October 18, 2026
8 Best Chatbase Alternatives: free and paid options for 2026, AskYura blog cover

The 8 Best Chatbase Alternatives in 2026 (Free and Paid)

Eight Chatbase alternatives worth comparing in 2026 are Chatling, Tidio, Botpress, AskYura, ChatBot.com, Intercom Fin, CustomGPT and SiteGPT. Four of them have free plans: Chatling, Tidio, Botpress and AskYura. We compared each tool's published features and pricing, checked October 18, 2026, to show what each costs, how it charges for AI and who it suits.

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What Is the Best Chatbase Alternative?

It depends on why you're leaving Chatbase. For a cheaper like-for-like AI chatbot with a free plan, try Chatling. For live chat and AI in one inbox, try Tidio or ChatBot.com. For a free plan with an AI agent that takes actions on a flat price, try AskYura. For complex agents you control in detail, try Botpress. For a full helpdesk, try Intercom Fin. For answers with sources from large document libraries, try CustomGPT.

We compared each tool's published features and pricing, checked October 18, 2026. Prices change often, so check each vendor's page before you buy.

Why Look for a Chatbase Alternative?

Chatbase builds AI agents from your website, files and other content. It's strong on channels: WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Slack work on every plan. It also says it doesn't use customer data to train AI models. Teams usually start comparing for one of these reasons:

  • There's no free plan. Paid plans come with a 7-day trial. Hobby costs $40 a month, or $32 a month billed yearly.
  • Credits run out. Hobby includes 700 message credits a month. Each request to the AI model costs credits based on the model you choose, and an action, like checking a calendar before booking, can take two requests. Unused credits don't carry over, and extra credits cost $40 per 1,000.
  • Key features start at $150 a month. API access, the Chatbase helpdesk inbox and integrations such as Zendesk, HubSpot and Zapier start on Standard: $150 a month, or $120 billed yearly.
  • Branding costs extra. Removing "Powered By Chatbase" is a $1,188-a-year add-on.

Chatbase Alternatives at a Glance (October 2026)

ToolPrice fromFree planHow AI is chargedChannelsBest for
Chatbase (for reference)$40/mo, or $32/mo billed yearlyNo (7-day trial)Monthly message credits; cost per request varies by modelWebsite, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack—
Chatling$25/mo, or $21/mo billed yearlyYes: 200 AI credits a monthMonthly AI credits; usage varies by modelWebsite; WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram on paid plansA cheaper like-for-like switch
Tidio$24.17/mo billed annually ($29 monthly)Yes: 50 billable conversations a monthLyro AI conversations sold separately (first 50 free)Website chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsAppLive chat plus AI for small stores
Botpress$150/mo billed annually ($189 monthly)Yes: 100 conversations a monthPer conversation, with AI usage included up to a limitWebchat, WhatsAppComplex agents you control
AskYura$25/mo, or $20/mo billed yearlyYes: 100 AI responses a day, 3 seatsFlat plan with a daily AI response allowance; no per-resolution feeWebsite chat and Telegram today (WhatsApp and LINE coming soon)An AI agent that takes actions, on a flat price
ChatBot.com (by Text)$19 per user/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly)No (14-day trial)10 AI resolutions a month included, then $49.50 per 50Website chat, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS (Twilio)Chat teams that also sell
Intercom Fin$29 per seat/mo billed annually, plus $0.99 per outcomeNo (14-day trial)$0.99 per Fin outcomeLive chat, email, in-app; WhatsApp, SMS and phone pay-as-you-goA full helpdesk with AI
CustomGPT$99/mo ($89 billed annually)No (7-day trial)1,000 queries a month on StandardWebsite or app, SlackAnswers with sources from big document sets
SiteGPT$39/mo billed yearly ($59 monthly)No (7-day trial, card required)Monthly message allowance, by modelWebsite; WhatsApp as an add-onA simple AI bot for one website

From each vendor's pricing page, checked October 18, 2026. Prices change, so check before you buy.

The 8 Best Chatbase Alternatives

1. Chatling

What it is: A no-code AI chatbot builder that answers from your content, with live chat for your team and AI actions that run tasks during a conversation.

Pricing from: Starter is $25 a month, or $21 a month billed yearly ($250 a year), for 1,750 AI credits, 2 AI agents, 2 seats, 4 actions per agent and API access.

Free plan: Yes. 200 AI credits a month, 1 AI agent and 1 seat.

