Comparison
Chatbot platforms vs a custom bot
Tidio, Intercom Fin and Voiceflow are great for a generic bot. Here is when a custom one is worth it.
| Platform (Tidio / Fin / Voiceflow) | Custom bot (us) | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Days | Weeks |
| Cost | Per resolution or seat, ~US$30–180+/mo | Build, then a flat run cost |
| Grounding | Generic | Your real data via RAG |
| Integrations | Their catalog | Your systems |
| Accuracy control | Limited | You audit and tune it |
| At scale | Per-conversation cost bites | Flat marginal cost |
Our take
For a narrow FAQ bot, start on a platform, it will stand up in days for a few hundred dollars a month. Go custom when the bot reads your private data, needs to act in your systems with citations you can audit, or when per-conversation platform pricing gets punitive at volume.
Start on a platform if the requirement is generic. Build when the chatbot becomes core to how the business runs.
Read: how much a custom AI chatbot costs →