Chatbots · 8 tools compared
What is the best chatbot builder in 2026?
Short answer
Manychat ranks first on published facts: a free plan (25 active contacts), paid plans from $14 / mo. 5 of 8 have a free plan.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | From | 1st year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Manychat | Instagram and DM automation for creators | Yes | $14 / mo | $168 |
| 2. Rasa | Developers self-hosting conversational AI | Yes | Free | $0 |
| 3. Tidio | Live chat plus AI bot for small shops | Yes | $24.17 / mo | $290.04 |
| 4. Chatbase | Quick AI chatbot trained on your content | No | $32 / mo | $384 |
| 5. Landbot | No-code WhatsApp and web chatbots | Yes | $36 / mo | $432 |
| 6. Botpress | Developers building custom AI agents | Yes | $150 / mo | $1,800 |
| 7. Intercom Fin | AI support agent on an existing helpdesk | No | $0.99 / unit | Usage-based |
| 8. Amazon Lex | AWS teams building voice and text bots | No | $0.00 / unit | Usage-based |
From = cheapest paid plan, billed yearly where offered. 1st year = that plan for 12 months.
How did we rank these 8 chatbot builders?
On published facts only, scored out of 7: free plan (2, or 1 for a trial), first-year cost against the others (up to 3), three or more paid plans (1), mobile apps (1). We do not test tools hands-on.
| Tool | Score / 7 |
|---|---|
| Manychat | 6.4 |
| Rasa | 5 |
| Tidio | 4.8 |
| Chatbase | 3.2 |
| Landbot | 2.6 |
| Botpress | 2 |
| Intercom Fin | 1 |
| Amazon Lex | 1 |
The 8 best chatbot builders, ranked
Manychat
Best for: Instagram and DM automation for creators
- Free plan
- Yes, 25 active contacts
- From
- $14 / mo
- 1st year
- $168
Rasa
Best for: developers self-hosting conversational AI
- Free plan
- Yes, 1 bot, 1,000 conversations/mo
- From
- Free
- 1st year
- $0
Tidio
Best for: live chat plus AI bot for small shops
- Free plan
- Yes, 50 conversations
- From
- $24.17 / mo
- 1st year
- $290.04
Chatbase
Best for: quick AI chatbot trained on your content
- Free plan
- No, 7-day trial
- From
- $32 / mo
- 1st year
- $384
Landbot
Best for: no-code WhatsApp and web chatbots
- Free plan
- Yes, 100 chats/mo
- From
- $36 / mo
- 1st year
- $432
Botpress
Best for: developers building custom AI agents
- Free plan
- Yes, 100 conversations/mo, 3 seats
- From
- $150 / mo
- 1st year
- $1,800
Intercom Fin
Best for: AI support agent on an existing helpdesk
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $0.99 / unit
- 1st year
- Usage-based
Amazon Lex
Best for: AWS teams building voice and text bots
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $0.00 / unit
- 1st year
- Usage-based
Which chatbot builder is cheapest?
Rasa, at $0 for the first year, then Manychat at $168.
| Tool | Cheapest plan | 1st year |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa | Free | $0 |
| Manychat | Essential | $168 |
| Tidio | Starter | $290.04 |
| Chatbase | Hobby | $384 |
| Landbot | Starter | $432 |
| Botpress | Plus | $1,800 |
Which chatbot builders have a free plan?
5 of 8: Manychat, Rasa, Tidio, Landbot, Botpress.
- Manychat: 25 active contacts
- Rasa: 1 bot, 1,000 conversations/mo
- Tidio: 50 conversations
- Landbot: 100 chats/mo
- Botpress: 100 conversations/mo, 3 seats
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Manychat pricing | manychat.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Rasa pricing | rasa.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Tidio pricing | tidio.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Chatbase pricing | chatbase.co/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Landbot pricing | landbot.io/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Botpress pricing | botpress.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Intercom Fin pricing | intercom.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Amazon Lex pricing | aws.amazon.com/lex/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare