Pick Chatbase if you are a small business that wants an AI agent on your website for a predictable price, starting free or at $40 a month. Pick Intercom Fin if you already run a helpdesk such as Zendesk, Salesforce or Intercom, handle steady ticket volume and want to pay only when the AI actually resolves a conversation.
Which should you pick?
- Lowest starting costChatbase
Chatbase has a free plan and Hobby at $40 a month Chatbase pricing ↗. Fin's 50 outcome monthly minimum at $0.99 each works out to at least $49.50 a month Fin pricing ↗.
- Free plan or trialChatbase
Chatbase Free never expires, though it only gives 50 message credits a month Chatbase pricing ↗. Fin offers a 14 day trial with unlimited outcomes and no card, then you pay Fin pricing ↗.
- Predictable monthly billChatbase
Chatbase plans are flat, from $40 to $500 a month with set credits Chatbase pricing ↗. Fin's bill rises with every resolution, handoff or routing it completes Fin pricing ↗.
- Working inside your existing helpdeskFin by Intercom
Fin works with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshdesk and others without Intercom seats Fin pricing ↗ Fin features ↗. Chatbase lists Zendesk among advanced integrations on its $150 Standard plan Chatbase pricing ↗.
- Choice of AI modelChatbase
Chatbase lets you choose models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek and others Chatbase features ↗. Fin runs on Intercom's own Apex models Fin features ↗.
- Security and complianceFin by Intercom
Fin lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, SSO and data hosting in the US, EU or Australia Fin features ↗. Chatbase lists SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA Chatbase features ↗.
- Taking real actions like refundsFin by Intercom
Intercom says Fin can update accounts, process payments and refunds and run multi step procedures Fin features ↗. Chatbase also runs actions such as order lookups and subscription changes Chatbase features ↗, but publishes no resolution data.
Side by side
| Feature | Chatbase | Fin by Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly plans with message credits Chatbase pricing ↗ | $0.99 per outcome Fin pricing ↗ |
| Entry price | Free; Hobby $40/month for 700 credits Chatbase pricing ↗ | 50 outcome monthly minimum Fin pricing ↗ |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan, 50 credits a month Chatbase pricing ↗ | 14 day trial, unlimited outcomes, no card Fin pricing ↗ |
| Yearly discount | 20% Chatbase pricing ↗ | Not stated |
| Extra usage | $40 per 1,000 credits Chatbase pricing ↗ | $0.99 per outcome; $9.99 per sales qualification Fin pricing ↗ |
| Team members | 2 on Hobby, 3 on Standard, 5 on Pro Chatbase pricing ↗ | No seats needed with another helpdesk; Intercom seats from $29 Fin pricing ↗ Intercom pricing ↗ |
| Channels | Website, Meta apps, WhatsApp, Slack, email, voice Chatbase features ↗ | Chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, Instagram, Messenger; voice on custom pricing Fin pricing ↗ |
| Helpdesk | Built in helpdesk from Standard ($150) Chatbase pricing ↗ | Intercom, Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshdesk and more Fin features ↗ |
| Remove branding | $99/month add on Chatbase pricing ↗ | Not stated |
| Security | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA Chatbase features ↗ | SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA Fin features ↗ |
| Published resolution rate | Not stated | 76% average, vendor figure Fin features ↗ |
| User rating | Trustpilot 4.0 from 68 reviews Trustpilot Chatbase ↗ | G2 4.5 out of 5 G2 Fin ↗ |
From each vendor’s own pages, checked Oct 9, 2026. Prices change often.
Pricing: flat plans vs paying per result
Chatbase sells plans. Free gives 50 message credits a month, one agent and one member, and agents are deleted after 14 days without activity Chatbase pricing ↗. Hobby is $40 a month for 700 credits and 2 members, Standard is $150 for 4,000 credits and 3 members, and Pro is $500 for 15,000 credits and 5 members, with 20 percent off yearly plans Chatbase pricing ↗. Add ons cost $40 per 1,000 extra credits, $25 a month per extra agent and $99 a month to remove the Powered By Chatbase label Chatbase pricing ↗.
Fin sells outcomes. Each resolution, handoff to a procedure, disqualification or self serve routing costs $0.99, a sales qualification costs $9.99, and there is a 50 outcome monthly minimum Fin pricing ↗. Intercom says there are no setup, integration or platform fees Fin pricing ↗. If you also want Intercom's helpdesk, seats are $29, $85 or $132 a month depending on plan, and Fin is included on all of them at the same per outcome price Intercom pricing ↗.
The Chatbase pricing page does not spell out how many credits a typical conversation uses, so test it with your own traffic before you choose a plan Chatbase pricing ↗.
Cost examples at list prices
These assume monthly billing and that every outcome Fin bills is a resolution.
- 50 resolved conversations a month: Fin costs $49.50 Fin pricing ↗. Chatbase Hobby costs $40 if 700 credits cover your traffic Chatbase pricing ↗.
- 150 resolved conversations a month: Fin costs $148.50 Fin pricing ↗. Chatbase Standard costs $150 for 4,000 credits, or Hobby plus extra credits at $40 per 1,000 Chatbase pricing ↗.
