10 Best Chatbot Software for Enhanced Customer Service in 2024

Did you know that the chatbot software market is poised to explode, reaching a massive $9.4 billion by the end of 2024? 

That’s crazy, and as someone who has extensively used various chatbot software solutions and deployed their best features, I have seen firsthand how most chatbots are slashing response times and offering round-the-clock assistance. 

Are you looking for a smart chatbot software solution? 

Here’s a list of the top chatbot software systems in 2024 that seamlessly integrate with your business, offering real-time responses and personalized customer interactions.

Let’s get started!

Which Is the Best Chatbot Software in 2024?

Before we see a detailed review of the best chatbot platforms and tools, here’s a preview of some of the most popular tools that I have used lately:

Option A: ProProfs Chat

ProProfs Chat is one of the best free chatbot software for customer support and engagement. Its AI chatbots provide 24/7 support and reduce tickets by up to 35%. It has advanced customization options for more human-like interactions and integrates seamlessly with ProProfs Help Desk for ticket automation to enhance customer service and streamline support processes.

Option B: Pandorabots

Pandorabots is a top-notch chatbot tool for developers to create advanced AI chatbots. Using AIML(artificial intelligence markup language), it enables bots to learn from interactions, improving with time. Its versatility in deployment across multiple channels ensures uniform, high-quality conversations, making it perfect for projects demanding deep conversational abilities.

Option C: ManyChat

ManyChat is another good chatbot builder tool that enhances customer engagement through its chatbots, seamlessly integrating with platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. It’s ideal for businesses looking to boost their chatbot app visibility, offering interactive chats that drive sales and foster strong customer relationships. 

Best Chatbot Software Platforms in 2024

1. ProProfs Chat

Best for 24/7 Customer Support With AI Chatbots

In my e-commerce ventures, ProProfs Chat has been a cornerstone for enhancing customer engagement and support. The tool offers a variety of features tailored for 24/7 customer support with AI chatbots, making it a robust tool for enhancing customer service and support. 

It also assists in creating human-like interactions that build experiences and convert. This is achieved through chatbot customization options, which allow multiple-choice and open-response questions.

What I really love about the software is its AI chatbot feature that can be designed to assist customers around the clock and can reduce tickets by up to 35%. By automating customer support processes and integrating with ProProfs Help Desk, the chatbots can automate ticket creation and routing to the support team. 

I’m sure you will love how easy it is to track chatbot performance and efficiency using detailed reports. For instance, you can track the total number of chat conversations and also monitor the engagement levels. 

What You Will Like:

• Enables proactive chat invitations to engage visitors based on their website activity and behavior.
• Supports intelligent chat routing features, where chats can be assigned to groups manually or automatically.
• Real-time visitor tracking features, which help in sending targeted messages and even understanding on-site user behavior.
• Assists in understanding visitors better with a post live-chat feedback form that also helps in tracking customer ratings.
• Support personalized greetings for every visitor to ensure better response and increase leads.
• Offers live chat customization features with 60+ language support to ensure global support.
• Helps you track chat ratings and measure chatbot & operator performance with detailed reports and analytics.

What You May Not Like:

• Although the free plan offers all premium features, it’s limited to a single operator.
• The AI chatbots may experience updates with time. 

Cost: Forever free for a single operator. Paid plan starts at $19.99/operator/month. 

2. Intercom

Best for Mobile Chatbots

Utilizing Intercom within startup environments has shown me its unmatched ability to engage customers at every point in their journey. It offers a mobile-first approach, ensuring chatbots are fully optimized for mobile users.

It offers smart tools that help in automation and messaging, and it also creates a personalized experience that guides users from onboarding to becoming loyal customers. The platform’s targeted messaging and automation tools are incredibly versatile, making it possible to nurture leads and scale customer communications effectively. 

The tool’s comprehensive customer communication platform is the best tool available for startups looking to grow rapidly while maintaining a high level of user engagement.

What You Will Like:

• Integrates effortlessly with mobile apps, offering a cohesive user experience across all devices.
• Supports personalized chatbot conversations, enhancing customer engagement and retention on mobile.
• Offers advanced segmentation and targeting options to deliver tailored messages and support to mobile users.
• Includes robust analytics tools designed for mobile, allowing for in-depth analysis of user interactions and chatbot performance.
• Leverages push notifications to re-engage users and drive conversations on mobile devices.

