Chatbase

Chatbase is the tool for building a custom AI support agent without code — it's the answer to "I want an AI chatbot that actually knows my business" rather than a generic assistant that guesses. You point it at your content — websites, PDFs, FAQs, uploaded files — and it creates a chatbot that answers questions using your own knowledge and content really, not generic AI guesses. For businesses that want an AI agent on their site trained specifically on their products and policies, it's one of the simplest paths.

The product is straightforward and refreshingly simple: create an agent, give it sources, customise its behaviour and appearance, embed it on your site. Under the hood it uses frontier models, but the interface abstracts the complexity — no prompt engineering, vector databases or API work required for the basics, which is what makes it genuinely accessible to non-technical marketing and support teams.

Pricing is credit-based. Plans include a monthly allowance of message credits, and each conversation consumes credits based on the AI model used and whether the agent takes actions. Credits reset monthly and don't roll over — a detail that matters for budgeting.

How Chatbase works

1. Create an agent and add sources — website URLs, documents, FAQs, files.
2. Chatbase indexes your content so the agent can cite and reference it.
3. Customise the agent's tone, behaviour, guardrails and appearance.
4. Embed the widget on your site or share the link; monitor conversations in the dashboard.

Key capabilities

Custom AI agents — trained on your specific content and data.

Multiple source types — websites, PDFs, text, FAQs and integrations.

No-code builder — create and deploy agents without programming.

Lead capture — collect emails and qualify visitors in conversation.

Escalation — hand off to human agents when needed.

Analytics — track conversations, resolution and performance.

API and integrations — connect to your stack on higher plans.

White-label — remove Chatbase branding on paid plans.

Where Chatbase fits in a stack

Chatbase works best as the front line — the AI that handles routine questions so humans handle exceptions. Pair it with a helpdesk for escalation (Intercom, Zendesk), a knowledge base for the content it draws from, and analytics to measure whether it's actually resolving conversations or just generating them.

Who it's really for

Chatbase fits small-to-mid businesses that want AI-powered chat on their site trained on their own content — e-commerce stores, SaaS products, service businesses with repetitive questions. The no-code builder means marketing teams can deploy it without engineering.

It fits less well for enterprises needing SSO, audit logs and complex compliance (Enterprise exists but is quote-only), for high-volume support where credit costs scale unpredictably, and for teams wanting a complete helpdesk rather than an AI agent.

Chatbase plans and pricing explained

Hobby — $40/month, or $32/month billed yearly. 700 message credits/month, 2 members, 1 agent, basic integrations and analytics. The entry point for testing a real agent.

Basic — $150/month, or $120/month yearly. 4,000 message credits/month, 3 members, helpdesk inbox, voice support, API access, Stripe integration. For small teams running a production agent.

Business — $500/month, or $400/month yearly. 15,000 message credits/month, 5 members, advanced analytics, tickets-as-source, priority features. For companies scaling AI support.

Enterprise — custom pricing. SSO, HIPAA-eligible, audit logs, custom roles, white-labeling, SLAs, dedicated success manager.

Credit math — message credits are consumed per conversation based on model choice; agents that take actions (checking calendars, querying systems) can use roughly double the credits per interaction. Unused credits don't roll over. Auto-recharge adds credits at $40 per 1,000 when you run low.

Trial — a 7-day trial is available; free-plan availability has varied, so check the current offering.

What you should know before buying

Chatbase's credit model is the thing to understand before committing: message volume isn't the only variable — model choice and agent actions affect consumption, and credits reset monthly without rollover. A plan that covers 4,000 credits might handle fewer conversations than expected if your agent takes complex actions.

The product is genuinely easy for what it does — training an AI agent on your content without code is valuable — but it's a support tool, not a full helpdesk. For teams needing ticketing, SLAs and complex routing, you'll pair it with or migrate to a platform like Intercom or Zendesk.

For businesses wanting a custom AI agent on their site trained on their own data and content, Chatbase is one of the fastest paths — the no-code builder and source indexing do the heavy lifting. For high-volume or complex support operations, budget for the credit model carefully and consider whether a full helpdesk platform serves you better long-term.