The Chatbase alternative that counts conversations, not credits
Chatonbo is a flat-price AI chat agent: $19/mo for 5,000 conversations, badge removal included, and a bot that never goes silent or gets deleted. If Chatbase credit math or the $99/mo branding fee sent you searching, you are in the right place.
Verdict: Chatonbo is the better fit for a business or store that wants lead capture, Shopify selling and a flat conversation price; Chatbase is the better fit for a team that wants the fastest document-to-bot setup and can live with per-message credits.
| At a glance | Chatonbo | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price with AI answers | $19/mo flat (Pro: 5,000 AI chats a month) | Hobby $40/mo for 700 message credits |
| Price at about 5,000 chats a month | $19/mo, same flat price (Business $59/mo for 10,000) | Pro $500/mo for 15,000 credits; one reply can use several credits |
| AI answers from your own content | Yes. Drafted from your website in about 2 minutes, answers from your pages, documents and catalog | Yes, from uploaded documents and crawled URLs, metered in credits |
| Shopify cart and order lookup | Yes. Shopify app with product cards, add to cart and order lookup, included in paid plans | No native Shopify integration; actions set up by hand |
| Languages | 50+ languages, auto-detected from what the visitor writes | 95+ languages via the underlying model |
| Install time | Median 6 minutes from signup to live; one script tag or the app; white-glove install included | Fastest paste-and-go setup; a script tag on your site |
| Free plan | Yes. 1 assistant, 250 chats a month | Yes. 50 credits a month, one agent, deleted after 14 days of inactivity |
Competitor prices as listed on the vendor's own pricing page or app listing, checked September 2026, and subject to change. Chatonbo prices as of October 2026. Full Chatonbo plans: chatonbo.com/pricing.
Why builders leave Chatbase
Chatbase is genuinely easy to start with. The frustration starts when the bill arrives. Chatbase charges in message credits, and a single AI reply can consume multiple credits depending on which model answers it. That makes "4,000 credits per month" very hard to budget: it might be 4,000 replies, or it might be a fraction of that.
Then come the edges: when credits run out the bot goes silent unless auto-recharge is on, free-plan agents are deleted after 14 days of inactivity, and removing the "Powered by Chatbase" badge is listed at $99 per month, $1,188 per year on top of your plan (as of September 2026).
Chatonbo prices the way you think: whole conversations, flat monthly price, branding removal included at $19/mo, and a written Fair Billing Guarantee that your bot never goes dark.
Chatonbo vs Chatbase at a glance
| Chatonbo | Chatbase | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | Conversations (whole chat sessions) | Message credits; one reply can burn 1-6 credits* |
| Entry plan | $19/mo, 5,000 conversations | ~$40/mo, 500 credits* |
| Remove branding | Included in Pro ($19/mo) | Listed at $1,188/year extra* |
| Bot at zero allowance | Keeps answering, we email you | Goes silent unless auto-recharge is on* |
| Inactive bots | Never deleted | Free-plan agents deleted after 14 days idle* |
| Lead capture + CRM | Built in (leads, pipeline, tasks) | Lead forms; no built-in CRM |
| Shopify order lookup / product cards | Included in paid plans | Via actions setup |
| Free done-for-you installation | Yes, on every plan | Not offered |
*Based on publicly listed Chatbase pricing and documentation as of September 2026. Chatbase pricing and behavior may change; check chatbase.co for current terms.
Want the full feature-by-feature breakdown? Read the complete Chatonbo vs Chatbase comparison →
Switching is our job, not yours
Your knowledge already lives in your website and documents, so Chatonbo re-learns it straight from the source in minutes. Then either paste one script tag, or ask us to install it for you. White-glove setup is free on every plan, and your first charge is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Build my bot from my siteChatbase alternative FAQ
Is Chatonbo a good Chatbase alternative?
Chatonbo is the better fit for a business or store that wants lead capture, Shopify selling and a flat conversation price; Chatbase is the better fit for a team that wants the fastest document-to-bot setup and can live with per-message credits.
How much does Chatbase cost compared with Chatonbo?
Chatbase charges by message credit: Hobby is $40/mo for 700 credits, Standard $150/mo for 4,000 and Pro $500/mo for 15,000, and one AI reply can use several credits depending on the model. Chatonbo is $19/mo flat for 5,000 conversations (Pro) or $59/mo for 10,000 (Business), with no credits and a free plan of 250 chats a month.
Why do people look for a Chatbase alternative?
Three themes come up again and again: credit math (one AI reply can burn multiple message credits depending on the model, so "4,000 credits" is not 4,000 answers), the price of removing the "Powered by Chatbase" badge (listed at $99 per month, $1,188 per year, as of September 2026), and bots going silent when credits run out. Chatbase also deletes free-plan agents after 14 days of inactivity.
How is Chatonbo priced compared to Chatbase?
Chatonbo counts conversations, not credits: $19/mo for 5,000 conversations (Pro) or $59/mo for 10,000 (Business), flat. A conversation is a whole chat session, however many messages it takes. Removing the Chatonbo badge is included in Pro, and your bot never goes silent because an allowance ran out.
Does Chatonbo delete inactive bots?
No. We never delete your bot for inactivity, on any plan, and we never mute it because a quota ran out. That is part of our written Fair Billing Guarantee.
Can Chatonbo be trained on my content like Chatbase?
Yes. Chatonbo learns from your website URLs, documents, and text, and keeps learning as your content changes. Enter your website at signup and it drafts a brand-aware bot from your content in about 60 seconds. On Shopify it also syncs your product catalog and can look up real orders.
Is migrating from Chatbase hard?
No. Your knowledge lives in your website and documents, and Chatonbo re-learns it directly from the source in minutes. Install is one script tag, and if you prefer, our team will do the whole setup and installation for you, free on every plan.
The Fair Billing Guarantee
Flat price. No meters. No surprises.
No credits, no per-resolution fees, no forced upgrades. Your bot never goes silent, you can cancel in one click, and your first charge is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
See all six promises