Live Chat · alternatives
Alternatives to Microsoft Bot Framework
22 live chat tools sit alongside Microsoft Bot Framework in this directory. Below is what separates each from Microsoft Bot Framework on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 22
- With a free tier
- 11
- Cheaper to start
- -
- Microsoft Bot Framework starts at
- Free
Why people look past Microsoft Bot Framework
Nothing on the record flags a reason to move. Microsoft Bot Framework has a free tier. People still switch over fit and workflow, and those are not things a catalogue entry can measure, which is what the comparisons below are for.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
AWS conversational AI service
- Publishes an entry price of $0.004/per speech request, where Microsoft Bot Framework does not.
- Sold on a usage-based model rather than freemium.
- 2 tiers to Microsoft Bot Framework's 3.
Omnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform
- No free tier, where Microsoft Bot Framework has one.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than freemium.
Open-source chatbot platform and framework
- Publishes an entry price of $9000/year, where Microsoft Bot Framework does not.
- Sold on a subscription model rather than freemium.
- 1 tier to Microsoft Bot Framework's 3.
Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs
- Publishes an entry price of $45/month, where Microsoft Bot Framework does not.
- 5 tiers to Microsoft Bot Framework's 3.
Chatbot and automation platform for Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS
- Publishes an entry price of $15/month, where Microsoft Bot Framework does not.
- 2 tiers to Microsoft Bot Framework's 3.
No-code chatbot builder for websites, WhatsApp, and lead generation
- Publishes an entry price of €32/month, where Microsoft Bot Framework does not.
Every Microsoft Bot Framework alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Bot Framework (this page) | Free | Freemium | 3 | |
| Amazon LexAWS conversational AI service | Free, then $0.004/per speech request | Usage-based | 2 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Zendesk Sunshine ConversationsOmnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| BotpressOpen-source chatbot platform and framework | Free, then $9000/year | Subscription | 1 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| CrispCustomer messaging platform for startups and SMBs | Free, then $45/month | Freemium | 5 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| ManyChat | Free, then $15/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Landbot | Free, then €32/month | Freemium | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Conferbot | Free, then $19/month | Freemium | 4 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Jivochat | Free | Subscription | 4 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Ada | Free | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Freshchat | Free, then $19/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Google Dialogflow | Free | Usage-based | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| IBM Watson Assistant | Free | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Kore.ai | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Conversica | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| LiveChat | $20/month | Subscription | 4 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Comm100 | $29/month | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Kayako | $30/month | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Bold360 | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Capacity | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Gorgias | $10/month | Usage-based | 4 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Haptik | On request | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
| Acquire | $50/month | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft Bot Framework |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Microsoft Bot Framework badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (11)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
What you would be giving up
Microsoft Bot Framework is most often brought in for chatbot development and deployment, conversational ai applications, microsoft teams bot integration, multi-channel bot deployment. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Microsoft Bot Framework is broadly right and the question is cost, the Microsoft Bot Framework pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the Live Chat category lists everything the directory holds, and best live chat tools ranks them.
Microsoft Bot Framework runs on web, mobile, messaging apps, voice. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Microsoft Bot Framework alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Microsoft Bot Framework?
- 22 other live chat tools are listed in this directory, led by Amazon Lex, Zendesk Sunshine Conversations, Botpress, Crisp. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Microsoft Bot Framework?
- 11 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Amazon Lex, Botpress, Crisp, ManyChat, Landbot.
- Is there a reason to switch away from Microsoft Bot Framework?
- Nothing in the data flags one. Microsoft Bot Framework has a free tier. Fit and workflow are the usual reasons to move, and those are not things this record can measure.
- What would I give up by switching from Microsoft Bot Framework?
- Microsoft Bot Framework is most often brought in for chatbot development and deployment, conversational ai applications, microsoft teams bot integration, multi-channel bot deployment. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Microsoft Bot Framework?
- None of the live chat tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Microsoft Bot Framework alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, Live Chat, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Microsoft Bot Framework against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Microsoft Bot Framework covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every live chat tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the Live Chat category, 22 tools beside Microsoft Bot Framework. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.