ChatFrom vs Intercom Fin, Chatbase, Tidio and Botpress
ChatFrom, Intercom Fin, Chatbase, Tidio and Botpress all build AI chatbots that answer from your own content. They differ most in how they charge: monthly credits (ChatFrom, Chatbase), seats plus $0.99 per outcome (Fin), AI conversations added to live chat (Tidio), or conversations (Botpress). ChatFrom suits businesses that want a flat price from $29 a month, a choice of AI model, and hosting in Germany.
Last updated 9 November 2026
How do they compare at a glance?
Each vendor's own pricing page and documentation, read on 15 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars, as the vendors show them.
| ChatFrom | Intercom Fin | Chatbase | Tidio (Lyro) | Botpress | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it charges | A monthly plan of answer credits | Per seat, plus $0.99 per outcome | A monthly plan of message credits | Per human conversation, with the Lyro AI agent as an add-on | Per conversation, with some AI usage included |
| Entry paid price | $29 a month for 7,000 credits | $29 per seat a month, plus $0.99 per outcome | $40 a month for 700 credits | $24.17 a month billed annually, Lyro from $32.50 a month | $150 a month billed annually, for 250 conversations |
| Free plan | Yes, Hobby: 50 credits a month, no card; conversations kept 14 days | No, a 14-day trial | Yes, 50 credits a month; an unused agent is deleted after 14 days | Yes, 50 conversations, and the first 50 Lyro conversations | Yes, 100 conversations |
| You choose the AI model | Yes: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral | No, Fin's own models | Yes, from several providers | No | Yes, per step |
| Answers show their sources | Yes | Yes | Not documented | Yes, as links under the answer | Citations are available to the builder |
| Visual workflow builder | Yes, a canvas of steps | Workflows on Advanced and up, plus Procedures | Procedures: steps with if and else, no canvas | Yes, Flows, plus Lyro procedures | Yes, Botpress Studio |
| Shopify order lookup | Built in, with return requests | Yes, through the Shopify app | Yes | Yes, a Lyro template on every plan, Free included | Through third-party integrations |
| Stripe subscriptions | Built in, after the customer proves their email | Through an MCP template | From the Standard plan ($150) | Not documented | Payment links and customer lookup |
| Meetings booked in the chat | Cal.com and Calendly | Not documented | Cal.com and Calendly | A Calendly booking link (template) | Cal.com and Calendly |
| Your own API and MCP servers | Yes, both | Yes, data connectors and MCP | Custom actions; MCP inside the agent not documented | Yes, both | Yes, both |
| Set up from an AI agent, such as Claude Code (MCP) | Yes: create, add knowledge, try and put live, with an API key | An MCP server for conversations, contacts and help articles; setting up Fin there not documented | Yes, over OAuth: create and configure agents and their sources, read conversations | The Analytics API over MCP; setting up Lyro there not documented | In the ADK, for a bot project on your own computer |
| Channels | Website, share link, iPhone and iPad apps, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Crisp, email | Website and apps, email, voice, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, Slack, Discord | Website, help page, email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, phone, Zendesk, Salesforce | Website, chat page, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, email | Website, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Teams, email and more |
| Help desk with an agent inbox | No: it hands over to your email, Slack or ticket system | Yes, Intercom's inbox | Yes, from the Standard plan | Yes, live chat and tickets | Yes, Botpress Desk |
| Hosted in the EU | Yes, Frankfurt, on every plan; the AI models run at their makers, mostly in the US | Dublin, for new Advanced and Expert workspaces or on contract | Not documented; data is processed in the US | Mainly within the EEA | US by default; residency on Enterprise |
| Open source | The engine, under Apache 2.0 | No | No | No | Its SDK and integrations (MIT); the self-hosted version is retired |
ChatFrom vs Intercom Fin
Fin is the AI agent of Intercom's help desk, sold per seat with a fee for every outcome it reaches. It answers on more channels than most, voice and SMS among them.
