free or use its cloud plans from $19 per agent a month.
What is the cheapest Chatbase alternative?
Chatling Basic is $12 a month billed yearly for 2,000 credits. If you also need a team inbox and a CRM, CRMsoftware.pro Launch is $19 a month for up to 8 users.
How long does it take to switch from Chatbase?
A small team can switch in about a week: load the same sources, test real questions, set the handover rule, then swap the widget on your site.
Sources
- Pricing pages checked Oct 6, 2026: Chatbase (plans, add-ons and credits FAQ), Chatling, Botpress, SiteGPT, Botsonic, Tidio (plans and calculator), Voiceflow.
- Pricing pages checked Oct 5, 2026: Crisp, Intercom, Chatwoot, CRMsoftware.pro.
- Crisp help center: Hugo pricing and billing explained, checked Oct 5, 2026.
AI agent, team inbox and CRM in one plan
AI messages and users included, with human handover, bookings and a sales pipeline. Free for 3 users; Launch is $19/month billed yearly for 8 users.
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