The Chatbase Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Chatbase in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Chatbase
The Insider’s Guide
Build AI support agents trained on your content, priced by credits
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Chatbase’s own pages.
Made by Chatbase Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Chatbase’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Chatbase’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 1 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Chatbase lets a business build AI agents trained on its own documents and website and put them on a site, in WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, email or on the phone. Agents can take actions, hand conversations to a helpdesk inbox or to tools such as Zendesk, and are priced by monthly message credits rather than by seat.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Chatbase, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's the one to look at if the AI is the point and people are the backup.
- 1
Best for building an AI agent from your own docs
Chatbase builds an AI agent from your documents and website and puts it on your site, WhatsApp, Instagram, Slack, email or the phone.
- 2
Paid plans start at $32 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $32 per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day trial of the Hobby, Standard or Pro plan
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
AI agents trained on your content
Agents learn from uploaded files, websites and, on Pro, past support tickets, and can re-sync their sources automatically from Standard up.
- 6
Choice of AI model
Every plan can run agents on models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek and others.
- 7
AI actions
Agents can take actions in other tools, with 5 actions per agent on Hobby, 8 on Standard and 12 on Pro.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 1 of 19
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Chatbase you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Chatbase at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $32 per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day trial of the Hobby, Standard or Pro plan
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Chatbase Inc.
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for building an AI agent from your own docs
Chatbase builds an AI agent from your documents and website and puts it on your site, WhatsApp, Instagram, Slack, email or the phone. It's the one to look at if the AI is the point and people are the backup. But Hobby is the bot alone: the helpdesk inbox, API and help desk links start at $120 a month.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Hobby is $32 a month billed yearly for 700 message credits and 2 members, at the dearer quarter of help desks. What a support team needs, the helpdesk inbox, API and Zendesk links, starts on Standard at $120 for 3 members, and five people need Pro at $400. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 7-day trial of Hobby, Standard or Pro. The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card, and there's no free plan. |
| Features | C | It does the AI agent job fully: trained on your files and site, a choice of AI models, actions in other tools, and voice from Standard. The human side is thinner, a hand-off inbox from Standard, and the listing shows no ticketing or help center. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You feed it documents and pages, pick a model, set up actions and channels, and check its answers. That's real setup before customers see it. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with no desktop or phone app, but the agent goes out to websites, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack and email, with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, Shopify and Zapier, and an API from Standard. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Chatbase is for
- Great if you want an AI agent on your site trained on your own help docs
- Handy when you already have Zendesk or Intercom and want AI in front of it
- A treat if you like choosing the AI model, from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and more
Who it is not for
- Pricey if a team of people answers too, as 5 members means Pro at $400 a month
- Too light for a real help desk on the $32 plan, which is the bot alone
- Skip it if you hate branding on the widget, since removing it costs $1,188 a year
Good to know
Good for
- Businesses adding an AI agent to their website or messaging apps
- Support teams that want AI in front of an existing help desk
- Teams that prefer usage-based pricing to per-seat plans
Worth knowing
- Every plan includes one AI agent; more cost $300 per agent a year.
- Message credits beyond the monthly allowance cost $40 per 1,000 through auto recharge; those credits do not expire.
- Removing the "Powered by Chatbase" branding costs $1,188 a year.
- Hobby has no API access and no help desk or CRM integrations; those, voice and the helpdesk inbox start on Standard.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$32
A month to start
Chatbase is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $32 per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 billed monthly).
The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card, and there's no free plan.
Hobby
$32
per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 monthly)
1 AI agent, 2 members, 10 MB of training content, basic analytics and basic integrations such as Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp and WordPress.
Standard
$120
per month for 4,000 message credits, billed annually ($150 monthly)
3 members, the Chatbase helpdesk inbox, voice and phone calls, outbound campaigns, API access and links to Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier.
Pro
$400
per month for 15,000 message credits, billed annually ($500 monthly)
5 members, 40 MB of training content, 12 AI actions per agent, advanced analytics, source suggestions and past tickets as a training source.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom usage and billing, SSO, HIPAA eligibility, audit logs, custom roles, white-labeling, SLAs and a success manager. Sold through sales.
Trying it first
7-day trial of the Hobby, Standard or Pro plan
Read from chatbase.co on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
20% off with yearly billing
Chatbase's pricing page gives 20% off for yearly billing: Hobby is $32 a month billed yearly against $40 monthly, a saving of $96 a year.
Stated on chatbase.co
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Build AI support agents trained on your content, priced by credits. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, help desk, AI support agent.
It does the AI agent job fully: trained on your files and site, a choice of AI models, actions in other tools, and voice from Standard.
- AI agents trained on your content
- Agents learn from uploaded files, websites and, on Pro, past support tickets, and can re-sync their sources automatically from Standard up.
- Choice of AI model
- Every plan can run agents on models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek and others.
- AI actions
- Agents can take actions in other tools, with 5 actions per agent on Hobby, 8 on Standard and 12 on Pro.
- Channels
- Deploy on a website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack and email; voice agents and phone calls start on Standard.
- Helpdesk hand-off
- Standard adds a Chatbase helpdesk inbox for human replies and integrations that pass conversations to Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, Gorgias and others.
- Analytics
- Basic conversation analytics on every plan; Pro adds advanced analytics and suggestions for content the agent is missing.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Zendesk
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Intercom
- Shopify
- Slack
- Zapier
Chatbase is made by Chatbase Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/19
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Chatbase's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 19) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $32 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 13 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 11 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Chatbase’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 19
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 19
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 19
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Chatbase is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Chatbase you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 17 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $384 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- It plugs into other products, Zendesk, Salesforce and HubSpot among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Chatbase’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Intercom, Tidio, Kommunicate, Zendesk and Crisp
The 5 tools Chatbase is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Only Intercom lists iOS and Android apps.
- Intercom also covers shared inbox, reports, live chat and help center.
- 3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Tidio has a free plan. Chatbase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tidio lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Tidio also covers live chat.
- 2.2GPA
Kommunicate
Free trial · from $34/mo
AI agents for chat, email and voice with live chat hand-off.
- Kommunicate also covers live chat.
- 2.4GPA
Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.
- Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
- Zendesk also covers reports, live chat and help center.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Crisp has a free plan. Chatbase does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Crisp lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatbase also covers help desk.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Chatbase free?
No, Chatbase is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day trial of the Hobby, Standard or Pro plan.
How much does Chatbase cost?
Chatbase lists 4 plans. Hobby: $32 per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 monthly).
What platforms does Chatbase work on?
Chatbase is available on Web.
Does Chatbase offer any discounts?
Chatbase publicly lists the following: 20% off with yearly billing.
Does Chatbase have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Chatbase is listed for Web.
Does Chatbase have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Chatbase is listed for Web.
Is Chatbase open source?
Chatbase is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Chatbase have an API?
Yes. Chatbase offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Chatbase integrate with?
Chatbase's listing names Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp and Zapier.
Who makes Chatbase?
Chatbase is made by Chatbase Inc.
What are the alternatives to Chatbase?
The closest alternatives to Chatbase in our directory are Intercom, Tidio, Kommunicate, Zendesk and Crisp.
How does Chatbase compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Chatbase's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 1.
Is Chatbase good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Chatbase D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $32 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 13 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Chatbase?
To replace Chatbase you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Chatbase’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Chatbase's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Chatbase Inc. Prices change, so check chatbase.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Chatbase, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/chatbase
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Chatbase: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/chatbase
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/chatbase/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Chatbase, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Chatbase’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Chatbase is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Chatbase Inc. Prices and plans change: check chatbase.co before you buy.