Well-designed chatbots delight your customers, increase your sales, and save you time. Your customers want to use chatbots. Your competitors are going to use chatbots. Your team will love it when chatbots do their work.
You need a good chatbot platform.
The best chatbot platforms should be strong in the following areas:
- Audiences and targeting
- Conversational styles
- Scheduling capabilities
- Security and compliance
- Support options
Based on these areas, we’ve chosen five different chatbot platforms to compare. Some of these are focused chatbot platforms, and some have chatbots as a feature of a bigger system.
What are the best chatbot platforms?
1. OnceHub
OnceHub pricing starts at $10/month, and also has a generous paid tier.
Audiences and targeting
The starting point for any website marketing activity is to know who you are speaking with.
Audiences are one of the key building blocks in OnceHub. They allow you to define who your chatbots engage with on your website.
For example, you might define an audience based on how or where they arrived on your website. You could then create chatbots to target them with campaign-specific messaging.
Alternatively, you might define an audience based on whether they're a new or returning visitor. You could then create chatbots to target them with different reaching-out messages.
With the OnceHub chatbot platform, you can define unlimited websites, and manage audiences across them all. OnceHub allows you to select from a list of predetermined audience templates. Or, you can create your own audiences from scratch according to your unique criteria.
Targeting rules are another key building block in OnceHub. They allow you to define when your chatbot engages with website visitors.
What is the behavior of your visitors when they arrive at your website? How did they get there? Did they come through a social media campaign or have they been scrolling your website for a few minutes?
OnceHub also allows you to target visitors by analyzing their behavior.
For example, you might create a rule that targets an audience with one chatbot when they’ve been on your website for a certain period of time, or a different chatbot when they’re on a specific website page.
Conversational styles
Chatbots are another key building block in OnceHub. They allow you to define how you engage in conversation with website visitors.
For example, you might create a lead capture chatbot that offers visitors an ebook or video in return for their contact details.
Alternatively, you might create a qualification chatbot that asks visitors a few key questions before inviting them to schedule a meeting with your team.
The OnceHub chatbot platform allows you to create unlimited conversational chatbots for your website.
You can select from many interaction types to build conversations that feel natural. Choose from a selection of intelligent chatbot templates to help you get started. Or, if you'd prefer, you can start your conversations from scratch.
Create a seamless brand experience, styling your chatbot conversations to match your website. Add custom icons, brand colors, and more.
Scheduling capabilities
OnceHub allows you to schedule meetings with qualified website visitors.
You can offer one-on-one meetings or panel meetings. You can use resource pools for meeting distribution in line with your internal rules.
You decide what qualification criteria you want to filter your website visitors on. Only when they meet your criteria can they schedule a meeting with individuals or teams.
Security and compliance
OnceHub uses enterprise-grade security to protect your data, and compliance features to ensure you are compliant with privacy rules. These features include:
- Conversation consent - configure chatbot conversation consent to match your privacy policies
- Cookie consent - configure chatbot cookie consent to match your privacy policies
- Privacy policy links - add chatbot links to your privacy policies
- Two factor authentication (2FA) - users must enter a security code when they sign in
- Multi-user management - allow multiple users to access and manage your account
- Free account administrators - admin users can access and manage your account for free
- Customizable access permissions - define access permissions for specific roles or users
- Organizational single sign-on (SSO) - enable SAML-based single sign-on for organizational users
- Organizational password requirements - define minimum requirements for user passwords
- Organizational activity requirements - define automatic sign out rules for inactive users
Support options
Onboarding webinars and a comprehensive knowledge base are available to all OnceHub users. Users can also take advantage of 24/7 email and live chat support, as well as scheduled video support. Professional services are also an option for enterprise plans.
2. Landbot
Landbot pricing starts at $35/month for one user.
Audiences and targeting
Like OnceHub, Landbot allows you to manage audiences across different websites. Landbot doesn’t offer location targeting. They offer campaign targeting via Facebook and WhatsApp.
