An AI support chatbot answers repeat questions so you do not have to. The catch for a small business is pricing: some tools charge per seat, some per AI conversation, and some per resolved issue. This comparison looks at Tidio, Intercom, Chatbase and Crisp.
We used each vendor's published pricing page, checked October 20, 2026. This is research-based, not a hands-on test, so we do not rate answer quality.
The short answer
| Tool | Free plan | How AI is charged | Starting paid price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Yes, 50 conversations | Lyro add-on by conversations | $24.17/month (Starter) |
| Intercom | No | Fin from $0.99 per outcome, plus seats | $29/seat/month (Essential) |
| Chatbase | No | Monthly message credits | $40/month (Hobby) |
| Crisp | Yes, 2 seats | AI credits in higher plans | $45/month (Mini) |
Tidio
Tidio
Best for starting smallFree live chat, with the AI agent sold as an add-on.
- Free
- 50 conversations, 10 operators
- Starter
- $24.17/month, 100 conversations
- Lyro AI Agent
- From $32.50/month for 50 AI conversations
Free accounts get 50 Lyro AI conversations in total, not per month. Paid Lyro starts at 50 AI conversations a month and goes up to 1,000. The page does not say whether the headline prices assume monthly or annual billing, and it offers an annual option, so check the toggle.
What works
- Free tier lets you try live chat
- Lyro pricing scales by conversation volume
What to watch
- AI is a separate add-on
- Billing basis for headline prices was unclear
Intercom
Intercom
Most powerfulSeat-based help desk plus outcome-based AI pricing.
- Essential
- $29/seat/month
- Advanced
- $85/seat/month
- Fin AI Agent
- From $0.99 per outcome
Fin, Intercom's AI agent, is priced per outcome, with no seats required for Fin itself. Seat plans start at $29 per seat per month. The page mentions a startup programme with 93% off, but gives no eligibility details, and minimums and contract terms were not shown.
What works
- Full help desk and AI agent in one product
- Pay-per-outcome pricing for AI
What to watch
- Costs rise with seats and outcomes
- Contract terms were not visible
Chatbase
Chatbase
Best for a website botTrain an AI agent on your content, priced by message credits.
- Hobby
- $40/month, 700 message credits
- Standard
- $150/month, 4,000 credits
- Annual billing
- Hobby $32/month
Chatbase is focused on AI agents rather than a full help desk. Hobby includes 1 AI agent, 2 seats and 700 message credits a month. Extra agents cost $300 per year each. There is no free plan on the page we read.
What works
- Simple to understand credit-based pricing
- Focused on a trained website bot
What to watch
- No free plan
- Credits can run out on busy sites
Crisp
Crisp
Best free live chatFree plan for live chat; AI features in paid tiers.
- Free
- $0, 2 seats, no AI credits
- Mini
- $45/month, 4 seats, $5 AI credits
- Essentials
- $95/month, 10 seats, AI chatbot
Crisp prices per workspace rather than per seat. The Free plan has no AI credits. Essentials adds an omnichannel AI chatbot and a workflow builder. Crisp's comparison table did not clearly show which AI features each plan includes, so use the plan descriptions as a guide only.
What works
- Per-workspace pricing is easy for small teams
- Free live chat plan
What to watch
- AI starts at Essentials
- Plan table is hard to read for AI features
Which one should you choose?
- Start with Tidio or Crisp if you want live chat first and AI later.
- Choose Chatbase if the goal is a bot that answers from your help content.
- Choose Intercom if you already run a real support team and want one system.
Always keep a clear way for customers to reach a person. See our guide to setting up an AI support chatbot.
How we compared
We read vendor pricing pages on October 20, 2026. We did not run hands-on tests of AI answer quality. Check live prices before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Will an AI chatbot replace my support?
For repeat questions it can reduce the load, but you should still have a human handoff for anything the bot cannot answer.
What is the cheapest way to try one?
Tidio's and Crisp's free plans let you test live chat. Chatbase starts at $40/month.