The verdict
Genuinely free AI chatbots forever are rare. Most "free" tiers are limited trials, conversation-capped freemiums, or live chat tools that gate AI behind paid add-ons. The only truly free-forever live chat is Tawk.to (humans only, AI is paid). The most generous free-tier AI is Chatbase free (50 message credits/mo) and Botpress (free $5 AI credit/mo). DM Champ has a free trial and a $27/mo Starter plan plus a $59 AppSumo lifetime, so it lands mid-list because we don't have a permanent free tier. We're not going to pretend otherwise.
DM Champ offers a free trial and a $59 AppSumo lifetime deal. Covers WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, web chat, and custom channels with one AI sales agent. Built by the founder of Fuegenix who scaled the clinic from $5M to $10M ARR. Used by agencies on the DM Champ Agency tier in May 2026.
At a glance
| Tool | Free tier reality | What's free | What's paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawk.to | Free forever | Unlimited chats, agents, sites | AI add-on, branding removal |
| Chatbase | Free + 50 credits/mo | 50 AI responses, 1 bot | Hobby $32/mo, Standard $120/mo |
| Botpress | Free + $5 AI credit | 500 incoming messages | Plus $89/mo, Team $495/mo |
| Tidio | Free tier | 50 chats, 100 chatbot triggers | $29 Starter + $39 Lyro AI |
| Brevo | Free Conversations | Unlimited chats, basic auto-replies | Pro $15/user/mo for full bot |
| Smartsupp | Free tier | 50 live chats, Mira AI | Standard $14/mo annual |
| HubSpot | Free CRM with chat | Web chat widget | Service Hub Starter $9-$15/seat |
| Crisp | Free 2 seats forever | Web chat for 2 agents | Mini EUR 45, Plus EUR 295 |
| DM Champ | Free trial only | Trial then $27/mo or $59 lifetime | $27, $97, $297, $497/mo |
| Olark | Free trial only | 1 agent, 20 chats/mo after trial | $19 to $29/agent/mo |
| Sendbird | Developer free | 30-day Pro trial then dev plan | Starter $399/mo |
How we ranked these
DM Champ commissioned this article. We do not have a permanent free tier and we landed mid-list because of that. To stay honest we (1) only ranked "free" if the free tier actually lasts forever, not a 7-day or 14-day trial; (2) noted exactly what's free and what triggers the upgrade; and (3) ranked the genuinely-free options ahead of DM Champ because that's the honest answer to "what's free."
1. Tawk.to. genuinely free forever
Tawk.to is the only platform here that is 100% free forever with no agent caps, no chat caps, and no site caps. Standout is unlimited everything for free with optional paid add-ons. Branding removal is a one-time paid feature. AI Assist (auto-replies) is an optional paid add-on. Live trained chat agents available at $1/hr. Best for anyone who wants a free, unlimited live chat for humans and doesn't need AI replies. Drawback is the AI is not free, and the UX is dated.
2. Chatbase. free with 50 message credits/mo
Free plan includes 50 AI message credits per month (about 50 responses using economy models), one chatbot, but bots are deleted after 14 days of inactivity. Standout is the simple "upload docs, get a bot" experience. Drawback is web-widget only (no IG, WA, or FB), and the bot deletion clock pushes you to upgrade.
3. Botpress. free pay-as-you-go with $5 AI credit
Pay-as-you-go free plan includes 500 incoming messages per month, 1 collaborator seat, and a $5 monthly AI credit. After May 14, 2026, new workspaces also get unlimited bots and 'Always Alive' included on every paid plan. Standout is real flow control and the ability to ship a custom bot for free at small volumes. Drawback is non-developers will get stuck and the $5 AI credit runs out fast.
4. Tidio. free tier (50 chats, 100 chatbot triggers/mo)
Tidio Free includes 50 live chat conversations and 100 chatbot triggers per month. Real AI (Lyro) is a $39/mo add-on for 50 AI conversations, not free. Standout is the Shopify integration on the free tier. Drawback is the AI is not actually free here.
5. Brevo Conversations. free with unlimited chats
Brevo Conversations has a free tier with unlimited chats and basic automated replies. The full chatbot builder requires Pro at $15/user/mo. Standout is "unlimited chats" on the free tier (most others cap volume). Drawback is the free bot is keyword-based, not AI conversation.
6. DM Champ. free trial + $59 lifetime
DM Champ does NOT have a permanent free tier. What's free: a trial period. What's cheap: $27/mo Starter, or $59 lifetime on AppSumo (6-tier deal scaling to unlimited sub-accounts). Standout is real AI sales agent across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, web, and custom channels with comment-to-DM and AI booking. Drawback in this list: not free forever. If "lowest possible cost" matters more than channel coverage and AI quality, Tawk.to or Brevo wins. If you want AI that actually books appointments on DMs, $27/mo or $59 lifetime is the entry point.
