Published on February 5, 2025• Written byYounès Benallal

Best Chatbot Builder: Top 7 Picks

A well-crafted chatbot can boost customer engagement and streamline customer support, even while you sleep. We'll explore the best chatbot builder platforms, comparing their key features, pricing, and unique strengths to help you choose the right choice.

Key Features to Look for in the Best Chatbot Builder

Selecting the right chatbot builder can feel overwhelming. With so many options, knowing which features truly matter is crucial.

The best chatbot platform isn't just about flashy interfaces. It's about functionality, integration, and alignment with your specific needs. Let's explore the key features that distinguish the good from the exceptional.

Drag-and-Drop Interface

Imagine building a complex flowchart by simply dragging and connecting boxes. That's the power of a drag-and-drop interface.

This feature makes chatbot creator accessible to users of all technical skill levels. Instead of coding, you can visually map conversation flows. You can also add elements and adjust the logic easily.

A drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, allowing for quicker development and greater creativity.

Pre-built Templates

Starting from scratch can be daunting. Pre-built templates offer a great shortcut. They provide a solid foundation for various use cases.

These could include customer support, lead generation, or appointment scheduling. These templates are like blueprints. They offer a pre-designed structure that you can customize to fit your brand and specific requirements.

Integrations (Webhooks, OpenAI, Google Sheets, etc.)

A chatbot's true power lies in its ability to connect with other tools and platforms. Robust integrations are essential for a seamless workflow and enhanced customer service.

Webhooks allow real-time data exchange with external applications. OpenAI integration brings the power of AI-powered conversations. Google Sheets integration simplifies data management.

The more integrations a chatbot builder offers, the more versatile and valuable it becomes for providing comprehensive customer support.

Conditional Logic

Conversations aren't linear. They evolve based on user input. Conditional logic allows your chatbot to adapt to different scenarios. It also provides personalized and relevant responses.

By setting up rules and conditions, you can guide users down specific paths. You can also ensure they receive the information or assistance they need. Conditional logic is crucial for creating dynamic and engaging user experiences.

Customization Options (Theming)

Branding matters. Your chatbot should feel like a natural extension of your brand. It shouldn't feel like a generic add-on.

Customization options, such as theming, allow you to align the chatbot's appearance with your website or app. Adjusting colors, fonts, and the chat window's design creates a cohesive and professional user experience.

Customization options ensure your chatbot reflects your brand identity. It makes your chatbot fully integrated in your website.

Analytics and Reporting Capabilities

What gets measured gets improved. Analytics and reporting provide valuable insights into your chatbot's performance.

Track metrics like conversation volume, user engagement, and goal completion rates. This will help you identify areas for optimization.

Comprehensive analytics are essential for understanding user behavior and optimizing chatbot performance.

Generative AI Features

The rise of generative AI has transformed the chatbot landscape. This technology elevates the chatbot from a simple script follower to a dynamic conversationalist.

It becomes capable of handling complex queries and providing personalized assistance.

Top 7 Best Chatbot Builders in 2024

Choosing the right chatbot builder can feel overwhelming. There are many options, and each promises to revolutionize how you connect with customers.

It's important to find one that fits your business goals and technical skills. We'll highlight their strengths and features to help you make an informed decision.

1. Typebot: Open-source and visually appealing chatbot builder

Typebot is a tool for creating conversational forms and chatbot interfaces. It's known for its user-friendly design and powerful features. It can also improve customer engagement and conversion rates. Being open-source, it allows users to customize it to their specific needs.

Key Features

Typebot enables users to create advanced conversational forms. It also supports integrations with platforms like Google Sheets, OpenAI, Zapier, Anthropic, PostHog, Make.com, making it versatile.

It's compatible with Shopify, WordPress, Framer, Webflow, and FlutterFlow. You can integrate it with WhatsApp. The user interface is fully customizable to any brand.

The software includes computation, custom domains, hidden fields, variables, conditional branching, and team collaboration. These features support complex chatbot-building needs.

Typebot is praised for its design, ease of use, and smooth user experience. It offers a drag-and-drop interface for creating chatbots. It provides intuitive analytical tools.

Users can add custom code and easily embed Typebot into their applications. There are three form options: standard (embedded in a container), popup (appears when triggered), and bubble (appears in the corner).

It natively supports OpenAI and Anthropic's APIs and can be hosted on-premise or in the cloud. It also has a rich API.

