AI Chatbot Pricing in 2026: What 10 Platforms Actually Cost
We break down real pricing for 10 AI chatbot platforms. Hidden fees, per-resolution costs, and what you'll actually pay at scale.
Asad Ali
Founder & CEO
March 30, 2026
We break down real pricing for 10 AI chatbot platforms. Hidden fees, per-resolution costs, and what you'll actually pay at scale.
Chatbot pricing in 2026 is confusing on purpose. Some platforms charge per agent seat. Others charge per AI resolution. A few bill by conversation volume, credit consumption, or ticket count. And then there are the ones that advertise a low starting price, only to layer on AI add-ons, branding removal fees, and overage charges that double your bill before you have sent your first campaign. The result is that comparing platforms side by side feels nearly impossible unless you normalize everything to the same unit: what you will actually pay each month given your conversation volume, team size, and automation goals. That is exactly what this guide does.
We looked at 10 platforms spanning every major pricing model in the market. For each one, we break down the published tiers, the add-on costs that rarely make it into the marketing page headline, and what a real monthly bill looks like at three different scale points. Whether you are a startup handling 500 conversations a month or a scaling company processing 10,000, the numbers below will help you budget accurately.
Disclosure: Chatsy is our product. We have done our best to represent every platform's pricing fairly using publicly available data as of March 2026. Pricing changes frequently, so always confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before making a purchase decision. Where ranges are given, we use annual billing rates unless otherwise noted.
Comparing 10 platforms with five different pricing models (per seat, per resolution, per conversation, per ticket, flat-rate) means there is no apples-to-apples list price. We normalized each vendor's cost using three layers of evidence:
For each vendor, we modelled three reference workloads (1,000 / 5,000 / 20,000 conversations per month) and ran the math on the published rates. Where reported invoices diverged from the published math (typically because of overages, add-ons, or seat minimums the public page did not surface), we used the invoiced figure. The resulting cost-per-conversation comparison is directionally accurate for similar workloads but every team should re-run the math with their own usage profile.
Before diving into individual platforms, it helps to understand the four pricing models you will encounter.
A fixed monthly fee for each human agent or user on the platform. Used by Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, and LiveChat. Predictable if your team is stable, but costs scale linearly with every hire.
You pay each time the AI chatbot resolves a conversation without human intervention. Intercom charges $0.99 per Fin AI resolution. Zendesk charges $1.50 per automated resolution (committed) or $2.00 pay-as-you-go. The catch: the better your bot performs, the higher your bill climbs.
You pay based on conversation or credit consumption each month. Chatsy, Tidio, and Chatbase use variations of this model. It decouples cost from team size but requires accurate volume forecasting to avoid overages.
A fixed monthly fee regardless of conversations or agents (within plan limits). Crisp and eesel AI follow this approach. Budget certainty is the upside; paying for unused capacity during slow months is the tradeoff.
Pricing model: Conversation-based with flat tiers | View pricing
Chatsy bundles AI chatbot, live chat, knowledge base, and ticketing into a single platform with straightforward conversation-based pricing.
| Plan | Price | Conversations/Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 100 | Unlimited chatbots, live chat, knowledge base, AI-powered responses, 50+ languages |
| Starter | $40/mo | 500 | Everything in Free plus priority support, advanced analytics, integrations |
| Growth | $150/mo | 2,000 | Everything in Starter plus custom branding removal, API access, team collaboration |
| Enterprise | $500/mo | 10,000+ | Everything in Growth plus dedicated support, SLA guarantees, custom integrations |
What is included at every tier: Unlimited chatbots, RAG-powered AI retrieval, choice of 15+ AI models (GPT-5, Claude 4.5, Gemini 3), live chat handoff, and knowledge base. No per-seat charges at any tier.
What costs extra: Nothing hidden. The conversation limit is the only variable. Branding removal is included from the Growth plan onward. No per-resolution surcharges, no AI add-on fees.
Best for: Teams that want a predictable bill without paying extra for AI features that other platforms gate behind add-ons. The free tier is genuinely usable for testing, and Growth at $150/month covers most mid-market needs.
Learn more: Chatsy vs Intercom | Chatsy vs Zendesk
Pricing model: Per-seat + per-resolution | View pricing
Intercom is well-established but its pricing has grown complex with Fin AI resolution fees layered on top of per-seat plans.
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $29/seat/mo | Shared inbox, basic chatbot, ticketing, help center |
| Advanced | $85/seat/mo | Workflow automation, proactive campaigns, 20 free Lite seats |
| Expert | $132/seat/mo | SSO, HIPAA compliance, SLA management, multi-brand, 50 free Lite seats |
Fin AI Agent: $0.99 per resolution on top of your seat costs. Intercom reports an average 60% resolution rate. You are charged once per conversation, even if Fin handles multiple questions within it.
