Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are chatbots trained to interpret and simulate human conversations using a process called natural language processing (NLP). The best chatbots for customer service are easy to deploy, able to provide useful responses to customer inquiries based on existing data, and can adapt to new situations over time. We evaluated dozens of providers to identify the eight best AI chatbots for customer service:
- Overall best AI chatbot for unified customer data: Zendesk
- Top free standard AI chatbot: HubSpot
- Best chatbot software for ecommerce customer service: Bitrix24
- Best native website widget: Zobot
- Best for Facebook marketing: Flow XO
- Best industry-specific chatbot templates: REVE Chat
- Best open-source AI chatbot: Pandorabots
- Best for multichannel support: SnatchBot
- Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service Compared
- Zendesk: Overall Best AI Chatbot for Customer Service With Unified Customer Data
- HubSpot: Best Free Basic AI Chatbot
- Bitrix24: Best AI Chatbot for Ecommerce
- Zobot: Best Native Website Widget
- Flow XO: Best for Facebook Marketing
- REVE Chat: Best Industry-specific Chatbot Templates
- Pandorabots: Best Open-source AI Chatbot
- SnatchBot: Best for Multichannel Support
- Bottom Line
Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service Compared
| Provider | Starting Price* | Free Plan? | Our Rating Out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $55 per user | ✕ | 4.57 |
| Visit Zendesk | |||
 | $18 for 2 users | ✓Unlimited users | 4.48 |
| Visit HubSpot | |||
 | $43 for 5 users | ✓Unlimited users | 4.48 |
| Visit Bitrix24 | |||
 | $7 per user(1 active chatbot) | ✕ | 4.42 |
| Visit Zobot | |||
 | $19 for 5 users(15 active chatbots) | ✓(5 active chatbots) | 4.25 |
| Visit Flow XO | |||
 | $44 per user(1 active chatbot) | ✕ | 4.17 |
| Visit REVE Chat | |||
 | $19 per user(10,000 chat messages per month) | ✓(Sandbox messages only) | 4.01 |
| Visit Pandorabots | |||
 | $99 per use(10,000 messages per account) | ✓(2,000 chat messages per account) | 3.99 |
| Visit SnatchBot | |||
*Based on monthly price, billed annually. Monthly billing is available for slightly higher rates.
Zendesk: Overall Best AI Chatbot for Customer Service With Unified Customer Data
Zendesk Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $55 per user
Key Features:
- Standard bots (deliver instant answers via messaging, email, live chat, and ticket forms)
- Up to 1,000 monthly active users (MAU)
- Bot builder
- Email integration
- Customized web widget
- Mobile software development kit (SDK)
- Prechat form
- Unlimited concurrent chats per agent
- Automatic conversation translation (powered by Google Translate)
- File attachments
- Conversation rating
- Transfer between agents and departments
- Social channel engagement
- Voicemail
- Built-in calling with caller ID
- Queue management
- Help center with contextual suggestions
- Unified agent workspace with customer context
- Access to 1,000-plus apps and integrations from Zendesk Marketplace
- Workflows (triggers, ticket sharing, and conversation routing based on agent status and capacity)
- Predefined responses
- Prebuilt analytics dashboards
- Access to Zendesk Help Center, digital support during business hours, on-demand training, and guided learning paths
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user, monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Zendesk has a five-seat minimum requirement for all plans. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
Zendesk AI chatbot showing article recommendations (Source: Zendesk)
Our Expert Opinion
Zendesk tops our list of the best AI chatbots for customer service because of its advanced conversation bot built into its Suite plans. Starting with the Professional tier at $119 per user, monthly, you get access to additional AI tools for automating repetitive tasks and providing insights to resolve customer issues faster. When combined with its productivity tools, this customer support chatbot allows service reps to deliver smart responses to customer queries and to improve the overall customer service experience.