7. Smartsupp. free tier with Mira AI
Smartsupp Free includes 50 live chat conversations, Live Chat, Email, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, automatic messages, unlimited agents, and the AI Shopping Assistant (Mira AI). Standout is Mira AI on the free tier (rare). Drawback is the AI is shopping-focused and capped.
8. HubSpot. free CRM with web chat widget
HubSpot's free CRM includes a basic web chat widget. Real AI (Breeze Customer Agent reading from knowledge bases) requires Service Hub Professional at $90/seat + $1,500 onboarding. Standout is the CRM-tied chat for free. Drawback is real AI is locked behind enterprise pricing.
9. Crisp. free 2-seat tier forever
Crisp Free includes 2 seats indefinitely with web chat, email, and basic integrations. Mini at EUR 45/mo adds email + automations. AI sits on Plus at EUR 295/mo (unlimited AI) or Essentials at EUR 95/mo with tight caps. Standout is permanent free 2 seats. Drawback is real AI is far above the free tier.
10. Olark. 14-day trial then free 20 chats/mo
Olark's free plan kicks in after a 14-day trial and is capped at 1 agent and 20 chats per month. Not really usable for production. Standout is the brand recognition. Drawback is everyone hits the cap in week one.
11. Sendbird. 30-day Pro trial then Developer free
Sendbird's developer plan stays free as long as you log into the dashboard once a year. The 30-day free trial includes Pro features and supports up to 1,000 MAUs. Standout is the developer free tier for building chat into a mobile app. Drawback is it's an API, not a chatbot you can use without engineers.
When DM Champ is NOT the right fit
Skip DM Champ if your absolute requirement is free forever (use Tawk.to for live chat humans, Chatbase or Botpress for a basic FAQ bot, or Smartsupp for the free Mira AI). Skip it if you only want a web FAQ bot trained on your help docs (Chatbase). Skip it if you only need a free 2-seat live chat for a tiny SaaS (Crisp Free). DM Champ shines when you need AI replies across IG + WhatsApp + Facebook DMs, and at that point the $27/mo Starter or $59 lifetime is the most efficient option.
How to choose
If you literally cannot pay anything: Tawk.to (humans only) + Chatbase free (FAQ bot) + Smartsupp free (Mira AI). If you can pay $14 to $39/mo: Smartsupp Standard for live chat, ManyChat Pro for IG funnels, or Tidio + Lyro. If you want lifetime pricing to escape monthly fees forever: DM Champ at $59 lifetime on AppSumo. If you want AI replies on actual DM channels (not just web chat), no free tier covers this, and DM Champ Starter at $27/mo is the floor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the only truly free AI chatbot in 2026? Tawk.to is free forever but AI Assist is a paid add-on. The closest "free with AI built-in" options are Chatbase free (50 credits/mo) and Botpress free ($5 AI credit/mo). Smartsupp free includes Mira AI (shopping-focused).
Is DM Champ free? No. DM Champ has a free trial then $27/mo Starter, or a $59 AppSumo lifetime deal. We are not free forever and we won't pretend to be.
Does ChatGPT have a free chatbot for my website? Not natively. OpenAI offers ChatGPT chat at chat.openai.com but no embedded site chatbot. To put GPT-4 on your site you need a tool like Chatbase, Botpress, or Voiceflow that wraps the OpenAI API.
What's the catch with free chatbot tiers? Three typical catches: (1) volume caps that force upgrade within a week; (2) AI features locked to paid add-ons (Tidio Lyro, Crisp AI); (3) "branded by" watermark on the widget you have to pay to remove.
Which free tier has the most generous AI? Chatbase free (50 message credits/mo, 1 bot) for FAQ-style. Botpress free ($5 AI credit/mo) for flow-based. Smartsupp free for shopping-focused (Mira AI). None of them cover IG + WhatsApp + FB DMs.
Can I get a free chatbot that handles WhatsApp? Brevo Conversations free includes unlimited chats with basic automated replies that work over connected channels. The AI bot is paid. For real AI on WhatsApp the cheapest path is DM Champ at $27/mo or $59 lifetime.
Is Botpress better than Chatbase if I want free? Botpress gives you flow control and a $5 AI credit/mo. Chatbase gives you a "drop docs in, get bot" experience and 50 message credits/mo. Botpress wins if you're technical. Chatbase wins if you're not.
What about free trials of paid tools? Most paid tools (LiveChat, Olark, Crisp Mini, Brevo Pro, Sendbird Pro) offer 7- to 30-day trials. These aren't "free chatbots" but they let you test the paid feature set without commitment.
How we keep this list current
We re-check free tier limits every quarter and after any platform change. Free tiers move (ManyChat moved free volumes in March 2026, Botpress restructured in May 2026). Last reviewed: May 2026. Next review: August 2026.