Alternatives

Chatbase alternatives: five options, compared side by side

Most people looking for a Chatbase alternative want one of three things: a bill they can predict, answers they can trust, or a free plan that doesn't disappear. Here are five options, including ours, with prices read on each vendor's own page on September 25, 2026.

Try it free

The short answer

Stay with Chatbase if you need WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack or voice, a choice of AI models, an API, or SOC 2 Type II. It does all of those, and we don't yet.

Choose AI Chat Bot if you're a small business that wants your website answered from your own pages, every lead sent to your phone, and a price that counts customer messages rather than model credits. Choose Chatling for the cheapest entry plan, SiteGPT for a very large site, and CustomGPT.ai for thousands of documents.

How we compared

We make AI Chat Bot, so weigh what we say about ourselves accordingly. Every fact about another tool comes from that vendor's own pricing page, linked below and read on September 25, 2026. Review quotes come from public review pages, also linked. We say where each option beats ours.

Why people look elsewhere

Why people look for a Chatbase alternative

Chatbase

Quick picks

ToolBest forStarts atWatch out for
AI Chat BotSmall businesses that want their site answered and leads on their phoneFree, then $29/moWebsite and hosted chat page only; one AI model
ChatlingThe cheapest paid entry, with a visual builderFree, then $25/moCredits per reply vary by model
SiteGPTLarge sites, up to 50,000 pages$59/mo, no free planCard needed for the trial
CustomGPT.aiThousands of documents per agent$99/moMost expensive entry here
TidioTeams that mainly want live chat, with some AIFree; AI from $32.50/mo yearlyAI conversations are billed on top of the chat plan

Prices and plan details read on each vendor's own page on September 25, 2026.

Chatbase

The options, one by one

AI Chat Bot

Owner-run businesses (trades, clinics, salons, law firms, agents) that want website visitors answered from their own pages and every lead texted and emailed to them.

Good

  • A customer message is the unit on every plan. No model multipliers.
  • When you reach your allowance it keeps answering in shorter form. It never goes offline and never charges overage; topping up is optional at $20 per 1,000.
  • It answers only from your pages and the facts you confirm, and hands anything else to you with the visitor's contact details.
  • Badge removal is $25 a month. Free is 100 messages a month and is never deleted for being quiet.

Not so good

  • Live channels are your website and a hosted chat page. No WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack or voice yet.
  • One AI model, chosen by us. No developer API; leads can go to your CRM by webhook.
  • It reads up to 40 pages of your site, plus uploaded documents. Very large sites should look at SiteGPT.
  • New in 2026: no SOC 2 report and no review-site ratings yet.

Pricing: Free: 100 messages a month. Starter $29 a month ($23 yearly) for 1,000 messages and 1 website; Growth $69 ($55) for 4,000 and 5 websites; Pro $149 ($119) for 12,000 and 15 websites.

Chatling

Pricing page

Buyers who want a low monthly price and a visual flow builder.

Good

  • Starter is $25 a month ($21 yearly) for 1,750 AI credits and 2 agents.
  • A free plan of 200 AI credits a month.

Not so good

  • Credits used per reply depend on the model.
  • Removing the badge costs extra on the lower plans ($35 a month).

Pricing: Free 200 credits; Starter $25; Growth $75 ($63 yearly) for 6,000 credits and 5 agents; Scale $295.

SiteGPT

Pricing page

Businesses with big sites that want the whole thing indexed.

Good

  • Starter covers 1,000 pages; Scale covers 50,000.
  • Up to 4,000 messages a month on Starter with the smaller model.

Not so good

  • No free plan, and its seven-day trial needs a card.
  • Message counts drop to a tenth on the larger model (400 instead of 4,000 on Starter).
  • Badge removal is $39 a month.

Pricing: Starter $59 ($39 yearly), Growth $129 ($79), Scale $429 ($259).

CustomGPT.ai

Pricing page

Teams answering from large document libraries.

Good

  • Standard includes 10 agents and up to 5,000 documents per agent.

Not so good

  • $99 a month for 1,000 queries is the highest entry price here.
  • Its seven-day trial takes card details at signup.

Pricing: Standard $99 ($89 yearly) for 1,000 queries; Premium $499 ($449) for 5,000.

Tidio

Pricing page

Teams whose main need is live chat staffed by people, with AI as an extra.

Good

  • A free plan with 10 seats of live chat.
  • Strong Shopify tools.

Not so good

  • Lyro AI is priced separately from the chat plan, per AI conversation.
  • The free plan's 50 AI conversations are one-off, not monthly.

Pricing: Starter from $24.17 a month billed yearly; Lyro AI from $32.50 a month billed yearly for 50 AI conversations.

Chatbase

How to choose

Questions

Questions buyers ask

Is there a free Chatbase alternative?

Yes. Chatling's free plan gives 200 AI credits a month, ours gives 100 customer messages a month, and Tidio has free live chat with 50 one-off AI conversations. Chatbase's own free plan is 50 credits a month.

What's cheaper than Chatbase?

Chatbase Hobby is $40 a month for 700 credits. Chatling Starter is $25 for 1,750 credits, and our Starter is $29 for 1,000 customer messages. Compare the unit as well as the price: a credit and a customer message aren't the same thing.

How much does Chatbase cost per month?

Hobby $40 ($32 billed yearly) for 700 message credits, Standard $150 ($120) for 4,000, Pro $500 ($400) for 15,000, and Enterprise on request, as of September 25, 2026. Extra credits are $40 per 1,000 and badge removal is $99 a month.

Can I move my Chatbase bot to another tool?

Switching means setting the new tool up from your sources again. With ours that's quick: paste your website address and it reads your pages in about a minute, then upload any PDFs or Word files you'd trained Chatbase on.

Is Chatbase HIPAA compliant?

Chatbase lists HIPAA eligibility on its Enterprise plan only. We don't sign HIPAA business associate agreements, and our medical clinic mode is built to stay away from health information.

Try it on your own website

Your customers are asking right now

Paste your website and hear your assistant answer as your business. It takes about a minute.

  • No account needed
  • No card
  • Free plan forever

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