BotPenguin vs ChatMaxima (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ChatMaxima grades higher than BotPenguin: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ChatMaxima grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
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
ChatMaxima
Omnichannel chat inbox with AI chatbots across WhatsApp, SMS and web
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 ChatMaxima if
- Fits if you want WhatsApp and other chats in one inbox
- Works for agencies that want workspaces, on the higher plans
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have 4 or more people: Starter allows 3, and extras are $6 a month
- Tight if you want the API: it isn't on Starter
- Watch out: white-labeling is Ultra only, at $499, with a setup cost quoted on request
- Watch out: each extra 10,000 messages is $10
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABotPenguinFair | 2.4GPAChatMaximaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$29 a month for 3,000 messages, in the middle band of chat tools. | B$19 a month is inside the cheaper quarter of the category, and each plan is shown against a higher crossed-out price. |
| 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. | CA 7-day trial with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | CMulti-platform bots, knowledge-base training, inbox, WhatsApp bulk and voice agents. WhatsApp flows start at King. | CInbox, chatbots, broadcasts and drips across channels, with the API missing from Starter. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build flows and connect channels. | CNo store rating on record, and chatbots and channels need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android with Shopify, WooCommerce, Zendesk, Zapier, HubSpot and Salesforce. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a REST API and 8 integrations; no desktop app. |
| Best for | chatbots for websites and WhatsApp | an inbox across WhatsApp, Instagram and more |
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 ChatMaxima. 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. ChatMaxima starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and ChatMaxima starts $10 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 3 score higher than BotPenguin for less, and 2 score higher than ChatMaxima 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 no-code and AI support agent.
- ChatMaxima also covers sMS marketing.
At a glance
| BotPenguin | ChatMaxima | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per month for 3,000 bot messages | $19 per month, billed monthly ($99 per year if billed yearly) |
| Free plan | Baby plan: 1,000 bot messages a month, 1 chatbot, unlimited leads, unified inbox, live chat and a basic LLM knowledge base. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | 7-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Relinns Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | ChatMaxima |
| Price read from | botpenguin.com | chatmaxima.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.
ChatMaxima
- Starter caps each channel at 1 account per workspace, 3 team members and 10,000 messages a month.
- Extra members cost $6 a month each, extra accounts $6, extra workspaces $19 and each additional 10,000 messages $10.
- The API is not on Starter. White-labeling is Ultra only, with a separate one-time setup cost quoted on request.
- The pricing page shows each plan against a higher crossed-out price; the lower price is what is charged.
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.
ChatMaxima
- Unified team inbox
- Handle WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Messenger, Telegram, email, SMS and website chat in one inbox, with a mobile app.
- AI chatbots and assistants
- MaxIA bots can be trained on a website, documents, Q&A and a knowledge base, with human takeover and a choice of AI model providers.
- Drag-and-drop automation
- A visual builder sets up chatbot flows and workflow automations without code.
- Broadcasts and drip campaigns
- Schedule broadcast messages and drip campaigns to segmented contact lists, with campaign analytics.
- Agency features
- Pro and above add multiple workspaces for clients and a branded chat widget; Ultra adds full platform white-labeling.
- REST API and integrations
- Developer API access on Pro and above, plus HubSpot, HighLevel, Zoho Recruit, WooCommerce, Google Sheets, Zapier and others.
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.
ChatMaxima
Starter$19
per month, billed monthly ($99 a year if billed yearly)
1 workspace, 3 team members, 10,000 messages a month and all channels. Shown as $30 crossed out.
Pro$99
per month, billed monthly ($499 a year if billed yearly)
5 workspaces, 15 team members, 50,000 messages a month, branded widget and API access. Shown as $150 crossed out.
Max$299
per month, billed monthly ($1,499 a year if billed yearly)
Unlimited workspaces and members, 100,000 messages a month. Shown as $600 crossed out.
Ultra$499
per month, billed monthly ($2,499 a year if billed yearly)
Adds full platform white-labeling and 200,000 messages a month. Shown as $1000 crossed out.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom volume, dedicated deployment, SSO, priority support and a 99.9% uptime SLA; quoted by sales.
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.
ChatMaxima
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs less than twelve months
The pricing page shows Starter at $99 a year against $19 a month, and labels the yearly plans as saving 57 to 58%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BotPenguin or ChatMaxima?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ChatMaxima is cheaper to start with: $19 a month, against $29 a month for BotPenguin. BotPenguin starts at $29 per month for 3,000 bot messages, and ChatMaxima starts at $19 per month, billed monthly ($99 per year if billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, BotPenguin or ChatMaxima?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BotPenguin has a free plan. ChatMaxima does not, though it has a free trial.
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.