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Best AI Chatbots for Website: Top Platforms Compared

Román Filgueira

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10 min read
Best AI Chatbots for Website: Top Platforms Compared

TL;DR – Best AI Chatbots for Websites

AI chatbots help businesses engage website visitors, qualify leads, and guide them toward purchases, demos, or sales. Choosing the right platform depends on the business’s goals and scale.

  • Respond.io: Best for businesses and enterprises that scale with omnichannel sales and marketing.

  • Intercom: Best for SaaS companies needing scalable support and onboarding.

  • Zendesk AI: Best for enterprises requiring full customer support suites.

  • Tidio: Best for small to mid-sized e-commerce teams.

  • Chatbase: Best for quick FAQ bots on company data.

  • Drift: Best for B2B companies focused on lead generation.

  • HubSpot: Best for teams needing CRM-driven AI workflows.

  • ManyChat: Best for creators and micro-businesses on social platforms.

  • Landbot: Best for companies needing simple no-code lead capture.

What is an AI Chatbot for Website?

When visitors land on your website, they’re usually potential leads exploring your business. But without instant engagement, many of them leave without converting.

This is where AI chatbots for websites come in. An AI chatbot for a website is an automated conversational tool that uses artificial intelligence to interact with users.

For example, businesses set AI chatbots to greet visitors 24/7, answer questions, qualify leads and guide them toward booking a demo, making a purchase or speaking with sales.

They have become an important part of the sales funnel with proven results. In fact, websites with chatbots resolve tickets 18% faster than those without them.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to choose the right AI chatbot for your website, review the 9 best options in the market, and share tips on selecting the one that maximizes conversions.

How to Choose the Best Chatbot for Website

Comprehensive features: The chatbot should do more than answer basic questions. Look for AI that can understand intent, qualify leads, route conversations, schedule meetings, and more.

Ease of use: A chatbot that’s hard to set up or requires extensive coding can slow down adoption. Prioritize platforms with intuitive interfaces, templates and guided onboarding. Even advanced AI tools should make it easy to customize chat flows for your website without deep technical knowledge.

Reliable customer support: Your chatbot provider should back you with reliable support. Strong support is especially important if your chatbot handles high-intent leads, where delays or errors could cost conversions.

Transparent, scalable pricing: While website chatbots reduce your operational costs, it is a pity to overpay for them. Compare subscription tiers based on features, AI usage limits and add-ons. Some chatbots charge extra for advanced AI features or additional website traffic. Make sure the plan aligns with your website’s visitor volume and expected lead generation outcomes.

Looking for AI solutions? Use AI Agents instead

Automate greetings, answer questions, and route chats — all without Workflows. Set up the Receptionist template in minutes and unlock more possibilities with AI Agents powered by advanced AI models.

Top 9 Best AI Chatbots for Website

Platform

Pros

Cons

Best For

Respond.io

Omnichannel AI Agents; AI workflows; advanced reporting; deep integrations; highly customizable.

Steep learning curve due to rich feature set.

Businesses needing omnichannel sales and marketing across chat and calls.

Intercom

Strong SaaS focus; large app ecosystem; AI-powered inbox.

Pricing escalates quickly with add-ons and AI usage; limited chat widget customization.

SaaS companies needing scalable support and onboarding.

Zendesk AI

Robust ticketing + AI workflows; strong analytics; enterprise-grade reliability.

Expensive ($149/agent); advanced AI locked behind add-ons; setup takes time.

Enterprises wanting full-suite support with AI-enhanced ticketing.

Tidio

Affordable ($59/month); AI Copilot + chatbots; good analytics; easy setup for SMBs.

Strict AI and automation limits; one-time Lyro AI allowance; limited scalability.

Small to mid-sized e-commerce teams needing live chat + light AI.

Chatbase

Simple to use; fast FAQ bot setup; supports training on docs and websites.

Limited channels; add-ons inflate costs; analytics are basic.

Businesses wanting quick, FAQ-style bots trained on their own data.

Drift

Real-time AI for lead qualification; visitor de-anonymization; deep CRM integrations.

Very expensive (~$2,500+); steep learning curve; features locked to higher tiers.

B2B companies prioritizing website lead gen and sales pipeline.

HubSpot

Native CRM integration; modular AI agents; strong analytics; cross-channel messaging.

Advanced AI only in Pro/Enterprise; setup complexity; onboarding fee (~$3,000).

Teams needing CRM-driven AI workflows for sales and marketing.

ManyChat

Budget-friendly; strong for social platforms; template flows for WhatsApp & IG.

Limited automation depth; poor reporting; weak support.

Creators and micro-businesses focused on social media messaging.

Landbot

No-code flow builder; quick setup; AI trainable on docs; 50+ templates.

AI still in Beta; limited to WhatsApp & web; scaling adds costs quickly.