What You May Not Like:

• Advanced mobile functionalities and integrations demand higher prices from customers.
• Customization options for mobile chatbots may require technical expertise and involve a learning curve.

Cost: Starts at $39/seat/month. 

3. Chatfuel

Best for Building Facebook Messenger Bots

My experiences with Chatfuel have primarily revolved around automating social media interactions, especially on Facebook Messenger. Its user-friendly interface allows for the quick setup of chatbots, making it possible to automate and scale conversations without any need for coding knowledge. 

The platform’s ability to offer personalized, automated interactions at scale ensures that our brand stays engaging and responsive on social media.

For businesses aiming to maintain an active and engaging presence on social media platforms, Chatfuel offers the best solution with its ease of use and powerful automation capabilities.

What You Will Like:

• Offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to design and deploy Messenger bots without coding knowledge.
• Integrates seamlessly with Facebook’s ecosystem, enhancing the reach and effectiveness of chatbots.
• Supports the integration of rich media into chatbots, allowing for a more engaging user experience.
• Provides detailed analytics on bot performance and user interactions within Messenger.
• Enables the automation of lead generation and qualification processes directly within messengers.

What You May Not Like:

• The platform’s emphasis on messenger tools might limit integration options with other services and tools.
• The graphical interface and the overall complexity of leveraging all of Chatfuel’s features have been challenging for some users.

Cost: Starts at $300 for the Enterprise plan. 

4. Landbot.io

Best for Creating Conversational Landing Pages

Landbot.io has revolutionized my approach to creating engaging online experiences. This tool enables me to craft conversational landing pages that captivate visitors far beyond traditional web forms. 

Its drag-and-drop interface allows quick creation of chatbots that guide users through personalized journeys. This personalized interaction boosts engagement and conversion rates impressively. 

Plus, the tool integrates easily with my marketing stack, automating tasks from data collection to lead qualification. It’s particularly effective for businesses looking to transform their engagement strategy with interactive and conversational interfaces, making it the best tool for converting visitors into leads and customers.

What You Will Like:

• Features an intuitive visual editor, allowing for easy design and customization of conversational flows without coding.
• Offers extensive customization options, enabling brands to create unique, branded conversational experiences.
• Supports conditional logic, allowing for personalized user paths based on their responses and behaviors.
• Provides real-time insights and analytics, helping businesses to understand user interactions and optimize accordingly.
• Offers A/B testing capabilities to test different conversational strategies and improve conversion rates.

What You May Not Like:

• Focuses primarily on landing pages, which might not suit businesses looking for a broader chatbot application.
• Limited support for non-web platforms, potentially restricting the use of chatbot apps in mobile or other digital environments.

Cost: Starts at €32/month. Billed annually.

5. Pandorabots

Best for Custom Scripting Chatbots

Pandorabots stands out in my toolkit for creating sophisticated, AI-driven chatbots capable of engaging in complex conversations. This platform is a haven for developers aiming to build chatbots with advanced understanding and learning capabilities. 

It supports AIML, allowing my bots to learn and adapt from user interactions, becoming more intelligent over time. The flexibility to deploy these bots across various channels means I can offer consistent, high-quality interactions everywhere. 

So, the tool is ideal for those looking to push the limits of conversational AI, providing a robust platform for developing bots that can handle nuanced dialogues, making it the best choice for projects requiring deep conversational capabilities.

What You Will Like:

• Supports AIML (Artificial Intelligence Markup Language), allowing for the creation of highly intelligent and nuanced chatbot responses.
• Provides tools for developing chatbots that are capable of deep learning, enabling continuous improvement over time.
• Features a robust testing environment, allowing developers to refine chatbot behavior before deployment.
• Enables the integration of chatbots into a wide range of platforms and applications, enhancing versatility.
• It supports voice and text interactions, broadening the range of applications for chatbots.

What You May Not Like:

• The focus on custom scripting and AIML may present a steep learning curve for those new to chatbot development.
• The platform’s sophistication and complex structure might not go well with businesses seeking simple, conversational chatbots.

Cost: Starts at $19/month. 

6. Tidio

Best for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Tidio is one of the best tools for small and medium-sized businesses, offering a perfect blend of live chat, chatbots, and marketing automation in an easy-to-use platform. It allows for instant customer communication, enhancing the overall experience and availability of support. 