Pricing

Typebot offers several pricing plans:

1. Free plan: Includes many features and 200 chats per month.
2. Starter plan ($39/month): Includes 2 seats and 2,000 chats per month.
3. Pro plan ($89/month): Includes 5 seats and 10,000 chats per month.

Pros

• Its open-source nature allows extensive customization.
• It has a visually appealing and user-friendly design.
• It has a strong focus on conversational forms.

Cons

• Advanced customization may require some technical knowledge.
• The free plan has a limited number of chats.

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2. Chatbot.com: All-in-one platform to build conversational chatbots

ChatBot.com is an AI-first chatbot platform that automatically pulls data from your website, help center, or other resources. This allows it to provide quick and accurate AI-generated answers to customer questions.

Key Features

AI Assist is a proprietary AI model trained on your content for instant answers without relying on OpenAI/ChatGPT. The platform includes a no-code builder with a visual bot flow. This simplifies chatbot creation without needing coding skills. It also has pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop interface.

Users can customize the chat widget, create dynamic responses, and personalize greetings. This helps to engage website visitors. You can use multiple data sources to train the AI. Data is stored on Chatbot.com's servers.

ChatBot integrates with tools like LiveChat, Facebook Messenger, Zapier, Shopify, and Slack. This makes it easier to build and deploy chatbots across multiple platforms.

The platform provides detailed analytics and reports to track and improve chatbot performance. It also has an FAQ module that helps AI with common questions. You can publish chatbots via a website widget, Facebook Messenger, Slack, or LiveChat integration.

Pricing

ChatBot.com offers a tiered pricing model:

1. Starter Plan: $52 per month (billed annually) or $65 month-to-month for 1 active chatbot and 1,000 chats per month.
2. Team Plan: $142 per month for 5 chatbots and 5,000 chats per month.
3. Business Plan: $424 per month for 25,000 chats per month.
4. Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for unlimited usage.

A free 14-day trial is available for all plans.

Pros

• Its AI-first approach provides intelligent and accurate responses out of the box
• The no-code builder is accessible to users of all skill levels.
• It focuses on customer service and lead generation.

Cons

• Pricing may be a barrier for small businesses.
• Reliance on AI may require careful monitoring and training.

3. Landbot: No-code chatbot builder for websites and messaging apps

Landbot is a no-code chatbot platform. It allows businesses to create conversational experiences for websites, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger without needing to code.

Key Features

Landbot has a drag-and-drop interface for easy bot creation and customizable templates for quick starts. It supports multi-platform integration (web, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and multiple languages.

It also offers keyword matching for automated responses and integration with Dialogflow for natural language processing. AI assistants are available for customer support, lead generation, and appointment booking, along with an AI FAQs assistant with a customizable knowledge base.

You can make real-time modifications to chatbot flows and hand over live chats to human agents. It also has WhatsApp broadcast functionality and a multi-agent conversation manager.

Landbot provides a basic dashboard with chat and message metrics, user interaction tracking, and flow analytics to visualize user journeys. It also has A/B testing capabilities.

It offers built-in integrations (number varies by plan), Zapier and Make (Integromat) connections, and API access for custom integrations. You can include images, videos, and GIFs in conversations. It also has data protection measures and compliance with data protection regulations.

Pricing

Landbot offers several pricing tiers for website chatbots:

1. Sandbox (Free): Includes 100 chats per month, no AI chats, web channel only, and basic features.
2. Starter (From €40/month): Includes 500 chats per month, 20 AI chats, web and Facebook Messenger channels, and more advanced features.
3. Pro (From €100/month): Includes 2,500 chats per month, 30 AI chats, web, Facebook Messenger, and API channels, and advanced features and integrations.
4. Business (Custom pricing): Custom chat volume, custom AI chat volume, all channels, full feature set, and dedicated support.

Additional chats are charged at €0.05 per chat, and extra AI chats at €1 per AI chat.

Pros

• It has a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
• It offers multi-platform integration.
• It has strong AI capabilities.

Cons

• Pricing can be high for small businesses.
• It has limited design customization.

4. Manychat: Chatbot builder focused on marketing automation

ManyChat is a chat marketing platform designed for messaging apps. It offers features to automate and enhance customer interactions. It supports Instagram Direct Messages, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Telegram and is designed mainly for e-commerce, creators, and restaurants.

