# HeyKiko vs Chatbase: an honest comparison

> HeyKiko vs Chatbase: channels, WhatsApp and Telegram, voice calls, human takeover, booking and real monthly costs compared. Checked November 2026.

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

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

Chatbase is the better pick if you need Instagram, Messenger, Slack or email as channels, helpdesk and CRM integrations, or SOC 2 compliance. HeyKiko suits businesses that talk to customers on WhatsApp, Telegram and their website, with Google Calendar booking, a shared inbox on every plan and AI that answers WhatsApp calls.

## Key takeaways

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

| What matters | Better fit | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website chat and WhatsApp | Either | Both have a website chat and connect to WhatsApp through Meta's official API. |
| Telegram | HeyKiko | On every plan; Chatbase doesn't offer Telegram. |
| Instagram, Messenger, Slack, email | Chatbase | Chatbase offers all four as chat channels; HeyKiko doesn't. |
| Phone calls | Depends on the line | Chatbase answers regular phone lines (Basic and up); HeyKiko answers WhatsApp calls (Pro and up). |
| Human takeover | HeyKiko | A shared inbox on every plan; Chatbase's Helpdesk starts on Basic at $150 a month. |
| Appointment booking | HeyKiko | Books into Google Calendar itself; Chatbase books through Cal.com or Calendly actions. |
| Helpdesk and CRM integrations | Chatbase | Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify and more; HeyKiko has none yet. |
| Security certifications | Chatbase | Chatbase states SOC 2 Type II and offers a HIPAA BAA on Enterprise. |
| Entry price | HeyKiko | $29 a month for 2,000 AI credits, against $40 for 700 message credits. |

## Which is cheaper, HeyKiko or Chatbase?

At 1,000 AI replies a month HeyKiko costs $29 and Chatbase $80; at 12,000 it's $199 against $470. Here is the cheapest way to get each volume on each.

| AI replies a month | HeyKiko | Chatbase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1,000 | $29 (Starter (2,000 credits)) | $80 (Hobby + 1 credit pack (700 message credits included)) |
| 4,000 | $119 (Growth (10,000 credits)) | $150 (Basic (4,000 message credits included)) |
| 12,000 | $199 (Pro (20,000 credits)) | $470 (Basic + 8 credit packs (4,000 message credits included)) |

Monthly billing, before tax, for the cheapest way to get that many AI replies. Chatbase sells extra 1,000-credit packs for $40, which we count when they're cheaper than the next plan. On both, a normal reply uses one credit on the standard model and more on bigger models. Meta bills WhatsApp messages separately on both. HeyKiko prices are our live plans in USD; see [pricing](/pricing) for every limit.

## Which channels do HeyKiko and Chatbase work on?

Both put an AI agent on your website and on WhatsApp through Meta's official API. HeyKiko adds Telegram and answers WhatsApp voice calls. Chatbase adds Instagram, Messenger, Slack and email, and answers regular phone lines through Twilio or your own SIP trunk on its Basic and Business plans.

If your customers are on Instagram or Messenger, Chatbase covers more of them. If they're on WhatsApp and Telegram, HeyKiko gives you one agent and one inbox for both, plus your website.

## Where do their answers come from?

Both learn from your website and files. Chatbase also reads plain text, Q&A pairs, Notion and past support tickets. HeyKiko also reads your product catalogue and, if you connect one, a read-only database for live lookups such as stock or an order's status.

HeyKiko shows the sources behind every answer, and when your knowledge doesn't cover a question it says so and can hand the customer to a person instead of guessing.

## Can a person take over the conversation?

Yes, in both. HeyKiko's shared inbox comes with every plan: website, WhatsApp and Telegram chats in one list. When someone on your team replies, the AI pauses for that customer until the chat is handed back, and a customer who asks for a person is handed over automatically.

Chatbase's Helpdesk, with tickets, takeover and AI-drafted replies, starts on its Basic plan at $150 a month.

## Which one books appointments?

HeyKiko books into Google Calendar itself. It offers real open times, books only the slot the customer picks and confirms it in the chat, following the hours, notice and gaps you set. You can let bookings through or confirm each one.

Chatbase books through Cal.com or Calendly actions, so you need one of those accounts alongside it.

## Can HeyKiko or Chatbase answer phone calls?

They answer different kinds of call. Chatbase's AI answers regular phone numbers through Twilio or your own SIP trunk, on Basic and Business, and call minutes use message credits.

HeyKiko answers voice calls to your WhatsApp Business number (Pro and up), books during the call, flags calls for your team to follow up on WhatsApp, and bills each started minute from the same AI credits. It doesn't answer regular phone lines.

