How AI chatbots are priced in 2026: flat plans, credits, per-conversation, per-resolution and per-seat models, ten platforms priced on November 6, 2026, the bill at 500, 2,000 and 10,000 conversations and the costs the pricing page hides.
AI chatbot pricing in 2026 ranges from $0 on free plans to $18 to $55 a month for entry plans and $99 to $500 for mid tiers, but the bill is set by the AI unit: a flat allowance of replies (Botcadence, from $39), credits (Chatbase, Crisp), per conversation (Tidio, Botpress), per resolution (Intercom $0.99, Zendesk $2.00) or per session (Freshchat). At 2,000 conversations a month the ten platforms we priced on November 6, 2026 cost $49 to about $1,765. Botcadence's plans are on the pricing page.
On November 6, 2026 AI chatbot pricing for a small business ran from $0 on free plans (Botcadence, Tidio, Botpress, Jotform, Crisp, Freshchat, Landbot) to $18 to $55 a month for entry plans and $99 to $500 for mid tiers. The bill is set less by the plan than by the AI unit: a flat allowance of replies, a pool of credits, a per-resolution fee or a per-session fee. At 2,000 conversations a month with the AI handling 40 percent, the ten platforms below cost between $49 and about $1,765. We build Botcadence, so read our row as a vendor's.
| Model | How you pay | Vendors | When it is cheap | When it is expensive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat plan with included AI replies | A monthly fee covering a set number of AI replies and seats | Botcadence, Jotform | Steady or high volume | Never above the allowance; you move up a plan |
| Credits | A pool of AI credits, topped up when it runs out | Chatbase, Crisp, Chatfuel, Botpress (AI usage) | Low and variable volume | Busy months, when the pool drains fast |
| Per conversation | A plan with included conversations, then packs | Botpress, Tidio (Lyro) | Few, long conversations | Many short ones |
| Per resolution or outcome | A fee each time the AI closes a conversation | Intercom ($0.99), Zendesk ($2.00) | When the AI resolves little | When it works well |
| Per seat plus AI add-on | A price per human agent, with AI billed separately | Freshchat, Zendesk, Intercom | Few agents | Growing teams |
| Platform | Free plan | Entry paid plan | What it includes | AI unit and extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botcadence | 100 AI replies, website and WhatsApp | Starter $39 a month; Growth $99; Business $199 | Growth: 2,000 AI replies, 5 seats, all chat channels | Included; move up a plan for more |
| Tidio | 50 conversations | Starter $24.17 a month on the annual basis | 100 billable conversations, 10 seats | Lyro AI from $32.50 a month for 50 AI conversations |
| Chatbase | None | Hobby $40 a month ($32 yearly) | 700 message credits, 2 members, 1 agent | $40 per 1,000 extra credits; $25 per extra agent |
| Botpress | 100 conversations | Plus $150 a month billed annually | 250 conversations, $25 AI usage | $65 per extra 100 conversations |
| Jotform AI Agents | 100 conversations, 50 voice minutes | Bronze $39 a month | 1,000 conversations, 25 agents | Conversations; Silver $49 for 2,500 |
| Crisp | 2 seats, no AI credits | Mini $45 a month | 4 seats, $5 AI credits, about 90 automated conversations | Essentials $95 for about 450 |
| Freshchat | Up to 10 agents | Growth $19 per agent a month billed annually | Inbox and channels | Freddy AI $49 per 100 sessions |
| Landbot | 100 chats | Starter €32 a month billed annually | 500 chats, 100 AI chats, 2 seats | €0.10 per extra AI chat |
| Zendesk | None | Suite Team $55 per agent a month billed annually ($69 monthly) | 5 automated resolutions per agent | $2.00 per automated resolution pay as you go |
| Intercom | None | Essential $29 per seat a month | Inbox, help center | Fin $0.99 per outcome; Copilot $29 per agent |
Chatfuel ($18 a month billed yearly with $20 of AI credits) and ManyChat are Instagram and Messenger tools; ManyChat doesn't publish a price we could read, so it is not shown.
