The development of ChatGPT by OpenAI chatbot has completely changed artificial intelligence. It generated interest across the globe for its numerous uses in both personal and professional contexts, including customer service. Other significant AI developments like Microsoft’s Bing Chat, which makes use of the technology, and Google BARD, another generative AI chatbot gpt, were produced as a result of the advances made by ChatGPT in producing humanistic text.
Chatbots have become a crucial part of many support operations, and generative AI technologies promise to continue having a positive impact on businesses. Teams may scale their efforts and provide support around the clock with the help of AI chatbot ai, freeing up agents to concentrate on interactions that require human interaction.
Although most customers still prefer the option to speak with a human agent to handle delicate or complicated situations, they do trust bots for straightforward transactions. Fortunately, natural language processing (NLP) and sufficient training allow AI to converse with customers and direct discussions to the relevant agents as needed.
We’ll talk about some of the top and most talked-about AI chatbots of 2023. Some are ready to use right out of the box, while others are just getting started and will most likely soon have more advanced features. The industry-leading features of the Zendesk Suite and the power of OpenAl, for example, may be combined with some intriguing new generative AI capabilities to create more powerful customer experiences.
What are AI chatbots?
A computer program known as an artificial intelligence chatbot may mimic human interactions by employing natural language processing (NLP) to comprehend speech and produce humanistic responses.
An AI chatbot acts as a first-response tool that kindly welcomes, converses with, and assists consumers. With the use of in-chat forms, this technology can display help center articles, provide prompt, personalized responses around the clock, or gather customer data.
When necessary, AI chatbots can escalate discussions to a live agent by intelligently routing requests to the most qualified agent. Better still? Your agents won’t fall behind because AI chatbots can save crucial customer data in a centralized database that your entire organization can access when the time comes.
Large language models (LLMs) are the brains of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard, which are powered by natural language processing. Based on a word input, LLMs can be used to generate everything from graphics to music. Because ChatGPT uses generative AI, it can take in a lot of data and produce new data that it believes you’ll find useful.
How do chatbots use AI?
Natural language processing and machine learning are the two primary types of AI used by chatbots.
- Bots can understand customer requests, including slang, typos, and abbreviations, thanks to natural language processing.
- Much like humans, machine learning enables bots to get better over time as they accumulate more experience.
To provide better customer support, let’s examine the Zendesk AI bot to discover how it makes use of a deep learning model and its already-existing knowledge base. Following machine learning and NLP training, our bot can:
- Understand the context of a support ticket
- Associate questions with answers
- Choose the right help center articles to assist a customer
- Learn from each interaction to deliver more relevant and customized service
- Arm agents with additional context
When gpt chatbots can learn from tens of thousands of service interactions (like those already recorded in enterprise CRMs), machine learning algorithms, and scripts, they are most effective.
Top 9 Best ChatBot Alternatives Free guide for businesses in 2023:
1. Tidio
You should now be saying something like, “Hold on!” Hold on a moment! This is your own business, right? Okay, you got us in the act. Although we don’t want to brag too much, we genuinely think Tidio merits a spot on this list. Given that G2 has 1,000+ positive ratings, it is reasonable to believe that our consumers would also concur.
A comprehensive customer communication and marketing tool is Tidio. It has one of the greatest free visual chatbot builders available. On your website and social media channels, you can use chatbots that are Tidio-powered, and you can even create conversational landing pages.
Our solution provides a selection of chatbot templates for various markets and platforms. Ready-to-use chatbot designs for lead generation or e-commerce shopping cart abandonment are included in the collection. By automating processes that would otherwise consume a lot of precious resources, the software can help you save time and money.
Features:
- No-code chatbot builder with a collection of templates to choose from
- AI chatbots with intent detection and natural language processing (NLP)
- Customizable live chat widget and omnichannel communication
- Website visitor insights, conversation analytics, and A/B testing
- Integration with Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and other channels
- Shared inbox, ticketing system, and chat assignment features
- Desktop, Android, and iOS app with notifications and messaging options
- Open JavaScript API for unlocking custom functionalities
Pricing:
- Free. Freemium plan with unlimited conversations and access to Tidio’s chatbot builder
- Communicator ($19/month). Visitor insights and user permissions
- Chatbots ($49/month). Unlimited chatbot projects and automatic bot messages
2. Tars
A no-code bing chatbot platform called Tars is available for marketing and customer service organizations. It can be used to automate customer support jobs including responding to frequent inquiries, giving product or service information, or managing complex interactions. This chatbot creator may be adjusted to meet the unique requirements of your company thanks to its great degree of customization. You can learn how to build a chatbot using Tars and provide your website visitors with a better customer care experience.
