How you try it
Communicate$1 once: 100 credits that never expire, nothing renews
ChatbaseFree plan: 50 credits a month, 1 member; idle agents deleted after 14 days
Chatbase alternative
The Chatbase alternative with human handoff from $19.
On Chatbase, the Helpdesk where a person takes over a chat starts on Standard at $150 a month. On Communicate, a Shared Inbox and human takeover come with every Plan: $19 for one person, $39 for three. Set it up in about 5 minutes for a one-time $1.
One-time $1 activation · 100 credits included · No automatic subscription
AgentTeammate
A teammate steps into the live chat.
Every Plan, not a $150 tier.
Your help center. Your inbox. Your team.
Compare Communicate and Chatbase row by rowCommunicate vs Chatbase
Every row, at monthly list price.
Chatbase wins on WhatsApp and other messaging apps, voice calls, choice of AI model, SOC 2, and a free plan. Communicate wins on human takeover, seats, and Agents for the money, and one credit per reply. All of it is below.
Human takeover
CommunicateShared Inbox on every Plan, from $19/mo
ChatbaseHelpdesk from Standard, $150/mo
Assign a chat to a teammate
CommunicateEvery Plan
ChatbaseAuto-assign inside Helpdesk, from $150/mo
People on the ~$40 plan
CommunicateStarter $39: 3 seats
ChatbaseHobby $40: 2 members
Most seats on a self-serve plan
CommunicateGrowth $99: 10 seats
ChatbasePro $500: 5 members
Agents included
Communicate3 on Starter, 10 on Growth
Chatbase1 on every plan; +$25/mo per extra agent
Credits per AI reply
CommunicateAlways 1
Chatbase1 to 6, depending on the model
AI replies on the ~$40 plan
CommunicateStarter: 3,000 replies
ChatbaseHobby: 700 credits, so 117 to 700 replies
API, MCP, and CLI access
CommunicateAll three on every Plan
ChatbaseAPI from Standard, $150/mo
Agent takes actions
CommunicateLookups, forms, and your API, with approval rules
ChatbaseUp to 5 actions per agent on Hobby; Stripe and Shopify from Standard
Messages inside your product
CommunicateIn-App Messages
ChatbaseOutbound campaigns from Standard, $150/mo
AI model
CommunicateManaged for you: one credit per reply
ChatbaseGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more; stronger models cost up to 6 credits per reply
WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Slack
CommunicateComing soon
ChatbaseFrom Hobby, $40/mo
Zendesk and other help desks
CommunicateZendesk coming soon
ChatbaseZendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, HubSpot, and more from Standard
Voice agent and phone calls
CommunicateNot offered
ChatbaseFrom Standard, $150/mo
Security proof
CommunicateEncrypted at rest, two-factor login, isolated Workspaces, DPA on request; no SOC 2 yet
ChatbaseSOC 2 Type II and GDPR; HIPAA-eligible on Enterprise
Chatbase figures come from chatbase.co/pricing, its Helpdesk page, and its docs on credit costs per model, checked on 3 October 2026. Chatbase yearly plans are 20% less; Communicate annual billing charges 10 months for 12.
Yearly totals, checked
What human handoff costs you over a year.
Monthly list prices times 12, from chatbase.co/pricing and our Plans, checked on 3 October 2026. Chatbase yearly billing is 20% less; check both pages before you decide.
01 · $1,332 a year
Three people who can take over chats
Communicate Starter: $39/mo for 3 seats. Chatbase Standard, the first plan with Helpdesk: $150/mo for 3 members. That is $468 vs $1,800 a year.
02 · $4,812 a year
A team of five
Communicate Growth: $99/mo for up to 10 seats. Chatbase Pro: $500/mo for 5 members. That is $1,188 vs $6,000 a year.
03 · $1,932 a year
Three sites, each with its own Agent
Communicate Starter includes 3 Agents for $39/mo. Chatbase Standard with 2 extra agents is $200/mo. That is $468 vs $2,400 a year.
What changes
A help desk and an AI agent, without the Standard-plan price.
Chatbase is a strong AI agent. What it saves for $150 a month and up, Communicate includes from the start.
- 01
Human takeover on every Plan
When the Agent is unsure or a rule says so, the chat lands in your Shared Inbox with every earlier message. Chatbase puts its Helpdesk, and its Zendesk and Intercom hand-offs, on Standard at $150.
- 02
One credit per reply, whatever the question
Chatbase charges 1 to 6 message credits per reply, depending on the model you pick. On Communicate, every AI reply is one credit, and replies from your team are free.
- 03
An Agent for each site or brand
Starter includes 3 Agents and Growth includes 10. Every Chatbase plan includes 1 agent, and each extra one is $25 a month.
Used in production
Already answering customer questions.
- Teams building software
- Teams making content
- Teams running everyday tools
- Autoposting
- Vrid
- Niyam
- FAAD Network
- Nimblocity
Pure Digital- QCall
- Serri
- The Medical Insurance Exchange
How it works
Leave your Chatbase bot running while you build the new one.
Setup takes about 5 minutes. Nothing changes for your visitors until you replace the embed code.
Knowledge
ConnectedWebsite pages
Ready for answers
Pricing PDF
Ready for answers
Refund Q&A
Ready for answers
Handoff rules
SavedUnknown answer
Hand off
Refund over limit
Member required
Everything else
Agent answers
Preview
GroundedQuestion
Can I change plans mid-month?
Source
Billing policy
Result
Ready to publish
Designed for the edge cases
Included on Solo, Starter, and Growth alike.
You pick a Plan for credits, seats, and Agents. You never pick one to unlock the tools below.
01
Assignment
Send each handed-off chat to the teammate who owns that topic, with the full history attached.
Removesa $150 plan before anyone can pick up a chat.
02
API, MCP, and CLI
Work with Conversations and Agents from your code, an AI assistant, or the terminal.
Removeswaiting for Standard to get API access.
03
Actions with approval
The Agent can look up an order or call your API. Mark risky Actions Member required and a teammate approves first.
Removesletting an agent act with nobody watching.
04
In-App Messages
Show targeted nudges inside your product from the same Workspace that answers questions.
Removesa separate tool to reach users before they ask.
Assignment
API, MCP, and CLI
Actions with approval
In-App Messages
Ask how Communicate compares to Chatbase.
This page runs on Communicate. Type a question below and the assistant on this page answers it.
FAQ
What Chatbase users ask before they switch.
Including the cases where you should stay on Chatbase.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Put a person behind your chatbot, without the $150 plan.
Open the Workspace for $1, connect the sources your Chatbase agent used, and let your team take over the chats that need them.
One-time $1 activation · Grounded answers · Human takeover · Cancel anytime