Assume the AI handles 40 percent of conversations (200, 800 and 4,000 AI conversations) and the business has three people in the inbox. Figures use the cheapest plan that fits.
| Platform | 500 a month | 2,000 a month | 10,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botcadence | $39 (Starter) or $99 (Growth) | $99 (Growth, 2,000 AI replies, if automated conversations average 2.5 replies; Business $199 above that) | $199 (Business) or Enterprise |
| Tidio | $24 plus Lyro at 200 conversations, about $130 | Lyro at 800 conversations, about $400 and up | Custom |
| Chatbase | $40 (700 credits, if replies use one credit) | $150 (Basic, 4,000 credits) | $500 (Business, 15,000 credits) |
| Botpress | $150 (Plus, 250 conversations) plus packs, about $150 to $215 | $750 (Team, 1,500) plus packs, about $1,000 | Enterprise |
| Jotform | $39 (Bronze, 1,000) | $49 (Silver, 2,500) | $129 (Gold, 10,000) |
| Crisp | $95 (Essentials, about 450 automated) | $295 (Plus, about 1,350) | Custom |
| Freshchat | $57 seats plus $98 AI sessions, about $155 | $57 plus $392, about $449 | $57 plus $1,960, about $2,017 |
| Zendesk | $165 seats plus $400 resolutions, about $565 | $165 plus $1,600, about $1,765 | $165 plus $8,000 |
| Intercom | $87 seats plus $198 outcomes, about $285 | $87 plus $792, about $879 | $87 plus $3,960, about $4,047 |
The per-resolution vendors are the most expensive at every volume above a few hundred conversations, because the fee scales with the thing you bought the tool to do. Flat plans stay inside a few hundred dollars until 10,000 a month; conversation-pack plans such as Botpress climb sooner. One caution on our own row: Botcadence counts AI replies, not conversations, and a conversation usually takes several replies, so compare the allowance against your reply count.
Count last month's conversations and estimate the share the AI could answer from your documents. If it is above a third, a flat or conversation plan wins. If it is small and variable, credits are fine. Then run the same 20 questions through two tools; the best AI chatbot for business list has the test. The chat agents page and the website chatbot page show what Botcadence's plans include.
Questions readers ask
On November 6, 2026: free plans on seven of ten platforms, entry paid plans from $18 (Chatfuel, billed yearly) to $55 per agent (Zendesk), and mid tiers from $99 (Botcadence Growth) to $500 (Chatbase Business). The AI unit decides the real bill.
Free plans on Botcadence (100 AI replies), Tidio (50 conversations), Botpress and Jotform (100 conversations), Crisp, Freshchat and Landbot. For paid plans Chatfuel is $18 a month billed yearly, Tidio $24.17 on the annual basis and Botcadence $39 monthly with no annual commitment.
Five ways: included replies in a flat plan (Botcadence, Jotform), credits (Chatbase, Crisp, Chatfuel), per conversation (Tidio's Lyro, Botpress), per resolution or outcome (Intercom $0.99, Zendesk $2.00) and per session (Freshchat $49 per 100).
With 40 percent resolved by Fin, 800 outcomes at $0.99 is $792, plus three Essential seats at $29 is $87, about $879 a month on prices checked November 6, 2026. Botcadence's Growth plan covers 2,000 AI replies and 5 seats for $99.
Intercom, Zendesk and Freshchat charge per human agent with AI billed on top. Botcadence's chat plans include seats (5 on Growth) and no per-resolution fee; Chatbase charges $25 per extra agent.
None of the ten platforms here includes Meta's per-message fees; they are passed through. Botcadence includes the WhatsApp channel on every plan and Meta bills its template fees separately.
Credit-based tools (Chatbase, Crisp, Chatfuel) stop the AI until you top up or enable auto-recharge; Chatbase charges $40 per 1,000 credits. Flat plans move you up a tier; per-resolution billing never stops.
Good when the AI resolves little, bad when it works: the fee scales with the thing you bought the tool for. Above a few hundred conversations a month, flat and conversation plans are cheaper in every scenario we priced.
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