Pros:
- Conversational landing pages powered by Tars are perfect for PPC campaigns
- Huge library of chatbot templates and different workflows, including WhatsApp chatbots
- Additional features and chatbots for banking and financial services sector
- Good option for inbound marketing and capturing leads
Cons:
- Working with chatbot designs and projects with many nodes can be difficult
- Less customer service-oriented than some of the other ChatBot alternatives
Pricing:
- Free trial. This chatbot solution offers a 14-day trial to test the app
- Business ($99/month). 5000 chats/month and 1 chatbot
- Premium ($499/month). 10000 chats, 3 chatbots, and WhatsApp Business API
- Enterprise (custom pricing). Increased limits, custom code, and additional integrations
3. Intercom
One of the most well-known ChatBot rivals on the market is Intercom. Businesses can automate customer support, sales, and marketing with the use of a variety of marketing and sales tools provided by the company. The CRM and marketing software that Intercom offers makes it simpler to manage customer contacts and keep track of important data. Additionally, it provides a complete set of tools for managing customer support, including the capacity to design unique workflows.
Pros:
- It’s one tool that combines and replaces several different solutions
- Apart from chatbots, it can be used as both a help desk and a live chat app
- It offers a comprehensive range of features and integrations (Slack, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
Cons:
- The initial process of setting everything up on your website can be challenging
- Prices are quite high and depend on the volume of customer interactions
Pricing:
- No free plan available
- Starter ($74/month). Conversation routing bots only
- Support (custom pricing). Resolution bot feature
- Engage/Convert (custom pricing). Custom AI chatbots
4. ManyChat
You can construct chatbots for Facebook Messenger using ManyChat, a chatbot builder. Can you quickly construct bots with ManyChat to assist you with customer support issues or conversational chatbot marketing. You can create a bot using ManyChat that can handle orders, set up appointments, or respond to frequently asked questions. You can quickly build a chatbot that satisfies your company’s needs thanks to its user-friendly interface and extensive feature set.
Pros:
- Many automated response workflows for different stages of the customer journey
- Easy-to-use tools for designing your own custom Facebook chatbots
- Integration with email software and SMS for discount campaigns, newsletters, or booking confirmations
Cons:
- It’s not ManyChat’s fault but Facebook policies make it difficult to use ManyChat for lead nurturing
- You can connect ManyChat with many apps through Zapier but only for exporting/importing contact data and not for event tracking
- You can’t use it as a website chatbot widget—social media and WhatsApp are the only channels
- It’s not ManyChat’s fault but Facebook policies make it difficult to use ManyChat for lead nurturing
- You can connect ManyChat with many apps through Zapier but only for exporting/importing contact data and not for event tracking
- You can’t use it as a website chatbot widget—social media and WhatsApp are the only channels
Pricing:
- Free. You can use ManyChat bots for free for up to 1,000 contacts engaged
- Pro (from $15/month). SMS text messaging, email, additional customer segmentation tags
5. Drift
Businesses can engage with their customers in real time using the customer messaging platform provided by Drift, a chatbot software provider. Several capabilities are available on the Drift platform, including live chat, chatbots, video chat, email, and SMS messaging. Additionally, Drift offers a variety of connectors with outside programs like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Intercom.
Pros:
- Good analytics and activity dashboard
- Many fun and personalized chatbot playbooks—ready-to-use chatbot workflows for different customer engagement scenarios
- Friendly design of the chatbot and live chat icon
Cons:
- Features for sending image-based welcome messages are very limited
- Some users find the backend user interface confusing and difficult
Pricing:
- Free. Drift offers a freemium plan with some limited chatbot and live chat features
- Standard ($40/month). Custom chatbots and Salesforce integration
- Pro ($400/month). A/B testing and lead routing rules
- Enterprise ($1,500/month). Multi-language features and machine learning bots
6. Chatfuel
Over 300,000 chatbots are now operational on Messenger. It’s because they are incredibly efficient and now simpler than ever to make. Chatfuel is a fantastic bot platform to take into consideration if you’re looking for the best ChatBot substitute for social media. You may use it to build a chatbot for Slack, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, or any other messaging app. Chatfuel also provides a variety of features, such as chatbots driven by AI, power language chatbots, and support for numerous languages.