Best for: Teams that like how Chatbase works but want a free plan and a lower entry price.

Watch-outs: Credit usage varies with the AI model you pick, so your real message count depends on the model. WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram need a paid plan. Removing "Powered by Chatling" needs the Scale plan or a $35-a-month add-on.

2. Tidio

What it is: Live chat, a helpdesk and the Lyro AI Agent in one tool, plus Flows for no-code automations. Lyro can run Actions, and Tidio lists native Shopify actions.

Pricing from: Starter is $24.17 a month billed annually ($29 monthly) for 100 billable conversations. Lyro AI Agent is priced separately, from $32.50 a month billed annually ($39 monthly) for 50 Lyro conversations.

Free plan: Yes. 50 billable conversations a month, and your first 50 Lyro conversations are free.

Best for: Small online stores and websites that want human live chat and AI in one inbox. Compare more Tidio alternatives.

Watch-outs: Human and AI conversations are counted and billed separately, so check both as you grow. Removing Tidio branding is a $16.67-a-month add-on.

3. Botpress

What it is: A platform for building AI agents, with a visual builder (Botpress Studio), a natural-language builder, a developer kit and an AI helpdesk (Botpress Desk).

Pricing from: Plus is $150 a month billed annually ($189 monthly) for 250 conversations a month, 3 seats and unlimited AI agents. Extra conversations come in packs of 100 for $65.

Free plan: Yes. 100 conversations a month, with a hard cap and no top-ups.

Best for: Teams that want to design and control complex agents in detail.

Watch-outs: The step from Free to Plus is large. On paid plans, packs of 100 conversations are added automatically when you reach 95% of your quota, and you can't turn that off. White-label webchat starts on Plus.

4. AskYura

What it is: An AI chatbot that runs a small business's front desk. It answers customers 24/7 in your voice, in their language, and takes action through API Tools: refunds, bookings, order checks and CRM updates. When a conversation needs a person, it hands over to your team with the full history attached. You set it up with plain-English instructions, with no flowcharts and no code. The chat is up and running in under 10 minutes; connecting your other systems comes next, and API Tools take hours, not weeks. WooCommerce has a ready-made connector. Shopify, HubSpot and other systems connect through API Tools.

Pricing from: Starter is $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, for 1,500 AI responses a day and 10 seats. Pro is $125 a month, or $100 billed yearly, for 15,000 a day and 50 seats. Enterprise is custom, with a self-hosted option. Every feature is on every plan. See AskYura pricing.

Free plan: Yes. 100 AI responses a day and 3 seats, with every feature, API Tools included. The Free plan shows "Powered by AskYura" in the chat. Starter and Pro can remove it.

Best for: Small businesses that want the bot to finish common requests, like checking an order or booking a slot, on a flat price they can test for free first.

Not for: Businesses that need WhatsApp today, or Instagram or Messenger. AskYura runs in website chat and Telegram today, with WhatsApp and LINE coming soon. API Tools and your team's replies from the inbox work in both. It doesn't take phone calls, and it doesn't message customers first, so it won't send reminders or follow-ups.

AskYura doesn't use your customer content to train any AI model.

5. ChatBot.com (by Text)

What it is: An AI agent and live chat product from Text, the team behind LiveChat, HelpDesk and ChatBot.com. Its plans include an inbox and ticketing, workflow automation and human takeover.

Pricing from: Essential is $19 per user a month billed yearly ($25 monthly), with 1 AI Agent and 10 AI resolutions a month.

Free plan: No. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card.

Best for: Teams that want people and AI in the same chat, on website chat, Messenger, WhatsApp and SMS, and that sell through Shopify.

Watch-outs: Pricing is per user. Beyond the included resolutions, extra AI resolutions cost $49.50 per 50, which is $0.99 each. The white-label widget is on the Enterprise plan.

6. Intercom Fin

What it is: Intercom's AI agent. Fin answers on email, live chat and other channels, can take actions in external systems, and hands off to your team's inbox. It runs on Intercom's helpdesk or alongside the one you already use.

Pricing from: Essential is $29 per seat a month billed annually ($39 monthly), plus $0.99 per Fin outcome. Fin with your current helpdesk is $0.99 per outcome with no seats, but a minimum monthly commitment applies.

Free plan: No. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Startups can apply to Intercom's Early Stage program, which Intercom lists as up to 93% off plus a year of Fin free.

