# HeyKiko vs Botpress: an honest comparison

> HeyKiko vs Botpress: a ready agent versus a platform to build your own, with pricing, WhatsApp, channels, handoff and open source. Checked November 2026.

Canonical: https://heykiko.io/compare/heykiko-vs-botpress
Last updated: 2026-11-04

4 November 2026 · Botpress's prices checked 4 November 2026 · by the HeyKiko team

Botpress is the better pick if you want to build and customise your own agent, with code, an SDK, many channels, a free plan and helpdesk integrations. HeyKiko suits businesses that want a ready agent on their website, WhatsApp and Telegram in minutes, from $29 a month, with booking, campaigns and a shared inbox built in.

## Key takeaways

We make HeyKiko, so we aren't neutral. Every fact about Botpress links to its own pages below, and we say where it's the better choice.

| What matters | Better fit | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How you set it up | Depends on your team | Botpress is a platform you build on, with a visual studio, code and an SDK; HeyKiko is ready to answer once it has read your content. |
| WhatsApp | HeyKiko | On every HeyKiko plan, from $29; Botpress lists WhatsApp from its Plus plan at $189 a month. |
| Telegram and website chat | Either | Both connect a website chat and a Telegram bot. |
| Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS, email | Botpress | Botpress connects all of them; HeyKiko doesn't offer them as chat channels. |
| Voice calls | HeyKiko | HeyKiko's AI answers WhatsApp calls (Pro at $199); Botpress lists its voice channel on Enterprise. |
| Human takeover | Either | Botpress Desk hands chats to your team, or into Zendesk, Intercom or HubSpot; HeyKiko has its own shared inbox. |
| Campaigns | HeyKiko | HeyKiko sends WhatsApp and email campaigns; Botpress doesn't document campaigns. |
| Integrations and API | Botpress | Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify, Zapier and an SDK; HeyKiko has none of these yet. |
| Free plan | Botpress | Botpress has a free plan; HeyKiko has a 14-day free trial. |
| Security certifications | Botpress | Botpress states SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA and CCPA. |

## Which is cheaper, HeyKiko or Botpress?

At 250 AI conversations a month HeyKiko costs $29 and Botpress $189; at 3,000 it's $199 against $1,689. Here is the cheapest way to get each volume on each.

| AI conversations a month | HeyKiko | Botpress |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 250 (about 1,000 replies) | $29 (Starter (2,000 credits)) | $189 (Plus (250 conversations included)) |
| 1,000 (about 4,000 replies) | $119 (Growth (10,000 credits)) | $709 (Plus + 800 extra conversations (250 conversations included)) |
| 3,000 (about 12,000 replies) | $199 (Pro (20,000 credits)) | $1,689 (Team + 1,500 extra conversations (1,500 conversations included)) |

Monthly billing, before tax. Botpress counts a conversation when a customer sends at least two messages in a month, and each includes $0.10 of AI usage; heavier AI use is topped up separately. Extra conversations come in packs of 100 ($65 on Plus, $50 on Team), added automatically. We count about four HeyKiko replies per conversation, and Meta bills WhatsApp messages separately on both. HeyKiko prices are our live plans in USD; see [pricing](/pricing) for every limit.

## Build your own, or ready-made?

Botpress is a platform for building agents: a visual studio, code, an SDK and a hub of integrations, with a Knowledge Agent that answers from your website and files and cites its sources. It suits teams with someone to design and maintain the agent.

HeyKiko has nothing to build. You paste your website, upload files and connect your channels, and Kiko answers with sources, books appointments and hands off by the rules you choose. It suits businesses that want it working this week.

## How does pricing work on each?

Botpress has a free plan, then Plus at $189 a month ($150 billed yearly) for 250 conversations and 3 seats, and Team at $939 ($750 yearly) for 1,500 conversations and unlimited seats. Each conversation includes $0.10 of AI usage, and packs of 100 more conversations are added automatically when you near your limit.

HeyKiko's plans include an allowance of AI credits (2,000 AI credits from $29), your team members and every channel; a normal reply uses one credit, and you top up when you choose.

## Which channels do they work on?

Botpress connects a website chat, WhatsApp through Meta's official API (from Plus), Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS and email, with a voice channel on Enterprise.

HeyKiko works on your website, WhatsApp and Telegram on every plan, and its AI answers WhatsApp voice calls on plans with calls. It doesn't offer Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS or email as chat channels.

## Can a person take over the conversation?

Yes, in both. Botpress Desk hands a chat to your team inside Botpress, or Botpress hands it into Zendesk, Intercom or HubSpot.

HeyKiko's shared inbox holds website, WhatsApp and Telegram chats in one list; replying pauses the AI for that customer, and cases with approvals handle refunds and requests (Growth and up).

## Can they book appointments or send campaigns?

Botpress books through its Calendly and Google Calendar integrations, configured in your agent. It doesn't document campaigns; its WhatsApp integration can start a conversation with a template.

HeyKiko books into Google Calendar itself, sends WhatsApp campaigns on every plan and email campaigns (Pro and up), and replies to a campaign go straight back to the agent.