Pros:
- A drag-and-drop builder for creating advanced social media chatbots
- Easy integration with Facebook pages and a one-click sign-up process with Facebook accounts
- A/B testing functionalities for increasing ecommerce conversion rates
Cons:
- Like ManyChat, it focuses on social media—if you want to add a live chat to your website you need to use a Facebook Messenger website chat integration
- The trial ends after 50 conversations, which is extremely limiting and it’s hard to judge how the software will perform over the long term for your business
Pricing:
- Free trial. End after automated 50 chats
- Entrepreneur ($14.99/month). Priority support and 500 monthly conversations
- Startup ($24.99). Priority support and 1,000 monthly conversations
- Small Business ($59.99). Priority support and 3,000 monthly conversations
- Enterprise (custom pricing). Flexible prices and features that match your chat concurrency
7. Typeform
Typeform gives an excellent approach to developing interactive surveys, despite not being a chatbot platform specifically. They can collect data from customers and staff just like bots, or they can produce leads. Additionally, you may make conversational surveys that appear like a standard chatbot widget or embed the forms on websites. You may design experiences that seem like having a great chat with a bot instead of annoying your clients with standard forms or surveys. An excellent replacement for standard chatbots is Typeform.
Pros:
- A collection of survey designs for different situations and types of customer research
- Conversational forms and survey interfaces can be embedded on your website or used as independent landing pages powered by Typeform
- Many integrations with third-party apps and formats to export data
Cons:
- No conversational AI engine—the flow logic can be determined by fixed button-based responses but not open-ended messages
- You can see the visualization of your survey flow after setting the logic rules manually but there is no drag-and-drop flow editor
Pricing:
- Free. Limited features
- Basic ($29/month). 1 user and unlimited forms
- Plus ($59/month). Branding removed and 3 user seats
- Business ($99/month). 5 users and advanced reporting
8. Microsoft Bot Framework
A collection of tools and services called Microsoft Bot Framework makes it easier to create, connect, test, use, and manage chatbots. Additionally, it is a community of open-source bots. You may create virtual assistants that support various user interactions using the Microsoft-powered Bot Framework. Conversations might be planned to be guided or freeform. The framework can also be integrated with cloud-based services and Microsoft’s AI platform. Additionally, you may tie your bots to particular channels like Skype, Slack, or Facebook Messenger.
Pros:
- Very advanced natural language processing engine
- Works really well with other products developed by Microsoft such as Bing or Cortana—for example, your chatbot can appear as a rich snippet in the Bing search engine
- The Payment Request API can be connected with your bots for payments in the chatbot widget
Cons:
- Requires the knowledge of Azure, Node.js, or C#
- Makes you dependent on the Microsoft’s infrastructure of apps and services
- Bots may require regular maintenance
Pricing:
- The tools for creating bots are free. In addition, a certain amount of operations and API calls are free of charge too. However, some chatbots and channels require the bot to be connected to other services and technologies. For example, if your chatbot utilizes Azure Bot Service, you need to use the calculator provided by Microsoft to estimate your monthly costs.
9. IBM Watson Assistant
Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in IBM Watson Assistant, a cloud-based natural language processing (NLP) service. It can mix unstructured data, such as emails and messages, with structured data, like databases. This makes it possible to create chatbots and AI programs that can comprehend intricate interactions. Watson Assistant can be used to analyze customer sentiment in addition to giving developers a platform to create their conversational applications. If you’re a seasoned developer, it’s a great ChatBot substitute.
Pros:
- Amazing tool for data science researchers and developers
- If you don’t want to set everything up on your own you can use complete solutions and plugins based on IBM Watson developed by 3rd party companies
- You can use it to create anything you want, from simple IT self-service FAQ bots to powerful conversational AI systems using speech recognition
Cons:
- May require knowledge of and integration with additional tools such as IBM Watson Studio or IBM Watson Language Translator
- The level of complexity doesn’t make it a good option for small businesses
Pricing:
- Free. Bot conversations with up to 1,000 users per month are free
- Plus ($140). Additional conversations, intent recognition, and autolearning features
- Enterprise (custom pricing). Additional IBM Watson API requests
Conclusion:
There are numerous other chatbot development platforms available if you decide that ChatBot® is not the right fit for you. Below is a list of ChatBot rivals broken down into different categories.
General best ChatBot substitute:
- Tidio. The easiest and most powerful chatbot tool for improving customer experience
Best for businesses with a larger budget and particular requirements:
The Best for companies with a higher budget and specific needs:
- Intercom. Complex solution with many useful modules
- Drift. Good for marketing and sales teams in the B2B sector
- Tars. Comes with many bot templates for niche industries
Best ChatBot alternatives for social media:
- ManyChat. a robust platform with many features for Facebook and Instagram bots
Chatfuel. - Easy to utilize social sales and bot-building tools
Best for developers who need advanced solutions and know how to code:
- Apple Watson. Conversational AI services in the cloud for large businesses
A platform for bots. - Microsoft provides a cutting-edge bot development solution.
Try experimenting with a few options and comparing them to see which one works best for you. For testing out their functionality, many of the chatbot service providers previously mentioned provide a freemium plan or a trial period. Act right away if you want to give your customers the greatest possible digital purchasing experience.