In short
A website AI chatbot for a small business costs from $0 on a free plan (about 50 conversations a month) to roughly $19 to $50 a month on plans with the AI included. Tools that charge per resolution, per credit or per seat cost more as your volume grows: in our worked examples, 500 AI-handled conversations a month cost between $19 and about $600 on most tools, and 2,000 between $49 and over $2,000 (Zendesk, priced in euros, is higher). Some platforms also add one-time onboarding fees, extra seats or a fee to remove their branding. Prices were checked on each vendor's pricing page on October 7, 2026.
- Free plans exist but are small: about 50 conversations or message credits a month (Nexoply, Tidio, Chatbase).
- Plans with conversations included are the easiest to predict: Nexoply is $19 a month for 500 conversations and $49 for 2,000, with the AI included.
- Per-resolution AI costs $0.50 (HubSpot, in credits) to $0.99 (Intercom Fin) per resolved conversation, usually on top of seats.
- Credit and message pricing (Chatbase, Botsonic) depends on how many replies a conversation uses, so your bill depends on your assumptions.
- Budget for extras: branding removal ($49 to $99 a month on some tools), extra seats and one-time fees such as HubSpot Professional's $1,500 onboarding.
About this guide and how we priced it
On October 7, 2026 we read the pricing pages, and where needed the billing help pages, of the tools in this guide. We then priced the same three situations for each one: a business with 100, 500 or 2,000 website chat conversations a month. The point is not to crown the cheapest tool but to show how each pricing model behaves as your volume grows.
AI chatbot cost at a glance
- Type of toolFree plans
- Typical cost$0 for about 50 conversations or message credits a month
- ExamplesNexoply Free (50 conversations), Tidio Free (50 conversations; 50 Lyro AI conversations one-off), Chatbase Free (50 message credits)
- Type of toolWebsite AI chatbots for small businesses
- Typical costAbout $19 to $50 a month
- ExamplesNexoply $19 or $49, Botsonic $19 billed monthly, Chatbase Hobby $40
- Type of toolLive chat with an AI add-on
- Typical costA plan plus an AI add-on
- ExamplesTidio Starter $29 billed monthly, plus Lyro from $39 a month
- Type of toolHelpdesks with per-resolution AI
- Typical costSeats plus about $0.50 to $1.00 per resolved conversation
- ExamplesHubSpot, Help Scout, Re:amaze, Gorgias, Intercom Fin
- Type of toolEnterprise platforms
- Typical costQuote only
- ExamplesKustomer, Gladly, Sierra, Decagon, Forethought
- Type of toolBuild your own
- Typical costAI API usage, hosting, development and maintenance
- ExamplesYour own developers or an agency
| Type of tool | Typical cost | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Free plans | $0 for about 50 conversations or message credits a month | Nexoply Free (50 conversations), Tidio Free (50 conversations; 50 Lyro AI conversations one-off), Chatbase Free (50 message credits) |
| Website AI chatbots for small businesses | About $19 to $50 a month | Nexoply $19 or $49, Botsonic $19 billed monthly, Chatbase Hobby $40 |
| Live chat with an AI add-on | A plan plus an AI add-on | Tidio Starter $29 billed monthly, plus Lyro from $39 a month |
| Helpdesks with per-resolution AI | Seats plus about $0.50 to $1.00 per resolved conversation | HubSpot, Help Scout, Re:amaze, Gorgias, Intercom Fin |
| Enterprise platforms | Quote only | Kustomer, Gladly, Sierra, Decagon, Forethought |
| Build your own | AI API usage, hosting, development and maintenance | Your own developers or an agency |
AI chatbot pricing models explained
Vendors count usage in different units, so the same 500 chats can cost $19 or several hundred dollars. These are the six models you'll meet:
- Plan with conversations included: a monthly price for a number of conversations, with the AI included. Nexoply works this way (Free 50, Starter $19 for 500, Business $49 for 2,000, Pro $99 for 10,000 conversations a month). Simple to budget; check what happens when you reach the limit and how many messages a conversation can have.
- Per resolution or outcome: you pay each time the AI solves a conversation without a person: HubSpot $0.50 in credits, Help Scout $0.75, Re:amaze $0.85, Intercom Fin $0.99, Gorgias $0.85 to $1.00 per automated interaction. You pay for results, but each vendor defines a resolution differently, and seats come on top.
