Short answer
Chatbase is a solid website chatbot builder. TAB is cheaper to start (it is free), counts whole conversations instead of individual replies, and is built for stores that sell on WhatsApp, Shopify and Salla.
Chatbase made it easy for anyone to train a chatbot on their own documents, and lots of teams use it for exactly that. Where it gets expensive is volume. Every AI reply uses message credits, and the entry plan comes with 700 of them.
TAB counts conversations instead. A customer who asks five follow-up questions about sizes and delivery is still one conversation. Once your chat gets busy, that difference shows up on the bill.
How they compare
| Feature | TAB | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, then from $29.99/month | $40/month, or $32/month billed yearly |
| Free plan | Yes, 50 conversations a month | No, a 7-day trial |
| What you pay for | Conversations: a whole chat counts once | Message credits, used up by AI replies |
| Channels | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, web chat | Web chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and voice from the Basic plan |
| Human takeover | Every plan, including Free | Inbox from the Basic plan ($150/month) |
| Shopify | Built-in | Shopify app |
| Salla | Salla app | No integration found |
✓ marks the side that is ahead on that row.
What 500 chats a month costs
Assume an average chat gets about five AI replies. 500 chats is then roughly 2,500 replies, well past the Hobby plan's 700 credits, so on Chatbase you'd be on Basic at $150 a month.
On TAB, 500 conversations fit in the Lite plan at $29.99 a month, however many replies each one takes, within the conversation limits.
Our take
For a simple FAQ bot on a website, both tools work. Once you're answering real customers on WhatsApp and Instagram, and especially if you sell on Shopify or Salla, TAB gives you more for less.
Chatbase fits if your bot only lives on your website and learns mostly from documents or Notion, or if you want voice agents in the same tool.
Questions people ask
Why does Chatbase get expensive for busy chats?
Because it charges per AI reply. A back-and-forth about sizes, stock and delivery can use five or more credits. TAB charges per conversation, so that whole exchange counts once.
Does Chatbase work with Salla?
We couldn't find a Salla integration for Chatbase. TAB has a Salla app that connects your catalog and orders.
Can I bring my Chatbase training data to TAB?
Yes. Upload the same files, FAQs and website pages to TAB and try the agent in the Playground. No code needed.