What costs extra: Fin AI resolutions ($0.99 each), Copilot ($35/seat/month), Proactive Support Plus ($99/month for 500 outbound messages), SMS ($0.07/message), additional Lite seats ($39 each).
Hidden fees: You pay for human agent seats AND AI resolutions. A 10-person team on Advanced with 1,000 AI resolutions pays roughly $850 (seats) + $990 (AI) = $1,840+/month. As your chatbot improves and resolves more, your Fin bill increases proportionally.
Best for: Larger teams invested in the Intercom ecosystem that need advanced workflow automation. Not ideal for cost-conscious teams, since better AI performance directly increases costs.
Compare: Chatsy as an Intercom alternative
Pricing model: Per-agent + per-resolution | View pricing
Zendesk offers both standalone ticketing (Support plans) and omnichannel bundles (Suite plans). AI features are an add-on with per-resolution billing.
| Plan | Support Only (Annual) | Suite (Annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Team | $19/agent/mo | $55/agent/mo |
| Growth | -- | $89/agent/mo |
| Professional | $55/agent/mo | $115/agent/mo |
| Enterprise | $115/agent/mo | $169/agent/mo |
AI Resolution pricing: $1.50 per automated resolution (committed/pre-purchased) or $2.00 per resolution on pay-as-you-go. Each plan includes a small free allowance: 5 resolutions/agent/month on Team, 10 on Professional/Growth, and 15 on Enterprise.
What costs extra: Advanced AI add-on ($50/agent/month), AI resolution overages ($1.50-$2.00 each), Quality Assurance ($35/agent/month), Workforce Management ($25/agent/month), Copilot bundles ($155-$209/agent/month).
Hidden fees: Since January 2026, resolution overages are auto-billed with no warning. A traffic spike triggers $2.00/resolution charges automatically. Real-world costs typically run 2-3x the base price once add-ons are factored in. Volume discounts require negotiation (25+ seats).
Best for: Enterprise teams that need a mature, full-featured support suite. The Support Team plan at $19/agent is affordable but email-only.
Compare: Chatsy as a Zendesk alternative
Pricing model: Conversation-based with add-ons | View pricing
Tidio markets low starting prices, but the real cost depends heavily on add-ons for AI and chatbot flows.
| Plan | Price | Conversations/Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 50 | Live chat, 7-day premium trial |
| Starter | $29/mo | 100 | Basic automation, chat triggers |
| Growth | $59/mo | 250 (base) | Advanced analytics, permissions, scaling up to $349/mo for more volume |
| Plus | $749/mo | Custom | API access, white-labeling, dedicated success manager |
| Premium | From $2,999/mo | Custom | Managed AI, guaranteed 50% resolution rate |
What costs extra: Lyro AI Agent starts at $39/month for 50 AI conversations and scales up with volume. Chatbot Flows start at $29/month for 2,000 unique visitors. Branding removal is $20/month on the Growth plan (included on Plus and above).
Hidden fees: The 10-seat cap on all self-service plans is the biggest gotcha. Need an 11th agent? You jump from Growth ($349 max) to Plus ($749). That is a cliff, not a slope. Real costs end up 2-3x advertised once Lyro and Flows add-ons are factored in.
Best for: Small teams with low conversation volume. Free and Starter are useful for testing, but scaling past 10 agents or 250 conversations gets expensive fast.
Pricing model: Per-agent with AI session add-ons | View pricing
Freshdesk offers a true free tier and affordable per-agent pricing, but AI capabilities require separate add-on purchases.
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (up to 2 agents, 6 months) | Basic ticketing, knowledge base, pre-built reports |
| Growth | $15/agent/mo | Automation, customer portal, marketplace apps |
| Pro | $49/agent/mo | Custom reporting, multilingual support, custom objects |
| Enterprise | $79/agent/mo | Audit logs, IP whitelisting, skill-based routing |
Freshdesk Omni (multichannel with chat, voice, messaging) starts at $29/agent/month for the Growth tier. There is no free tier for the Omni product.
AI add-ons: Freddy AI Copilot costs $29/agent/month for drafting replies and summarizing tickets. Freddy AI Agent costs $100 per 1,000 automated sessions ($49 per 100 sessions after 500 free sessions on Pro/Enterprise). Sessions expire at the end of each billing cycle and do not roll over.
Hidden fees: A 10-agent team on Pro pays $490 base + $290 for Copilot = $780/month before any AI sessions. Freddy AI Agent sessions are use-it-or-lose-it and auto-recharge kicks in when fewer than 400 remain.