HubSpot: Best Free Basic AI Chatbot
HubSpot Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $0 for unlimited users
Key Features:
- Live chat widget with HubSpot branding
- Conversational bots with limited features (ticket creation, lead qualification, and meeting booking)
- Channel switching (live agents can switch from live chat or Facebook Messenger to email)
- Facebook Messenger integration (send and receive simple messages and replies)
- Email tracking and notifications
- Ticket management
- Ticket pipeline
- Reporting dashboards
- Canned snippets
- Calling SDK
- Mobile app
- Team email
- Email templates
*Pricing based on annual billing on a monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
HubSpot chatbot live chat widget on a company website (Source: HubSpot)
Our Expert Opinion
HubSpot’s free plan not only includes a no-code chatbot builder but also supports an unlimited number of users. You can use the AI customer service chatbot for various tasks, including lead qualification, booking meetings, and personalizing chat responses based on HubSpot CRM data. Unlike most chatbots, HubSpot does not allow you to send broadcasts. However, it offers a wide range of integration options, including live chat software and Zapier.
Bitrix24: Best AI Chatbot for Ecommerce
Bitrix24 Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $0 for unlimited users
Key Features:
- Website widget with live chat, callback request, and contact form
- Omnichannel Contact Center (Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram)
- Queue management
- Task and project management
- CRM with unlimited contacts, leads, and product catalog items
- Sales pipeline
- Sales intelligence (automatic customer journey tracking)
- Website builder
- Ecommerce store builder
- Self-help resources (online training, in-app tooltips, online resources, webinars, and video tutorials)
*Pricing based on annual billing on a monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
Bitrix24 chatbot example (Source: Bitrix24)
Our Expert Opinion
Bitrix24 chatbot offers a wide range of features and capabilities that allows users to automate ecommerce website chat conversations and respond to customer queries. You can also create a chatbot widget to sort out leads, route conversations, generate support tickets, and add information to your CRM database. Its robust set of ecommerce tools makes it ideal for online store owners looking to streamline their business processes.
Zobot: Best Native Website Widget
Zobot Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $7 per user
Key Features:
- Set up one custom chatbot using Zobot
- Codeless bot builder and programmable interface
- 1,000 chat sessions per month
- One customized brand for website, mobile app, and email signature live chat
- Proactive chat trigger rules
- Chat routing rules
- Chat transfer
- Customized brand-specific business hours
- Email templates
- Live visitor insights
- Offline messaging for customers with visitor-side chat history, chat reopening, and credit card masking
- Live chat media (files, voice notes, audio calls, and screen sharing)
- Click-to-call button
- Online resources, such as articles, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and canned replies
- Customer support channels (Website chat widget, mobile app, email signature, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp)
- Daily scheduled reports
- Plugins and integrations
*Pricing based on annual billing on a per-user monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
Zoho SalesIQ hybrid chatbot combines guided flow and AI capabilities in live chat. (Source: Zoho SalesIQ)
Our Expert Opinion
Zobot is an advanced chatbot builder built into the paid plans of Zoho SalesIQ. Its drag-and-drop interface allows you to build functional chatbots without coding. It offers chatbot templates that you can customize for your specific industry. You can embed your chatbot as a native widget on your business website and customize it with your company color and theme. In addition, you can build a hybrid chatbot that integrates Zobot’s AI capabilities with Zoho’s own guided flow chatbot.
Flow XO: Best for Facebook Marketing
Flow XO Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $0 per user
Key Features:
- Flow XO for Chat
- Flow XO for Workflow
- 500 interactions
- Two weeks of logs
- Five bots or active flows
- Multiple channels (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, web, and text messaging)
- Email support
*Month-to-month billing only. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
Flow XO for Chat automated workflow (Source: Flow XO)
Our Expert Opinion
Flow XO is best for business owners that use Facebook marketing because it allows you to create chatbot widgets and landing pages and to connect the bot with Facebook ads. In addition, you can deploy chatbots across various channels, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Slack. You can use its chatbots to automate customer interactions, provide 24/7 support, and streamline your communication processes.
REVE Chat: Best Industry-specific Chatbot Templates
REVE Chat Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $44 for 1 active chatbot
Key Features:
- 1,000 unique engaged visitors per month
- 30 days chat history
- Channels (website and Facebook Messenger)
- Chatbot customization (design, function, and flow)
- Visual bot builder
- Human handover
- Basic reporting
- Access to email support and help center
*Pricing based on annual billing on a monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is available for a higher cost, and two-year billing for a lower cost. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
REVE Chat AI sample chatbot template for customer support (Source: REVE Chat)
Our Expert Opinion
REVE Chat offers industry-specific chatbot templates for banking, education, insurance, HR, telecom, real estate, ecommerce, restaurants, and government entities. Even if you have no coding knowledge, you can use its visual flow builder to create and customize chatbots according to the specific needs of your business. It is also known for its omnichannel support platform and easy implementation of chatbots.
