Sticker prices rarely tell the full story. SiteGPT charges $25 per extra seat and $0.01 per conversation over 2,000. Intercom starts at $74/month for just one seat with no annual discount. Tidio's base plan caps at 1,000 conversations. When you factor in your actual usage — team size, conversation volume, and integrations — the "cheap" option often becomes the most expensive.

Overage fees are charges for exceeding your plan's conversation limit. Chatbase charges $0.005 per extra conversation. SiteGPT charges $0.01. If your chatbot is successful and traffic grows, these fees add up fast. A business doing 3,000 conversations on Chatbase's $19 plan pays an extra $5/month in overages. Over a year that's $60 in hidden costs — more than triple the base plan price.

Prices are sourced from each platform's public pricing page as of May 2026. We update them quarterly. The comparison uses the entry-level paid plan for each platform (not free tiers). Your actual cost may vary based on promotional pricing, custom enterprise quotes, or plan changes. Always verify current pricing on the vendor's website before purchasing.

Envoy offers unlimited conversations on all plans, includes 3 seats at no extra charge, and has a 20% annual discount. This means no surprise overages as you grow, no per-seat fees for small teams, and predictable costs. For most small businesses doing under 5,000 conversations per month, Envoy's total first-year cost is typically the lowest or near-lowest when all factors are included.

Best value, not cheapest. The cheapest option today may cost more tomorrow when you add seats, hit conversation limits, or need missing integrations. Look at total first-year cost, growth tolerance (how the price scales with usage), integration support, and AI quality. A platform that costs $50 more upfront but saves you $200 in overages and integration work is the better investment.