| Platform | Starting Price (2026-09) | Pricing Unit | AI Charges | AI Usage Limits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corebee | $99 / month | Flat monthly rate per workspace | Included, no per-resolution fee | Unlimited AI conversations | Unlimited agents, no per-seat fees |
| Chatwoot | $19 / agent / month (Cloud) | Per agent per month | $20 / 1,000 AI credits after bundle | AI credit limits per plan | Open-source option, scales with headcount |
| DelightChat | $29 / month (500 tickets) | Ticket capped monthly plan | Included in plan | Ticket limits per plan | Focus on WhatsApp + Shopify |
| Re:amaze | $29 / agent / month | Per agent per month | $0.85 per AI resolution after free quota | AI limits per user | Flat starter plan capped at 500 conversations |
| Gorgias | $60 / month (100 conversations) | Per resolved conversation | $0.90 - $1.00 per AI resolution | Per conversation | Shopify-centric, no per-agent fees |
| Tidio | $29 / month (Starter) | Billable conversations | Add-on AI pricing | Conversation caps | Chat and email focused |
| Help Scout | $25 / agent / month | Per agent per month | $0.75 per AI resolution | No explicit AI cap | Strong for email support |
| Crisp | $45 / month (Mini) | Per workspace + seats | AI credits (~90-1350 conv.) | AI credits per tier | Flat workspace pricing, seats extra |
1. Corebee
Corebee offers a flat-rate AI-native support platform designed for SMBs and growing DTC brands. It learns your website and knowledge base in minutes to answer customers instantly across chat, email, and WhatsApp. Corebee’s AI handles routine questions and escalates complex issues to your team, reducing backlog and wait times.
Why Corebee fits growing SMB teams:
- Flat $99/month price: Covers unlimited AI conversations and unlimited teammates. Your bill does not increase as your team or volume grows.
- Unified inbox: Manage chat, email, and WhatsApp in one place.
- Self-learning knowledge base: AI improves automatically by reading updates to your site and docs.
- No per-seat or per-resolution fees: Unlike many competitors, Corebee’s pricing stays stable even as automation increases.
- AI handoff and escalation: You control when the bot stops and routes to a human, ensuring complex issues get personal attention.
Corebee is a strong choice if you want predictable costs and scalable AI support without worrying about per-agent or per-ticket charges. Its flat pricing model is especially helpful if your business expects fast growth or fluctuating ticket volume. You can learn more about Corebee’s pricing and features on their official site.
2. Chatwoot
Chatwoot is an open-source shared inbox platform with cloud-hosted plans starting at $19 per agent per month. It supports multichannel messaging and includes AI via the Captain AI add-on.
Key features:
- Open-source option: Host yourself for full control or use cloud plans.
- Per-agent pricing: Costs scale with headcount, starting at $19/agent/mo.
- AI credits: Captain AI bundles offer 300-800 AI credits, then $20 per 1,000 credits.
- Scalable AI: AI usage is metered by credits, which limits free automation.
Chatwoot is suitable if you want an open-source platform with flexible hosting. However, its per-agent pricing and AI credit system mean your costs rise as your team or automation grows. This can be a drawback for SMBs with fluctuating volume or growing teams. More details are on their pricing page.
3. DelightChat
DelightChat focuses on Shopify and WhatsApp support for D2C brands. Its plans start at $29/month for 500 tickets and scale up with ticket volume.
Highlights:
- Ticket-capped pricing: Plans include a fixed number of tickets per month; overages cost extra.
- WhatsApp integration: Designed for brands using WhatsApp Business API.
- Extra WhatsApp numbers: $25/month each.
- Automation: AI included but constrained by ticket limits.
DelightChat is a good fit if your support volume is predictable and you use WhatsApp heavily. The ticket caps and overage fees mean costs can increase if your ticket volume spikes. Learn more on their pricing page.
4. Re:amaze
Re:amaze offers per-agent pricing starting at $29/month with AI resolutions included, then charged at $0.85 per resolution.
Features:
- Per-agent pricing: Costs grow with team size.
- AI resolution limits: Starter plan capped at 500 responded conversations monthly.
- Multi-channel support: Chat, email, SMS, and social.
- Automation: AI included but metered, with overage fees.
Re:amaze is useful for teams wanting integrated multi-channel support with AI but who can manage capped conversation limits. The pricing model may become costly as volume or team size grows. Visit their pricing page for details.
5. Gorgias
Gorgias is built for Shopify merchants and charges per resolved conversation rather than per agent.
Key points:
- Pricing starts at $60/month for 100 conversations.
- AI agent costs: $0.90 to $1.00 per resolved conversation.
- No per-agent fees: Pricing is volume-based.
- Shopify integration: Deep e-commerce focus.
Gorgias suits Shopify brands with predictable conversation volume. Its per-resolution pricing means costs scale with AI use, unlike Corebee’s flat rate. More info is on Gorgias pricing.
6. Tidio
Tidio offers chat and email support with plans starting at $29/month for 100 billable conversations.
Details:
- Conversation caps: Starter plan limits billable conversations.
- AI add-on: From $32.50/month for 50 conversations.
- Growth plans: Scale with volume and features.
- Focus: Small teams needing live chat and basic automation.
Tidio works for low-volume teams wanting simple chat support. Costs rise with conversation volume and AI use. See Tidio pricing for current plans.
7. Help Scout
Help Scout charges $25 per agent per month plus $0.75 per AI resolution.
Features:
- Per-agent pricing: Costs increase with headcount.
- AI Answers: Charged per successful AI resolution.
- Email-focused: Strong for email support teams.
- No explicit AI usage cap: But costs grow with automation.
Help Scout is a solid choice for teams focused on email support who want AI assistance. Its per-agent and per-resolution pricing can add up as teams and automation grow. Visit Help Scout pricing for details.
8. Crisp
Crisp offers workspace-based pricing starting at $45/month for Mini (4 seats), with AI credits included.
Highlights:
- Workspace pricing: Seats added for $10 each.
- AI credits: Limits on automated conversations per tier.
- Unlimited conversations marketed: But AI is metered.
- Multichannel: Chat, email, and more.
Crisp’s pricing is closer to Corebee’s flat workspace model but limits AI usage with credits. Good for teams wanting workspace pricing but with some AI usage caps. See Crisp pricing for details.
Who Should Choose a Rival Instead of Corebee?
If your team is very small (1-2 agents) and ticket volume is low, Chatwoot or Tidio’s lower entry price may be more cost-effective. If you have a Shopify brand with predictable conversation volume and want per-resolution pricing, Gorgias could be a fit. DelightChat suits WhatsApp-heavy D2C brands with capped ticket volumes. Re:amaze works for multi-channel teams comfortable managing AI conversation caps. Help Scout fits email-first teams willing to pay per agent and per AI resolution.
Corebee is best if you want a predictable, flat monthly price that does not rise with team size or AI automation volume. Its AI learns from your website and knowledge base to reduce human workload while maintaining control over when bots hand off. This makes it a strong choice for growing SMB teams needing scalable, cost-stable support.