# The best Botpress alternatives in 2026 > The best Botpress alternatives for 2026: builders, self-hosted and ready-made AI agents compared by best use, prices and channels. Checked November 2026. Canonical: https://heykiko.io/alternatives/botpress Last updated: 2026-11-05 5 November 2026 · prices checked 4 and 5 November 2026 · by the HeyKiko team The best Botpress alternative depends on whether you still want to build: Voiceflow for chat and phone agents with enterprise controls, Rasa to run it on your own servers, Chatbase or HeyKiko for a ready-made agent, Respond.io for a team inbox across messaging apps, Intercom Fin on top of a helpdesk, and Chatling or DocsBot on a smaller budget. We make HeyKiko, so we've placed it where it fits rather than at the top, and every price links to the tool's own page. ## The 8 best Botpress alternatives at a glance This isn't a ranking: each tool is best for something different. We make HeyKiko, so we placed it where it fits. | Tool | Best for | Starts at | Free option | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Voiceflow | Customer experience teams building chat and phone agents | Pricing on request | Free trial, no card | | 2. Rasa | Developers who must run the agent on their own servers | Free; Enterprise on request | Free Developer Edition | | 3. Chatbase | Many channels and integrations in one AI agent | $40/mo | 7-day trial | | 4. HeyKiko | Businesses on WhatsApp, Telegram and their website | $29/mo | 14-day trial, no card | | 5. Respond.io | Larger teams across many messaging apps | $99/mo | 7-day trial, no card | | 6. Intercom Fin | Support teams on Intercom or an existing helpdesk | $0.99 per outcome | 14-day trial, no card | | 7. Chatling | Small budgets that still want WhatsApp and a live-chat inbox | $25/mo | Free plan; 7-day money-back | | 8. DocsBot | Answering from large documentation and ticket histories | $49/mo | Free plan, no card | ## What Botpress does well Botpress is a strong product, and for some teams it's still the right choice. Its own pages list: - A real builder: a visual studio, code, an SDK and a hub of integrations - A free plan to prototype on, with AI usage included in each conversation on paid plans - Website chat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS and email, plus Zendesk, HubSpot and Salesforce - A built-in helpdesk with hot handoff; SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR ## Why people look for a Botpress alternative - A big jump from the free plan to Plus at $189 a month, for 250 conversations - Packs of 100 extra conversations ($65 on Plus) are added automatically as you near the limit - WhatsApp starts on Plus, voice only on Enterprise, and only the older v12 can be self-hosted - Someone has to design and maintain the agent, which is more than many small businesses want ## What to look for in an alternative 1. **Build it, or have it ready**: A builder gives you control and takes time. A ready-made agent answers once it has read your content. Decide who on your team will look after it. 2. **Where it runs**: If your data must stay on your own servers, few tools allow it. Most are hosted services; check before you build. 3. **How usage is billed**: Conversations, credits, outcomes and usage-based billing behave differently as you grow. Price your real monthly volume, and check what's added automatically. 4. **The channels you need, on the plan you'd buy**: WhatsApp, Telegram, voice and Instagram often start on higher plans. Check the plan, not just the list. 5. **Your security requirements**: If you need SOC 2, ISO 27001 or a HIPAA agreement, check that the tool states it today. ## The alternatives, one by one ### 1. Voiceflow Best for: Customer experience teams building chat and phone agents An AI agent platform for building chat and voice agents with a visual canvas, a choice of models and enterprise controls, hosted by Voiceflow. **Does well:** - Chat and voice in one builder: a website widget, phone numbers (its own in the US and Canada, Twilio or SIP) and SMS - A wide choice of models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta; Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot and Shopify - SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA **Watch for:** - No published prices: businesses request pricing, and billing is usage-based - WhatsApp is listed but we found no setup guide for it, and no Telegram; production runs only on Voiceflow's hosting - Starts at: Pricing on request - Free option: Free trial, no card - Channels: Website, phone, SMS; WhatsApp listed Sources: [Voiceflow pricing](https://www.voiceflow.com/pricing), [Voiceflow security](https://www.voiceflow.com/security), [Voiceflow phone docs](https://www.voiceflow.com/docs/documentation/deploy/phone/connect-a-phone-number) ### 2. Rasa Best for: Developers who must run the agent on their own servers A conversational AI platform for developers, which you can run on your own servers or private cloud, or as a managed service on Enterprise. **Does well:** - A free Developer Edition licence you can use locally or in production: one bot, up to 1,000 external conversations a month - Self-managed on-premises or in a private cloud, so the data stays with you - A no-code flow builder and multi-LLM management on its platform **Watch for:** - Built for engineering teams: you host it, connect channels and maintain it yourself - Enterprise pricing is through sales; channels come through REST and WebSocket connectors, with a paid phone (IVR) add-on - Starts at: Free; Enterprise on request - Free option: Free Developer Edition - Channels: Your own, through REST and WebSocket connectors Sources: [Rasa pricing](https://rasa.com/pricing/) ### 3. Chatbase Best for: Many channels and integrations in one AI agent AI support agents trained on your content, with many chat channels, AI on regular phone lines and a long list of helpdesk and CRM integrations. **Does well:** - Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Slack and email; AI on phone lines from Basic - Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, Shopify, Stripe and Zapier - A wide choice of models; SOC 2 Type II, with a HIPAA BAA on Enterprise **Watch for:** - A small entry plan: 700 message credits for $40; human takeover starts on Basic at $150 - No Telegram; booking needs a Cal.com or Calendly account - Starts at: $40/mo - Free option: 7-day trial - Channels: Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Slack, email, phone Sources: [Chatbase pricing](https://www.chatbase.co/pricing), [Chatbase docs](https://www.chatbase.co/docs/llms.txt) ### 4. HeyKiko Best for: Businesses on WhatsApp, Telegram and their website One AI agent for your website, WhatsApp and Telegram, trained on your own pages and files, that books into Google Calendar, hands chats to your team and answers WhatsApp calls. We make HeyKiko, so read this entry with that in mind. **Does well:** - WhatsApp and Telegram on every plan, with a shared inbox and human takeover - Books appointments into Google Calendar itself, and opens cases with approvals - AI that answers WhatsApp voice calls (Pro and up), plus WhatsApp and email campaigns **Watch for:** - No Instagram, Messenger, Slack or email as chat channels - No helpdesk or CRM integrations yet, and no published SOC 2 report - Starts at: $29/mo - Free option: 14-day trial, no card - Channels: Website, WhatsApp, Telegram, WhatsApp calls Sources: [HeyKiko pricing](https://heykiko.io/pricing) ### 5. Respond.io Best for: Larger teams across many messaging apps A customer conversation platform for mid-market teams, with nearly every messaging app in one inbox and AI agents from its Growth plan. **Does well:** - WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Viber, LINE, WeChat, SMS and email - Calls on phone numbers and WhatsApp, with AI voice agents on Advanced - Broadcasts, booking and HubSpot from Growth; mobile apps; ISO 27001 **Watch for:** - AI agents and knowledge start on Growth, at $199 a month - Priced for teams: $99 a month to start, with contact-based charges on higher plans - Starts at: $99/mo - Free option: 7-day trial, no card - Channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, SMS, email and more Sources: [Respond.io pricing](https://respond.io/pricing), [Respond.io integrations](https://respond.io/integrations) ### 6. Intercom Fin Best for: Support teams on Intercom or an existing helpdesk Intercom's AI agent, billed per outcome. It runs inside Intercom, or on top of Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk. **Does well:** - Works on top of Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot and Freshdesk - $0.99 per outcome, and nothing for a chat handed to your team without one - SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, with hosting in the US, EU or Australia **Watch for:** - Spend grows with outcomes, plus Intercom seats from $39 a month, or a 50-outcome monthly minimum on another helpdesk - No Telegram; Fin Voice is only for select customers through sales - Starts at: $0.99 per outcome - Free option: 14-day trial, no card - Channels: Website, email, WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger, Instagram, Slack Sources: [Fin pricing](https://fin.ai/pricing), [Intercom seats](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205716-seats), [Intercom security](https://www.intercom.com/security) ### 7. Chatling Best for: Small budgets that still want WhatsApp and a live-chat inbox A no-code AI chatbot for websites and messaging apps, with a built-in live chat inbox and booking. **Does well:** - A free plan, then $25 a month for 1,750 AI credits - WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Messenger from its Starter plan - Live chat on every plan; booking through Cal.com, Calendly or Google Calendar **Watch for:** - Credits per message vary widely by AI model, so costs are harder to predict - No SOC 2 or HIPAA stated; HubSpot and Zendesk from $75 a month - Starts at: $25/mo - Free option: Free plan; 7-day money-back - Channels: Website; WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger from Starter Sources: [Chatling pricing](https://chatling.ai/pricing), [Chatling docs](https://docs.chatling.ai) ### 8. DocsBot Best for: Answering from large documentation and ticket histories An AI agent for documentation-heavy support that learns from more than 30 source types, including Confluence, Notion and helpdesk tickets. **Does well:** - 30+ knowledge sources, with the sources shown on answers by default - Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram from $49 a month; voice agents in beta - A free plan with no card, and a 14-day money-back guarantee **Watch for:** - No built-in live chat inbox: handoff goes to Zendesk or Help Scout - SOC 2 and removing branding come with the Business plan at $499 - Starts at: $49/mo - Free option: Free plan, no card - Channels: Website, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack Sources: [DocsBot pricing](https://docsbot.ai/pricing), [DocsBot AI credits](https://docsbot.ai/documentation/doc/ai-credits-faq) ## Which Botpress alternative should you choose? | If you need | Choose | | --- | --- | | Building chat and phone agents with enterprise compliance | Voiceflow | | Running the agent on your own servers | Rasa | | A ready agent with many channels and integrations | Chatbase | | A ready agent on website, WhatsApp and Telegram, with booking and campaigns | HeyKiko | | A larger team on many messaging apps | Respond.io | | AI on top of Zendesk, Salesforce or HubSpot | Intercom Fin | | The lowest price, with WhatsApp and Telegram | Chatling | | Answers from large documentation and ticket histories | DocsBot | | Building your own agent with code, many channels and a free plan | Botpress itself | ## How we chose We included tools that train an AI agent on your own content and talk to your customers, and read each one's own pricing, product and docs pages on 4 and 5 November 2026. Prices are monthly billing in USD before tax; Voiceflow and Rasa Enterprise don't publish theirs; each tool counts AI use differently (credits, messages or conversations), so compare at your own volume. We make HeyKiko, so we aren't neutral: we placed it where it fits and listed its limits too. If something here is out of date, [tell us](/contact). ## Botpress alternatives: questions ### What is the best Botpress alternative? It depends on whether you still want to build. Voiceflow is the closest builder, with chat and phone agents and enterprise compliance; Rasa runs on your own servers; Chatbase and HeyKiko are ready-made agents; Respond.io is a team inbox for many messaging apps. ### Is there an open-source or self-hosted Botpress alternative? Rasa is the self-hosted option here: its free Developer Edition licence runs locally or in production for one bot and up to 1,000 external conversations a month, and Enterprise can be self-managed on-premises or in a private cloud. Botpress's own v12 can be self-hosted under the AGPL licence, but it is a legacy version. ### Is there a cheaper alternative to Botpress? For a ready agent, usually. Botpress Plus is $189 a month for 250 conversations. Chatling starts at $25, Chatbase at $40, and HeyKiko at $29 a month for 2,000 AI credits, with WhatsApp and Telegram included. Prices as of 5 November 2026. ### Which Botpress alternative works on WhatsApp? HeyKiko and Respond.io include WhatsApp on every plan, Chatling and DocsBot from their first paid plan, and Chatbase and Intercom Fin connect it too. HeyKiko also answers WhatsApp voice calls (Pro and up). Voiceflow lists WhatsApp, but we didn't find a setup guide for it. ### Which Botpress alternative can answer phone calls? Voiceflow answers phone lines, with its own numbers in the US and Canada, Twilio or SIP; Chatbase and Respond.io do too. HeyKiko's AI answers WhatsApp calls (Pro and up), not regular phone lines. On Botpress, voice is on Enterprise. ### Is Voiceflow better than Botpress? They're close: both are builders. Voiceflow leans toward chat and phone agents for customer experience teams, with SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA, and doesn't publish prices. Botpress publishes prices, has a free plan and more messaging channels, including Telegram. ### How did you choose these tools? We looked for tools that train an AI agent on your own content and talk to customers, including builders and a self-hosted option, read each one's own pricing, product and docs pages on 4 and 5 November 2026, and wrote what each is best for. We make HeyKiko, so we placed it where it fits rather than first. ## Related - [HeyKiko vs Chatbase](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-chatbase) - [HeyKiko vs SiteGPT](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-sitegpt) - [HeyKiko vs Tidio](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-tidio) - [HeyKiko vs Respond.io](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-respondio) - [HeyKiko vs Intercom Fin](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-intercom-fin) - [HeyKiko vs Botpress](https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-botpress) - [Best Chatbase alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/chatbase) - [Best SiteGPT alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/sitegpt) - [Best Tidio alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/tidio) - [Best Intercom Fin alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/intercom-fin) - [Best Respond.io alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/respondio) - [Best Wati alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/wati) - [HeyKiko pricing](https://heykiko.io/pricing)