- 500 resolved conversations a month: Fin costs $495 Fin pricing ↗. Chatbase Pro costs $500 for 15,000 credits Chatbase pricing ↗.
- Removing Chatbase branding adds $99 a month at any level Chatbase pricing ↗.
Features compared
Chatbase is a no code builder. You connect your data, set the agent's role, add guardrails, test it and deploy it Chatbase features ↗. It runs on your website, Meta apps, WhatsApp, Slack, email and voice calls, and includes a ticket view where the AI and your staff work from the same conversation Chatbase features ↗. Procedures written in plain language can run actions such as getting invoices, finding open slots, checking order status and upgrading or cancelling a subscription Chatbase features ↗. You can choose from models by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, xAI and Moonshot Chatbase features ↗. The helpdesk, voice, telephony, API access and integrations with Stripe and Zendesk start on Standard Chatbase pricing ↗.
Fin is an AI agent built for support teams. It works natively in Intercom and also with Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, Freshdesk and other helpdesks, and Intercom says it can be live in under an hour Fin features ↗. It answers on chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, with phone through Fin Voice on custom pricing Fin pricing ↗. It speaks dozens of languages, handles multi step procedures and can update accounts and process refunds through APIs, data connectors or MCP Fin features ↗. Intercom says Fin averages a 76 percent resolution rate across 12,000+ customers Fin features ↗; that is the vendor's own figure.
What users report
Chatbase scores 4.0 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 68 reviews, but the ratings are split: 56 percent are 5 stars and 28 percent are 1 star Trustpilot Chatbase ↗. Reviewers praise fast support and quick setup, and complain about billing, occasional wrong or repetitive answers and trouble reaching a human Trustpilot Chatbase ↗. Chatbase says more than 10,000 businesses use it Chatbase features ↗.
Fin holds 4.5 out of 5 on G2 G2 Fin ↗. Intercom cites a 90 percent satisfaction score on G2 and about 2 million resolutions a week Fin features ↗.
Who should pick which
Choose Chatbase if you are a small business with a website, modest chat volume and no helpdesk yet. You get a fixed price, a free plan to start and your choice of AI model Chatbase pricing ↗ Chatbase features ↗.
Choose Intercom Fin if you already have a helpdesk and a support team, handle hundreds of conversations a month and want the AI to take real actions like refunds. You pay only for outcomes and get stronger compliance options Fin pricing ↗ Fin features ↗.
- Small website, tight budget: Chatbase Hobby
- Zendesk or Salesforce support team: Fin
- Need HIPAA and EU data hosting: Fin
- Want to pick the AI model: Chatbase
- Want a fixed monthly bill: Chatbase
Before you sign up
Clean up your source material first. Both tools answer from what you give them, so update your help articles, policies and FAQ before you connect them Chatbase features ↗ Fin features ↗.
Decide what the AI should never do. Chatbase lets you set guardrails, such as sending refund questions to billing or a person Chatbase features ↗. Fin uses written procedures and lets you set alerts and limits on spend Fin features ↗.
Use the free period well. Fin's 14 day trial has unlimited outcomes Fin pricing ↗, so route real traffic to it and read every conversation. With Chatbase Free, 50 credits a month is only enough for a small test Chatbase pricing ↗.
How we compared them
We used Chatbase's pricing and home pages, Fin's pricing and home pages and Intercom's pricing page, all checked October 10, 2026, plus Trustpilot and G2 reviews Chatbase pricing ↗ Chatbase features ↗ Trustpilot Chatbase ↗ Fin pricing ↗ Fin features ↗ Intercom pricing ↗ G2 Fin ↗. We have not tested either tool hands on for this page. Hands on testing is in progress; we'll update this page with results.
Try them
Chatbase
Builds an AI agent from your data with guardrails, actions and multichannel deployment.
Fin by Intercom
AI customer service agent billed per resolved outcome, usable with Intercom or other help desks.
We may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page. It never changes our picks. How we pick
Questions people ask
Is Chatbase cheaper than Intercom Fin?
At low volume, yes. Chatbase has a free plan and Hobby at $40 a month Chatbase pricing ↗, while Fin's 50 outcome minimum costs $49.50 a month Fin pricing ↗. At a few hundred resolutions a month, the costs come close.
Do I need Intercom to use Fin?
No. Fin works with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshdesk and other helpdesks without Intercom seats Fin pricing ↗ Fin features ↗.
What counts as a Fin outcome?
Resolutions, procedure handoffs, disqualifications and self serve routings cost $0.99 each, and sales qualifications cost $9.99 Fin pricing ↗.
Does Chatbase have a free plan?
Yes: 50 message credits a month, one agent and one member, and agents are deleted after 14 days of inactivity Chatbase pricing ↗.
Which works on WhatsApp?
Both. Chatbase deploys to WhatsApp Chatbase features ↗, and Fin supports WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and Facebook Messenger Fin pricing ↗.
Is either HIPAA compliant?
Both claim it. Chatbase says it is built to handle protected health information Chatbase features ↗, and Fin lists HIPAA among its certifications Fin features ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. We have not tested these tools hands on yet.
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