Best for: Support teams that want a complete helpdesk with an AI agent built in.

Watch-outs: Your bill grows with seats and with every Fin outcome. WhatsApp, SMS and phone are pay-as-you-go. See these Intercom alternatives if per-outcome pricing is the problem.

7. CustomGPT

What it is: An AI agent builder that answers from your websites, help desk content, documents (over 1,400 formats) and recordings, with citations and sources, in 90+ languages. It also offers a RAG API.

Pricing from: Standard is $99 a month ($89 billed annually) for 10 agents, 1,000 queries a month and 3 team members.

Free plan: No. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.

Best for: Knowledge-heavy businesses that need answers backed by sources from a large document library.

Watch-outs: When you reach your query limit, your agents stop responding. Agentic actions such as lead capture use extra query credits. Removing CustomGPT branding needs Premium ($499 a month, or $449 billed annually).

8. SiteGPT

What it is: An AI support chatbot trained on your website's pages and files.

Pricing from: Starter is $39 a month billed yearly ($59 monthly) for 1 chatbot, 1 member, up to 1,000 pages and up to 4,000 GPT-4.1-mini messages a month (or 400 GPT-4.1 messages).

Free plan: No. There's a 7-day free trial, and it needs a credit card.

Best for: A solo founder who needs a simple AI support bot on one website.

Watch-outs: API access and integrations such as Messenger and Slack start on Growth ($79 a month billed yearly, $129 monthly). WhatsApp and branding removal are add-ons at $39 a month each, billed yearly.

How to Choose a Chatbase Alternative

  1. Name the reason you're leaving. If it's credits, compare pricing units. If it's the jump to $150 for API access, check which plan includes it in each tool. If it's channels, check those first.
  2. Compare the unit you pay for. Credits, conversations, resolutions, queries and daily AI responses aren't the same thing. Take last month's chat volume and price it in each tool's unit. Our guide to conversational AI pricing explains the main models.
  3. Check channels on the plan you'll buy. Several tools put WhatsApp or Messenger on paid plans or add-ons.
  4. Decide whether the bot must take actions. Chatbase includes 5 AI Actions per agent on Hobby. Chatling includes actions per agent, Tidio sells Lyro Actions with a paid Lyro quota, Intercom's Fin can act in external systems, and AskYura includes API Tools on every plan, Free included.
  5. Test the handover. Ask for a human mid-conversation and see what your team receives. A good handover arrives with the full conversation, so customers don't repeat themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free alternative to Chatbase?

Yes. Chatling's free plan includes 200 AI credits a month. Tidio's includes 50 billable conversations a month and your first 50 Lyro AI conversations. Botpress's includes 100 conversations a month. AskYura's includes 100 AI responses a day, 3 seats and every feature. Chatbase itself has no free plan, only a 7-day trial on its paid plans.

What is a cheaper alternative to Chatbase?

Billed yearly, entry plans start at $19 per user a month for ChatBot.com, $20 for AskYura, $21 for Chatling and $24.17 for Tidio. Billed monthly, ChatBot.com is $25 per user, AskYura and Chatling are $25, and Tidio is $29. Chatbase Hobby is $40 a month, or $32 billed yearly. Each plan includes a different amount of AI use, so compare them at your own volume.

Which Chatbase alternatives work on WhatsApp?

Tidio, ChatBot.com and Botpress list WhatsApp. Chatling offers it on paid plans, and SiteGPT as an add-on. Intercom charges for WhatsApp as you go. AskYura runs in website chat and Telegram today, with WhatsApp and LINE coming soon.

Can a Chatbase alternative take actions like refunds or bookings?

Yes. AskYura processes refunds, books appointments, checks orders and updates CRMs through API Tools that you connect to your own systems, on every plan. Chatling, Tidio (with a paid Lyro quota) and Intercom Fin also run actions. Chatbase includes AI Actions too. Before you choose, check which actions each tool can run on your platform, and what each one costs.

Williem

With a Ph.D. in AI and years of experience as a startup CTO, Williem specializes in making advanced technology accessible to everyone. After a distinguished career in academic research and building tech infrastructure from the ground up, he is now focused on democratizing AI through conversational tools. Leveraging his deep expertise in automation and machine learning, Williem is building a no-code chatbot platform designed to help users create powerful digital assistants without needing a technical background. His mission is to bridge the gap between complex AI science and user-friendly products that drive real-world results.

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