# Chatbase Alternative: Human Handoff From $19/mo · Communicate > Honest Communicate vs Chatbase comparison: human takeover on every plan vs a $150 Helpdesk tier, 3 seats for $39, one credit per AI reply. Where Chatbase wins, too. Try it for a one-time $1. - **URL:** https://communicate.so/alternatives/chatbase --- 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. [Start with 100 credits](https://app.communicate.so)[Book Demo](https://cal.com/team/tinycheque/communicate) One-time $1 activation · 100 credits included · No automatic subscription AgentTeammate A teammate steps into the live chat. Every Plan, not a $150 tier. Take overCreditsAgents Pause autoplay Your help center. Your inbox. Your team. [Compare Communicate and Chatbase row by row](#compare) Communicate 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. ### 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 ### 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 DecisionCommunicateChatbase How you try it$1 once: 100 credits that never expire, nothing renewsFree plan: 50 credits a month, 1 member; idle agents deleted after 14 days Human takeoverShared Inbox on every Plan, from $19/moHelpdesk from Standard, $150/mo Assign a chat to a teammateEvery PlanAuto-assign inside Helpdesk, from $150/mo People on the ~$40 planStarter $39: 3 seatsHobby $40: 2 members Most seats on a self-serve planGrowth $99: 10 seatsPro $500: 5 members Agents included3 on Starter, 10 on Growth1 on every plan; +$25/mo per extra agent Credits per AI replyAlways 11 to 6, depending on the model AI replies on the ~$40 planStarter: 3,000 repliesHobby: 700 credits, so 117 to 700 replies API, MCP, and CLI accessAll three on every PlanAPI from Standard, $150/mo Agent takes actionsLookups, forms, and your API, with approval rulesUp to 5 actions per agent on Hobby; Stripe and Shopify from Standard Messages inside your productIn-App MessagesOutbound campaigns from Standard, $150/mo AI modelManaged for you: one credit per replyGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more; stronger models cost up to 6 credits per reply WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SlackComing soonFrom Hobby, $40/mo Zendesk and other help desksZendesk coming soonZendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, HubSpot, and more from Standard Voice agent and phone callsNot offeredFrom Standard, $150/mo Security proofEncrypted at rest, two-factor login, isolated Workspaces, DPA on request; no SOC 2 yetSOC 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. [Start with 100 credits](https://app.communicate.so) 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. - 01 Reconnect Add the sources your Chatbase agent used Point Communicate at the same website, files, and Q&A. There is no one-click import from Chatbase, so you add each source yourself and watch it turn ready. Knowledge Connected Website pages Ready for answers - Pricing PDF Ready for answers - Refund Q&A Ready for answers - 02 Hand off Choose which chats need a person Write plain rules for unknown answers, refunds, and upset customers. Those chats move to the Shared Inbox, where you assign them to a teammate. Handoff rules Saved Unknown answer Hand off - Refund over limit Member required - Everything else Agent answers - 03 Replace Test the hard questions, then swap the embed Ask the questions your Chatbase bot got wrong and check the source behind each answer. When you are happy, replace the Chatbase embed with ours. Preview Grounded Question Can I change plans mid-month? - Source Billing policy - Result Ready to publish ++++Knowledge Connected - Website pages Ready for answers - Pricing PDF Ready for answers - Refund Q&A Ready for answers Handoff rules Saved - Unknown answer Hand off - Refund over limit Member required - Everything else Agent answers Preview Grounded - Question Can I change plans mid-month? - Source Billing policy - Result Ready to publish 01 / 03 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 Every feature here runsthrough the same Agent. ## Ask how Communicate compares to Chatbase. This page runs on Communicate. Type a question below and the assistant on this page answers it. Where is my order #4821? It left the warehouse on Tuesday. Tracking says it arrives Thursday.From: Shipping times That helped Choose what it can read - Help center articles - Refund policy PDF - Past support replies - Product pages Tasks it may run Check order status Update a delivery address Issue a refund Refunds wait for a teammate to approve. Sam joined the chat Handed over with the full thread S Reply style FriendlyFormalShort Drop a help PDF anywhere Answered from your help pages Question askedTeammate if needed Ask our support assistant a question FAQ ## What Chatbase users ask before they switch. Including the cases where you should stay on Chatbase. ### 01Does Chatbase have human handoff? ### 02Can I reuse my Chatbase training content? ### 03Can my Chatbase bot stay live while I test? ### 04Why do Chatbase replies cost more than one credit? ### 05Is there a free plan like Chatbase has? ### 06Can I pick the AI model? ### 07Is my data safe? Do you have SOC 2? ### 08When is Chatbase the better choice? ### 09Can I cancel? 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. [Start with 100 credits](https://app.communicate.so)[Or book a demo](https://cal.com/team/tinycheque/communicate)[Back to the top](#home) One-time $1 activation · Grounded answers · Human takeover · Cancel anytime