Companies wanting simple, no-code chatbot workflows for lead capture.

1. Respond.io

Respond.io is an omnichannel business conversation software that centralizes communication from multiple channels — including website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, phone calls, and more — into one unified inbox. It contains advanced features for all businesses, from small to enterprise.

Best for

Growing businesses and enterprises in need of omnichannel messaging and AI chatbots to sell and market.

G2 rating

4.8/5 (360 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.6/5 (38 reviews)

Key features

Pros

  • AI Agents that do far more than FAQs

    • Assign conversations to agents

    • Send links for payments or bookings

    • Update contact details

    • Generate chat summaries

    • Handle voice calls

    • Follow up with unresponsive customers

    • Optimized AI performance for quicker, cleaner responses without unnecessary processing

    • Instant switch to a human agent with no AI interruption for smooth and controlled handoffs

  • Start quickly with role-based AI templates like receptionist, support, sales agents, or design custom ones

  • Embed AI Agents into workflows for tailored customer journeys

  • Train the AI using company resources such as PDFs or website content

  • AI Agents work across all channels, not just web chat

  • Evaluate performance with detailed analytics

  • 24/5 call and chat human support, 34/7 AI support

Cons

  • Feature-rich platform can be overwhelming for new users

Monthly pricing

The Growth plan begins at $159 per month for 10 users. It includes unlimited workflows, unlimited AI credits, advanced reporting and onboarding assistance via chat or call.

2. Intercom

Intercom is a messaging platform created with SaaS companies in mind, combining live chat, chatbots, product onboarding, ticketing, and in-app communication.

Best for

Large-scale organizations seeking a customer engagement platform tailored to SaaS workflows.

G2 rating

4.5/5 (3.592 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.5/5 (1,131 reviews)

Key features

  • In-app chat, messenger, and live chat

  • Bot automation and Fin AI agent

  • Shared inbox and ticketing

  • Automated workflows

  • Product tours and onboarding sequences

  • Help center and knowledge base

  • Over 450 integrations with CRMs and apps

Pros

  • Wide integration ecosystem

  • Strong help center and knowledge base features

  • AI-powered inbox for greater agent efficiency

Cons

  • Pricing can increase sharply with add-ons and usage

  • Limited customization options for website chat

Monthly pricing

The Advanced plan is $99 per seat, billed monthly, with 20 free Lite seats included. AI usage is billed separately at $0.99 per Fin AI resolution, making costs harder to predict at scale.

3. Zendesk AI

Zendesk provides a full customer service platform with ticketing, messaging, live chat, and built-in AI tools to automate and optimize support.

Best for

Growing companies needing a full suite of customer support solutions.

G2 rating

4.3/5 (7,447 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.7/5 (Zendesk AI: 3 reviews)

Key features

  • Messaging and ticketing across channels

  • AI-driven chatbots and workflow automation

  • Smart routing and escalations

  • Robust reporting and analytics

  • Extensive app and CRM integrations

Pros

  • No-code bot builder makes automation accessible

  • Persistent conversations across devices

  • AI tools designed to improve agent productivity

Cons

  • Onboarding can be time-consuming

  • Some advanced AI tools require additional purchases

Monthly pricing

The Suite Professional plan costs $149 per agent per month. It includes the “Essential” AI package, with more advanced AI features locked behind higher plans or add-ons.

4. Tidio

Tidio is a live chat and chatbot platform tailored to SMBs, especially e-commerce. It merges real-time chat with AI automation, visitor tracking, and multi-channel messaging.

Best for

Small and mid-sized e-commerce businesses seeking to boost sales and customer engagement.

G2 rating

4.7/5 (1,805 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.7/5 (570 reviews)

Key features

  • Live chat with Lyro AI Agent

  • Email fallback and visitor tracking

  • Multi-channel messaging (Instagram, Messenger, email)

  • Workflow automations and triggers

  • Analytics dashboards

Pros

  • Pre-built chatbot templates for faster setup

  • Combines live chat with built-in email marketing

  • Hybrid of AI-powered and rule-based bots

  • Analytics provide insight into agent and customer behavior

Cons

  • Lyro AI Agent and is charged separately based on number of conversations

  • Restricted AI usage for some industries (no healthcare, gambling, or finance)

Monthly pricing

The Growth plan costs $59/month. It includes 10 user seats, AI Copilot, Lyro AI conversations, and advanced analytics, but comes with strict caps: Only 100 billable conversations, 50 Lyro AI conversations one-time and 100 flow visitors.

5. Chatbase

Chatbase is a chatbot builder that allows companies to train AI bots on their own data, focusing on simple FAQ-style assistants.

Best for

Teams that want quick-to-deploy FAQ bots with minimal setup.