Best for: Budget-conscious teams that primarily need ticketing. Growth at $15/agent is one of the cheapest per-seat options. AI features cost extra and the pricing gets complex fast.
Pricing model: Flat-rate per workspace | View pricing
Crisp charges a single flat monthly fee per workspace, regardless of conversation volume. This makes budgeting straightforward.
| Plan | Price | Included Seats | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 2 | Chat widget, shared inbox, mobile apps |
| Mini | $45/mo | 4 | Email inbox, basic chat triggers |
| Essentials | $95/mo | 10 | Omnichannel inbox (WhatsApp, Instagram), knowledge base, AI chatbot (50 uses/month) |
| Plus | $295/mo | 20 | Unlimited AI resolutions, ticketing, advanced analytics, branding removal |
What costs extra: Additional seats are $10/seat/month on any plan. Enterprise and custom plans require contacting sales. The Essentials plan limits AI chatbot interactions to just 50 per month, which is far too low for meaningful automation.
Hidden fees: Free and Mini include zero AI features. Essentials limits AI to 50 uses/month, essentially a trial. Unlimited AI requires Plus at $295/month. VAT is not included in listed prices.
Best for: Mid-sized teams that value predictable pricing. Plus at $295/month with 20 seats and unlimited AI is competitive for larger teams. Lower tiers are limited but affordable for getting started.
Pricing model: Per-user or per-contact (two billing models) | View pricing
Help Scout is transitioning from per-user pricing to a contact-based model. Both models are currently active.
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (5 users) | 1 inbox, 1 Docs site |
| Standard | $25/user/mo | 2 shared inboxes, basic workflows, 2-year reporting history |
| Plus | $50/user/mo | Advanced workflows, Docs included, custom fields |
| Pro | Custom | Compliance features, advanced security, dedicated onboarding |
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Contacts/Month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 50 | Shared inbox, knowledge base, AI answers, unlimited users |
| Standard | $50/mo | 100 | Expanded automations, integrations |
| Plus | $75/mo | 150+ | Advanced reporting, custom workflows |
| Pro | Custom | 1,000+ | Enhanced security, dedicated onboarding |
What costs extra: AI Answers are billed at $0.75 per resolution, with a 3-month free trial for new accounts. Additional inboxes cost $10/month (annual). Additional Docs sites cost $20/month (annual). On the legacy Standard per-user plan, Docs costs an extra $10/user/month.
Hidden fees: Adding Docs on the legacy Standard plan costs an easy-to-miss $10/user/month. The contact-based model has low included limits (100 contacts on Standard). AI Answers at $0.75/resolution is cheaper than Intercom or Zendesk but still adds up at volume.
Best for: Small teams that value simplicity and email-first support. The contact-based Free plan with unlimited users is generous. Not ideal for advanced chatbot or omnichannel needs.
Pricing model: Ticket-based with AI add-ons | View pricing
Gorgias is built specifically for ecommerce and prices by ticket volume rather than agent count. You can add unlimited agents on any plan.
| Plan | Price (Monthly) | Tickets/Month | Overage Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $10/mo | 50 | ~$0.40/ticket |
| Basic | $50/mo | 300 | ~$0.40/ticket |
| Pro | $360/mo | 2,000 | ~$0.36/ticket |
| Advanced | $900/mo | 5,000 | ~$0.36/ticket |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Negotiated |
Annual billing saves approximately 20-25% on all plans.
AI Agent: $0.90 per AI interaction (annual) or $1.00 (monthly). Each AI interaction also counts as a helpdesk ticket, meaning AI-handled conversations are effectively double-billed: once as a ticket and once as an automation fee.
What costs extra: Voice and SMS support are billed separately using a tiered per-ticket model. AI Agent interactions are an add-on cost on top of your plan's ticket allocation.
Hidden fees: AI interactions are double-billed: 500 AI conversations burns 500 tickets from your allocation AND costs $450-$500 in AI fees. Ticket overage charges ($0.36-$0.40 each) compound if you underestimate volume.
Best for: Ecommerce teams on Shopify, BigCommerce, or Magento. Unlimited agents make Gorgias attractive for larger teams. Starter at $10/month is one of the cheapest paid entry points.
Pricing model: Credit-based | View pricing
Chatbase is a chatbot builder focused on training AI on your content. It uses a credit system where different AI models consume credits at different rates.
