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Google Dialogflow vs Rasa

Google Dialogflow logo

Google Dialogflow

Software

Google's conversational AI platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rasa logo

Rasa

Software

Open-source framework for building conversational AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Google Dialogflow google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.; Rasa free Developer Edition caps conversations at 1,000 external or 100 internal per company per month
  • They diverge on capability: Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG, Rasa covers NLU engine.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Dialogflow and Rasa actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Dialogflow and Rasa differ
AttributeGoogle DialogflowRasa
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistantsOn-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes
Founded19982016

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 Google Dialogflow

  • NLU and NLG
  • Integration with Google services
  • Webhooks
  • Google Cloud
  • Facebook
  • Telegram
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

Only in Rasa

  • NLU engine
  • Dialogue management
  • Testing tools
  • Teams
  • Custom channels
  • API
  • On-premise support
  • Cloud deployment support

Both cover

  • Multi-language support
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Google Dialogflow

  • Customer engagementnot Rasa
  • Lead generationnot Rasa
  • Customer supportnot Rasa
  • Sales automationnot Rasa

Rasa

  • Developers self-hosting an open source conversational AI framework before needing enterprise scalenot Google Dialogflow

Where each one falls short

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

Google Dialogflow

  • Google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.

Rasa

  • Free Developer Edition caps conversations at 1,000 external or 100 internal per company per month
  • Rasa Pro and the Business Plan (Pro plus Studio) are not priced on the site and require contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Dialogflow

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 requests/day
    • Basic NLU
  • Standard$0.005/month
    • Pay per request
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom SLAs
    • Dedicated support

Rasa

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework access
    • Community support
  • Rasa Pro$50/month
    • Additional tools
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Advanced features
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Dialogflow if

  • You need nlu and nlg.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
  • You also want integration with google services.
Google Dialogflow review

Choose Rasa if

  • You need nlu engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on On-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want dialogue management.
Rasa review

Questions people ask

Is Google Dialogflow or Rasa better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Dialogflow starts at Free and Rasa at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Dialogflow or Rasa?
Google Dialogflow starts at Free and Rasa at Free.
Does Google Dialogflow or Rasa run on more platforms?
Google Dialogflow runs on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants. Rasa runs on On-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Google Dialogflow for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Google Dialogflow best used for?
Google Dialogflow is most often used for customer engagement, lead generation, customer support, sales automation. Of those, customer engagement and lead generation are not what Rasa is typically brought in for.
What can Google Dialogflow do that Rasa cannot?
Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG, Integration with Google services, Webhooks, Google Cloud. Rasa covers NLU engine, Dialogue management, Testing tools, Teams. Both handle Multi-language support, Slack.
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Related pages

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