## Is Botpress open source?

Partly. Its current cloud platform can't be self-hosted; the open-source repository holds its integrations, SDK and command-line tool. The older Botpress v12 can be self-hosted under the AGPL licence, but it is a legacy version. HeyKiko is a hosted service and isn't open source either.

## How do they handle data and security?

Botpress states SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA and DORA compliance. If a SOC 2 report is a requirement, Botpress offers one today.

HeyKiko lets you decide which knowledge each group of signed-in customers can use, erase one customer's details and chats, set how long conversations are kept, and place a legal hold when everything must be kept.

## HeyKiko and Botpress, feature by feature

| Feature | HeyKiko | Botpress |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website chat | Yes (Every plan) | Yes |
| WhatsApp | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Official API, from Plus) |
| Telegram | Yes (Every plan) | Yes |
| Instagram and Messenger | No (Not offered) | Yes |
| AI answers voice calls | Yes (WhatsApp calls, Pro and up) | Partly (Voice channel on Enterprise) |
| Shared inbox with takeover | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Botpress Desk, or your helpdesk) |
| Books into Google Calendar | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Through integrations) |
| Cases with approvals | Yes (Growth and up) | Partly (Through your helpdesk) |
| WhatsApp campaigns | Yes (Every plan) | No (Not documented) |
| Email campaigns | Yes (Pro and up) | No (Not documented) |
| Helpdesk and CRM integrations | No (Not yet) | Yes (Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify) |
| Free trial | Yes (14 days, no card) | Yes (Free plan) |
| Starts at, billed monthly | $29 (2,000 AI credits) | $189 (Plus: 250 conversations, 3 seats) |

## Should you choose HeyKiko or Botpress?

**Botpress is the better choice if you:**

- Want to build and customise your agent with a visual studio, code and an SDK
- Need Messenger, Instagram, Slack, SMS or email as channels
- Want handoff into Zendesk, Intercom or HubSpot, or Salesforce and Shopify connected
- Want a free plan to prototype, or need SOC 2 or HIPAA

**HeyKiko is the better choice if you:**

- Want an agent that works this week, with nothing to build or maintain
- Want WhatsApp from your first plan, at $29 a month rather than $189
- Want WhatsApp and email campaigns, and Google Calendar booking built in
- Get WhatsApp calls and want AI to answer them
- Want a monthly price without overage packs added automatically

## How to move from Botpress to HeyKiko

1. **Bring your knowledge**: Paste your website address into HeyKiko and upload the files your Botpress knowledge base used. Kiko reads them and shows what it learned.
2. **Turn flows into instructions**: Write the rules your flows enforced (what to ask, when to hand over) as Kiko's instructions and hand-off rules.
3. **Move your channels**: Disconnect your WhatsApp number from Botpress, then connect it in HeyKiko with Meta's own sign-up; paste your Telegram bot's token.
4. **Test before you switch**: Ask your common questions in the playground and compare the answers before you go live.

## How we compared

We read Botpress's own pricing page, product pages and docs on 4 November 2026. HeyKiko's column comes from our live plans. Prices are monthly billing in USD before tax unless shown otherwise; both products bill differently per AI model, and both pass WhatsApp message fees through from Meta. If something here is out of date, [tell us](/contact).

- [Botpress pricing](https://botpress.com/pricing)
- [Botpress integrations](https://botpress.com/integrations)
- [Botpress WhatsApp docs](https://botpress.com/docs/integrations/integration-guides/whatsapp/introduction)
- [Botpress trust centre](https://trust.botpress.com)

## HeyKiko vs Botpress: questions

### What is the main difference between HeyKiko and Botpress?

Botpress is a platform to build your own agent, with code, an SDK, many channels and integrations. HeyKiko is a ready-made agent for your website, WhatsApp and Telegram, with a shared inbox, booking and campaigns built in.

### Which is cheaper, HeyKiko or Botpress?

For a ready agent on WhatsApp, HeyKiko usually is: about 250 conversations a month cost $189 on Botpress Plus against $29 on HeyKiko, and about 1,000 cost $709 against $119. Botpress's free plan costs nothing, but doesn't include WhatsApp. Prices as of 4 November 2026.

### Is Botpress free?

Botpress has a free plan with a small number of conversations. WhatsApp and higher limits start on its Plus plan at $189 a month.

### Is Botpress open source?

Its current cloud platform isn't self-hostable; the open-source repository holds integrations, the SDK and the CLI. The older v12 can be self-hosted under the AGPL licence but is a legacy version.

### Does Botpress work on WhatsApp?

Yes, through Meta's official API, from its Plus plan. HeyKiko includes WhatsApp on every plan and its AI also answers WhatsApp calls.

### Do I need to code to use HeyKiko?

No. You paste your website address, upload files and connect your channels; there are no flows to build. If you want to design every step yourself, Botpress gives you more control.

### Is there a free trial?

HeyKiko has a 14-day free trial with no card. Botpress has a free plan instead.

### Can I move from Botpress to HeyKiko?

Yes, by setting the agent up again: import your website and files, write your flows' rules as instructions, move your WhatsApp number after disconnecting it from Botpress, and connect your Telegram bot.

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