Pros
- A full help desk, with Fin in the same inbox
- Many channels, voice, SMS and Instagram among them
- Answers cite their sources
Cons
- $0.99 per outcome on top of seats, so the bill grows with use
- No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- No choice of AI model
- EU hosting only for new Advanced and Expert workspaces, or on contract
- Choose Intercom Fin if you want the AI agent and a full help desk in one place, with a team working its inbox, and a price that grows with every conversation Fin settles is acceptable.
- Choose ChatFrom if you want a flat price that does not grow with each resolved conversation, your own choice of model, booking and Stripe built in, and hosting in Germany on every plan. A thousand outcomes on Fin cost $990 a month before seats; ChatFrom Pro is $29 for about 7,000 answers on GPT-6 Luna, and a conversation usually takes a few answers.
The longer comparison, with what each costs worked out, is ChatFrom vs Intercom Fin: price, channels and setup.
ChatFrom vs Chatbase
Chatbase is the closest in shape: an agent trained on your content, priced in monthly message credits. It offers a choice of models and actions for Shopify, Stripe and calendars.
Pros
- A free plan, and a choice of models from several providers
- Channels ChatFrom lacks: Messenger, Instagram and phone
- A help desk from the Standard plan
Cons
- The entry plan is $40 for 700 message credits
- Stripe and the help desk start at the $150 Standard plan
- Data is processed in the US
- An unused agent on the free plan is deleted after 14 days
- Choose Chatbase if you need channels ChatFrom does not have, such as Messenger, Instagram or phone calls, or a help desk in the same product.
- Choose ChatFrom if you want more answers for the money: ChatFrom Pro is $29 for 7,000 credits. It also suits you if you need Telegram, Discord or Crisp, a workflow canvas, hosting in the EU, or an open-source engine.
The longer comparison, with what each costs worked out, is ChatFrom vs Chatbase: price, models and hosting.
ChatFrom vs Tidio
Tidio is live chat and a help desk for small businesses and shops, with its Lyro AI agent as an add-on priced by AI conversation.
Pros
- Live chat and tickets for your team, with a free plan
- Visual Flows on every plan
- Data processed mainly within the EEA
- Source links under Lyro's answers
Cons
- Lyro is an add-on, priced per AI conversation
- No choice of AI model
- Slack, Telegram and Discord are not documented
- Monthly plans move to a bigger Lyro bundle by themselves at 95% use, unless you switch it off
- Choose Tidio if you want people and the AI answering from one live-chat inbox, mostly on your website and social channels.
- Choose ChatFrom if the AI does most of the answering, you want to choose its model, and you want Stripe, booking in the chat, Slack, Telegram or Discord.
ChatFrom vs Botpress
Botpress is a builder's platform: a visual studio for custom agents, with many channels and integrations, priced per conversation.
Pros
- A visual studio for complex custom agents
- The model chosen per step
- Many channels, Microsoft Teams, Telegram and Discord among them
- Stripe, Cal.com and Calendly integrations
Cons
- Paid plans start at $150 a month, billed annually
- Shopify order lookup only through third-party integrations
- US hosting by default, with residency on Enterprise
- The self-hosted version is retired
- Choose Botpress if a team is building complex custom agents and needs channels such as Microsoft Teams, Line or Viber.
- Choose ChatFrom if you want a chatbot working in minutes from $29 a month, Shopify order lookup built in, and hosting in the EU by default.
Where ChatFrom is strong, and where it falls short
The same questions, asked of ChatFrom.
Pros
- A flat monthly price from $29, with no fee per conversation or outcome
- Six models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Mistral, chosen per chatbot
- Shopify, Stripe, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Cal.com and Calendly built in, plus your own API and MCP servers
- Hosted in Frankfurt on every plan, with an open-source engine
Cons
- No help desk inbox of its own: it hands over to your email, Slack or ticket system
- No Messenger, Instagram, SMS or phone calls
- Several people cannot share one account yet
- A young product from a small studio
How we compared them
We read each vendor's own pricing page and documentation on 15 October 2026. Some vendors show the price for annual billing, and we say where. A feature a vendor documents nowhere is marked "not documented", not "no". Prices and features change, so check the vendor's page before you decide, and if something here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
- Intercom Fin: Pricing, Channels, EU data hosting, MCP server
- Chatbase: Pricing, Data sources, Channels, Privacy policy, MCP server
- Tidio: Pricing, Lyro, Privacy policy, For AI agents, Shopify order status, Automatic upgrades
- Botpress: Pricing, Knowledge sources, Privacy statement, ADK MCP server
Questions people ask when comparing
Which AI chatbot is cheapest?
