Comparison · updated October 2026
The best AI chatbots for your business website: 2026 comparison
Alessandro Papaupdated on 10 tools compared
IN SHORT
We compared ten AI chatbots for business and e-commerce websites, with prices taken from the official pages in October 2026. The biggest difference is not the entry price but how the AI is billed: per conversation, per resolution, in credits or at a flat rate. For a small or medium-sized business, language, channels such as WhatsApp and who sets it up also matter. Conversly is ours, and we say so.
The comparison in one table
| Tool | Price from | How the AI is billed | Channels | Free plan | Who sets it up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConverslyOURSReady to use | €89/month + setup (Basic, excl. VAT) | Messages included: 1,000 on Basic, 3,000 on Pro (€139/month); unlimited with your own OpenAI key | Website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, WordPress, phone (voice agent) | No, free demo | Us, together with you |
| TidioReady to use | $24.17/month (Starter) | Lyro: 50 conversations included, then a $32.50/month add-on for 50 conversations | Website, plus social channels and email on higher plans | Yes: 50 conversations and 50 Lyro conversations, one-off | Yourself, with a guided setup |
| IntercomHelp desk with AI | $29/seat/month (Essential, annual) | Fin: $0.99 per outcome (conversation resolved or correctly handed over) | Website and app, email, social and messaging | No | Yourself or with a partner |
| ZendeskHelp desk with AI | €19/agent/month (Support Team, annual) | Automated resolutions: 5 or 10 included per agent, then €1.50 (bundles) or €2 pay-as-you-go | Email, chat, social, phone in the Suite | No, free trial | Yourself or with a partner |
| CrispReady to use | $45/month (Mini, per workspace) | AI credits included: about 90 conversations on Mini, 450 on Essentials, 1,350 on Plus | Website and email; WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS from Essentials | Yes, 2 seats with website chat | Yourself |
| ChatbaseReady to use | $40/month (Hobby) | Message credits: 700 on Hobby, 4,000 on Standard; top-ups at $40 per 1,000 | Website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack | Yes: 50 credits, agent deleted after 14 days of inactivity | Yourself |
| BotpressCustom-built | $150/month (Plus, annual) | AI spend included ($25 on Plus, $150 on Team), then pay-as-you-go; extra conversations $0.65 or $0.50 | Website, messaging and channels via integrations | Yes: 100 conversations a month, 3 agents | Developers or partners |
| ManyChatReady to use | About $15/month (Pro, up to 500 contacts) | AI add-on billed separately, about $29/month | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp | Not verified | Yourself |
| HubSpot Customer AgentHelp desk with AI | Service Hub Professional, $90/seat/month + $1,500 onboarding | HubSpot Credits: 3,000 included on Professional, then $0.01 per credit | Website chat, email and other HubSpot channels | Free tools for up to 2 users, without the AI agent | Yourself or with a HubSpot partner |
| Indigo.aiCustom-built | On request | Not published | Phone, website chat, WhatsApp, voice assistants | No, demo | With their team |
Prices and features checked on the official pages on 7 October 2026. The sources are at the bottom of each profile.
Which one to choose if…
You run an e-commerce store and want to start today
You can install them yourself in an afternoon and they have a free plan to try.
You already have a support team with lots of tickets
Full help desks, with the AI paid only on resolved requests.
You sell mainly through Instagram messages
It automates comments, keywords and direct messages on social media.
You already use HubSpot for everything
The agent reads the CRM and tickets with no integrations to build.
You want to build a custom agent with a technical team
Maximum freedom over logic and tools, as long as someone develops it.
You want a chatbot built and looked after by someone
We set it up and connect it to your CRM, and a person in Turin keeps looking after it.
How to read this comparison
Almost all of today’s chatbots use the same underlying language models. That is why, given the same content, their answers are more alike than their product pages suggest. The real differences lie elsewhere:
- how the AI is billed: per conversation, per resolution, in credits or with a fixed fee. This is the item that changes the spend most as volumes grow;
- where it answers: only on the website, or also on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, and from which plan upwards;
- who sets it up: uploading content is easy; writing the rules on what to say, what not to say and when to hand over to a person takes time;
- where the data ends up: a chatbot that captures a lead and leaves it there is of little use. It needs to reach the CRM or management system.
Three questions before you choose
How many conversations will you have a month? With a few dozen, any tool will do and the free plan is enough to try it out. With thousands, the difference between $0.50 and €2 per resolution becomes a budget line.
Do you already have a help desk? If your support team works in Zendesk, Intercom or HubSpot, the AI agent from the same platform is almost always the simplest route. If you do not have one, a full help desk just for the chatbot may be overkill.
Who looks after it after launch? A chatbot needs reviewing: you look at the questions it answered badly, update the content and fix the rules. If nobody in the company has two hours a month, choose a tool that comes with someone to look after it.