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Credits/Month | Chatbots | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 50 | 1 | Basic AI models only, 400KB training content, deleted after 14 days of inactivity |
| Hobby | $15/mo | 500 | 2 | Advanced models, 5 AI actions, 10MB training, 2 team members |
| Standard | $99/mo | 10,000 | 5 | More integrations, advanced analytics |
| Pro | $399/mo | 40,000 | 10 | Priority support, higher limits |
What costs extra: Extra credits via auto-recharge ($14 per 1,000 credits), additional AI agents ($7/agent/month), custom domain ($59/month), branding removal ($39/month). Annual billing gives 2 months free.
Hidden fees: Credits do not equal messages 1:1 -- consumption varies by AI model, making budgeting difficult. When credits run out, your chatbot stops responding entirely. Branding removal ($39/month) and custom domains ($59/month) are among the most expensive in this comparison.
Best for: Teams that want a standalone chatbot builder without a full helpdesk. Works best as a front-end deflection tool paired with a separate ticketing system. Hobby at $15/month is affordable for simple use cases.
Pricing model: Per-agent | View pricing
LiveChat is a focused live chat tool with straightforward per-agent pricing. It does not include a built-in AI chatbot; that requires their separate ChatBot product.
| Plan | Price (Annual) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/agent/mo | 60-day chat history, basic customization, 1 agent only |
| Team | $41/agent/mo | Agent groups, basic reporting, unlimited chat history |
| Business | $59/agent/mo | Skill-based routing, SSO, staffing prediction, advanced analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated account manager, product training, engineer support |
What costs extra: LiveChat does not include an AI chatbot. Their ChatBot product is a separate purchase starting at $52/month for one chatbot, plus $41/agent/month for integration. There is no free plan, only a 14-day free trial.
Hidden fees: You are billed for every active agent account whether they log in or not. Starter is limited to one agent, so most teams need Team at minimum. Adding ChatBot for AI automation can double your monthly bill. No free tier.
Best for: Teams that need focused live human chat. Polished and reliable for real-time conversations, but expensive once you add AI automation via the separate ChatBot product.
Published pricing only tells part of the story. Below is what you can realistically expect to pay at three scale points, assuming a team of 3 agents on lower-volume scenarios and 5-10 agents at higher volumes. AI automation is included where available.
| Platform | Estimated Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chatsy | $40 | Starter plan covers 500 conversations |
| Intercom | $282-$420 | Essential 3 seats ($87) + ~300 Fin resolutions ($297) |
| Zendesk | $165-$267 | Suite Team 3 agents ($165) + AI resolutions extra |
| Tidio | $100-$180 | Growth ($59) + Lyro AI add-on ($39+) |
| Freshdesk | $45-$192 | Growth 3 agents ($45) or Pro ($147) + AI sessions |
| Crisp | $95 | Essentials plan (limited to 50 AI uses) |
| Help Scout | $75-$150 | Standard 3 users ($75) or contact-based Standard ($50) + AI |
| Gorgias | $50-$140 | Basic plan (300 tickets) + overage or AI |
| Chatbase | $99-$138 | Standard plan + branding removal ($39) |
| LiveChat | $57-$123 | Starter limited to 1; Team for 3 agents ($123) |
| Platform | Estimated Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chatsy | $150 | Growth plan covers 2,000 conversations |
| Intercom | $1,435-$2,205 | Advanced 5 seats ($425) + ~1,200 Fin resolutions ($1,188) |
| Zendesk | $575-$1,075 | Suite Growth 5 agents ($445) + ~500 AI resolutions ($750+) |
| Tidio | $250-$400 | Growth high tier ($349) + Lyro add-on |
| Freshdesk | $245-$540 | Pro 5 agents ($245) + Copilot ($145) + AI sessions |
| Crisp | $295 | Plus plan with unlimited AI and 20 seats |
| Help Scout | $250-$400 | Plus 5 users ($250) + AI Answers at scale |
| Gorgias | $360-$560 | Pro plan (2,000 tickets) + AI agent add-on |
| Chatbase | $399-$438 | Pro plan (40,000 credits) + branding removal |
| LiveChat | $205-$347 | Team 5 agents ($205) + ChatBot add-on ($52+) |
| Platform | Estimated Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chatsy | $500 | Enterprise plan covers 10,000+ conversations |
| Intercom | $4,800-$7,270 | Advanced 10 seats ($850) + ~6,000 Fin resolutions ($5,940) |
| Zendesk | $1,690-$4,190 | Suite Professional 10 agents ($1,150) + AI resolutions ($1,500-$3,000) |
| Tidio | $749-$2,999 | Plus ($749) or Premium (from $2,999) |
| Freshdesk | $790-$1,580 | Pro 10 agents ($490) + Copilot ($290) + AI sessions ($500+) |
| Crisp | $395-$595 | Plus ($295) + extra seats for 10 agents ($100) |
| Help Scout | $500-$800 | Plus 10 users ($500) + AI Answers |
| Gorgias | $900-$1,400 | Advanced plan (5,000 tickets) + overages + AI |
| Chatbase | $399-$538 | Pro plan + add-ons (Chatbase is bot-only, no helpdesk) |
| LiveChat | $590-$700 | Business 10 agents ($590) + ChatBot ($52+) |
Key takeaway: Per-resolution pricing models (Intercom, Zendesk) become dramatically more expensive at higher volumes. At 10,000 conversations per month, Intercom's Fin AI alone can cost over $5,000 in resolution fees. Conversation-based and flat-rate models (Chatsy, Crisp) stay predictable as you scale.