- Per session: every AI interaction counts, resolved or not. Freshworks includes 500 Freddy AI sessions, then charges $49 per 100 sessions.
- Message credits: you buy credits and each AI reply uses one or more. Chatbase's cheapest models use 1 credit per reply and premium models up to 5 or 6. A conversation uses several replies, so this is the hardest model to predict.
- AI add-on: a separate monthly fee for a number of AI conversations on top of a live chat plan. Tidio's Lyro starts at $39 a month billed monthly for 50 Lyro conversations.
- Per seat: each person on your team pays a monthly seat. Almost every helpdesk works this way, often with per-resolution AI on top.
For which tools use which model, and how each handles handoff to a person, see the best AI customer service chatbots.
Assumptions behind the worked examples
Our cost table depends on these assumptions. Change them and the numbers change, so check them against your own business:
- Website chat only, one seat: one person on your team (you) where a tool requires seats.
- Every conversation is handled by the AI: for per-resolution pricing this is the worst case, because each conversation counts as one resolution or outcome. In practice some conversations go to a person, which lowers the AI bill but takes your team's time.
- Chatbase: 4 AI replies per conversation on a 1-credit model. This is our assumption, not a Chatbase figure; none of the vendors we checked publishes an average number of replies per conversation. Botsonic: the same 4 messages per conversation, counting one message per AI reply (Botsonic doesn't define a message).
- Gorgias: an AI-resolved ticket is billed both as a ticket and as an automated interaction, as Gorgias's billing documentation says.
- HubSpot: Service Hub Professional with one seat. The one-time $1,500 onboarding fee is not in the monthly figures.
- Intercom: the table shows Fin outcomes plus one helpdesk seat, without a seat price, because Intercom's page showed different seat prices on different loads.
- Zendesk in euros (EUR): only the European pricing page could be read; US dollar prices are not verified.
- Cheapest published plan that covers the volume, billed monthly, with annual billing in brackets where published. Taxes, branding removal and other add-ons are excluded.
- "Not computable" means the vendor doesn't publish the price needed at that volume.
Worked example: monthly cost at 100, 500 and 2,000 conversations
- Tool (plan used)Nexoply (Starter, Business)
- 100 conversations$19 Starter ($15.83 billed yearly)
- 500 conversations$19 Starter ($15.83 billed yearly)
- 2,000 conversations$49 Business ($40.83 billed yearly)
- NotesAI included; no seats or per-resolution fees
- Tool (plan used)Tidio + Lyro (Lyro tiers, billed monthly)
- 100 conversations$75 ($62.50 billed annually)
- 500 conversations$350 ($291.67 billed annually)
- 2,000 conversationsNot computable (Lyro tiers end at 1,000 conversations for $700; above that, contact sales)
- NotesLyro tiers only; check with Tidio whether you also need a paid plan
- Tool (plan used)Intercom Fin ($0.99 per outcome)
- 100 conversations$99 + 1 seat
- 500 conversations$495 + 1 seat
- 2,000 conversations$1,980 + 1 seat
- NotesIf half the conversations are outcomes: $49.50, $247.50 and $990 + 1 seat
- Tool (plan used)Chatbase (1-credit model)
- 100 conversations$40 Hobby (400 of 700 credits)
- 500 conversations$120 (Hobby + 2 × $40 top-ups) or $150 Standard
- 2,000 conversations$310 (Standard + 4 × $40 top-ups) or $500 Pro
- NotesWith a 2-credit model: $80, $150, $540. Top-ups on Hobby not confirmed. Removing branding: +$99
- Tool (plan used)Crisp (Plus, the plan with the AI Agent)
- 100 conversations$295
- 500 conversations$295
- 2,000 conversationsNot computable (above the about 1,350 automated conversations Crisp estimates for the included credits; extra credits not priced)
- NotesPer workspace, 20 seats or more
- Tool (plan used)Botsonic (4 messages per conversation)
- 100 conversations$19 Starter ($16 billed annually)
- 500 conversations$49 Professional ($41 billed annually)
- 2,000 conversations$299 Advanced ($249 billed annually), or $124 with 3 × $25 message add-ons on Professional
- NotesIf visitor messages also count, about double the messages
