How much does a website chatbot cost in the UK?
What UK small businesses pay for an AI chatbot on their website: self-serve platform prices, UK agency plans and build prices from our directory, a worked monthly example and the costs people forget.
Published · Updated · By Edgars Lapins
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A chatbot on your website can answer the same questions you answer every day, capture enquiries at night and pass the tricky ones to you. The price ranges from a few pounds a month to several thousand for a custom build, and the headline figure rarely tells you what you will actually pay. This guide shows what UK small businesses pay for each route, using published prices only, and works through a monthly bill. For what a chatbot can and cannot do, see AI chatbots for small businesses.
What you actually pay for
Almost every chatbot bill is made of the same five parts:
- Setup or build. Free if you do it yourself on a platform; a one-off fee if an agency builds it.
- A plan or seat fee. A monthly charge for the software, often per team member (“seat” or “agent”) who answers chats.
- Usage. A charge for each conversation the AI handles or resolves, or a pot of AI credits. This is the part that grows with volume.
- Upkeep. Someone has to keep the answers accurate when your prices, hours or policies change. That is your time, or an agency retainer.
- VAT and currency. Some platforms bill in US dollars and some show prices without VAT.
Route 1: a self-serve platform
You sign up, point the bot at your website and help content, and add a code snippet to your site. Published prices from four well-known platforms:
| Platform | Plan fee | AI usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zendesk (Suite Team) | £45 per agent a month billed yearly, £59 billed monthly | 5 automated resolutions per agent a month included; extra at £1.30 each (committed) or US$2.00 pay as you go | UK prices |
| Intercom (Essential) | $29 per seat a month billed yearly | $0.99 per Fin outcome, charged once per conversation | Fin can also be bought without seats, with a minimum monthly commitment |
| Crisp (Essentials) | $95 a month per workspace, 10 seats included | $25 of AI credits included, which Crisp says is around 450 automated conversations | VAT not included in plan prices |
| Chatbase (Hobby) | $32 a month billed yearly, $40 billed monthly | Extra message credits at $40 per 1,000 | Allowances by plan are on its pricing page |
All prices are from each platform’s own pricing page, checked on 17 October 2026. Each one counts usage differently: a Zendesk “automated resolution”, an Intercom “outcome” and a Crisp “automated conversation” are not the same thing, so compare them on your own volume. Intercom, Crisp and Chatbase price in US dollars.
Route 2: a managed plan from a UK agency
An agency sets the chatbot up, connects it to your inbox or CRM and keeps it running for a monthly fee. In our directory, 97 agencies mention AI chatbots and 45 (46%) publish a price. Among the 17 that publish a monthly price, the median starting price is £150/month (range £20/month to £500/month).
Examples of published monthly plans from agencies that mention chatbots:
| Provider | What they publish | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Business AI | Plans from £29/month plus setup from £149 | London |
| Zatio | From £69/month + VAT | UK-wide |
| NotLuck | Plans from £97/month + VAT | Nottingham |
| AI Bridge Club | AI chatbots from £197/month | Sandbach |
| Swift Solution | Plans from £297/month | UK-wide |
| NeuroNet.dev | Managed services from £500/month | Milton Keynes |
Prices are as published on each agency’s own website when we checked them (11 or 17 October 2026). The service tags are agency-level: an agency that mentions chatbots may have published this price for a wider service, so ask what the plan covers.
Route 3: a custom build
If the bot needs to work inside your own systems (a booking platform, stock levels, a client portal), agencies quote a one-off price, often with a monthly fee after. Among the 27 agencies that mention chatbots and publish a one-off project price, the median of their lowest project prices is £1,500 (lowest prices run from £99 to £25,000). That is each agency’s cheapest published project of any kind, not necessarily a chatbot.
| Provider | What they publish | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Crownbot | Foundation package from £800 | Birmingham |
| Neura North | Fixed-price builds from £1,500 | Leeds |
| AImpress | From £1,500 | London |
| Goodev | AI integrations (bespoke chatbots, RAG) from £3,000 + licence | Preston |
Of these, Goodev publishes a price that names chatbots. The others publish a general starting price. For wider context, see what UK AI automation agencies charge.
Worked example: 300 chats a month
| Platform | Sum | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Intercom Essential | $29 seat + 300 × $0.99 | $326 |
| Zendesk Suite Team | £45 agent + (300 minus 5 included) × £1.30 | £428.50 |
| Crisp Essentials | $95 plan, around 450 automated conversations included | $95 |
The spread is wide because each platform bundles usage differently. Crisp is the cheapest here because its AI credits cover this volume; at much higher volume you would buy more credits. Per-resolution pricing is cheap at low volume and grows in a straight line. Always run the numbers on your own chat volume before you choose.
Costs people forget
- Content upkeep. A bot answers from your website and documents. If they are out of date, the bot is too, so budget an hour or two a month.
- Handover time. Chats the bot cannot handle still need a person. Fewer interruptions is a realistic goal; zero is not.
- Integrations. Booking into a calendar, creating a CRM record or checking an order usually needs setup work or a higher plan.
- Privacy. If visitors share personal data, your privacy notice must cover the chatbot. The ICO’s right to be informed guidance explains what to tell people, and our UK GDPR checklist for AI covers the rest.
- VAT and exchange rates. A dollar price moves with the pound, and VAT may be added at checkout.
How to keep the cost down
- Start with your top 20 questions. Write clear answers on your website first; the bot will use them.
- Try a free trial on a self-serve platform before paying anyone to build.
- Set a monthly usage cap if the platform allows it.
- Ask agencies to price the same written brief, with setup, monthly and usage costs shown separately.
- Check you can export your content and settings if you leave.
Find chatbot agencies
- Browse every agency that mentions AI chatbots, or only those with a published starting price under £1,000.
- Want to send enquiries straight into your CRM? Read how to automate website enquiries.
- Calls are your bigger problem? See AI receptionists for small businesses.
- Not sure where to start? Get matched with suitable agencies for free.
Good for
- Businesses answering the same questions every day
- Capturing enquiries out of hours
- Shops and services with clear, written policies and prices
Not for
- Advice where a wrong answer is costly, such as legal, medical or financial
- Websites whose own information is patchy or out of date
Read next
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website chatbot cost in the UK?
How much does a custom chatbot build cost?
Why do chatbot platforms charge per resolution?
Are there costs beyond the subscription?
Sources
- TrustedAIAgencies UK directory: prices published on agencies’ own websites, checked 11 or 17 October 2026
- TrustedAIAgencies data study: what UK AI automation agencies charge (Oct 2026)
- Zendesk: Pricing (UK, checked 17 October 2026)
- Intercom: Pricing (checked 17 October 2026)
- Crisp: Pricing (checked 17 October 2026)
- Chatbase: Pricing (checked 17 October 2026)
- ICO: The right to be informed
