Software · head to head
Crisp vs Botpress
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier; Botpress managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure
- They diverge on capability: Crisp covers Live chat, Botpress covers Visual bot builder.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Crisp and Botpress actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Crisp
- Live chat
- Shared inbox
- Chatbots
- Knowledge base
- Video calls
- CRM
- WordPress
- Shopify
Only in Botpress
- Visual bot builder
- NLU integration
- Multi-channel support
- Analytics
- Teams
- Messenger
- On-premise support
Both cover
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Crisp
- Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Botpress
- Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Botpress
Botpress
- Development teams building chatbots and conversational AI using MIT-licensed open-source frameworknot Crisp
- Organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via SDK/CLInot Crisp
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Crisp
- Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
- Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
- Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
- White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)
Botpress
- Managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure
- Dependent on OpenAI integration; users must provide and manage OpenAI API keys and costs
Pricing, plan by plan
Crisp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Crisp review.
Botpress
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Botpress review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Crisp if
- You need live chat.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
- You also want shared inbox.
Choose Botpress if
- You need visual bot builder.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud).
- You also want nlu integration.
Questions people ask
- Is Crisp or Botpress better?
- Neither clearly leads. Crisp starts at Free and Botpress at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Crisp or Botpress?
- Crisp starts at Free and Botpress at Free.
- Does Crisp or Botpress run on more platforms?
- Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Botpress runs on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud).
- Can I use Crisp for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Crisp best used for?
- Crisp is most often used for growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation, teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram. Of those, growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation and teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram are not what Botpress is typically brought in for.
- What can Crisp do that Botpress cannot?
- Crisp covers Live chat, Shared inbox, Chatbots, Knowledge base. Botpress covers Visual bot builder, NLU integration, Multi-channel support, Analytics. Both handle Slack.