- Tool (plan used)Gorgias (with AI Agent, billed monthly)
- 100 conversations$130 (Starter $40 + 50 extra tickets × $0.40 + 70 AI interactions × $1.00)
- 500 conversations$593 (Basic $90 + 200 extra tickets × $0.40 + 470 × $0.90)
- 2,000 conversations$2,179 (Pro $550 + 1,810 × $0.90); $2,100 with Pro billed annually
- NotesEach AI-resolved ticket counts as a ticket and an automated interaction
- Tool (plan used)HubSpot Customer Agent (Service Hub Professional, 1 seat)
- 100 conversations$120 ($110 billed annually)
- 500 conversations$320 ($310 billed annually)
- 2,000 conversations$1,070 ($1,060 billed annually)
- Notes50 credits ($0.50) per resolution; 3,000 credits included; extra credits $0.01; + $1,500 one-time onboarding
- Tool (plan used)Zendesk (Suite Team, 1 agent, EUR)
- 100 conversations€259 billed monthly, pay as you go (€197.50 billed annually, committed)
- 500 conversations€1,059 (€797.50)
- 2,000 conversations€4,059 (€3,047.50)
- Notes5 automated resolutions included; then €2.00 pay as you go or €1.50 committed
| Tool (plan used) | 100 conversations | 500 conversations | 2,000 conversations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexoply (Starter, Business) | $19 Starter ($15.83 billed yearly) | $19 Starter ($15.83 billed yearly) | $49 Business ($40.83 billed yearly) | AI included; no seats or per-resolution fees |
| Tidio + Lyro (Lyro tiers, billed monthly) | $75 ($62.50 billed annually) | $350 ($291.67 billed annually) | Not computable (Lyro tiers end at 1,000 conversations for $700; above that, contact sales) | Lyro tiers only; check with Tidio whether you also need a paid plan |
| Intercom Fin ($0.99 per outcome) | $99 + 1 seat | $495 + 1 seat | $1,980 + 1 seat | If half the conversations are outcomes: $49.50, $247.50 and $990 + 1 seat |
| Chatbase (1-credit model) | $40 Hobby (400 of 700 credits) | $120 (Hobby + 2 × $40 top-ups) or $150 Standard | $310 (Standard + 4 × $40 top-ups) or $500 Pro | With a 2-credit model: $80, $150, $540. Top-ups on Hobby not confirmed. Removing branding: +$99 |
| Crisp (Plus, the plan with the AI Agent) | $295 | $295 | Not computable (above the about 1,350 automated conversations Crisp estimates for the included credits; extra credits not priced) | Per workspace, 20 seats or more |
| Botsonic (4 messages per conversation) | $19 Starter ($16 billed annually) | $49 Professional ($41 billed annually) | $299 Advanced ($249 billed annually), or $124 with 3 × $25 message add-ons on Professional | If visitor messages also count, about double the messages |
| Gorgias (with AI Agent, billed monthly) | $130 (Starter $40 + 50 extra tickets × $0.40 + 70 AI interactions × $1.00) | $593 (Basic $90 + 200 extra tickets × $0.40 + 470 × $0.90) | $2,179 (Pro $550 + 1,810 × $0.90); $2,100 with Pro billed annually | Each AI-resolved ticket counts as a ticket and an automated interaction |
| HubSpot Customer Agent (Service Hub Professional, 1 seat) | $120 ($110 billed annually) | $320 ($310 billed annually) | $1,070 ($1,060 billed annually) | 50 credits ($0.50) per resolution; 3,000 credits included; extra credits $0.01; + $1,500 one-time onboarding |
| Zendesk (Suite Team, 1 agent, EUR) | €259 billed monthly, pay as you go (€197.50 billed annually, committed) | €1,059 (€797.50) | €4,059 (€3,047.50) | 5 automated resolutions included; then €2.00 pay as you go or €1.50 committed |
The same method applied to other support platforms, with one seat and every conversation resolved by the AI:
- Tool (plan used)Help Scout (Standard billed annually + $0.75 per resolution)
- 100 conversations$100
- 500 conversations$400
- 2,000 conversations$1,525
- NotesMonthly-billing seat price not shown
- Tool (plan used)Freshchat (Growth billed annually; 500 AI sessions included, then $49 per 100)
- 100 conversations$19
- 500 conversations$19
- 2,000 conversations$754
- NotesSessions count whether resolved or not
- Tool (plan used)Text, formerly LiveChat (Growth, billed monthly)
- 100 conversations$99 ($79 billed annually)
- 500 conversations$396 ($376)
- 2,000 conversations$1,881 ($1,861)
- Notes200 AI resolutions included, then $49.50 per 50
- Tool (plan used)Re:amaze (Basic, billed monthly)
- 100 conversations$109.75
- 500 conversations$449.75
- 2,000 conversations$1,724.75