Key Features

ManyChat allows users to build custom chatbot flows. This helps automate conversations and improve customer engagement. The platform also allows contact segmentation using customer tags. You can run automated drip sequences to nurture leads.

Custom keyword triggers can initiate specific bot responses. Live chat is available for Messenger, Instagram DM, and Telegram. This facilitates real-time interaction with your audience.

ManyChat provides tools to automatically reply to Instagram post comments and mentions in stories. You can set up a menu of common topics or FAQs. This guides users through conversations.

The platform offers customizable website widgets, QR codes, and landing pages. These features help capture customer information and drive traffic to your chatbots. Integration with Facebook ads allows you to start conversations with customers who click on your ads.

ManyChat integrates with PayPal and Stripe. This allows businesses to include 'BUY' buttons directly in Messenger. It also offers the ManyChat Pixel to track conversion events.

Pricing

ManyChat offers several pricing plans to suit different business needs:

• Free Plan: This plan provides access to basic features and engagement for up to 1,000 contacts at no cost. It includes unlimited chatbot flows, 10 tags, 2 sequences, and 3 keywords. This is a great way to try out this chatbot creator.
• Pro Plan: Starting at $15 per month for up to 500 contacts, this plan provides unlimited access to advanced features for Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, and Email. It includes unlimited tags, custom fields, advanced segmentation, and no ManyChat branding.
• Premium Plan: This plan offers custom pricing based on your specific business needs.

Pros

• Strong focus on marketing automation.
• Excellent for e-commerce and social media engagement.
• Integrates with popular payment platforms.

Cons

• Setting up automated flows and sequences can be complex.
• Limited AI capabilities.

5. Tidio: Customer service platform with chatbot (Flows) capabilities

Tidio is a live chat software solution designed for customer service and support. It offers a range of features to enhance customer communication and support for businesses.

Key Features

• Live Chat Capabilities: Tidio provides a live chat feature. This allows businesses to communicate with website visitors in real-time.
• Chatbot Workflows: Users can build customizable chatbot workflows. This automates conversations and handles common queries.
• Email Marketing Templates: Tidio includes email marketing functionality with templates. This allows you to create and send campaigns.
• Multichannel Support: The software supports various channels like email, Instagram, and Messenger. This allows businesses to manage all their communication from one place.
• Visitor Monitoring: Real-time visitor monitoring is available. This allows you to track what visitors are looking for, enabling timely engagement.
• Ticketing system
• Integrations: Tidio offers integrations with a wide array of platforms. These include Shopify, WordPress, and major eCommerce platforms, as well as CRM and help desk tools.
• AI Chatbot: Lyro AI Chatbot uses advanced natural language processing. This helps understand user intent and provide personalized responses.
• Messaging apps: WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
• Analytics: The platform includes analytics to measure chatbot performance, conversation metrics, and operator performance.
• Customization: Users can customize the chat widget in terms of position, visibility, and branding. This helps match your website's look and feel.

Pricing

Tidio offers a variety of pricing plans to cater to different business needs:

• Free Plan: Includes basic chatbot and email campaign capabilities with limited features. This is a great option if you're looking for a free chatbot builder for website.
• Starter Plan: Priced at $29 per month, this plan includes live chat features and basic analytics.
• Growth Plan: At $59 per month, this plan focuses on chatbot functionality (Up to 2000 Handled Conversations).
• Tidio+: The most comprehensive plan starts at $749 per month, offering a full suite of features.

Pros

• Excellent live chat capabilities.
• Strong focus on customer service and support.
• AI-powered chatbot for personalized responses.

Cons

• Can be expensive for small businesses.
• Limited chatbot customization options.

6. Collect.chat: Simple chatbot builder for lead generation

Collect.chat is a simple chatbot builder intended to create interactive forms to collect data. It's designed for ease of use and effective lead generation.

Key Features

Here are some of the key features of Collect.chat:

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Instant notifications
• Integrate with Salesforce, Google Sheets, and more
• Data visualization
• Meeting scheduling
• Natively supports Wordpress and HTML.

Pricing

• Free Plan: $0 per month, includes 50 responses per month
• Lite Plan: $24 per month, includes 500 responses per month
• Standard Plan: $49 per month, includes 2500 responses per month
• Plus Plan: $99 per month, includes 5000 responses per month

Pros

• Simple and easy to use.
• Strong focus on lead generation.
• Integrates with popular CRM and marketing tools. This makes it a great option for businesses focused on capturing leads.

