Best AI Chatbot for Small Business: Free and Low-Cost Options
Free and low-cost AI chatbots for small business compared: Tidio, ManyChat, Chatbase, Crisp, HubSpot and more, with prices and hidden per-resolution costs.
8 min read · Updated
Short answer
For most small businesses, Tidio is the best place to start: it has a free plan, includes website chat plus Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp integrations, and its paid plans start around $24 a month as of October 2026. Its free plan includes only 50 AI conversations as a one-time allowance, though, so the free tier is a trial, not a permanent free bot. If your customers mostly message you on Instagram, look at ManyChat; if you only need a simple scripted bot, HubSpot's chatbot builder is free.
What an AI chatbot can realistically do for a small business
A chatbot is best at repetitive, low-stakes work:
- Answering FAQs. Opening hours, delivery areas, pricing ranges, return policy, "do you offer X". The AI reads your help pages or FAQ and replies in plain language.
- Capturing leads. It can ask for a name, email and what the visitor needs, then send it to you, even at 2 a.m.
- Booking and routing. It can offer a booking link or pass the conversation to you when it cannot answer.
It is poor at anything that needs judgment: complaints, custom quotes, refunds, or questions your content does not cover. Plan for a human hand-off, and read the transcripts for the first few weeks to see what it gets wrong.
Free and low-cost AI chatbots compared (as of October 2026)
Prices below come from each vendor's pricing page, checked October 2026. They change often, so confirm on the vendor site before buying.
| Tool | Free plan? | Entry paid price | AI usage limits | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Yes | Starter $24.17/mo | Free: 50 Lyro AI conversations, one-time. Lyro add-on from $32.50/mo for 50 conversations | Website chat; Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, email listed on all plans; voice not listed |
| ManyChat | Yes: 25 active contacts a month, 2 channels, 4 automations, ManyChat branding | Essential $14/month billed annually (250 contacts) | AI from the Pro plan, $29/month billed annually (2,500 contacts) | Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, SMS, email; no voice listed |
| HubSpot chatbot builder | Yes | Paid Marketing Hub editions (prices not on the chatbot page) | Free page does not mention AI | Website chat |
| Chatbase | No (7-day trial) | Hobby $40/mo | 700 message credits/mo; extra credits $40 per 1,000 | Chat, email, voice; WhatsApp/Instagram/Messenger appear as integrations |
| Crisp | Yes, but no AI credits | Mini $45/mo | Mini: $5 of AI credits (about 90 automated conversations) | Free: chat widget. WhatsApp Business and Instagram DMs listed on Essentials ($95/mo) |
| Zendesk | No | Suite Team $55/agent/mo (billed annually) | 5 automated resolutions per agent/mo included, then $1.50 to $2.00 each | Messaging included; WhatsApp costs extra |
| Intercom | 14-day trial | Essential seat $29/mo | Fin AI: $0.99 per outcome | Chat, email; WhatsApp, SMS and phone are usage-based |
Two corrections to older advice you may have read: Chatbase no longer lists a free plan on its pricing page, and Tidio's free AI allowance is a one-time 50 conversations, not 50 a month.
Tidio
Tidio combines live chat, flows and an AI agent called Lyro. The Free plan lists 50 billable conversations and 50 Lyro conversations (one-time). Starter is $24.17 a month, Growth starts at $49.17, and Lyro is sold as an add-on from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations. Removing Tidio branding costs $16.67 a month on Growth. Best for: a small business that wants one inbox for website and social messages.
ManyChat
ManyChat automates Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp conversations, such as replying when someone comments a keyword on a post. As of October 2026 its free plan covers 25 active contacts a month across any 2 channels, with up to 4 automations and ManyChat branding, which is enough to test, not to run a busy account. Essential is $14 a month billed annually (250 contacts, no branding). AI-powered conversations start on Pro at $29 a month billed annually (2,500 contacts, 3 channels). Every paid plan charges per contact above its allowance. ManyChat's pricing page lists no voice channel. Best for: businesses whose customers come from Instagram and Facebook.
HubSpot free chatbot
HubSpot says you can start its live chat and chatbot builder free, with no credit card. It is a no-code builder for qualifying leads, booking meetings and answering common questions, and chats land in the free CRM inbox. The vendor page does not say AI is included, so treat it as a scripted bot unless you confirm otherwise. Best for: a business already using HubSpot's free CRM.