Where Conversly fits
Conversly is the chatbot we built at Digital Runner. We put it in the table with the same fields as the others, limits included. It is not the cheapest to install yourself and it is not a help desk. It is designed for companies that want a chatbot trained on their content, connected to the CRM and looked after by a person, without having to set it up in-house. Features, prices and use cases are also on its own site, conversly.it (in Italian).
If you prefer a self-service tool, the ones in the table are all good for different cases, and we are happy to help you connect them to everything else with our integrations.
Tool by tool
Converslyby Digital Runner
€89/month + setup (Basic, excl. VAT)
This is our product: we build it and we sell it. We compare it using the same criteria as the others.
Who it’s for: SMEs that want a chatbot trained on their own content without having to set it up themselves, with leads flowing into the CRM.
- How the AI is billed
- Messages included: 1,000 on Basic, 3,000 on Pro (€139/month); unlimited with your own OpenAI key
- Channels
- Website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, WordPress, phone (voice agent)
- Free plan
- No, free demo
- Who sets it up
- Us, together with you
STRENGTHS
- We set it up: content, tone of voice, rules on what it can and cannot say.
- It captures leads and sends them to the CRM or management system via API, n8n, Make or Zapier.
- Support in Italian from Turin, with a named point of contact.
LIMITATIONS
- There is no free plan: you start with the demo, and a setup fee is added to the subscription.
- It is not a full help desk with tickets and agent queues: it works alongside what you already use.
- It makes most sense if you also hand us the setup; if you want to do everything yourself, there are self-service alternatives.
Tidioby Tidio
$24.17/month (Starter)
Who it’s for: Online shops and small businesses that want to get going fast with live chat and an AI agent, paying by conversation.
- How the AI is billed
- Lyro: 50 conversations included, then a $32.50/month add-on for 50 conversations
- Channels
- Website, plus social channels and email on higher plans
- Free plan
- Yes: 50 conversations and 50 Lyro conversations, one-off
- Who sets it up
- Yourself, with a guided setup
STRENGTHS
- Installs in a few minutes, with ready-made integrations for e-commerce platforms.
- A free plan that is useful for testing chat and AI on your own site.
- Lyro can also be bought on its own, on top of another help desk.
LIMITATIONS
- The cost grows with conversations: Growth starts at $49.17/month for up to 2,000 conversations.
- Lyro is billed separately: few AI conversations are included in the base plans.
- The guaranteed resolution rate (50%) is only on the Premium plan, with custom pricing.
Intercomby Intercom
$29/seat/month (Essential, annual)
Who it’s for: Companies with a structured support team and lots of requests that want an AI agent inside their help desk.
- How the AI is billed
- Fin: $0.99 per outcome (conversation resolved or correctly handed over)
- Channels
- Website and app, email, social and messaging
- Free plan
- No
- Who sets it up
- Yourself or with a partner
STRENGTHS
- Fin is one of the most widely used AI agents in customer service, built into a full help desk.
- You only pay for the AI when it delivers an outcome, not for every message.
- Very complete on automations, routing rules and reporting.
LIMITATIONS
- Two costs that add up: seats (from $29 to $132/month) and Fin outcomes.
- At high volumes the spend per resolution rises quickly and should be estimated up front.
- Built for support teams: for a small business it is often oversized.
Zendeskby Zendesk
€19/agent/month (Support Team, annual)
Who it’s for: Medium and large companies with multichannel support and tickets that want to add AI agents.
- How the AI is billed
- Automated resolutions: 5 or 10 included per agent, then €1.50 (bundles) or €2 pay-as-you-go
- Channels
- Email, chat, social, phone in the Suite
- Free plan
- No, free trial
- Who sets it up
- Yourself or with a partner
STRENGTHS
- A mature help desk, with tickets, queues and reporting for large teams.
- You only pay for the AI on requests resolved without a person stepping in.
- Prices also published in euros.
LIMITATIONS
- The Suite with all channels starts at €55/agent/month.
- Few resolutions are included: beyond that you pay as you go.
- Setup and maintenance take time or a partner.
Crispby Crisp
$45/month (Mini, per workspace)
Who it’s for: Small and medium-sized businesses that want a shared inbox for chat, email and messages, priced per workspace rather than per agent.
- How the AI is billed
- AI credits included: about 90 conversations on Mini, 450 on Essentials, 1,350 on Plus
- Channels
- Website and email; WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS from Essentials
- Free plan
- Yes, 2 seats with website chat
- Who sets it up
- Yourself
STRENGTHS
- Priced per workspace: good value when several people handle support.
- A genuine free plan, useful for getting started with live chat.
- Messaging channels and automations from Essentials ($95/month).
LIMITATIONS
- WhatsApp and Instagram only come with the Essentials plan.
- Few AI conversations are included in the lower plans.
- The most complete AI features are on the Plus plan ($295/month).
Chatbaseby Chatbase
$40/month (Hobby)
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to build an AI agent themselves, trained on their website and documents, with plenty of ready-made integrations.
- How the AI is billed
- Message credits: 700 on Hobby, 4,000 on Standard; top-ups at $40 per 1,000
- Channels
- Website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack
- Free plan
- Yes: 50 credits, agent deleted after 14 days of inactivity
- Who sets it up
- Yourself
STRENGTHS
- Trains on your website and files in minutes, with no code.
- Lots of ready-made integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Shopify, Zapier.
- 20% discount with annual billing.
LIMITATIONS
- API, help desk and voice only from Standard ($150/month).
- Removing the Chatbase branding costs extra, $99/month.
- Setup, testing and maintenance are down to you.
Botpressby Botpress
$150/month (Plus, annual)
Who it’s for: Technical teams or agencies that want to build custom AI agents, with complex logic, tools and integrations.
- How the AI is billed
- AI spend included ($25 on Plus, $150 on Team), then pay-as-you-go; extra conversations $0.65 or $0.50
- Channels
- Website, messaging and channels via integrations
- Free plan
- Yes: 100 conversations a month, 3 agents
- Who sets it up
- Developers or partners
STRENGTHS
- Very flexible: you can build complex flows, tools and agents.
- A generous free plan for testing.
- Transparent AI costs, separate from the platform.
LIMITATIONS
- You need someone with technical skills to build and maintain it.
- The Team plan costs $750/month.
- More a developer tool than a product ready for marketing.
ManyChatby ManyChat
About $15/month (Pro, up to 500 contacts)
Who it’s for: Brands and creators who sell on social media and want to automate direct messages on Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
- How the AI is billed
- AI add-on billed separately, about $29/month
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp
- Free plan
- Not verified
- Who sets it up
- Yourself
STRENGTHS
- The go-to tool for automating Instagram direct messages (comments, keywords, stories).
- Low entry price for those with few contacts.
- Easy to use, even for social media managers.
LIMITATIONS
- The price rises with the number of contacts.
- It is not built to answer on your website using company documents.
- Prices taken from comparison sources: the official page was not accessible when we checked.
HubSpot Customer Agentby HubSpot
Service Hub Professional, $90/seat/month + $1,500 onboarding
Who it’s for: Companies already using HubSpot that want an AI agent answering from the CRM and knowledge base.
- How the AI is billed
- HubSpot Credits: 3,000 included on Professional, then $0.01 per credit
- Channels
- Website chat, email and other HubSpot channels
- Free plan
- Free tools for up to 2 users, without the AI agent
- Who sets it up
- Yourself or with a HubSpot partner
STRENGTHS
- Reads HubSpot's CRM, tickets and knowledge base directly.
- Everything on one platform alongside marketing and sales.
- Credits included in the Professional and Enterprise plans.
LIMITATIONS
- Only makes sense if HubSpot is already the centre of your data.
- High entry cost: Professional seats plus a mandatory onboarding fee.
- Credit consumption needs watching as volume grows.
Indigo.aiby Indigo.ai (Milan)
On request
Who it’s for: Large Italian companies with high contact volumes, contact centres and phone support too.
- How the AI is billed
- Not published
- Channels
- Phone, website chat, WhatsApp, voice assistants
- Free plan
- No, demo
- Who sets it up
- With their team
STRENGTHS
- An Italian company, based in Milan, with a multilingual platform.
- Built for high volumes, including contact centres and voice.
- Large clients in banking, insurance, utilities and retail.
LIMITATIONS
- Prices not published.
- Built for large companies rather than SMEs.
- Enterprise project timelines, not an afternoon's installation.
HOW WE COMPARED
We read each tool's official pricing page on 7 October 2026 (ManyChat from a comparison source, because the official page was not accessible). Prices are as published, excluding VAT, in the currency shown by the provider. Conversly is our product: we put it in the table with the same fields as the others.
Frequently asked questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does an AI chatbot for a website cost?
It ranges from free plans with a few conversations to a few hundred euros a month, plus the AI component. Self-service tools start at $25–45 a month, help desks are paid per agent (from €19 to over $130 a month each) plus AI resolutions. What matters is how much you pay for each conversation the AI handles as volumes grow.
Is it better to pay per conversation or per resolution?
Per resolution, you only pay when the AI actually closes the request, but the unit cost is higher (from $0.99 to €2). Per conversation or in credits the cost is more predictable, but you also pay for chats that end up with a person. At low volumes the difference is small; at high volumes it is worth estimating on a typical month.
Can an AI chatbot answer in English?
Yes: all the tools in the table use multilingual language models. What changes is the language of the admin interface and of the support: international tools are almost always in English, Conversly and Indigo.ai in Italian.
Can the chatbot send leads to the CRM?
Yes, but in different ways. Some have ready-made integrations with the most common CRMs, others go through Zapier, Make or n8n, and others still require the APIs. It is worth deciding first which data to collect and where it needs to end up.
Do you need a chatbot on WhatsApp?
If your customers already message you there, yes. Watch the plans, though: in many tools WhatsApp is only available from the mid-tier plans upwards, and Meta applies its own rates to messages the business sends first.