Use our ROI Calculator to model costs with your exact numbers.
Beyond the published plan prices, these are the recurring charges that inflate your actual spend.
Most platforms display their logo on your chat widget by default. Chatbase charges $39/month to remove it, Tidio charges $20/month on Growth, and Crisp requires the Plus plan ($295/month). Chatsy includes removal from Growth onward. Intercom and Zendesk include it on paid plans.
AI is rarely included in the base price. Intercom charges $0.99/resolution, Zendesk $1.50-$2.00/resolution plus $50/agent/month for Advanced AI, Freshdesk $29/agent/month for Copilot plus $100/1,000 AI sessions, and Tidio $39+/month for Lyro. These are often the largest line item on the bill, yet buried in add-on pages.
Flat-rate plans sound appealing until you hit the seat cap. Crisp Essentials includes 10 seats ($10/month extra each). Tidio caps self-service plans at 10 agents, requiring Plus ($749/month) for agent 11. LiveChat Starter allows only one agent. Always verify included seats before choosing.
Gorgias charges $0.36-$0.40 per ticket over the limit. Zendesk auto-bills resolution overages at $2.00 each with no warning. Chatbase stops responding entirely when credits run out unless auto-recharge ($14/1,000 credits) is enabled. Budget for 20-30% above expected volume to avoid surprises.
Tidio requires Plus ($749/month) for API access. Chatbase charges $59/month for a custom domain. Freshdesk reserves certain integrations for Pro and Enterprise. Verify that the integrations you need are available on your chosen plan tier.
You need three inputs: monthly conversation volume, target AI automation rate, and team size.
For a personalized estimate, use our Support Cost Calculator or ROI Calculator.
Example calculation: A team handling 3,000 conversations per month with 5 agents targeting 50% AI automation:
The difference over 12 months: $1,800-$32,340 depending on which platform you choose. That range is why this comparison matters.
Skip this guide if you are in any of these situations, because price is not your real bottleneck:
In those cases, build your shortlist from compatibility constraints first, then run the numbers.
For a genuinely usable free tier, Chatsy offers 100 conversations per month with full AI capabilities at no cost. Freshdesk offers free ticketing for up to 2 agents but without AI or chat features. For paid plans, Gorgias Starter at $10/month and Chatbase Hobby at $15/month are the cheapest entry points, though both come with significant limitations on volume and features.
Intercom and Zendesk use a dual billing structure where you pay for human agent access (per seat) and separately for AI automation (per resolution). The rationale is that AI resolutions deliver measurable value, so vendors charge for each successful outcome. The practical effect is that improving your AI deflection rate increases your bill rather than reducing it, which misaligns incentives between vendor and customer.
Start by auditing your current support volume across all channels for the past 3-6 months. Account for seasonal peaks (holiday season, product launches, marketing campaigns). Most businesses should budget for 1.5x their average monthly volume to handle spikes without overage charges. Our Support Cost Calculator can help you model this.
It depends on volume. Chatsy's free plan (100 conversations/month) includes full AI and is functional for low-traffic sites. Freshdesk offers basic ticketing for 2 agents. Chatbase's free plan deletes your bot after 14 days of inactivity and caps at 50 credits. If you handle more than 200 conversations per month, plan on a paid tier.
It depends on team structure and automation goals. Per-seat pricing (Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk, LiveChat) is predictable if your team is stable but penalizes hiring. Per-conversation pricing (Chatsy, Tidio, Gorgias) is better for larger teams with moderate volume or aggressive AI automation plans. For maximum predictability without per-resolution fees, conversation-based or flat-rate models (Chatsy, Crisp) eliminate the most common budget surprises.
Pricing data in this article reflects publicly available information as of March 2026. Plans and pricing change frequently. Always verify current pricing on each platform's official website before making a purchasing decision. For a side-by-side comparison tailored to your needs, try our ROI Calculator.
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