AI-powered customer support platform with omnichannel inbox and chatbots
Free / $45/mo
Free Tier
Crisp is a customer support platform that consolidates messages from email, live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, and other channels into a single shared inbox. It lets teams build and deploy AI agents trained on their own content to automate support conversations, and includes a knowledge base, CRM, and no-code workflow automation. The platform targets small to large businesses needing multi-channel customer communication with AI assistance.
Pros
Flat-rate workspace pricing means no per-seat costs as your team grows
AI agents can be trained on your existing content (website, PDFs, knowledge base)
True omnichannel support: chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Line, Viber in one inbox
Cons
Free tier has no AI credits and very limited features (only website chat widget)
Automated conversation limits could be restrictive for high-volume support teams (only ~1350 on the highest non-enterprise plan)
Multi-channel messaging (WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS) requires at least the $95/mo Essentials plan
Best for:Support teams needing omnichannel inbox with AI-powered automation
Google's conversational AI assistant for writing, coding, and reasoning
Free / $19.99/mo
Free Tier
Google Gemini is a conversational AI assistant that leverages Google's large language models to help users with writing, coding, research, image analysis, and general question answering. It integrates tightly with Google Workspace and Search, making it especially useful for users already in the Google ecosystem. The free tier provides capable general assistance, while the paid Advanced tier unlocks larger context windows and Workspace integration.
Pros
Deep integration with Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Sheets) for contextual assistance
Free tier provides access to capable Gemini models without payment
Real-time access to Google Search for up-to-date information and grounded responses
Cons
Paid plan is bundled with Google One storage, so you pay for storage even if you only want AI features
Less extensible plugin/tool ecosystem compared to ChatGPT's GPT Store
Workspace integration requires Google One AI Premium subscription — no standalone option
Best for:Google Workspace users wanting an AI assistant for writing, research, and coding
Chat marketing automation for Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger & SMS
Free / $15/mo
Free Tier
ManyChat is a chat marketing automation platform that helps businesses automate conversations across Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS using a visual flow builder. It enables marketers and e-commerce businesses to capture leads, drive sales, and engage audiences through automated DM responses, comment triggers, and AI-powered chat flows without writing code.
Pros
Visual drag-and-drop flow builder makes automation accessible to non-technical users
Multi-channel support covering Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, and email in one platform
Comment automation feature turns social engagement into DM conversations automatically
Cons
Pricing scales with contact count, which can become expensive as your audience grows
Heavily dependent on Meta's platform policies, which can change and affect functionality
Free tier includes ManyChat branding on all messages
Best for:Social media marketers and e-commerce brands automating DM conversations at scale
Conversational AI that automates recruiting and hiring for frontline roles
Contact Sales
Paradox is a conversational AI platform that automates recruiting tasks like candidate screening, interview scheduling, and onboarding for high-volume employers. It communicates with candidates via SMS, web chat, and WhatsApp in over 100 languages. Now part of Workday, it is used by large enterprise employers hiring at scale across frontline and hourly roles.
Pros
Supports candidate conversations in over 100 languages across SMS, chat, and WhatsApp
Automates the full funnel from screening to scheduling to onboarding in a single platform
Deep integrations with major ATS, HCM, CRM, job boards, and background check providers
Cons
No self-serve pricing or free tier — requires sales contact and is built for enterprise budgets
Primarily designed for high-volume frontline hiring, less suited for low-volume or specialized roles
Acquisition by Workday may create uncertainty about future standalone availability or lock-in
Best for:Large employers hiring high volumes of frontline and hourly workers
AI-powered customer service platform for faster, smarter support resolutions
Free / $19/mo
Free Tier
Freshdesk is a customer service platform that consolidates support tickets from email, chat, phone, and social media into a unified agent workspace. It uses Freddy AI to auto-resolve routine queries, assist agents with suggestions and summaries, and provide leaders with proactive insights. Designed for businesses of all sizes, it serves 74,000+ companies and offers 1,000+ marketplace integrations.