ChatFrom, Chatbase, Tidio and Botpress all have a free plan to start on (ChatFrom's is called Hobby); Intercom Fin has a 14-day trial. Among paid plans, ChatFrom Pro is $29 a month for 7,000 answer credits, and Chatbase's Hobby plan, its cheapest paid one, is $40 for 700 message credits. Tidio Starter is $24.17 a month billed annually, with its Lyro AI agent from $32.50 a month on top. Fin adds $0.99 for every outcome to its seat price.
Which chatbots let me choose the AI model?
ChatFrom, Chatbase and Botpress let you choose the model. Intercom Fin runs on its own models, and Tidio's Lyro on models Tidio chooses.
Which chatbot platforms are hosted in the EU?
ChatFrom runs in Frankfurt on every plan, and the AI model that writes each answer runs at its maker, mostly in the US. Tidio processes data mainly within the EEA. Intercom Fin offers Dublin for new Advanced and Expert workspaces or on contract. Chatbase and Botpress keep data in the US by default.
Which chatbots can I set up from Claude Code or Cursor?
ChatFrom and Chatbase each have an MCP server that creates and sets up a chatbot: ChatFrom with an API key, Chatbase over OAuth. Intercom's MCP server reads conversations, contacts and help articles, Tidio's serves its Analytics API, and Botpress's works on a bot project on your own computer through its ADK.
Is any of them open source?
ChatFrom's engine, the part that writes the answers, is open source under Apache 2.0. Botpress publishes its SDK and integrations under MIT, though its self-hosted version is retired. Fin, Chatbase and Tidio are closed.
What changed on this page
- 9 November 2026: Tidio's Shopify order lookup is on every plan, including the free one, and not only on Plus and Premium as this page said before. Also added that monthly Tidio plans move to a bigger Lyro bundle by themselves.
- 6 November 2026: Linked the longer comparisons of Intercom Fin, Chatbase and Zendesk on the blog, and the post on Gorgias alternatives for Shopify stores.
- 4 November 2026: ChatFrom's channels now include iPhone and iPad apps, through its iOS SDK.
- 25 October 2026: ChatFrom now connects to HubSpot too, saving each lead as a contact with a note.
- 18 October 2026: ChatFrom's free plan is now called Hobby; what it includes is unchanged.
- 16 October 2026: ChatFrom now offers six models, each maker's newest, in place of nine: GPT-6 Luna and GPT-6.1 Sol, Claude Haiku 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Mistral Large 4.
- 15 October 2026: Added a row on setting a chatbot up from an AI agent such as Claude Code, over MCP, read from each vendor's MCP documentation.
- 13 October 2026: Said where the AI models run: ChatFrom is hosted in Frankfurt, while the model that writes each answer runs at its maker, mostly in the US. The Free plan row now says ChatFrom's Free plan keeps conversations 14 days after their last message.
- 12 October 2026: ChatFrom's models now come from four makers, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Mistral, with DeepSeek's taken off.
- 8 October 2026: First published, from each vendor's pages as they stood that day.
What to do next
The pricing page shows how many answers each ChatFrom plan gives on each model, and the use cases show what a chatbot looks like for support, orders, subscriptions, bookings and leads. You can start on ChatFrom's free Hobby plan with no card and try it on your own documents.
Two more comparisons are on the blog. ChatFrom vs Zendesk is for a team deciding whether it needs a help desk, and Gorgias alternatives for small Shopify stores sets out what Gorgias and seven alternatives cost a small shop each month.