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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

Amazon Lex vs tawk.to

Amazon Lex logo

Amazon Lex

Live Chat & Chatbots

AWS conversational AI service

From
$0.00075/per text request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
tawk.to logo

tawk.to

Live Chat & Chatbots

100% free live chat software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only tawk.to 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); tawk.to removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, tawk.to covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Lex and tawk.to actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Lex and tawk.to differ
AttributeAmazon Lextawk.to
Starting price$0.00075/per text requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, AWS CloudWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac
Founded20062013

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

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 tawk.to

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • Knowledge base
  • CRM
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • WordPress
  • Shopify

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Lex

  • Building conversational chatbots leveraging Alexa deep learning enginenot tawk.to
  • Voice and text-based NLU applications requiring automatic speech recognitionnot tawk.to
  • Custom conversational interfaces integrated into existing applicationsnot tawk.to

tawk.to

  • Budget-conscious sites wanting free core live chat and paying only for specific add-ons like AI or staffed agentsnot 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

tawk.to

  • Removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • Enhanced AI Assist chatbot is a paid add-on starting at $29/month rather than included free
  • Human staffed chat agents are billed at $1/hour as a separate add-on

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Lex

$0.00075/per text request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Lex review.

tawk.to

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited agents
    • Unlimited history
    • Mobile apps
  • Hired Agent$1/hour
    • Professional agents
    • 24/7 coverage
    • Quality assured
  • Remove Branding$19/month
    • White label
    • Custom branding

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Lex if

  • You need speech recognition.
  • You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
  • You also want natural language understanding.
Amazon Lex review

Choose tawk.to if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want ticketing.
tawk.to review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Lex or tawk.to better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Lex starts at $0.00075/per text request and tawk.to at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Lex or tawk.to?
tawk.to has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.00075/per text request for Amazon Lex and Free for tawk.to.
Does Amazon Lex or tawk.to run on more platforms?
Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud. tawk.to runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
Can I use tawk.to for free?
Yes. tawk.to has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon Lex starts at $0.00075/per text request.
What is Amazon Lex best used for?
Amazon Lex is most often used for building conversational chatbots leveraging alexa deep learning engine, voice and text-based nlu applications requiring automatic speech recognition, custom conversational interfaces integrated into existing applications. Of those, building conversational chatbots leveraging alexa deep learning engine and voice and text-based nlu applications requiring automatic speech recognition are not what tawk.to is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Lex do that tawk.to cannot?
Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. tawk.to covers Live chat, Ticketing, Knowledge base, CRM. Both handle Web support.
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