A small business needs a bot it can set up without a sales call, run on a free or low-cost plan, and hand over to a person when a customer needs one. Every tool here can be bought self-serve.
The deciding question is where your customers write to you. Website chat points to Tidio Lyro, Landbot or HubSpot. Instagram and Messenger DMs point to Manychat or Chatfuel. Then check whether you need AI answers, because on most of these tools AI costs extra or starts on a higher plan.
Quick picks
- Website chat on a budget: Tidio Lyro — free plan with 10 seats and a live flows bot for 100 visitors a month.
- Already using HubSpot: HubSpot Chatbot Builder — free builder for 2 users that writes into your CRM.
- Instagram and Messenger: Manychat — public price list from US$17 a month.
- Lead-capture flows: Landbot — free plan with 100 chats a month.
The ranking
HubSpot Chatbot Builder
Teams already running sales or support in HubSpot that want a bot writing straight into their CRM7.7- Paid plans from
- US$20 per seat per month
- Pricing model
- Free tool, paid seats
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, Messenger, WhatsApp, Email
HubSpot's chatbot builder is a visual, rule-based bot tool (HubSpot calls the bots chatflows) that comes free with HubSpot's CRM, with the Breeze Customer Agent as a separate AI option. It is built for teams that already keep contacts, tickets and meetings in HubSpot. The builder itself costs nothing; you pay for seats to remove branding and unlock branching, and for HubSpot credits each time the AI agent resolves a conversation.
The catch: Free and Starter accounts cannot add if/then branches to a bot, so the first tier with real conversation logic is Professional at US$100 per seat per month plus a required one-time US$1,500 onboarding fee.
Landbot
Marketing teams in Europe that want lead-capture flows on a website, with prices in euros and data hosted in the EU7.5- Paid plans from
- €40 per month
- Pricing model
- Plan plus usage meter
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger
Landbot is a visual, no-code chatbot builder from Barcelona for websites, WhatsApp and Messenger. It is built mainly for marketing teams that want to capture and qualify leads with button-driven flows, with an optional AI Agent block inside the flow. It charges a flat monthly plan that includes a pool of chats and a smaller, separate pool of AI chats, and it bills a published price for each chat beyond the pool.
The catch: Branding removal, webhooks, CRM integrations and WhatsApp on your own number all start at Professional, so the €40 Starter plan is narrower than its price suggests.
Tidio Lyro
Small online shops and support teams that want an AI agent, simple automations and a shared inbox from one vendor, with published self-serve prices7.5- Paid plans from
- US$29 per month
- Pricing model
- Mixed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Email
Tidio is a live-chat and help-desk suite for small and mid-sized online businesses, with two kinds of bot: Flows, a no-code rule-based builder, and Lyro, an AI agent that answers from your own support content. It is built mainly for e-commerce and support teams that want the bot and the human inbox in one tool. It charges flat monthly fees on three separate meters: human-answered conversations, Lyro AI conversations and unique visitors reached by Flows.
The catch: The US$29 Starter plan buys human-answered conversations, not a working AI agent: its 50 Lyro conversations are a one-off allowance that never resets, and a renewing Lyro quota is a separate purchase starting at US$39 a month.
Manychat
Creators and social-first shops that sell through Instagram, TikTok or Messenger DMs6.9- Paid plans from
- US$17 per month
- Pricing model
- By number of contacts
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, Email
Manychat is a marketing bot: a visual flow builder that replies to comments and direct messages on Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram, with SMS and email as add-on channels. It is built for creators and social-first shops, not for website support, because it has no website chat widget. It charges a flat plan fee that includes a monthly allowance of Active Contacts, then a per-contact price above that allowance.
The catch: A broadcast makes every recipient an Active Contact for that month, so one send to a large list can use up the whole allowance and start per-contact overage unless you set a cap.
Typebot
Developers and technical marketers who want cheap per-chat pricing or a self-hosted bot builder6.7- Paid plans from
- US$39 per month
- Pricing model
- Plan plus usage meter
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp
Typebot is a visual builder for chatbots and conversational forms that you can run on Typebot's cloud or host yourself. It is built for teams that want lead capture and scripted flows on a website, and that are comfortable adding their own AI provider key when they want AI. The cloud charges a flat monthly fee with a set number of chats included, starting at US$39 a month; self-hosting is free under a source-available licence.
The catch: On a paid cloud plan, reaching your chat limit does not pause the bot: after two warning emails Typebot moves your workspace to the next usage tier, so the bill goes up instead.
Chatfuel
Agencies and small sales teams that want an AI agent answering leads on WhatsApp and Instagram6.3- Paid plans from
- US$20 per month
- Pricing model
- Credits
- Free plan
- Partly
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok
Chatfuel is an AI agent that answers and qualifies leads on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok and a website widget. In 2026 the vendor rebuilt it around a language model called Fuely AI and aimed it at small sales teams and marketing agencies. It charges a flat subscription plus a wallet of US-dollar credits that pays for every AI reply and for Meta's WhatsApp fees.
The catch: Chatfuel does not publish what one AI reply costs, and when the wallet reaches zero the bot stops replying until you add money.