Pros
Freddy AI handles routine queries automatically, claiming up to 80% resolution rate for AI-handled issues
Unified workspace consolidates all channels (email, chat, phone, social) into a single agent view
1,000+ pre-built integrations available in the Freshworks Marketplace with low-code customization
Cons
AI Agent sessions beyond 500 cost $49 per 100 sessions, which can add up significantly at scale
Freddy AI Copilot and AI Insights are only available on Pro ($55/agent) and above
Per-agent pricing becomes expensive for large teams—25 agents on Enterprise is $2,225/month
Best for:Mid-size support teams needing omnichannel ticketing with AI-assisted resolution
AI-powered conversational marketing and sales platform
Contact Sales
Drift is a conversational marketing and sales platform, now part of Salesloft, that replaces static web forms with AI-driven chat experiences to qualify and route leads in real time. It is designed for B2B sales and marketing teams who want to convert website visitors into meetings and pipeline more efficiently. The platform combines chatbots, live chat, meeting scheduling, and buyer intent data to accelerate revenue generation.
Pros
Real-time lead qualification and routing reduces response time to seconds
Deep integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and major CRMs for unified data
Now part of Salesloft, offering a broader sales engagement ecosystem
Cons
Pricing is not transparent and requires contacting sales, suggesting high cost
Now redirects to Salesloft, indicating Drift may no longer be available as a standalone product
Primarily focused on B2B — not well-suited for B2C or e-commerce use cases
Best for:B2B sales and marketing teams looking to convert web traffic into pipeline via chat
AI chatbot for conversation, writing, coding, and analysis
Free / $20/mo
Free Tier
ChatGPT is OpenAI's conversational AI assistant that handles text and voice-based interactions for tasks including writing, coding, research, analysis, and creative work. It offers a free tier with limited model access and paid tiers with expanded capabilities including image generation, advanced data analysis, and custom GPT creation.
Pros
Free tier provides useful baseline access without payment
Supports a broad range of tasks from writing to coding to data analysis
WhatsApp & Instagram automation for customer support and sales
From $23.99/mo
Chatfuel is a no-code messaging automation platform that helps small and medium businesses automate customer conversations on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok using ChatGPT. It combines chatbot flows, live chat, broadcast messaging, and CRM integrations to handle lead qualification, appointment booking, FAQ responses, and sales follow-ups automatically.
Pros
No coding required with setup possible in under 15 minutes
Multi-channel support covering WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok in one tool
Built-in ChatGPT integration for handling FAQs and product recommendations automatically
Cons
Primarily focused on messaging channels — not suitable as a general-purpose CRM or support platform
Per-message costs ($0.02) can add up for high-volume businesses beyond the base subscription
Limited to WhatsApp/Instagram/Facebook/TikTok — no email, SMS, or web chat support mentioned
Best for:Service-based SMBs wanting to automate WhatsApp and Instagram sales conversations
White-label AI agents & chatbot platform for agencies
From $49/mo
Botsify is a white-label chatbot and AI agent platform built for digital agencies, consultants, and resellers. It allows users to create prompt-based AI agents without coding and deploy them across seven major messaging channels. The platform's core value proposition is enabling agencies to sell chatbot solutions under their own brand with custom pricing and domains.
Pros
Full white-label capability with custom domain, logo, and pricing for agency resellers
AI customer service agent and support platform for SMBs
Free / $29/mo
Free Tier
Tidio is a customer service platform that combines live chat, a help desk ticketing system, chatbot automation flows, and an AI agent (Lyro) to help small and medium businesses handle customer support at scale. The AI agent resolves up to 67% of conversations automatically using verified knowledge bases, while human agents handle complex cases through an organized help desk interface. The platform integrates with 120+ tools including major e-commerce, CRM, and messaging platforms.
Pros
Lyro AI Agent achieves up to 67% resolution rate with a money-back guarantee if it doesn't reach 50%
Multichannel support across live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and email from one inbox
No-code setup — add AI agent to your website in minutes without technical knowledge
Cons
Free tier is very limited at only 50 conversations per month, quickly outgrown by active businesses
Higher tiers (Plus at $749/month) become expensive, making the jump from Growth to Plus quite steep
AI agent is trained only on your provided support content — requires well-maintained knowledge base for good results
Best for:SMBs wanting to automate customer support while keeping a human touch