Conversational styles
The Landbot chatbot platform has an easy-to-use chatbot builder, and allows you to create unlimited chatbots. Landbot limits the number of conversations you can have, unless you upgrade to a premium plan.
You can select from various interaction types to build conversations. You have a selection of templates to help you get started, or you can start from scratch. Landbot offers design options for you to customize your chatbots.
Scheduling capabilities
You are unable to schedule meetings through Landbot chatbots.
Security and compliance
Landbot’s security and compliance includes:
- Conversation consent
- Cookie consent
- Privacy policy links
- Multi-user management
- Free account administrators
Support options
Landbot offers onboarding webinars and access to their knowledge base. They don’t offer 24/7 email and live chat support. Scheduled video support is available to users on premium plans.
3. Hubspot
HubSpot pricing starts at $50/month for two users.
Audiences and targeting
Hubspot’s chatbot platform allows for unlimited websites. Hubspot supports location and activity targeting, but no campaign targeting.
Conversational styles
Hubspot, like OnceHub, allows you to create unlimited conversational chatbots for your website. You’re able to select from different interaction types to build natural conversations. You can customize your chatbots to match your website.
Scheduling capabilities
Hubspot’s chatbots allow for basic scheduling interactions. Pooled availability, resources pools, meeting assignments and reassignments, and meeting resources aren't supported.
Security and compliance
Hubspot’s security and compliance includes:
- Conversation consent
- Cookie consent
- Privacy policy links
- Two factor authentication (2FA)
- Multi-user management
- Customizable access permissions
- Organizational single sign-on (SSO)
- Organizational password requirements
- Organizational activity requirements
Support options
Onboarding webinars and a knowledge base are accessible for Hubspot chatbots. Users on premium plans have access to scheduled video support. Professional services are also available.
4. Drift
Drift doesn't show pricing on their website. It seems as though their chatbot packages start at $400/month.
Audiences and targeting
With Drift, you need a premium plan for unlimited websites. Like ChatOnce, Drift does allow for location, campaign, audience, and activity targeting.
Conversational styles
Drift’s chatbot platform limits the number of conversational chatbots you can use on your website. You are able to select a chatbot from a template or build one from nothing.
Scheduling capabilities
Drift chatbots allow for simple scheduling. This includes one-on-one and panel meetings, with meeting resources. Drift does not support pooled availability, resource pools, priority assignments, or manual reassignments.
Security and compliance
Drift’s security and compliance includes:
- Conversation consent
- Cookie consent
- Privacy policy links
- Multi-user management
- Customizable access permissions
- Organizational single sign-on (SSO)
Support options
Drift's support includes onboarding webinars, access to their knowledge base, and email support. Chat support, video support, and professional services are only available as premium features.
5. Intercom
Intercom pricing starts at $59/month for 1 user.
Audiences and targeting
Chatbots are part of Intercom’s advanced packages. Location targeting is possible using IP addresses. Campaign targeting is not offered. Interaction targeting, activity targeting, and audience analytics are premium features.
Conversational styles
Chatbots are a premium feature with Intercom. A builder and chatbot templates are available, but not unlimited chatbots or conversations.
Scheduling capabilities
To use scheduling with Intercom chatbots you require a Calendly premium package. Resources pools are not supported through this integration.
Security and compliance
Intercom’s security and compliance includes:
- Privacy policy links
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
With premium pricing, you can get the following security and compliance features:
- Multi-user management
- Customizable access permissions
- Organizational single sign-on (SSO)
- Organizational activity requirements
Support options
With Intercom, you have access to onboarding webinars, email, and live chat support. Their knowledge base, video support, and professional services are considered premium features. These are only available on higher priced packages.
Why should I use the OnceHub chatbot platform?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to using chatbots on your website. The trick is to create a range of chatbots targeting different audiences with specific content. Personalization and focus are key to making your chatbots engaging and successful.
OnceHub is affordable. This intelligent chatbot platform offers all you need to reach your prospects and customers. Create multiple chatbots across many websites to target your different audiences.
Sign up for free to see how OnceHub can delight your customers, increase your sales, schedule meetings and save you time.
