Alternatives / Chatbase
A Chatbase alternative built for support teams, not just chatbots
Chatbase is one of the easiest ways to put a chatbot trained on your content onto a website, and it supports many channels including WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Slack. Its pricing is by message credits, with a free tier and a $40 Hobby plan.
The gap for support teams is what happens after the bot answers. On Chatbase, human handoff arrives with the helpdesk feature on the Standard plan ($150/month), seats are limited per plan, and message credits are consumed as the bot gets used more. SupportHQ starts from the other end: the agent, the human inbox, escalation with context, and unlimited team members are all in the $29 plan.
The comparison below quotes Chatbase's pricing page as of the date shown, and separates two questions that often get mixed up: what a bot costs, and what a support workflow with human handoff costs.
Chatbase pricing quoted from its pricing page as of September 6, 2026. Prices change. Check the source before deciding.
SupportHQ vs Chatbase at a glance
Chatbase is a chatbot builder that can hand off. SupportHQ is a support agent with handoff built in from the first plan.
| SupportHQ | Chatbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly plan. No per-seat fees, no per-resolution fees. | Message credits per plan, with limited seats and agents; extra credits and add-ons priced separately. |
| Entry price | Starter $29/month or $290/year. Growth $49/month or $490/year. | Free (50 credits/month, 1 agent, 1 seat). Hobby $40/month or $32/month annual (700 credits, 2 seats). Standard $150/month or $120 annual (4,000 credits, 3 seats). Pro $500/month (15,000 credits, 5 seats). |
| Team seats | Unlimited team members on every plan. | 1 on Free, 2 on Hobby, 3 on Standard, 5 on Pro. |
| AI agent pricing | Included. 2,000 conversations/month on Starter, 3,000 on Growth. Resolving more costs nothing extra. | Message credits per plan; auto-recharge at $40 per 1,000 credits. Extra agents $25/month each. Remove branding $99/month. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial. Card required, not charged if you cancel before it ends. | Free plan; 7-day trial on Hobby and Standard. |
| Channels | Website widget, Telegram (chats and groups), Discord (servers). WhatsApp coming soon. | Website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, email, voice and telephony on Standard and above. Telegram and Discord are not listed. |
| Human handoff | On every plan. The agent escalates with its own reason, urgency, and summary into a unified inbox. Team notified by email, Telegram, or SMS. | Human handoff through the helpdesk feature on Standard ($150/month) and above. |
| How the AI answers | Answers only from approved content: files, synced website, articles, past conversations. Says when it does not know. | Bot answers from your uploaded content and website. |
Feature by feature
| Feature | SupportHQ | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly plan | Message credits + seats + add-ons |
| Entry paid price | Starter $29/month (2,000 conversations, unlimited members) | Hobby $40/month (700 credits, 2 seats) |
| Plan with human handoff | Starter $29/month | Standard $150/month (3 seats) |
| Team seats | Unlimited | 2 to 5 depending on plan |
| Free plan | No (7-day trial) | Yes, 50 credits/month |
| Website chat widget | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack | WhatsApp coming soon; others not supported | Yes |
| Telegram and Discord | Yes, both, including group rules | Not listed |
| Agent escalates with reason, urgency, summary | Yes, on every plan, team notified by email, Telegram, or SMS | Handoff via helpdesk on Standard+ |
| Remove vendor branding | Custom branding included | $99/month add-on |
When Chatbase is the better choice
- You want a chatbot on a website or WhatsApp with no human inbox, and the free or Hobby plan covers your volume.
- You need WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, or Slack today.
- You want to choose among many AI models and tune the bot yourself.
- You are building a bot for something other than customer support.
When SupportHQ is the better choice
- You run a support team and want the agent, the inbox, and handoff with context in the entry plan.
- You want everyone on the team in the inbox without paying for seats.
- Your customers are in Telegram or Discord as well as on your website.
- You want a bill that does not depend on credit consumption.
Switching from Chatbase
- Bring your content. Point SupportHQ at your public help center or website to sync it, upload exported articles as files, or write articles directly. The agent answers only from what you approve.
- Add the widget. One script tag on your site. Connect Telegram and Discord in a few clicks if your customers are there.
- Set escalation rules. Plain English, per channel. Start strict and relax as the knowledge base covers more.
- Run both during the trial. Keep Chatbase live for 7 days while you compare answers, handoffs, and the bill.
For the reasoning behind flat pricing, read how AI support pricing models compare. For the full plan detail, see pricing.
FAQ
Is Chatbase cheaper than SupportHQ?
For a bot-only use case, the Chatbase free tier and $40 Hobby plan are cheaper. For a support team that needs human handoff, Chatbase's Standard plan is $150 per month with 3 seats, while SupportHQ Starter is $29 per month with unlimited members and handoff included. Prices as of the date on this page.
What is a message credit versus a conversation?
Chatbase meters individual messages as credits (700 on Hobby, 4,000 on Standard), with more expensive models using more credits, and sells extra credits at $40 per 1,000. SupportHQ counts conversations (2,000 on Starter), regardless of how many messages each one takes.
Does SupportHQ support WhatsApp or Slack like Chatbase?
Not today. WhatsApp is coming soon. SupportHQ supports a website widget, Telegram, and Discord. If you need Meta channels or Slack now, Chatbase covers them.
Does SupportHQ include human handoff on the cheapest plan?
Yes. On every plan the agent escalates on its own with a written reason, urgency, and summary into a unified inbox, and your team is notified by email, Telegram, or SMS.
Can I move my Chatbase sources to SupportHQ?
Yes. Upload the same files, sync the same website URL, or write articles directly. The agent answers only from that content and says when the answer is not there.