Cons

• Limited customization options.
• Basic chatbot functionality. This might not be suitable for businesses needing advanced chatbot features.

7. Botpress: Open-source platform for developers

Botpress is a powerful platform for creating AI-powered chatbots with a wide range of features and use cases. It's particularly useful for developers who need extensive customization.

Key Features

Here are some of the key features of Botpress:

• Flow Builder: Botpress offers a visual flow builder that allows users to create complex chat automations using a drag-and-drop interface. This feature simplifies the creation of intricate chatbot conversations.
• Built-in AI Capabilities: Knowledge Agent, Personality Agent, Summary Agent, Vision Agent, Translator Agent, and Sentiment analysis.
• Multi-channel Support: Botpress chatbots can be published on various platforms, including websites, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Slack.
• Customization: The platform offers extensive customization options, allowing developers to adjust workflows and design exactly as needed.
• Integrations: Botpress integrates with popular tools like Zendesk and Zapier.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Includes intent recognition and entity extraction capabilities.

Pricing

• Free Plan: 5 bots, 2,000 monthly messages, 3 collaborators, 5,000 table rows, 500MB storage
• Pay-as-you-go: Flexible additional resources at per-unit pricing
• Team Plan ($495/month): 20 bots, 250,000 messages, 5 collaborators, built-in Live Chat, custom analytics, 1M table rows, 2GB Vector Database Storage
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with enhanced security, role-based access control, SSO integration, priority support, advanced scalability options

Pros

• Powerful and flexible platform.
• Extensive customization options.
• Strong community support. This makes it a robust choice for complex chatbot development.

Cons

• Can be complex to use for non-developers.
• Limited marketing features. Its complexity can be a barrier for users without coding knowledge.

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How to Choose the Best Chatbot Platform for Your Needs

Define Your Chatbot's Goals and Objectives

Before diving into features and pricing, clarify what you want your ai chatbot to achieve. Different chatbot platforms excel in different areas, so understanding your primary use case is crucial.

• Customer Support: If your goal is to enhance customer service, platforms like Tidio or ChatBot.com are ideal. They offer robust live chat and ticketing systems.
• Lead Generation: For capturing leads, Collect.chat and Landbot are great choices. They provide simple, interactive forms and conversational flows.
• Sales and Marketing: Platforms like ManyChat shine in automating marketing campaigns. They also drive conversions through social media channels.
• AI-Powered Assistance: If you need advanced AI capabilities, Botpress and Typebot provide powerful tools. These are useful for natural language understanding and dynamic responses.

Consider Your Technical Skills

Your level of technical expertise will significantly influence your choice of chatbot creator. Some chatbot platforms cater to non-technical users, while others are better suited for developers who want to code chatbot.

• No-Code Platforms: If you lack coding knowledge, opt for user-friendly platforms like Landbot, Tidio, or ChatBot.com. These feature drag and drop interfaces and pre-built templates.
• Code-Based Platforms: For developers or businesses with technical teams, Botpress and Typebot offer extensive customization options. They also provide open-source flexibility.

Evaluate Integration Capabilities with Your Existing Tools

A chatbot is most effective when it seamlessly integrates with your existing tools and workflows. For instance, Typebot connects with platforms like Google Sheets and OpenAI, while Tidio offers integrations with popular services such as Shopify and WordPress.

Most top chatbot builders provide robust integration capabilities, allowing you to connect with CRM tools, payment processors, messaging platforms, and productivity apps. Therefore, check whether these builders support the apps and services you already use.

Compare Pricing Plans and Features

Budget is a critical factor when choosing a chatbot platform. Many platforms offer free plans with limited features. Premium plans unlock advanced capabilities. It's important to compare pricing tiers to find the best value for your specific needs.

Check Customer Reviews and Testimonials

User feedback offers valuable insights into a platform’s strengths and weaknesses. To gauge user satisfaction, look for reviews on trusted platforms like G2, Capterra, or Product Hunt.

Here's what users are saying about these chatbot platforms:

• Tidio: It is highly rated for ease of use and customer engagement, with a 4.7/5 on G2.
• ManyChat: It is praised for its marketing automation capabilities, but some users report occasional bugs.
• Landbot: It is loved for its intuitive interface, though advanced features may have a learning curve.
• Botpress: Developers appreciate it for its flexibility, but non-technical users may find it challenging.
• ChatBot.com: Users highlight its AI Assist™ feature for delivering instant, accurate responses.