Chatbase
Chatbase builds a bot trained on your own documents and website. There is no free plan listed; Hobby is $40 a month with 700 message credits, one agent and two seats. Extra credits cost $40 per 1,000. Best for: a business with lots of written help content and a budget above $40 a month.
Crisp
Crisp's Free plan covers a chat widget, shared inbox and contact forms for two seats, but includes no AI credits. Mini is $45 a month with $5 of AI credits. Best for: a business that wants free human live chat now and AI later.
Zendesk and Intercom: not low-cost
Both are built for support teams. Zendesk Suite Team is $55 per agent a month billed annually, and AI resolutions beyond the small allowance cost $1.50 to $2.00 each. Intercom's Fin charges $0.99 per outcome on top of seat prices ($29 for Essential). Both are reasonable for a growing support team and expensive for a shop answering ten questions a day.
Can one chatbot handle WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and voice calls?
Partly. From the vendor pages checked in October 2026:
- Website + Instagram + Messenger + WhatsApp: Tidio lists all of these integrations on every plan. ManyChat covers Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and email, but lists no voice calls. Crisp lists WhatsApp Business and Instagram DMs from its Essentials plan.
- Voice: Chatbase lists voice as a channel. Tidio's pricing page does not list a voice channel, and Intercom's phone channel is usage-based.
- Lead generation across all of them: none of the vendor pricing pages reviewed for this guide promises one cheap plan that does website, WhatsApp, Instagram and voice together. Expect to combine two tools or pay mid-tier prices.
The affordable route: start with the one channel where most of your customers already message you, get that working, and add a second only after the first pays off. Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp may also charge their own per-conversation fees on top of the chatbot vendor.
Hidden costs to watch
- Per-resolution pricing. Intercom ($0.99 per outcome) and Zendesk ($1.50 to $2.00 per automated resolution) charge each time the AI solves a question. 300 solved chats a month at $0.99 is about $297.
- AI add-ons. Tidio's Lyro and Chatbase's extra credits ($40 per 1,000) are billed separately from the base plan.
- One-time vs monthly allowances. Tidio's free AI conversations do not refresh.
- Per-seat pricing. Zendesk and Intercom charge per agent.
- Branding removal. Tidio charges $16.67 a month on Growth; Chatbase charges $99 a month to remove "Powered By Chatbase".
- Channel fees. WhatsApp is extra on Zendesk and usage-based on Intercom.
How to set up an AI chatbot in an afternoon
- List your top 10 questions. Pull them from your inbox and DMs.
- Write short, plain answers and put them on a web page or FAQ the bot can read.
- Pick one tool and one channel. Sign up for a free plan or trial.
- Connect your content. Point the bot at your FAQ page, then add the widget to your site (most tools give you a code snippet or WordPress/Shopify plugin).
- Set the hand-off. Choose what the bot says when it cannot answer, and where you get the notification.
- Test with real questions, including odd ones, before going live.
- Review transcripts weekly for the first month and fix the wrong answers at the source.
Tidio vs ManyChat
Choose Tidio if most visitors arrive on your website and you want live chat and AI in one inbox. Choose ManyChat if your sales conversations start in Instagram or Facebook DMs and comment-triggered replies matter more than website chat. Many small businesses end up using one or the other, not both. Check both pricing pages for current limits.
Related questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free AI chatbot for a small business?
- Tidio is the most practical starting point: its free plan includes 50 Lyro AI conversations, but as a one-time allowance that does not refresh each month. HubSpot's chatbot builder is also free, though the vendor page describes it as a no-code builder and does not say it includes AI. Check each pricing page before you commit.
- How much does an AI chatbot cost for a small business?
- As of October 2026, entry paid plans on the tools reviewed here run from roughly $24 to $45 a month, but AI usage is often billed on top. Tidio sells Lyro AI from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, and Intercom's Fin charges $0.99 per outcome. Budget for usage, not just the plan price.
- Can one chatbot cover a website, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and voice calls?
- Tidio lists Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp integrations on every plan alongside website chat, but its pricing page does not list a voice channel. Chatbase lists chat, email and voice as channels. Few low-cost tools do all four well, so pick the channel that brings you the most customers first.
- Is an AI chatbot the same as live chat?
- No. Live chat connects visitors to a person in real time, while an AI chatbot answers automatically. Many tools combine both, so the bot handles common questions and hands harder ones to you.
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