Looking for a Chatbase alternative?
Last updated October 19, 2026
Chatbase builds a good AI agent. People usually leave for one of three reasons: they need a real person in the chat, they don’t want to pay $1,188 a year to remove the badge, or $150/mo for human handoff is too much for their size.
Here’s what to use instead, depending on what you’re missing.
Quick picks
| If you want | Try | From |
|---|---|---|
| AI plus a human in the same chat, cheap | Bubblegram | $9/mo |
| A full helpdesk with a top AI agent | Intercom | $29/seat + $0.99/resolution |
| Live chat with AI for an online store | Tidio | $29/mo + Lyro |
| One inbox for chat, email, and WhatsApp | Crisp | $45/mo |
| Free and self-hosted | Chatwoot | $0 |
The alternatives
Bubblegram (that’s us)
- Best for: small teams that want AI to answer the easy questions and a person to answer the rest.
- Price: free for 1 site, then $9/mo with 500 AI credits and no branding.
- Trade-off: the AI answers questions, it doesn’t take actions. No WhatsApp or Slack.
Assistant answers from your website and notes. When it doesn’t know, or the customer asks for a person, the chat lands in your Telegram group and you reply there. Try it free, no card needed.
Intercom
- Best for: support teams that need ticketing, a help center, and the strongest AI agent.
- Price: $29 to $132 per seat a month, plus $0.99 per Fin resolution.
- Trade-off: expensive for a small team, and the bill grows with traffic.
Tidio
- Best for: Shopify stores that want live chat, scripted flows, and AI for repeat questions.
- Price: $29/mo for 100 conversations. Lyro AI from $32.50/mo extra.
- Trade-off: every plan caps conversations, and AI is a second bill.
Crisp
- Best for: teams that want chat, email, WhatsApp, and Instagram in one inbox.
- Price: $45/mo for 4 seats. AI chatbot from $95/mo.
- Trade-off: you pay for a full platform even if you mostly use chat.
Chatwoot
- Best for: developers who want to self-host and own their data.
- Price: free self-hosted, or $19 per agent a month in the cloud.
- Trade-off: you run the servers yourself, or pay per agent.
How to choose
- Should AI handle most chats on its own? Stay with Chatbase or move to Intercom.
- Do you want AI to help while a person stays in charge? Bubblegram or Tidio.
- Do you need many channels in one inbox? Crisp or Chatwoot.
Comparing on price only? See the Chatbase pricing breakdown, Intercom vs Chatbase, or Chatbase vs Tidio.
Pricing at a glance
See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Bubblegram | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| Reply from Telegram | ||
| AI answers from your website | ||
| Live chat with a human on the cheapest paid plan | ||
| No branding under $10/mo | ||
| AI actions and API calls | ||
| WhatsApp, Instagram, and Slack | ||
| Multiple AI agents |
What users say about Chatbase
- Strong AI agent builder trained on your docs and website
- AI actions: book meetings, look up orders, call APIs
- Deploys to WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Slack
- Choice of AI models from several providers
- Built for AI first, human chat second
- Helpdesk inbox for human handoff starts at $150/mo
- Removing branding costs $1,188 a year
- Free plan agents are deleted after 14 days without use
The bottom line
Switch to Bubblegram if
You want AI to handle the easy questions and a real person to handle the rest, in the same chat. Bubblegram starts at $9/mo with branding removed, and you take over from Telegram.
Start for free →Stay with Chatbase if
You want an AI agent that takes actions, like booking calls or checking orders, and runs on WhatsApp or Slack. Chatbase goes much further on AI than Bubblegram.
Common questions
What's the best Chatbase alternative with live chat?
Bubblegram is live chat first, with AI on top. Assistant answers what it can from your website, and everything else goes to you in Telegram. Starter is $9/mo with 500 AI credits.
How much does Chatbase cost?
Hobby is $40/mo for 700 message credits, Standard is $150/mo for 4,000, and Pro is $500/mo for 15,000. Annual billing saves 20%. Removing branding is $1,188 a year extra.
Can a human reply in Chatbase?
Yes, through the helpdesk inbox, which starts on the Standard plan at $150/mo. On cheaper plans, the AI agent handles chats on its own.
Is Bubblegram's AI as capable as Chatbase?
Not for complex automation. Chatbase agents can take actions and connect to tools like Calendly and Shopify. Bubblegram's Assistant answers questions from your website and notes, and hands the rest to a person.
How do AI credits compare?
Both count roughly one credit per reply on standard models. Bubblegram includes 500 a month for $9 and 2,000 for $29. Chatbase includes 700 for $40 and 4,000 for $150.
Human-first, AI-assisted.
Talk to customers from Telegram.
Every customer channel in one place.
Resolve tickets yourself, or let AI handle them.