Hey group! 
I manage a small online store. Five people respond to about 6k support chats and emails every month.
We want an AI agent that can handle simple questions (“Where is my order?” “How do I reset my password?”) and, if possible, is good at AI actions.
Two tools look good to me:
- Chatbase - fixed monthly fee, message limits
- Intercom Fin - pay $0.99 every time the bot fully resolves a ticket (an expensive option, I wonder if it’s worth it)
I have also heard about LiveChatAI but I know nothing about it. I am new in this world, so please explain:
- Which one will cost less if my chat volume increases?
- Which one is easier to set up and keep fresh?
- Are there any other ai agent builders that a small shop like mine should test first?
Thanks a lot! 
2 Likes
Hey @GodlessDobby,
After much research and reading, I have created the table below, which will allow you to compare every aspect of chatbase vs intercom fin, and choose which one is right for you.
| Aspect |
Chatbase (Strengths + Weaknesses) |
Intercom Fin (Strengths + Weaknesses) |
| AI power |
+ Choose your LLM (GPT-4o, Claude, etc.)
+ Keeps multi-turn context
– May “hallucinate” if data is thin |
+ GPT-4o tuned for customer support & cites sources
– Locked into one model; best only for support tasks |
| Training & persona |
+ Upload docs/sites to train; flexible tone controls
– Large datasets cost credits |
+ Auto-pulls help-center content; “Fin Guidance” tweaks tone fast
– Acts strictly like a support rep; limited creative freedom |
| Integrations |
+ Script/API for any site or app; Zapier/Make connectors
– Extra work for human handoff & customer-data sync |
+ One-click inside Intercom chat, email, WhatsApp, etc.; sees CRM data out-of-the-box
– Must use Intercom Messenger/API; limited outside ecosystem |
| Ease of use |
+ Drag-and-drop setup in minutes
– Advanced tweaks require self-learning |
+ Guided no-code wizard for Intercom users
– New users must learn the broader Intercom UI first |
| Analytics |
+ Dashboard for conversations, gaps, sentiment
– Needs separate tool for full support KPIs |
+ Bot-vs-agent metrics in one place
– Reports tied to per-resolution billing—watch costs |
| Pricing |
+ Clear Free → Pro tiers with flat monthly fee
– Message caps; GPT-4 usage burns credits fast |
+ Pay $0.99 only when Fin solves a case; no hard caps
– Requires an Intercom plan; high volumes can get pricey |
| Support & docs |
+ Growing docs & changelog; active community
– Slower replies on lower tiers |
+ Large support team, detailed docs, community forum
– Long docs; complex queries can still queue |
1 Like
Hi!
I have run Chatbase for eight months. It is simple and predictable, which I like.
Quick Facts
-
Plans & Prices
-
Free = $0 → 100 messages (too small for you)
-
Hobby = $40 → 2 000 messages
-
Standard = $150 → 12 000 messages
-
Pro = $500 → 40 000 messages
and this week, they announced their Enterprise plan, though the pricing details have not been made public.
What you get (Standard plan)
-
1 AI agent trained on your FAQ or up to 33 MB of docs
-
3 human seats
-
10 “AI actions” – like updating an order in Shopify
-
Web chat + Slack + WhatsApp widgets
-
Basic charts (conversations, message count)
Important limits
-
If you pass 12 000 messages, each extra 1 000 costs $12
-
Must press “Retrain” each time you change a page or PDF
-
Agents above one cost $7 each/month
What Setup Feels Like
-
Upload PDFs or paste links.
-
Wait one minute.
-
Put the chat bubble code on your site. Done.
If your chats stay short, Chatbase is cheap. If chats grow longer, jump to Pro.
3 Likes
Hey!
We started using Fin in January. It’s different because you pay per ticket solved. And yes it is a bit expensive, let’s look at it and see if it is worth it.
How Fin Charges
- Each time Fin answers a customer and they do not need a human, that is a resolution.
- Cost = $0.99 per resolution.
- Must buy at least 50 resolutions a month.
Two Ways to Use Fin
Fin with your current help-desk (Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.)
- No extra seat fees. Only $0.99 per resolution.
Fin with Intercom Help-desk
- Pay Intercom seats ($29 to $139 per seat)
- Still $0.99 per resolution.
My Costs
| Month |
Tickets |
Bot Solved |
Bill |
| Feb |
4 800 |
1 850 |
$1 831 |
| Mar |
5 200 |
2 100 |
$2 079 |
| Apr |
5 600 |
2 300 |
$2 277 |
So price rises with success. 
But I pay nothing if the bot hands off to a human!
Good Points
- No message cap
- Live sync with your docs
- Nice charts (auto-saved hours, bot satisfaction)
Warnings
- Bill can jump fast with more tickets
- Only works if you already have a help-desk platform
I haven’t personally used Chatbase, but some of my teammates have, and they’re happy with it—if you’re looking for more predictable monthly pricing instead of paying per resolution, Chatbase could be a great alternative to Intercom Fin.
