Best for
Best free AI chatbots
Seven tools in this comparison have a free plan. Only two include any AI answering, and Tidio's is a one-off allowance.
A free chat widget is easy to find. A free chat widget that answers with AI is not: most free tiers are live chat or scripted flows, and the AI agent starts on a paid plan or add-on. This table separates the two.
| Tool | AI on free plan | What is free | First paid step |
|---|---|---|---|
| BotpressAI agent builder | Yes | Free plan with 100 conversations a month | Plus: $150a month, billed annually |
| Tidio (Lyro)Website chat with an AI agent | Yes | Free plan with 50 Lyro conversations once, not monthly | Starter: $24.17a month, billed annually |
| CrispShared inbox with an AI agent | No | Free plan for 2 seats, without AI | Mini: $45per workspace a month, billed monthly |
| Freshchat (Freddy AI)Messaging inbox with an AI agent | No | Free for up to 10 agents (AI agent not included) | Growth: $19per agent a month, billed annually |
| HubSpot Breeze Customer AgentCRM with an AI agent | No | Free CRM chat is rule-based. The AI agent needs a paid plan. | Professional: $90per seat a month, billed annually |
| LandbotNo-code bot builder | No | Free plan with 100 chats, without AI | Starter: €32a month, billed annually |
| ManyChatSocial messaging automation | No | Free plan | Essential: $14a month, billed annually |
Listed with AI-capable free plans first, then alphabetically. This table is not a ranking.
The two with free AI
Botpress
100 conversations a month on the free plan, with AI agents. It can't buy extra conversations, so a busy month simply stops at 100. The pricing page doesn't state the AI usage limit on Free.
Tidio
50 Lyro AI conversations, once per account rather than each month. Enough to test Lyro on real visitors; after that, Lyro starts at $32.50 a month for 50 a month.
Free, but without AI
Freshchat (up to 10 agents), Crisp (2 seats) and Landbot (100 chats) give you live chat or scripted flows for nothing. HubSpot's free CRM chat is rule-based. ManyChat's free plan is for social DMs and doesn't list Manychat AI, which starts on Pro.