I really like how chatbots handle routine inquiries efficiently, leaving complex issues for human agents. It also helps to target visitors with personalized messages based on their site behavior, significantly improving engagement and conversion rates. 

Not only this, the analytics feature offers deep insights into customer interactions, helping me refine my engagement strategy. So, for businesses looking to elevate their customer service and marketing efforts, Tidio is the best tool, combining functionality, simplicity, and effectiveness.

What You Will Like:

• Offers a wide range of customizable chatbot templates that can be easily adapted to various business needs.
• Integrates seamlessly with popular eCommerce and customer service platforms, enhancing operational efficiency.
• Features an intuitive chatbot builder tool that allows businesses to set up automated responses without needing coding knowledge.
• Provides real-time visitor monitoring and analytics, enabling businesses to engage with potential customers proactively.
• Supports multi-channel messaging, allowing businesses to manage conversations across different platforms from a single dashboard.

What You May Not Like:

• Advanced features and integrations require subscriptions to paid plans, which may increase costs for growing businesses.
• While user-friendly, the platform’s simplicity restricts advanced or specific automation functionalities, which some businesses desire.

Cost: Starts at 24.17/month. Billed annually. 

7. Freshworks

Best for Multilingual Chat Support

When it comes to managing customer support, I really love Freshworks, which provides a comprehensive suite of tools to make it easy to engage with customers across various channels. It offers robust chat support in 33+ languages, making it ideal for businesses serving a global customer base.

Its integration of chatbot functionality with CRM and support ticketing systems streamline customer support processes, making it ideal for businesses that seek efficiency and a unified approach to customer interactions. 

Also, I like how it offers a consolidated view of all customer communications and enhances customer service efficiency with its AI-powered chatbot capabilities.

What You Will Like:

• Integrates easily with the Freshworks suite of products, providing a unified platform for sales, marketing, and customer service.
• Provides comprehensive analytics tools to track chatbot performance and customer satisfaction across different regions.
• Enables easy setup and management of chatbots with a user-friendly interface and customizable workflows.
• Offers a scalable solution that can grow with your business, supporting an increasing number of languages and customer interactions.
• Includes a powerful AI engine that improves over time, learning from customer interactions to provide more accurate responses.

What You May Not Like:

• Integration with third-party tools and platforms, especially those not part of the Freshworks ecosystem, is quite complex.
• Some businesses might find the AI’s learning curve in handling nuanced linguistic variations across different languages challenging.

Cost: Starts at $15/agent/month. Billed annually. 

8. Aivo

Best for Voice and Text-Based Customer Service Automation

Aivo’s platform has been instrumental in automating customer service, especially for handling large volumes of interactions. I like how it uses its AI-driven responses, which are not just automated but are tailored to match the customer’s language and preferences, providing a personalized service experience around the clock. 

The tool excels in delivering fast, accurate, and personalized responses, which is crucial for high-demand environments where customer satisfaction and quick response times are paramount. 

This capability to improve customer service efficiency and satisfaction makes Aivo the best choice for businesses dealing with high volumes of customer interactions.

What You Will Like:

• Offers seamless integration with existing customer service platforms and CRMs, enhancing workflow efficiency.
• Supports real-time analytics and reporting, allowing businesses to monitor chatbot performance and customer engagement.
• Enables businesses to provide a consistent customer service experience across multiple channels, including social media, messaging apps, and voice.
• Offers customizable AI models that can be trained to understand industry-specific terms and customer queries.
• Provides a high level of security and compliance, ensuring customer data is protected across all interactions.

What You May Not Like:

• It may not be the most cost-effective option for small businesses with limited customer service inquiries.
• The focus on voice and text might limit integration options with platforms primarily used for visual or multimedia interactions.

Cost: Starts at $90/month. Billed annually.

9. ManyChat

Best for Multi-Platform Messaging

Using ManyChat has transformed the way I engage with customers on messaging platforms. It stands out for its ability to create chatbots that operate across multiple messaging platforms, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, making it perfect for businesses aiming to expand their messaging app presence. 

I also like how it helps in the creation of engaging and interactive chat experiences that drive sales and build strong relationships with customers. 

Its effectiveness in leveraging messaging platforms to enhance customer engagement and achieve marketing objectives makes ManyChat the best tool for businesses focused on messenger marketing.