- Notes5 resolutions included, then $0.85 each
- Tool (plan used)Front (Starter billed annually + $0.89 per resolution)
- 100 conversations$114
- 500 conversations$470
- 2,000 conversations$1,805
- NotesStarter covers one channel type
| Tool (plan used) | 100 conversations | 500 conversations | 2,000 conversations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout (Standard billed annually + $0.75 per resolution) | $100 | $400 | $1,525 | Monthly-billing seat price not shown |
| Freshchat (Growth billed annually; 500 AI sessions included, then $49 per 100) | $19 | $19 | $754 | Sessions count whether resolved or not |
| Text, formerly LiveChat (Growth, billed monthly) | $99 ($79 billed annually) | $396 ($376) | $1,881 ($1,861) | 200 AI resolutions included, then $49.50 per 50 |
| Re:amaze (Basic, billed monthly) | $109.75 | $449.75 | $1,724.75 | 5 resolutions included, then $0.85 each |
| Front (Starter billed annually + $0.89 per resolution) | $114 | $470 | $1,805 | Starter covers one channel type |
What the numbers show
- At 100 conversations a month, most options cost $130 or less (Crisp's Plus plan at $295 and Zendesk at €259 are the exceptions), so fit matters more than price.
- At 500, per-resolution tools reach several hundred dollars a month, while plans with conversations included stay flat.
- At 2,000, usage-based AI dominates the bill: $754 on Freshchat, $1,070 on HubSpot and over $2,000 on Gorgias. Credit-based tools such as Chatbase ($310 to $500) depend on the replies-per-conversation assumption, and Nexoply's Business plan is $49.
- It isn't like for like. Intercom, Zendesk, Gorgias, HubSpot and the other helpdesks include an inbox, ticketing and handoff to your team, and Gorgias can act on Shopify orders. Nexoply answers website visitors only and has no inbox for your team.
- Fewer resolutions, lower bill. If half the conversations go to a person, per-resolution AI costs half as much, but someone on your team answers the other half.
Other costs to budget for
- Removing the vendor's branding: a $99/month add-on on Chatbase, $49/month on Botsonic, an add-on from Tidio's Growth plan, Plus only ($295) on Crisp, included from Nexoply's Business plan ($49).
- Extra seats: most helpdesks charge per person; Crisp charges $10 a month per extra seat beyond each plan's seats.
- Setup and onboarding: HubSpot charges a one-time onboarding fee of $1,500 on Service Hub Professional and $3,500 on Enterprise.
- Agent assistants: AI that helps your team write replies is often separate: Front Copilot $20 per seat a month, Freddy AI Copilot $29 per agent a month billed annually.
- Extra channels: WhatsApp, SMS and phone often cost extra; Intercom bills them pay as you go.
- Your own time: writing and updating FAQs, prices and policies, and reading conversations to fix gaps. This applies to every tool.
- Developer time: small for tools that install with a script tag, large if you build your own (see below).
Building your own chatbot with an AI API: what you pay for
You can also build a chatbot on an AI model's API. The per-use price of the API is only one part of the cost. AI providers charge by usage (usually per amount of text processed, at different rates for different models), so check the current price on your provider's pricing page. Then add:
- API usage: every visitor message and every answer is billed, including the business information you send along with each question so the AI can answer from it.
- Hosting: a server for your chatbot, a database for conversations and, often, a search index for your documents.
- Development: a chat window for your website, retrieval of answers from your own content, rules so the AI says "I don't know" instead of guessing, spam and abuse protection, a way to read conversations, and handoff if you need it.
- Maintenance: keeping the business information up to date, adapting when models change or are retired, monitoring wrong answers, fixing bugs and security updates.
Building your own makes sense if you have developers and needs no ready-made tool covers, such as deep integration with your own systems. For a small business that wants its website to answer common questions, a ready-made tool is usually cheaper once developer time is counted.
