7 Best Free AI Chatbots in 2026 (Compared)

Looking for the best free AI chatbot? The word "free" hides three very different things: free trials, free plans with limits, and open-source tools you host yourself. This comparison covers what each option really gives you — so you can test an AI chatbot on your website without paying first.

What "free" really means

• Free trial: full features for a limited time (e.g. 15 days). Best for a real test on your own traffic.
• Free plan: free forever, but capped — limited conversations, fewer features, sometimes forced branding.
• Open-source: free software, but you pay with your time: hosting, setup and maintenance are on you.

For most businesses, a free trial of a full product beats a crippled free plan — you see what the chatbot actually does before deciding.

1. ButtarAI — best free trial for website chatbots

ButtarAI offers a 15-day free trial with no credit card: a full AI chatbot trained on your website content, embedded with one script tag, with your branding, conversation history and lead capture included. No developer needed, live in minutes. Best for businesses that want to test a real AI chatbot on real visitors before paying anything.

2. Tidio — best free plan for live chat + AI

Tidio's free plan combines live chat with basic AI features, which suits very small sites that want a human inbox too. Conversation limits apply on the free tier, and advanced AI features sit on paid plans.

3. HubSpot — best free chatbot inside a CRM

HubSpot includes a free chatbot builder tied to its free CRM. A natural pick if your business already runs on HubSpot — the bot, the contacts and the pipeline live in one place.

4. Chatbase — best free trial for knowledge-base bots

Chatbase focuses on chatbots trained on your documents, with a trial to test it out. Good if your main need is answering questions from docs rather than capturing website leads.

5. Botpress — best free open-source option

Botpress is open-source and free to self-host, with serious customization power. The tradeoff: you need technical skills (or a developer) for hosting, setup and maintenance.

6. Intercom — best free trial for premium support suites

Intercom's platform (including its Fin AI agent) is powerful but priced for larger teams. Worth trialing if support quality is central to your business and the budget fits.

7. Zoho SalesIQ — best free plan in the Zoho ecosystem

Zoho's free tier covers basic live chat and bot features, making it a reasonable starting point for businesses already using Zoho products.

How to choose

• Want a real test on your own traffic? Pick a full-featured free trial.
• Want free forever for a tiny site? Pick a free plan and accept the limits.
• Have developers and servers? Open-source gives you total control.

The best free AI chatbot is the one that lets you prove value before you pay — not the one with the longest list of asterisks.

Related reading: How Much Does an AI Chatbot Cost in 2026? — pricing tiers, hidden costs and how to calculate your budget.

Try ButtarAI free for 15 days — full features, no credit card, live on your website in minutes.