BotPenguin vs BotStar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BotPenguin grades higher than BotStar: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BotPenguin grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BotPenguin
No-code chatbot builder for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and web
BotStar
Visual chatbot builder with live chat and a Facebook chat plugin
Which one is for you
Pick BotPenguin if
- Fits if you want a chatbot on a small site or shop
- Works for a team trying a bot before paying
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as that is 1,000 messages and 1 chatbot
- Pricey if you grow: extra messages are $5 per 1,000 and extra AI messages $15 per 1,000
- Watch out: extra team members are $7 each, an MS Teams bot $100 and a whitelabel window $20 a bot
- Watch out: Meta's WhatsApp fees are on top
- Watch out: yearly prices were not shown, and the vendor says yearly means 10 months
Pick BotStar if
- Fits if you want one small bot with a handover to a person
- Works for a Facebook page that wants a chat plugin
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you get traffic: 100 sessions a month is the free limit
- Watch out: Pro covers 1 active bot and Agency 3
- Not for you if you want a yearly option, as none is shown
- Skip it if freshness matters: the footer says 2024 and a plugin promotion ended in 2021
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABotPenguinFair | 2.0GPABotStarFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$29 a month for 3,000 messages, in the middle band of chat tools. | C$29 a month for 1 active bot and 1,000 sessions on Pro, and $299 for 3 bots on Agency. It's in the middle band, but the bot and session caps are tight. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree: 1,000 messages a month, 1 chatbot and a unified inbox, which a live site passes quickly. A 7-day trial needs no card. | CBasic is free with 1 active bot, 100 sessions a month and a single seat. You'll hit that fast. |
| Features | CMulti-platform bots, knowledge-base training, inbox, WhatsApp bulk and voice agents. WhatsApp flows start at King. | CA visual flow editor, a code editor, human handover, broadcasts and a Facebook chat plugin. The listing doesn't say what counts as a session. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build flows and connect channels. | CNo store rating on record. Building a bot flow takes some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android with Shopify, WooCommerce, Zendesk, Zapier, HubSpot and Salesforce. | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pricing or plugin pages. |
| Best for | chatbots for websites and WhatsApp | a visual chatbot builder with live chat |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BotPenguin and BotStar. How we grade
Price against what you get
BotPenguin starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. BotStar starts at $29 a month and scores 2.0.
BotPenguin scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 3 score higher than BotPenguin for less, and 13 score higher than BotStar for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- BotPenguin also covers shared inbox, AI support agent and whatsApp messaging.
- BotStar also covers marketing automation.
At a glance
| BotPenguin | BotStar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 per month for 3,000 bot messages | $29 per month for 1 active bot and 1,000 sessions |
| Free plan | Baby plan: 1,000 bot messages a month, 1 chatbot, unlimited leads, unified inbox, live chat and a basic LLM knowledge base. | Basic plan: 1 active bot, 100 monthly sessions, a single seat, dynamic CMS, keywords and training, and human handover. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Relinns Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | WiseBit Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | botpenguin.com | botstar.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BotPenguin
- Prices follow the monthly message allowance; extra messages cost $5 a month per 1,000 and extra AI messages $15 a month per 1,000.
- The vendor says paying yearly means paying for 10 months, but the yearly prices were not shown in the page text read.
- Extra team members cost $7 a month each, an MS Teams bot is a $100 a month add-on and a whitelabel chat window is $20 a month per bot.
- WhatsApp fees charged by Meta are billed on top; BotPenguin says it adds no markup to them.
BotStar
- Plans are capped by monthly sessions: 100 on Basic, 1,000 on Pro and 5,000 on Agency.
- Pro and Agency each cover limited active bots: 1 on Pro and 3 on Agency.
- The pricing section does not show a yearly option or say what counts as a session.
- The public pages read as dated: the footer says 2024 and a promotion on the plugin page ended in 2021.
Key features
BotPenguin
- Multi-platform chatbots
- Deploy one bot on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and websites, with the Emperor plan adding WeChat, LINE, Viber, SMS and Slack.
- AI knowledge-base training
- Train a bot on website content, PDFs and FAQs, with Google Sheets, Drive and Notion sources on higher plans.
- Unified inbox and live chat
- One inbox for all platform conversations, with a handover from bot to human agent at any time.
- WhatsApp bulk messages and flows
- Little adds bulk WhatsApp sending and shop automation; King adds WhatsApp flows for forms inside the chat.
- AI voice agents
- The King plan includes up to 10 AI voice agents; extra voice minutes are sold as add-ons.
- Integrations
- 30+ integrations on Little and 50+ on King, including Shopify, Zendesk, Zapier, HubSpot and Salesforce.
BotStar
- Visual flow editor
- Build chat flows without code, with a built-in content management system for media-rich replies.
- Developer code editor
- Inline scripting lets developers run code and API calls inside a chat flow.
- Human handover
- Conversations can be passed to a person; the Basic plan includes it.
- Broadcasts and drip campaigns
- Listed on the Pro plan, along with API access and integrations.
- Facebook chat plugin
- Website chats can continue over Messenger from one inbox after the visitor leaves the site.
Plans
BotPenguin
Baby Plan$0
Free forever: 1,000 messages a month (AI and regular share the limit), 1 chatbot, chat flow templates and a unified inbox.
Little Plan$29
per month for 3,000 messages and 5 team members, billed monthly
Adds WhatsApp bulk messaging, Instagram DM automation, appointment booking, reports, mobile apps for agents and 30+ integrations.
King Plan$99
per month for 12,000 messages, billed monthly
Adds WhatsApp flows, department routing, 50+ integrations, AI voice agents (10) and connections to models such as Gemini, Claude and DeepSeek.
Emperor Plan$990
per month and up, billed monthly
Custom volume with unlimited bots, agents and team members, extra channels such as SMS, Slack and LINE, and a build-it-for-you setup. Sold through sales.
BotStar
Basic$0
1 active bot, 100 monthly sessions, single seat, human handover.
Pro$29
per month for 1 active bot and 1,000 sessions
Unlimited member seats, live chat customization, broadcast and drip campaigns, API and integrations.
Agency$299
per month for 3 active bots and 5,000 sessions
Unlimited seats, custom permissions, custom app branding, template exports and cloning.
Ways to pay less
BotPenguin
- Annual discount
Two months free on yearly billing
The pricing FAQ says a yearly plan costs 10 months instead of 12.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits
The pricing page lists a 50% discount for nonprofit organizations and 100% for those working in animal welfare.
BotStar
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BotPenguin or BotStar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. BotPenguin starts at $29 per month for 3,000 bot messages, and BotStar starts at $29 per month for 1 active bot and 1,000 sessions.
Which has a free plan, BotPenguin or BotStar?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both BotPenguin and BotStar have a free plan.
Which platforms do BotPenguin and BotStar run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BotPenguin lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.