Pandorabots: Best Open-source AI Chatbot
Pandorabots Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $0 per user
Key Features:
- Development sandbox
- Unlimited sandbox messages
- Open-source chatbot libraries
*Month-to-month billing only. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
Creating chatbots in Pandorabots (Source: Chatimize)
Our Expert Opinion
Pandorabots is a popular chatbot development platform that uses AIML to build conversational agents. It boasts a user-friendly interface and advanced AI features like NLP and speech recognition. It is also open-source software that allows developers to maintain access to their code and share it with other users. Another unique feature is its integration with conversational avatars like Rapport that allows you to add a speaking character to your chatbot.
SnatchBot: Best for Multichannel Support
SnatchBot Pricing Plan & Overview*
Cost:
- $0 per bot
Key Features:
- 2,000 monthly messages per account
- Broadcast (bulk messaging)
- NLP
- Live chat
- Export chat
- Detailed reports
- All channels, including Facebook Messenger, Slack, email, API, Skype, Webchat, Twilio, Line, Viber, Telegram, and Africa’s Talking
- SnatchBot store (bot templates and bot directory)
- SnatchBot branding
- Access to community help center
*Pricing based on annual billing on a monthly breakdown. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Pricing is reflected at the time of this publication. We update pricing information regularly but encourage readers to check current pricing here.
SnatchBot hand-off to an agent (Source: SnatchBot)
Our Expert Opinion
With SnatchBot, you can create and deploy chatbots across multiple channels, including Facebook Messenger, Slack, Skype, Webchat, Twilio, Line, Viber, and Telegram. Its omnichannel support capabilities help businesses provide consistent customer experience no matter what platforms they are on. It also offers a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to build chatbots without coding knowledge.
How We Evaluated the Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service
To determine the best AI chatbot for customer service, we evaluated the specific features relevant to assisting with customer requests and providing quality support. These include customizable branding, multilingual capabilities, human takeover mode, and third-party integrations. We also looked at other critical product attributes, including price, customer support, and general software features, such as a no-code chatbot builder and omnichannel capabilities. The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process of the best AI chatbots for customer service:
Pricing considered the availability of a free plan and cost-friendly paid options businesses could afford as they grow. We also looked at the availability of multiple billing options, such as a subscriber to either paying monthly or saving by paying annually. Lastly, we looked at the costs of specifically the AI chatbots, their availability on the lower-tiered plans, and whether or not users need to purchase an add-on.
We examined overall features essential to an AI chatbot for customer service. These include a no-code chatbot builder, its live chat AI features, and omnichannel capabilities. We also wanted to see the provider offer solid reporting and analytics tools.
We evaluated niche features specifically for company reps and service agents to assist customers with their inquiries and questions. Human takeover mode, for example, allows the customer to request assistance from a live human agent when a chatbot cannot sufficiently address their concern. We also wanted to see each product offer multilingual capability, a wide range of integration options, and customizable branding.
Extensive resources and service help prevent poor user experiences when utilizing any of these customer service AI chatbots. We evaluated this category in terms of customer service hours and whether support via phone, live chat, and email is available. Additionally, we examined resources users can access in the self-service center, such as tutorials, forums, or training courses.
In addition to firsthand experience with these service and customer support management products, we evaluated what actual users say about each provider according to reviews. These criteria consider how real customers feel to gain insight into value for the price paid, ease of use when operating and navigating the modules, and how users feel about the customer service tools.
Bottom Line
One of the top benefits of AI chatbots in customer service is fast and 24/7 customer support. They also offer a more personalized experience through NLP, which allows chatbots to understand the intent of the conversation. Zendesk is our overall top pick for the best AI chatbot for customer service because of its advanced features and integrations. However, you could also choose other products depending on your specific business needs.
