Message credits
FastBots, ChatbaseThe allowance used when the bot replies or consumes model output.
Check: Model choice can change the credit burn, so one visitor question is not always one unit of cost.
Pricing guide
AI chatbot pricing is not one number.
Small websites usually do not need the biggest AI plan. They need to understand what the plan is actually charging for: replies, conversations, users, AI resolutions, source material, actions, handoff, and add-ons.
Short answer
For a small website, the cheapest-looking chatbot is not always the cheapest usable setup. One tool may charge around message credits, another around support conversations, another around users, and another around AI resolutions.
Start with the job. If you only need website answers, message credits and source limits matter most. If you want live support handoff, seats and conversation limits matter. If the bot is meant to qualify leads, trigger actions, or sit inside a support inbox, add-ons and workflow limits can matter more than the headline plan price.
If your main worry is what gets expensive later, read the companion guide to AI chatbot pricing traps. If your main question is which meter grows first, use the scenario guide to AI chatbot scaling costs. If source coverage is the first gate, check which AI chatbots can answer from your website.
Buying frame
Compare the unit, not just the monthly price.
A small site with a few hundred questions a month has a different cost profile from a support desk where AI resolves customer conversations. These weights are editorial guidance for checking pricing, not product scores.
Pricing weighting
What changes the bill
The cost drivers we check before turning pricing into buyer advice. Usage unit clarity Core check
Low-volume fit Small sites
Handoff cost Seats/inbox
Source limits Docs/data
Overage risk Watch closely
Add-on pressure Production gap
Pricing units
The terms that actually matter.
These units are not interchangeable. Treat them as clues about what the vendor is built to sell: a trained website bot, a source-controlled AI agent, a support desk, or a broader customer-service workspace.
Billable conversations
TidioA support conversation volume unit, closer to customer-service workload than source-only FAQ usage.
Check: Compare it against your support volume, not against another tool's message-credit count.
Lyro AI conversations
TidioTidio's AI-agent conversation allowance for Lyro.
Check: This can sit beside Customer Service and Flows limits, so check the bundle you actually need.
Per-user seats
ChatBot.com / TextThe support-workspace price is tied to each user on the plan.
Check: A low entry price can change quickly when more staff need access.
AI resolutions
ChatBot.com / TextAI-handled conversations that end without the customer asking for more help.
Check: Overage packages matter if the AI starts handling meaningful support volume.
Training size
FastBots, ChatbaseHow much website, document, or knowledge-base material the bot can use.
Check: Small brochure sites may be fine on low limits; consultant, ecommerce, or documentation-heavy sites may not be.
Tool notes
Where each tool gets expensive or useful.
The numbers below were checked on official pricing pages on May 23, 2026. Use them as a buying frame, not as a permanent price table.
FastBots
Checked price signal
Free, then $39/mo or $33/mo billed annually for Essential
Best when
Small sites that want a straightforward trained chatbot with concrete message-credit and crawl-page limits.
Check before choosing
Advanced models use more credits per reply, so heavy AI usage can burn allowance faster than the headline message number suggests.
Check FastBotsChatbase
Checked price signal
Free, then $32/mo billed annually for Hobby
Best when
Source-heavy sites that care about controlled knowledge, AI actions, and clear training-size limits.
Check before choosing
Costs can move through message credits, AI actions, extra agents, and branding removal rather than one simple chatbot price.
Check ChatbaseTidio
Checked price signal
Starter shows $24.17/mo on the annual view; Growth starts at $49.17/mo
Best when
Teams that want AI plus live chat, ticketing, support handoff, Flows, and a broader customer-service setup.
Check before choosing
Tidio pricing mixes billable conversations, Lyro AI conversations, and Flows visitors reached. Check the product mix before comparing it with a lightweight FAQ bot.
Check TidioChatBot.com / Text
Checked price signal
$25/user/mo monthly or $19/user/mo annually for Essential
Best when
Support teams that want an AI agent inside a broader Text workspace with live chat, inbox, and ticketing.
Check before choosing
The AI cost story includes per-user seats, included AI resolutions, and automatic 50-resolution packages when limits are reached.
Check ChatBot.comBuyer scenarios
Pick the plan around the job.
01
Simple website answers
Check: Message credits and source size
Start with how many questions the site gets and how much approved content the bot needs to read.
02
Lead capture or quote intake
Check: Message credits, forms, actions, and integrations
Price the first useful workflow: ask better questions, capture details, and hand off to a person.
03
Live support handoff
Check: Seats, inbox features, billable conversations, and AI resolutions
A support workspace can be worth paying for, but it should be compared as a workflow, not as a cheap chat widget.
04
Automation beyond answers
Check: AI actions, Flows reach, Zapier/Make paths, and add-ons
Treat actions and downstream automation as production work. Test before the bot books, bills, or promises anything.
Buying checklist
Before you pay for a plan.
A useful pricing comparison should make the likely monthly bill clearer. It should not turn changing plan tables into a fake universal winner. When you know the job and need a starter tier, use the small-business chatbot plan picker.
- Estimate volume: How many real visitor questions, support conversations, or lead forms do you expect?
- Check the unit: Are you buying replies, conversations, users, resolutions, actions, visitors reached, or source capacity?
- Check handoff: Will one person manage the inbox, or does the whole team need seats?
- Check overages: What happens when the allowance runs out?
- Check production add-ons: Branding removal, extra bots, custom domains, automations, or extra credits may change the real plan.
Sources checked
Official pricing sources.
Pricing was checked against official vendor pages on May 23, 2026. Recheck before relying on exact plan amounts.