G2 rating

4.7/5 (1,805 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.3/5 (73 reviews)

Key features

  • FAQ/Q&A chatbots

  • Easy-to-use interface

  • Basic logs and analytics

Pros

  • Straightforward and fast to implement

  • Can be trained on company documents and websites

  • Bots can handle routing and lead updates

  • Flexibility to test multiple LLM models

Cons

  • Limited to WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and website

  • Too narrow for businesses needing broader CX solutions

  • Relies heavily on add-ons, raising costs

  • Basic analytics in mid-tier plan

Monthly pricing

The Standard plan is $150/month for 12,000 messages, 2 AI Agents, and 3 users. Costs rise with more messages, bots, or premium features like branding removal.

6. Drift

Drift, part of Salesloft, is a conversational marketing platform aimed at capturing and qualifying website leads in real time with AI.

Best for

B2B companies that prioritize conversational marketing and lead generation.

G2 rating

4.4/5 (1,252 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.3/5 (73 reviews)

Key features

  • Conversational landing pages and playbooks

  • Bot-to-human handoff

  • AI lead qualification and scoring

  • Visitor identification and intent detection

  • CRM and marketing integrations

Pros

  • Real-time lead capture and qualification

  • Strong CRM integrations and routing

  • Visitor de-anonymization and scoring

  • Personalized follow-up workflows

Cons

  • Setup complexity

  • Customization is often tied to contracts

  • Very high cost

  • Most advanced tools on enterprise tiers

Monthly pricing

Not publicly listed; plans generally start at ~$2,500/month.

7. HubSpot Chatbot

HubSpot offers an AI-driven chatbot through its CRM platform, with tools for customer service, sales, and marketing automation.

Best for

Businesses wanting CRM-driven automation and AI workflows for sales and support.

G2 rating

4.4/5 (33,729 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.5/5 (4,417 reviews)

Key features

  • CRM-integrated chat flows

  • Automated lead qualification and routing

  • Meeting booking and workflow automation

  • Multi-channel chat + email

  • Modular AI agents and assistants

Pros

  • Works seamlessly with HubSpot CRM, Sales, and Marketing

  • AI agents for lead qualification, service, and data enrichment

  • AI assistant gives contextual recommendations

  • Modular AI marketplace for customization

  • Strong analytics for marketing and sales

Cons

  • Advanced AI is locked in Pro/Enterprise tiers

  • Setup complexity and onboarding fees

  • Limited flexibility outside HubSpot ecosystem

Monthly pricing

Marketing Hub Professional is $890/month for 3 seats with 3,000 AI credits included. A one-time ~$3,000 onboarding fee applies.

8. ManyChat

ManyChat helps small businesses and creators automate messaging across popular social channels, with a focus on affordability and ease of use.

Best for

Creators and micro-businesses who rely heavily on social platforms.

G2 rating

4.6/5 (155 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.6/5 (72 reviews)

Key features

  • Bots for WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, and email

  • Visual flow builder

  • Commerce and payments support

  • Audience segmentation and broadcast tools

  • Website chat embed

Pros

  • Library of templates for quick WhatsApp and Instagram flows

  • Multi-platform support

  • AI automation for full conversations

  • Works with click-to-chat ads and QR codes

Cons

  • Limited user capacity

  • Basic AI with little flexibility

  • Weak analytics (campaign-level only)

  • Email-only customer support

Monthly pricing

Mid-tier plan costs $15/month for 3 users and 500 contacts. Advanced automation requires higher tiers.

9. Landbot

Landbot is a no-code chatbot platform designed for building interactive flows on websites and WhatsApp.

Best for

Companies seeking an easy way to build chatbot-led lead capture without coding.

G2 rating

4.7/5 (328 reviews)

Capterra rating

4.4/5 (70 reviews)

Key features

  • Drag-and-drop flow builder

  • Conditional logic and branching

  • API and CRM integrations

  • Website and WhatsApp bots

  • Pre-built templates

Pros

  • Easy to use with a visual editor.

  • AI can be trained on website or document content.

  • Bots can collect leads and assign chats.

  • 50+ templates for faster launch.

Cons

  • AI agents still in Beta.

  • Limited to WhatsApp and web chat.

  • Advanced support only in premium plans.

  • WhatsApp AI not on lower tiers.

Monthly pricing

The WhatsApp Pro plan is $220/month for 2,500 web/Messenger chats, 500 AI chats, 10,000 WhatsApp messages, and 3 seats. Extra usage costs $0.10 per AI chat and $25 per additional seat.

Is Respond.io the Best AI Chatbot for Website?

When choosing an AI chatbot platform, businesses face a trade-off: some tools excel at live chat, others specialize in ticketing, and a few focus on lead generation.

