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Chatbase has a free plan. CustomGPT.ai doesn’t. Once you’re past testing, the way each one charges matters just as much.
I haven’t run either on a paid account. This comparison comes from both vendors’ pricing pages and published guides, and I’ll flag where sources disagree. For the baseline, see our CustomGPT.ai review.
Quick answer
Pick Chatbase if you want to test a bot for free and your volume is small.
Pick CustomGPT.ai if you care about answers backed by citations, you want a flat monthly plan, and you’re fine with no free tier.
CustomGPT.ai pricing
- Standard: $99 a month ($89 on annual billing)
- Premium: $499 a month ($449 on annual billing)
- Enterprise: custom pricing
There’s a 7-day free trial, and the vendor’s page says a credit card is required. No permanent free plan.
Chatbase pricing
- Free: $0, with 50 message credits a month and 1 agent
- Hobby: $40 a month ($32 annual)
- Standard: $150 a month ($120 annual)
- Pro: $500 a month ($400 annual)
Chatbase prices by message credits. Each AI reply uses 1 to 6 credits depending on the model, so real volume varies. Extra credits cost about $40 per 1,000. Guides also list 1 agent on every plan, with seats of 2, 3, and 5 on the paid tiers. Removing the Chatbase branding is a paid add-on.
Sources disagree on small details. Hobby credits show up as 500 in some places and 700 in others, and older pages list $19 and $99 plans. Workspaces created before May 14, 2026 stay on legacy pricing. Check the live page.
How the two charge
Chatbase meters credits, so a busy bot or a premium model burns through them. CustomGPT.ai uses plan limits on agents, queries, and seats, and sources disagree on the exact numbers for Standard. In both cases, estimate your monthly volume before picking a plan.
Features
CustomGPT.ai. Connects to websites, Google Drive, Notion, HubSpot, SharePoint, and YouTube, per the vendor. It also claims 92 languages and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Those are vendor claims.
Chatbase. Lists integrations such as Stripe, Slack, Zendesk, Salesforce, and Shopify, and has had a Shopify app since January 2026.
Accuracy
CustomGPT.ai markets accuracy and citations. Chatbase markets fast setup. I haven’t compared answer quality side by side, so I won’t claim a winner.
Run the same 10 questions through both trials. Count the correct answers. That beats any review.
Who should pick which
Chatbase fits if you:
- Want a free plan to experiment on
- Have a small shop with modest traffic
- Need Shopify or Zendesk-style integrations
CustomGPT.ai fits if you:
- Care about citations and source-backed answers
- Want predictable plan pricing
- Plan to resell bots to clients (Premium removes branding)
My take
Start with Chatbase’s free plan if you only want to learn how this works. Move to a paid trial on CustomGPT.ai when you have real documents and real customer questions to test.
Try CustomGPT.ai free for 7 days
Frequently asked questions
Is CustomGPT.ai better than Chatbase?
It depends on your volume and what you need. I haven’t tested answer quality head to head, so I’d trial both.
Does Chatbase have a free plan?
Yes, with 50 message credits a month and 1 agent. CustomGPT.ai has a 7-day trial instead.
Which is cheaper?
At the same tier name, CustomGPT.ai’s Standard ($99) is below Chatbase’s Standard ($150) on monthly billing. Usage limits differ, so compare your own volume.