Comparison table
| Product | Score | Type of tool | Paid plans from | Free plan | What the bill grows with | EU data hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Chatbot Builder | 7.7 | Bot bundled with a CRM | US$20 per seat per month | Yes | resolutions | Partly | Teams already running sales or support in HubSpot that want a bot writing straight into their CRM |
| Landbot | 7.5 | No-code flow builder | €40 per month | Yes | chats | Yes | Marketing teams in Europe that want lead-capture flows on a website, with prices in euros and data hosted in the EU |
| Tidio Lyro | 7.5 | AI agent for support | US$29 per month | Yes | conversations | Yes | Small online shops and support teams that want an AI agent, simple automations and a shared inbox from one vendor, with published self-serve prices |
| Manychat | 6.9 | Messaging-marketing bot | US$17 per month | Yes | contacts | Yes | Creators and social-first shops that sell through Instagram, TikTok or Messenger DMs |
| Typebot | 6.7 | Open-source builder | US$39 per month | Yes | chats | Partly | Developers and technical marketers who want cheap per-chat pricing or a self-hosted bot builder |
| Chatfuel | 6.3 | AI agent for support | US$20 per month | Partly | credits | No | Agencies and small sales teams that want an AI agent answering leads on WhatsApp and Instagram |
What it costs at three volumes
| Product | What the bill grows with | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Chatbot Builder | resolutions | US$50 | US$500 | US$2,500 |
| Landbot | chats | €0 (Free) | €65 (Starter) | €225 (Professional) |
| Tidio Lyro | conversations | US$75 (Lyro AI Agent 100) | US$700 (Lyro AI Agent 1,000) | Custom quote |
| Manychat | contacts | US$17 (Essential) | US$39 (Pro) | US$99 (Business) |
| Typebot | chats | US$0 (Personal) | US$39 (Starter) | US$89 (Pro) |
| Chatfuel | credits | Not modelled | Not modelled | Not modelled |
How to choose
If customers ask questions on your website and you want live chat and a bot in one place, pick Tidio Lyro because its free plan runs a flows bot and a shared inbox, and you add AI only when you need it.
If your contacts already live in HubSpot, pick HubSpot's chatbot builder because it is free and writes leads, tickets and meetings straight into the CRM. Skip it if you need branching logic on a small budget.
If you sell through Instagram or Messenger DMs, pick Manychat because it is built for comment-to-DM flows and publishes an overage price for every plan. Set an overage cap before your first broadcast.
If you want to capture leads with a guided, form-like chat, pick Landbot because it has a no-code builder, euro pricing and a published price per extra chat. Landbot vs Tidio Lyro compares the two website options.
If someone on your team is technical and you want a large chat allowance for a flat fee, pick Typebot because its plans include thousands of chats and you bring your own AI key.
Verdict
Tidio Lyro is the default pick for a small business that talks to customers on its website: it runs a live bot and a shared inbox on a free plan and covers the main messaging channels. HubSpot's builder scores higher overall, but its free bots cannot branch. Ignore Tidio Lyro if you already work in HubSpot, where the free builder feeds your CRM, or if your customers reach you mainly through Instagram DMs, where Manychat fits better.
For buyers in the United Kingdom
Three rules matter most when a chatbot talks to UK customers. The CMA holds you responsible for what the bot says, exactly as it would for an employee. Under PECR, a chat widget should not set cookies before the visitor opens it unless they have consented, and marketing on WhatsApp, SMS or Instagram DMs needs consent or the soft opt-in. Chat transcripts are personal data under the UK GDPR, so set a retention period and sign a data processing agreement with the vendor.
Vendors publish prices in US dollars, a few in euros, and this site never converts them, so expect your card statement in pounds to move with the exchange rate. Before you buy, check whether the vendor documents UK or EU data hosting, offers a data processing agreement and, if it is a US company, how chat data gets there lawfully. These tools are built in English first, so the interface is rarely a problem. If you also serve customers in Welsh or another language, check which languages the vendor documents for AI answers.
Chatbots and the law in the United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chatbot for a small business?
For a small business that talks to customers on its website, Tidio Lyro is our default pick, because its free plan runs a live flows bot with a shared inbox. HubSpot's chatbot builder scores higher overall and suits teams already in HubSpot. Manychat suits shops that sell through Instagram or Messenger DMs.
Can a small business run a chatbot for free?
Yes, at a small scale. Tidio Lyro, Landbot, HubSpot's chatbot builder, Manychat and Typebot all have permanent free plans, but each caps usage and most leave AI answers out. The free chatbot list gives the exact limit of each.
How much does a chatbot cost a small business?
Entry prices on this list include US$17 a month for Manychat Essential, US$20 per seat a month for HubSpot Starter and US$29 a month for Tidio Starter. AI answers often cost extra, and each tool bills a different unit: contacts, chats, conversations or credits. See how chatbot pricing models work.
Does a small business need an AI chatbot or a rule-based one?
It depends on the questions customers ask. A rule-based chatbot with buttons handles bookings and lead capture predictably and cheaply, while an AI chatbot answers open questions from your own content but costs more per conversation. Our guide to rule-based vs AI chatbots covers the trade-off.
Keep reading
- Best chatbot buildersbest list
- Best chatbots for ecommercebest list
- Best chatbots for customer supportbest list
- Best chatbot builders for lead generationbest list
- Best chatbot builders for WhatsAppbest list
- Best chatbot builders for Instagram and Facebook Messengerbest list
- Best free chatbot buildersbest list
- Best open-source and developer chatbot platformsbest list
- What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent?guide
- How is chatbot software priced?guide
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Researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. We have not built or tested bots on these platforms yet. Method: How we review