## Can they send WhatsApp campaigns?

Yes. Both send WhatsApp campaigns with Meta-approved templates: Chatbase from its Basic plan, HeyKiko on every plan. Replies to a HeyKiko campaign go straight back to the agent, so it can answer and book.

HeyKiko also sends email campaigns (Pro and up) through your own email account. Chatbase doesn't send email campaigns.

## How do they handle data and security?

Chatbase states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance, offers a HIPAA BAA on Enterprise, and says customer data isn't used to train models. If a SOC 2 report or a BAA is a requirement for you, Chatbase offers them 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 Chatbase, feature by feature

| Feature | HeyKiko | Chatbase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website chat | Yes (Every plan) | Yes |
| WhatsApp | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Official API) |
| Telegram | Yes (Every plan) | No (Not offered) |
| Instagram and Messenger | No (Not offered) | Yes |
| AI answers voice calls | Yes (WhatsApp calls, Pro and up) | Yes (Phone lines, Basic and up) |
| Shared inbox with takeover | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Helpdesk, Basic and up) |
| Books into Google Calendar | Yes (Every plan) | Partly (Cal.com or Calendly) |
| Cases with approvals | Yes (Growth and up) | Partly (Helpdesk tickets) |
| WhatsApp campaigns | Yes (Every plan) | Yes (Basic and up) |
| Email campaigns | Yes (Pro and up) | No (Not offered) |
| Helpdesk and CRM integrations | No (Not yet) | Yes (Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce) |
| Free trial | Yes (14 days, no card) | Yes (7 days) |
| Starts at, billed monthly | $29 (2,000 AI credits) | $40 (700 message credits) |

## Should you choose HeyKiko or Chatbase?

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

- Need Instagram, Messenger, Slack or email as chat channels
- Need Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce or Shopify connected to your agent
- Need SOC 2 Type II, or a HIPAA BAA on Enterprise
- Want AI to answer your regular phone number

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

- Talk to customers on WhatsApp, Telegram and your website, and want one agent and one inbox for all three
- Want appointments booked straight into Google Calendar
- Want human takeover and WhatsApp campaigns from your first plan, at $29 a month
- Want cases with approvals for refunds and special requests (Growth and up)
- Get WhatsApp calls and want AI to answer them

## How to move from Chatbase to HeyKiko

1. **Bring your knowledge**: Paste your website address into HeyKiko and upload the files you gave Chatbase. Kiko reads them and shows what it learned.
2. **Move your WhatsApp number**: Disconnect the number in Chatbase first, then connect it in HeyKiko with Meta's own sign-up.
3. **Swap the website snippet**: Replace Chatbase's embed code with HeyKiko's one line, or link to the full-page chat.
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 Chatbase'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).

- [Chatbase pricing](https://www.chatbase.co/pricing)
- [Chatbase WhatsApp docs](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/integrations/whatsapp.md)
- [Chatbase outbound WhatsApp docs](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/outbound-whatsapp.md)
- [Chatbase docs index](https://www.chatbase.co/docs/llms.txt)

## HeyKiko vs Chatbase: questions

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

Chatbase covers more channels (Instagram, Messenger, Slack, email, regular phone lines) and more helpdesk and CRM integrations. HeyKiko adds Telegram and WhatsApp calls, books into Google Calendar itself, includes a shared inbox on every plan and runs cases with approvals.

### Which is cheaper, HeyKiko or Chatbase?

It depends on volume. At about 1,000 AI replies a month, HeyKiko costs $29 and Chatbase $80; at 4,000, $119 against $150; at 12,000, $199 against $470. Prices are monthly billing as of 4 November 2026.

### Does Chatbase work on Telegram?

Not as of 4 November 2026: Telegram isn't among the channels in Chatbase's docs. HeyKiko works on Telegram on every plan.

### Does Chatbase work with WhatsApp?

Yes. Chatbase connects to WhatsApp through Meta's official API and sends WhatsApp campaigns from its Basic plan. It doesn't answer WhatsApp voice calls.

### Can Chatbase book appointments?

Yes, through Cal.com or Calendly actions. HeyKiko books into Google Calendar directly, without another booking tool.

### Does HeyKiko integrate with Zendesk, HubSpot or Salesforce?

Not yet. If your agent must hand tickets to a helpdesk or write to a CRM, Chatbase is the better fit today.

### Is there a free trial?

HeyKiko has a 14-day free trial with no card. Chatbase has a 7-day trial on its self-serve plans.

### Can I move my Chatbase agent to HeyKiko?

Yes, by setting it up again: re-import your website and files, connect your WhatsApp number after disconnecting it from Chatbase, and swap the website snippet. There's no automatic import of a Chatbase agent's settings.

## Related

- [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 Botpress alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/botpress)
- [Best Wati alternatives](https://heykiko.io/alternatives/wati)