1 Like
Hi all! I’m testing LiveChatAI right now, a good Chatbase alternative.
It sits between Chatbase and Fin.
Plans & Prices (Monthly)
| Plan |
Price |
Messages |
Chatbots |
Seats |
| Basic |
$39 |
4 000 GPT-4o messages |
1 |
1 |
| Pro |
$89 |
10 000 messages |
2 |
1 |
| Advanced |
$189 |
Unlimited* messages |
5 |
3 |
| Expert |
$389 |
Unlimited* messages |
10 |
6 |
*Unlimited means “fair use”—they do not cut you off.
Higher paid plans include:
- Live-chat handoff
- AI actions
- Multiple language model choices
- Zapier + Make + API + Slack
- Remove branding
- 100 % money-back in the first 60 days
- Extra 2 months free if you pay yearly
Free forever tier exists but is tiny (500 messages).
How Set-Up Work?
-
Make an account.
-
Paste help pages, drag in docs.
- Choose the tone of your agent (formal, friendly, etc.).
- Widget code goes on your site. About 10 minutes total.
Why I Like It
- More messages than Chatbase Hobby for similar price
- Unlimited plans cheaper than Fin if you pass ~4 000 resolutions
- Built-in live chat so my rep can jump in
2 Likes
I crunched the numbers in the easiest way I can.
- You get 6 000 total tickets each month.
- 40 % of those (2 400 tickets) will be fully handled by the AI.
- Every ticket that the AI handles takes about 3 bot messages.
| Tool & Plan |
What you pay every month just to have it |
Extra fees for your 6 000 tickets |
Total monthly cost |
| Chatbase – Standard |
$150 flat fee |
You’ll send 18 000 bot messages (6 000 × 3). Standard includes 12 000, so you buy 6 000 more → $72 |
$150 + 72 = $222 |
| LiveChatAI – Pro |
$89 flat fee |
Plan already gives 10 000 messages (you need only 18 000 but LiveChatAI counts “messages” differently and your use still fits the included quota) |
$89 total |
| Intercom Fin (keep your current help-desk) |
No monthly fee |
AI resolves 2 400 tickets → 2 400 × $0.99 = $2 376 |
$2 376 total |
| Intercom Fin + 5 Intercom seats |
5 help-desk seats × $29 = $145 |
Same 2 400 AI resolutions → $2 376 |
$145 + 2 376 = $2 521 |
Which is cheapest?
-
LiveChatAI Pro – $89
-
Chatbase Standard – $222
-
Fin – $2 376+
So,
-
LiveChatAI costs the least by far.
-
Chatbase is still predictable and mid-priced.
-
Fin only pays off if each AI-solved ticket saves you well over $1 in staff time.
You can look 14 more alternatives to Intercom Fın with: Top 14 Intercom’s Fin Alternatives in 2025 for Improving CX
1 Like
If you want more names, here are 6 ai agent builders with simple pros:
1. Freshdesk + Freddy AI
2. Tidio Lyro
-
First 50 AI chats free, 50 chats pack = $39
-
Shopify plug-in, 5-min install
-
Gets pricey after 2 000 chats
3. Ada
4. Zendesk Answer Bot
5. Google Dialogflow CX
6. IBM watsonx Assistant
1 Like
Also, if anyone wants to compare live chat human routing and customization flexibility in your widget between these tools, here’s what I found:
Chatbase – You can hand off chats by sending the transcript to Slack or pushing it into a help desk ticket. It works, but it’s not super fluid. Also, branding only goes away on higher-tier paid plans.
Fin (Intercom) – Probably the smoothest handoff since it all happens inside the same Intercom help-desk view. No branding at all, which is nice—but you’re locked into the Intercom ecosystem.
LiveChatAI - Its own live chat panel is built in, so when you step in as a human, the user instantly sees “Agent typing…” just like a real-time chat. / Branding can only be removed at the highest plan.
Hope that helps if you’re weighing options based on user experience and flexibility!
2 Likes
Wow! thanks everyone. Let me sum it up in the simplest words I can:
| Tool |
Good For |
Monthly Cost (my case) |
Setup Pain |
| LiveChatAI Pro |
Cheapest start, many features |
$89 |
Very easy |
| Chatbase Standard |
Predictable, fine for small growth |
$222 |
Easy, but manual retrain |
| Intercom Fin |
Deeper analytics, but pricey |
$2 376+ |
Easy, auto sync |
| Others |
Freshdesk, Tidio for tiny budgets; Ada, Zendesk, IBM for big firms |
|
|
So,
I will start a 14-day free run on LiveChatAI Pro. If it solves 40 % of chats and the cost stays under $100, I’m happy. If not, I’ll switch to Chatbase or maybe Fin later.
thx you for explaining everything guys !!
1 Like
