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Amazon Lex vs Capacity

Amazon Lex logo

Amazon Lex

Live Chat

AWS conversational AI service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Capacity logo

Capacity

Live Chat

AI-powered customer service automation platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Lex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Lex pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit); Capacity two-part pricing, an annual platform fee plus usage, so the bill is not knowable from the tier alone
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Capacity covers AI chatbot.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Lex and Capacity actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Lex and Capacity differ
AttributeAmazon LexCapacity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, AWS CloudWeb, Mobile, Chat widgets, API
Founded20062016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Lex

  • Speech recognition
  • Natural language understanding
  • Voice and text
  • Lambda integration
  • AWS services
  • Lambda
  • DynamoDB
  • SNS

Only in Capacity

  • AI chatbot
  • Knowledge management
  • Multi-channel support
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Zendesk
  • Slack
  • ServiceNow

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Lex

  • Chatbot developmentnot Capacity
  • Voice-based conversational AInot Capacity
  • Natural language understandingnot Capacity

Capacity

  • Knowledge base and helpdesk deflectionnot Amazon Lex
  • AI agents answering across chat, voice, email and SMSnot Amazon Lex
  • Real-time assistance for human agents on a callnot Amazon Lex
  • Automating multi-step support workflowsnot Amazon Lex
  • Regulated support environments needing the HIPAA packagenot Amazon Lex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Lex

  • Pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
  • Speech requests cost $0.004 each, text requests $0.00075 each, training costs $0.50 per minute
  • Variable costs can accumulate quickly for high-volume applications

Capacity

  • Two-part pricing, an annual platform fee plus usage, so the bill is not knowable from the tier alone
  • AI usage is metered by channel: per response on chat and email, per minute on voice and per message on SMS
  • Agent Assist and conversation intelligence are charged per hour of agent time on top
  • Live chat, agent assist and conversation intelligence require the Pro tier
  • The HIPAA package and advanced workflows are Enterprise only
  • No prices are published for any tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Lex

Free
  • Standard Usage$0.004/per speech request
    • Speech requests at $0.004 each
  • Text Requests$0.00075/per text request
    • Text requests at $0.00075 each

Capacity

On request
  • Starter$125/month
    • AI chatbot
    • Up to 50 articles
  • Professional$300/month
    • Unlimited articles
    • Advanced AI
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full customization
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Lex if

  • You need speech recognition.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
  • You also want natural language understanding.
Amazon Lex review

Choose Capacity if

  • You need ai chatbot.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Chat widgets, API.
  • You also want knowledge management.
Capacity review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Lex or Capacity better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Lex starts at Free and Capacity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Lex or Capacity?
Amazon Lex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Lex and On request for Capacity.
Does Amazon Lex or Capacity run on more platforms?
Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud. Capacity runs on Web, Mobile, Chat widgets, API.
Can I use Amazon Lex for free?
Yes. Amazon Lex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Capacity starts at On request.
What is Amazon Lex best used for?
Amazon Lex is most often used for chatbot development, voice-based conversational ai, natural language understanding. Of those, chatbot development and voice-based conversational ai are not what Capacity is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Lex do that Capacity cannot?
Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. Capacity covers AI chatbot, Knowledge management, Multi-channel support, Analytics. Both handle Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Lex: How much does Amazon Lex cost?

Amazon Lex charges $0.004 per speech request and $0.00075 per text request with no upfront commitments or minimum fees required.

Source
Capacity: How much does Capacity cost?

Capacity does not publish pricing on their website. The company uses a tiered platform model with usage-based add-ons, stating customers pay a platform fee plus usage-based pricing for AI Agents. Interested customers must contact their sales team or use the ROI calculator for custom quotes.

Source
Amazon Lex: Is there a free tier for Amazon Lex?

Yes, new AWS customers receive 10,000 text requests and 5,000 speech requests per month free for the first year. Additional $200 in AWS Free Tier credits are available for new customers as of July 15, 2025, with all credits expiring within 12 months.

Source
Capacity: What is Capacity's pricing model?

Capacity charges a platform fee for three tiers (Core, Pro, Enterprise) plus usage-based fees for Chat Agents (per response), Voice Agents (per minute), Email Agents (per response), SMS Agents (per message), and Agent Assist features (per hour of agent time).

Source
Amazon Lex: What is the example monthly cost for Amazon Lex?

For 8,000 speech requests ($32) and 2,000 text requests ($1.50), the approximate monthly total is $33.50, though actual costs vary based on usage volume.

Source
Capacity: What are Capacity's available tiers?

Capacity offers Core tier (essential tools to launch AI support), Pro tier (most popular, with live chat and conversation intelligence), and Enterprise tier (full suite with advanced compliance, HIPAA compliance available). Pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
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