The AI Chatbot Market in 2026
The "train a chatbot on your docs" market has exploded. In 2023, there were maybe 5 serious players. In 2026, there are dozens. But pricing models vary wildly, and the cheapest plan isn't always the best value.
This guide compares the major players on what matters most to indie makers: cost per conversation, feature set, and total cost of ownership.
The Contenders
Chatbase
Plans:
- Free: 20 message credits/month
- Hobby: $19/month — 2,000 credits
- Standard: $99/month — 10,000 credits
- Unlimited: $399/month — 40,000 credits
What counts as a credit: Each message (user + AI response) uses credits. A typical conversation uses 5-10 credits.
Effective cost per conversation: $0.05-0.50 depending on plan and conversation length.
Strengths: Large ecosystem, Slack/WhatsApp integrations, mature product.
Weaknesses: No lifetime deal, no BYOK, no knowledge gap tracking, credits run out fast.
DocsBot
Plans:
- Hobby: $19/month — 1,000 messages, 50 source pages
- Power: $49/month — 5,000 messages, 300 source pages
- Pro: $99/month — 15,000 messages, 1,000 source pages
- Business: $249/month — 50,000 messages, 5,000 source pages
Effective cost per conversation: $0.005-0.02 (generous message limits).
Strengths: Good documentation focus, API access, WordPress plugin.
Weaknesses: No lifetime deal, no BYOK, limited analytics, source page limits on lower tiers.
SiteGPT
Plans:
- Starter: $49/month — 2,000 messages
- Growth: $149/month — 5,000 messages
- Scale: $499/month — 15,000 messages
- Enterprise: $999/month — custom
Effective cost per conversation: $0.025-0.033.
Strengths: Good website crawling, team features, custom branding.
Weaknesses: Expensive entry point, no lifetime deal, no BYOK, no Notion integration.
CustomGPT
Plans:
- Basic: $99/month — 1,000 queries
- Standard: $299/month — 5,000 queries
- Premium: $999/month — 20,000 queries
Effective cost per conversation: $0.05-0.10.
Strengths: Enterprise features, API access, multiple data sources.
Weaknesses: Expensive, no lifetime deal, no BYOK, enterprise-focused.
Intercom Fin AI
Pricing: $0.99 per resolution + base Intercom plan ($39-139/seat/month).
Effective cost per conversation: $0.99 per resolved conversation + seat costs.
Strengths: Full customer support platform, human handoff, CRM integration.
Weaknesses: Very expensive for small teams, requires Intercom subscription, per-resolution pricing adds up fast.
LaunchChat
Plans:
- Free: 50 messages/month, 1 widget
- Pro: $29/month or $229 lifetime — 2,000 messages, unlimited widgets
- BYOK: $19/month — unlimited messages (you pay AI provider directly)
Effective cost per conversation:
- Pro: $0.015
- BYOK: $0.02-0.05 (AI cost only) + $19/month platform
- Lifetime + BYOK: $0.02-0.05 (AI cost only, no recurring platform fee)
Strengths: Lifetime deal, BYOK, knowledge gap tracking, Notion native, multi-language.
Weaknesses: Newer product, smaller ecosystem, fewer integrations.
Cost Comparison Table
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Messages | Cost/Conversation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbase Hobby | $19 | ~200-400 convos | $0.05-0.10 |
| Chatbase Standard | $99 | ~1,000-2,000 convos | $0.05-0.10 |
| DocsBot Hobby | $19 | ~500-1,000 convos | $0.02-0.04 |
| DocsBot Power | $49 | ~2,500-5,000 convos | $0.01-0.02 |
| SiteGPT Starter | $49 | ~1,000-2,000 convos | $0.025-0.05 |
| CustomGPT Basic | $99 | ~500-1,000 convos | $0.10-0.20 |
| Intercom Fin | $39+ seat + $0.99/res | varies | $1.00+ |
| LaunchChat Pro | $29 | ~1,000-2,000 convos | $0.015-0.03 |
| LaunchChat BYOK | $19 + API costs | unlimited | $0.02-0.05 |
| LaunchChat Lifetime | $229 one-time | ~1,000-2,000/mo | $0.00 recurring |
The Real Cost: Total Cost of Ownership
Monthly subscription price is just part of the picture. Consider:
Year 1 Total Cost (at 1,000 conversations/month)
| Platform | Year 1 Cost |
|---|---|
| Chatbase Standard | $1,188 |
| DocsBot Power | $588 |
| SiteGPT Starter | $588 |
| CustomGPT Basic | $1,188 |
| Intercom Fin | $1,458+ |
| LaunchChat Pro | $348 |
| LaunchChat BYOK | $228 + ~$360 API = $588 |
| LaunchChat Lifetime + BYOK | $229 + ~$360 API = $589 |
Year 2+ Total Cost
This is where lifetime deals shine:
| Platform | Year 2 Cost | Year 3 Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chatbase Standard | $1,188 | $1,188 |
| LaunchChat Pro | $348 | $348 |
| LaunchChat Lifetime | $0 + API costs | $0 + API costs |
By year 2, the LaunchChat lifetime deal has paid for itself compared to every competitor.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Chatbase if:
- You need Slack, WhatsApp, or Zapier integrations
- You're a larger team managing multiple chatbots
- Ecosystem maturity matters more than price
Choose DocsBot if:
- You need a WordPress plugin
- Your docs are primarily file-based
- You want good value on message limits
Choose SiteGPT if:
- Website crawling is your primary data source
- You need team collaboration features
- You're willing to pay more for a polished product
Choose Intercom Fin if:
- You already use Intercom for support
- You need full CRM + ticketing + AI in one platform
- Budget isn't a primary concern
Choose LaunchChat if:
- You're an indie maker or solo developer
- You want a lifetime deal to eliminate recurring costs
- You use Notion for documentation
- You want BYOK for unlimited messages at API cost
- Knowledge gap tracking matters to you
- You want the lowest total cost of ownership
The Bottom Line
For indie makers, the math is clear. LaunchChat's lifetime deal at $229 is the lowest total cost of ownership in the market. Combined with BYOK, you get unlimited conversations at raw API cost with no recurring platform fees.
The competitors have their strengths — larger ecosystems, more integrations, enterprise features. But if you're optimizing for cost and core functionality, LaunchChat delivers the best value.