Assess the Level of Customer Support Offered by the Provider

Reliable customer support can significantly impact your experience with a chatbot platform. Evaluate the type and quality of support offered to ensure a smooth user experience.

Here are some common types of customer support:

• Live Chat Support: Platforms like Tidio and ChatBot.com provide real-time assistance.
• Community Support: Open-source platforms like Botpress and Typebot often have active user communities and forums.

• Dedicated Support: Premium plans on platforms like Landbot and ManyChat include priority or dedicated support.

By carefully considering these factors, you can confidently choose a chatbot platform that aligns with your business needs, technical skills, and budget.

Best Chatbot Builder Features

Integration with Generative AI Platforms

Generative AI integration allows chatbots to deliver more human-like and contextually relevant responses, improving the customer experience. Platforms like Typebot, Botpress, and ChatBot.com excel in this area by leveraging AI models such as OpenAI's GPT or proprietary systems.

These chatbot platforms offer unique capabilities:

• Typebot: Natively supports OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, enabling seamless integration with cutting-edge generative AI tools. This allows businesses to create chatbots that can handle complex queries and provide personalized responses.
• Botpress: Offers a "Knowledge Agent" feature that trains the bot on uploaded documents, websites, or web searches, making it highly adaptable to specific business needs.
• ChatBot.com: Features its proprietary AI Assist™, which trains on your website or help center content, eliminating the need for external AI platforms like OpenAI.

These integrations empower chatbots to go beyond scripted responses, offering dynamic and intelligent interactions that feel natural to users and improve customer engagement.

Ability to Perform Tasks

AI chatbots are no longer just conversational tools—they can perform tasks that save time and improve efficiency. From scheduling meetings to processing payments, task automation is a must-have feature.

• Typebot: This chatbot creator integrates with Cal.com for appointment scheduling. It also supports advanced functionalities like computations and conditional branching. This makes it a versatile tool for task automation.
• ManyChat: This chatbot platform offers payment integrations with PayPal and Stripe. Businesses can process transactions directly within the chatbot interface.
• Botpress: It includes a "Summary Agent" that condenses conversations. This allows for easy handover to human agents, streamlining customer support workflows.

Task automation reduces manual effort. It also ensures that users can complete actions quickly and efficiently, boosting satisfaction and improving customer experience.

Contextual Understanding for More Natural Conversations

Contextual understanding allows AI chatbots to remember past interactions. They can then use that information to provide relevant responses. This feature is essential for creating a seamless and intuitive user experience.

By incorporating contextual understanding, chatbot platforms can build stronger relationships with users. This makes them feel heard and valued, improving customer engagement.

By focusing on these advanced AI features, businesses can create custom chatbots that not only engage users but also drive meaningful outcomes. These outcomes range from improved customer support to increased sales.

Open Source vs Proprietary Chatbot Builders

When choosing the best chatbot builder, deciding between an open-source platform or a proprietary solution is crucial. Each option offers distinct advantages and trade-offs.

Advantages of Open Source Chatbot Builders

Open-source chatbot platforms offer significant flexibility. These platforms are ideal for those who want complete control over their chatbot's functionality and design.

Customization and Flexibility

Open-source chatbot platforms, such as Typebot and Botpress, offer unparalleled flexibility. Developers can access the source code and modify the platform to meet specific business needs. This is particularly useful for companies with unique workflows or niche requirements and those with coding knowledge.

A business could use Typebot to create a fully branded chatbot with custom UI elements and advanced integrations. For example, embedding OpenAI or Anthropic APIs for generative AI capabilities.

Community Support

Open-source platforms often have active communities of developers and users. They contribute to the software, share best practices, and provide troubleshooting assistance. This collaborative environment fosters innovation and ensures the platform evolves.

Cost-Effectiveness

Most open-source chatbot builders are free to use. Some offer optional paid features or hosting services. This makes them an attractive option for startups or small businesses with limited budgets.

Choosing Your Ideal Chatbot Platform

In conclusion, selecting the best chatbot builder involves aligning your specific business needs with the right platform's capabilities. Consider ease of use, advanced AI functionalities, and budget.

By carefully evaluating the diverse options available, you can confidently choose a chatbot solution.

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