What is a chatbot? Types, examples and what they cost
A chatbot is a software application that talks with people by text or voice. Older chatbots follow a script or a menu; AI chatbots understand what the person means and write the answer themselves (definition based on IBM).
In 2026 there are three kinds you will meet: menu bots, general AI assistants such as Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek, and AI agents that answer for one business on channels like WhatsApp.
The three kinds of chatbot
- Menu or rule-based bots. "Press 1 for prices, 2 for hours." Someone draws every path in advance; anything off the script gets stuck. Cheap, predictable, and the reason many people hate chatbots.
- General AI assistants. Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and ChatGPT. They answer almost any question for one person, in a web page or an app. They know a lot about the world and nothing about your business unless you tell them.
- Business AI agents. An AI that answers a company's customers on its own channel, most often WhatsApp, from what the owner taught it: prices, hours, services, rules. It books, qualifies and follows up, and a person can take over any chat.
Popular AI chatbots and what they cost
| Chatbot | Maker | Free plan | Paid plans (per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Anthropic | Yes | Pro $20 · Max from $100 |
| Gemini | Yes | AI Plus $4.99 · AI Pro $19.99 · AI Ultra from $99.99 (US prices) | |
| Grok | xAI | Yes | SuperGrok $30 · SuperGrok Plus $100 |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek | Yes, the app is free | No paid consumer plan published |
Sources and dates are on each chatbot's own guide, linked in the first column.
Chatbot vs AI agent: what is the difference?
A chatbot talks. An AI agent talks and does something for you: books the appointment, saves the contact, sends the follow-up two days later. All the assistants above can chat; what a business usually needs on WhatsApp is the agent part, tied to its own prices and calendar.
Can a business use an AI chatbot on WhatsApp?
Since 15 January 2026, Meta's terms for the WhatsApp Business Platform prohibit general-purpose AI assistants from using it when the AI itself is the product. AI that serves a business's own customers, answering about its own services, prices and bookings, is allowed. In practice: you will not get the public chatbot to answer your business number, but you can have an AI agent that knows your business answer it.
- It answers every message on your WhatsApp number, day and night, from what you taught it: prices, hours, services, what it must never promise.
- It qualifies, books and follows up, and you can take over any chat.
- Every chat becomes a contact in a CRM, so nothing gets lost.
Put an AI on your business WhatsApp
Tell CertuAI about your business in a chat and test the agent before you connect anything. Building and testing is free; the agent starts answering your customers when you subscribe.
Build my WhatsApp AI agentFrequently asked questions
What is a chatbot in simple words?
A program you can message, by text or voice, that answers you. Menu bots follow a script; AI chatbots understand the question and write the answer.
Is ChatGPT a chatbot?
Yes. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek are all AI chatbots, also called AI assistants.
Are AI chatbots free?
Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek all have a free option. Claude, Gemini and Grok sell paid plans with more usage; DeepSeek says its app is free. Prices on this page come from each company's own page, checked 5 October 2026.
What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent?
A chatbot answers. An AI agent answers and takes action: it books, saves the contact in a CRM and follows up by itself.
Is it allowed to use AI on a WhatsApp Business number?
Yes, when the AI serves your own customers. Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform terms (section 4.7) prohibit general-purpose AI assistants as the main product since 15 January 2026, and allow AI that is part of a business's own service.
How we checked
Every price and every claim about What is a chatbot? Types, examples and what they cost on this page comes from the company's own pages, opened on the date shown. We did not use review sites or convert currencies. Prices change: open the source before you decide.
- IBM: What is a chatbot?, checked 5 October 2026
- Claude pricing (claude.com), checked 5 October 2026
- Gemini subscriptions, US (gemini.google), checked 5 October 2026
- Grok pricing (x.ai), checked 5 October 2026
- DeepSeek download page (deepseek.com), checked 5 October 2026
- Meta Terms for WhatsApp Business Platform, section 4.7, checked 5 October 2026
- Meta for Developers: AI Providers on WhatsApp, checked 5 October 2026
CertuAI wrote this page and sells a WhatsApp AI agent for businesses. Nobody paid to be mentioned here.