What You Will Like:

• Features powerful automation capabilities that can handle complex conversation flows and customer queries.
• Supports the collection and analysis of user data, enabling personalized and targeted communication strategies.
• Offers a range of subscription plans, including a free tier with basic features, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
• Provides dedicated support and a rich library of resources to help users maximize their chatbot’s potential.
• Offers tools to start conversations with contacts via broadcasts (mass messages), sequences (scheduled series of messages), and rules (automated actions triggered by specific events)​.

What You May Not Like:

• It emphasizes messaging platforms and may not fully cater to businesses looking for extensive web-based or in-app chatbot functionalities.
• Customization and personalization depth in the tool requires a steep learning curve or reliance on professional services for optimal setup.

Cost: Starts at $15/month. Billed annually. 

10. Zendesk

Best for Integrated Ticketing System

Zendesk’s integration of chatbot features within its customer service platform has been vital for automating support and facilitating self-service options. What makes Zendesk the best, in my view, is its integrated ticketing system that is particularly notable for its ability to streamline communications and manage customer inquiries efficiently. 

The tool includes automation tools and AI capabilities to help manage ticket flow, assign tickets to the right agents, and even provide automated responses to common questions. This reduces the workload on human agents and speeds up response times.

Agents have access to a unified interface that aggregates all customer interactions and relevant information to manage tickets, access customer histories, and provide personalized responses.

What You Will Like:

• Supports a wide range of customization options, allowing businesses to tailor chatbot interactions to their specific support workflows.
• Facilitates collaboration among team members, which is essential for resolving complex issues and helps to share tickets, add internal notes, and even loop in experts from outside the support team
• Features a robust API and integration options, making it easy to connect the chatbot with other tools and platforms used by the business.
• Easy integration with knowledge bases and AI-powered bots, to enable customers to find answers to their questions without the need to contact a support agent directly.
• Boasts strong security features like data encryption, two-factor authentication, and compliance with various data protection regulations to ensure that customer data is safe.

What You May Not Like:

• During periods of high chat volume, response times can slow down, potentially affecting customer satisfaction. 
•  Zendesk Chat’s performance heavily depends on the quality of the internet connection. Poor connectivity can lead to delays or disruptions in chat services, affecting the customer experience.

Cost: Starts at $55/agent/month. Billed annually. 

Evaluation Criteria 

The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:

1. User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
2. Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
3. Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
4. Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
5. Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth. 
6. Personal Experience / Experts’ Opinions: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience of the writer and the opinions of industry experts. 

Ready to Pick the Best Chatbot Platform?

So, which one of these chatbot software solutions offers the best combo of features and price?

If I had to pick one, I would go with ProProfs Chat for its overall ease of use and its advanced AI-driven support capabilities. Besides, it supports seamless integration with a wide range of platforms, offering real-time analytics and support automation to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

Sounds like the best deal to me. 

Learn More About Chatbot Tools

What is Chatbot Software?

Chatbot software is a digital tool designed to simulate human-like interactions with users through messaging applications, websites, or phone systems. These automated assistants understand and process user queries, providing instant responses based on a set of pre-programmed rules or by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies. Chatbots can handle a wide range of tasks, from answering frequently asked questions and providing customer support to facilitating transactions and guiding users through complex processes.

How can Chatbots help your Business?

Chatbots can significantly enhance business operations by offering 24/7 customer support, reducing the workload on human agents, and providing quick responses to customer inquiries. They streamline interactions, ensuring that customers receive immediate assistance at any time. By automating routine tasks, chatbots allow businesses to focus on more complex issues, improving operational efficiency. They can also gather valuable customer data, enabling personalized marketing strategies and improving customer satisfaction. Implementing chatbots can lead to cost savings, increased sales, and an enhanced customer service experience.

Why are Chatbots important for an eCommerce Website?

Chatbots are crucial for eCommerce websites because they provide instant customer service, enhancing the shopping experience by answering questions, resolving issues, and offering personalized recommendations around the clock. This immediacy helps reduce bounce rates and abandoned carts, directly influencing sales conversions. Chatbots can guide customers through their buying journey, from product discovery to checkout, making the process seamless and efficient.

How do chatbots leverage AI and machine learning?

Chatbots leverage AI and machine learning to understand and interpret human language, enabling them to provide relevant responses and learn from interactions to improve over time. Through natural language processing (NLP), chatbots analyze and comprehend user queries, even those with varying phrasings or typos. Machine learning algorithms allow chatbots to learn from each interaction, enhancing their ability to predict and match user intentions with the most appropriate responses.