How to estimate your monthly conversations
Count the questions you already get
Add up last month's customer emails, calls, contact-form messages and social messages that asked something a website could answer: prices, hours, availability, policies. A plumber might count the calls asking about call-out fees; a salon, the messages about cancellations.
Check your website traffic
Look at monthly visits in your analytics. Only some visitors open a chat; to get a first estimate, pick a share and multiply. For example, if 2 in every 100 visitors chatted, 5,000 visits would mean about 100 conversations. That share is an example, not an industry figure.
Allow for busy months
A garden center in spring, a hotel in summer or a gift shop in December can see several times its usual volume. Price the plan for your busy months too.
Measure for a month
Start on a free plan or trial, then read the real number of conversations in the dashboard and choose a plan from that.
Which pricing model fits your business?
- A one-person or small business that wants the website to answer common questions: a plan with conversations included, so the bill doesn't grow with every chat.
- A small team that answers chats too: live chat with an AI add-on or included AI resolutions (Tidio, Text, Re:amaze, Crisp).
- A support team in a helpdesk: per-resolution AI inside the helpdesk (Intercom Fin, Zendesk, Help Scout, HubSpot), with a monthly cap where available.
- An online store: an ecommerce helpdesk whose AI acts on orders (Gorgias), priced per ticket and automated interaction.
- A technical team with unusual needs: a credit-based builder or your own build on an AI API.
Try Nexoply's free plan
If your website mostly gets the same questions about prices, hours and policies, you can measure your real volume for free: create a free account with 50 conversations a month, import your website and add one line of code. If you need more, Starter is $19 a month for 500 conversations and Business $49 for 2,000, with the AI included; see pricing. Nexoply has no live-chat inbox, so if your team also needs to answer chats, compare the best AI customer service chatbots or affordable AI chatbots for small businesses.
Prices and features of other products were checked on October 7, 2026 on their own websites and can change. Sources: Tidio pricing · Tidio: Lyro AI agent limit · Tidio: monthly conversations limit · Intercom pricing · Chatbase pricing · Chatbase models and credits · Crisp pricing · Botsonic pricing · Gorgias pricing · Gorgias billing · HubSpot Service Hub pricing · HubSpot Customer Agent billing · Zendesk pricing (EUR) · Help Scout pricing · Freshchat pricing · Text (LiveChat) pricing · Re:amaze pricing · Front pricing · Front Autopilot billing
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI chatbot cost for a small business?
From $0 on a free plan to about $19 to $50 a month for most small businesses, as of October 7, 2026. Nexoply is free for 50 conversations a month, then $19 for 500 and $49 for 2,000 with the AI included; Botsonic starts at $19 a month billed monthly and Chatbase at $40.
Is there a free AI chatbot for a website?
Yes, with small limits. As of October 7, 2026, Nexoply's free plan includes 50 conversations a month, Tidio's free plan includes 50 Lyro AI conversations one-off, and Chatbase's free plan includes 50 message credits a month. Free plans usually show the vendor's branding.
What does "per resolution" pricing mean?
You pay each time the AI resolves a conversation without a person, for example $0.99 per outcome on Intercom Fin or $0.75 per resolution on Help Scout's AI Answers. Each vendor defines a resolution differently, so read the definition, and remember that seats are usually billed on top.
Why is chatbot pricing so hard to compare?
Because vendors bill in different units: conversations, resolutions, sessions, message credits or seats. To compare, price each option at your own monthly number of conversations and team members, as in our worked example, and add extras such as branding removal and onboarding fees.
How many messages are in a chatbot conversation?
It varies by business and no vendor we checked publishes an average. Our worked example assumes 4 AI replies per conversation for credit-based tools, which is our own assumption. Tools that bill per conversation or per resolution count a conversation once however many replies it has.
Is it cheaper to build my own chatbot with an AI API?
The API usage itself can be inexpensive, but you also pay for hosting, development, spam protection and ongoing maintenance. For a small business without developers, a ready-made tool is usually cheaper overall; building your own makes sense for teams with developers and special requirements.
Are there hidden costs with AI chatbots?
Watch for branding removal (a $99/month add-on on Chatbase, $49/month on Botsonic), extra seats, one-time onboarding (HubSpot Service Hub Professional $1,500), pay-as-you-go channels such as WhatsApp or SMS, and overage when you exceed included conversations, credits or resolutions.
