How Much Does a Chatbot Cost?
Live chat runs $75–$150 per seat per month — covering business hours only. AI chatbots start at $29/mo flat and run 24/7. Enter your numbers to see the difference.
How We Calculate Live Chat Costs
The live chat cost estimate uses $75 per seat per month as the industry average — derived from published pricing for Intercom ($74/seat), Zendesk ($55/seat), Tidio ($29 for one agent, $19/seat at scale), and Freshchat ($69/seat). We use $75 as a conservative middle-ground figure.
For coverage hours, the calculator applies a multiplier to account for additional seats required across shifts. 8h/day (single business-hours shift) uses the base rate. 12h/day adds 50% for extended shift overlap. 24/7 applies a 3x multiplier, representing the minimum staffing needed to cover three 8-hour shifts continuously.
Envoy cost is shown at the Starter plan rate of $29/mo (monthly billing). Yearly billing reduces this to $23/mo. A free plan is also available. Envoy has no per-seat fees, no per-conversation charges, and handles unlimited simultaneous conversations.
Live chat pricing data sourced from publicly listed rates as of 2026. Actual costs vary by vendor, plan tier, and contract terms. This calculator is for illustrative purposes.
Chatbot Pricing — Common Questions
How much does an AI chatbot cost per month?
Envoy has a free plan, and paid plans start at $29/mo (monthly billing) or $23/mo billed yearly — a flat cost with no per-seat fees, no per-conversation charges, and no setup cost. That is a single fixed line item vs. the $75–$150/seat/month typical of live chat platforms.
How much does live chat software cost?
Live chat platforms cost $50–$150 per agent seat per month on published rates (Intercom starts at $74/seat, Zendesk at $55/seat, Tidio at $29 for one seat). A two-agent setup runs $100–$300/mo and only covers business hours. 24/7 coverage requires additional seats or shift scheduling, which compounds the cost significantly.
Is AI chatbot cheaper than live chat?
For the vast majority of small businesses, yes. A single live chat seat at the industry average ($75/mo) already costs 2.6x more than Envoy Starter — and that one seat only covers one conversation at a time, during business hours. Envoy handles unlimited simultaneous conversations, 24/7, with no seat limits.
What does the calculator use for its live chat cost estimate?
The calculator uses $75 per seat per month as the industry average — sourced from published pricing for Intercom, Zendesk, Tidio, and Freshchat. For 24/7 coverage, a multiplier is applied to account for the additional seats needed across shifts. For 8h/day coverage (single shift), the base rate applies directly.
More Envoy Resources
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AI Chatbot vs Live Chat
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