If you’re a growing business or an enterprise, you need a scalable solution that lets you build AI agents for your website. Most importantly, you need a platform to manage all customer sales and marketing conversations across messaging and voice channels, no matter your business size.

Respond.io unifies all conversations into a single inbox, powered by enterprise-grade AI agents that automate replies, qualify leads, route chats and secure repeated conversions. And with a proven track record serving over 10,000 businesses worldwide, it’s a platform built to scale with you.

Try respond.io for free and experience the future of AI-driven customer conversations.

Looking for AI solutions? Use AI Agents instead

Automate greetings, answer questions, and route chats — all without Workflows. Set up the Receptionist template in minutes and unlock more possibilities with AI Agents powered by advanced AI models.

FAQs about AI Agent for Website

How can I create an AI chatbot for my website?

The easiest way to add an AI chatbot to your website is by using a no-code platform like respond.io. It lets you build powerful AI Agents without coding, connect them to your website, and manage all conversations from one place.

Here’s how it works step by step:

  1. Create an AI Agent: Use respond.io’s AI Agent templates (like receptionist, support or sales) or design your own from scratch.

  2. Train with Your Data: Upload documents, link to your website or add FAQs so the chatbot can provide accurate answers.

  3. Customize the Chatbot: Adjust branding, colors and placement to match your website’s design.

  4. Publish & Embed: Generate the code snippet in respond.io and paste it into your website’s HTML.

Can I integrate ChatGPT into my website?

Yes, you can integrate ChatGPT into your website in two main ways. Developers can use the OpenAI API to build a custom backend and chat interface, but this requires coding and ongoing maintenance.

For a faster, no-code solution, platforms like respond.io let you build and train AI chatbots with ChatGPT, customize their appearance, and embed them on your website using a simple code snippet. Respond.io also centralizes all conversations from your website, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and even calls into one inbox, making it a complete business communication hub.

If you want an easy and scalable approach, respond.io is the best no-code alternative to integrate ChatGPT into your website.

Is there a 100% free AI chatbot?

There are free AI chatbots available, such as ChatGPT’s free tier, which can be embedded on your website. However, there are a few caveats:

  1. Limited features – Free tiers often have usage limits or lack advanced capabilities.

  2. Coding required – To integrate the chatbot on your website, you usually need to add code and configure it via an API.

  3. No full customization – You may not be able to fully control the bot’s personality, workflow, or integrations without a paid plan.

While free AI chatbots are great for testing and small-scale use, paying for an omnichannel AI platform like respond.io is generally worth it in the long run.

Can AI Agents answer business calls?

Yes, AI agents can answer voice calls if you use the right tool. On respond.io, you can configure the AI agent’s voice, add instructions and test the experience before going live. This gives you full control over how calls are handled. Unlike standalone voice bots, respond.io’s AI Voice Agent is fully integrated into a unified inbox, allowing businesses to manage messaging and voice interactions in a seamless thread with every customer, with shared logs and reporting.

How can I use AI Agents to follow up on customer conversations?

If conversations are left hanging pending a customer’s response, you can set your AI Agent to nudge them with a relevant follow-up question. For example, respond.io’s AI Agent goes beyond simple time-based nudges or workflow triggers. It uses conversation history to understand its context and determines when and how to follow up. This understanding helps it avoid contacting customers whose issues are already resolved, and to send personalized, human-like nudges at the right time.

Can AI Agents understand and respond to audio messages?

Yes. Respond.io’s AI Agents can now process voice notes and audio recordings sent by customers across supported messaging channels. The platform automatically transcribes audio into text and integrates it directly into the AI Agent’s conversation context. This means the AI can understand the intent, nuance, and details of spoken messages and respond naturally, maintaining a seamless conversational flow, whether the customer prefers typing or speaking.

This feature is especially valuable for voice-first users, common in regions like the US, LATAM and Southeast Asia, where people frequently communicate via voice notes.

How can AI Agent chats feel less robotic and more human?

AI Agents on respond.io hold natural, human-like conversations by understanding intent, context and tone, not just following scripts. They chat fluidly across WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok and more, drawing context from conversation history and responding according to your rules or criteria.

To make them sound even more human:

  • Define an AI persona with a tone that fits your brand.

  • Use typing indicators to mimic real response pauses.

  • Add short reply delays to avoid instant, bot-like answers.

  • Feed it quality sources so responses are accurate and contextual.

  • Allow human handoff for complex or sensitive topics.

The result: fast, natural conversations that feel genuinely human — even when they’re not.

Further Reading

If you've found this article helpful, consider these others to learn more about chatbots in business.

  

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Román Filgueira
Román Filgueira
Román Filgueira, a University of Vigo graduate holding a Bachelor's in Foreign Languages, joined the respond.io team as a Content Writer in 2021. Román offers expert insights on best practices for using messaging apps to drive business growth.
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