Quick Guide to AI Chatbot Platforms for SMBs and Enterprises

Agentic chatbots are conversational AI systems that plan and execute tasks autonomously, unlike simple scripted bots. They don’t just respond—they reason, decompose goals into steps, and call APIs or other tools to complete them. Think of them as digital assistants capable of answering business queries, automating workflows, and integrating directly with enterprise systems.

How Are Agentic Chatbots Built?

At their core, agentic bots combine:

LLM Orchestration: A large language model (LLM) acts as the reasoning engine, interpreting intent and deciding actions .
Profiles & Roles: Agents are given a “persona” or role definition to guide responses .
Memory & Context: Retaining user history and previous exchanges for coherent conversations.
Planning & Actions: Breaking down a user’s goal into steps, then executing via APIs, RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), or business logic .

How Do They Answer Business-Specific Queries?

Agentic chatbots answer domain-specific questions by connecting to business data sources:

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) lets an LLM fetch facts from a knowledge base (e.g., CRM, policy docs) before answering. This ensures responses are accurate and up-to-date .
Custom Function Calls: Bots can call APIs (e.g., ticketing system, ERP) as part of the workflow.
Integration with Business Apps: Enterprise bots (Microsoft Copilot, IBM Watson) offer connectors for SharePoint, Salesforce, ServiceNow, etc.

The result: bots that don’t hallucinate but provide grounded, contextual answers.

DIY & Open-Source Platforms

Open-source solutions give maximum flexibility but require engineering effort.

Botpress

Visual flow builder + NLU modules.
Supports multi-channel (Slack, Messenger, Teams).
Developer-friendly with JS actions .

Rasa

Open-source NLU + dialogue manager.
Story-driven training.
Suited for teams with existing data (chat logs, FAQs) .

LangChain / AutoGen / CrewAI

Developer libraries for building autonomous agents.
Provides connectors for APIs, databases, memory stores .
Highly flexible but code-heavy.

Other OSS Options

BotMan (PHP), Bottender (JS), Tock (Scala), DeepPavlov (Python).
Generally SDK-like, requiring more coding .

No-Code Builders

HubSpot’s Free Chatbot: Drag-and-drop, integrates with HubSpot CRM .
Good for SMBs who need simple FAQ/lead-gen bots.

Cost: Free to use, but you’ll pay for servers, APIs, and developer hours.

Commercial & Cloud Platforms

Paid platforms provide managed infrastructure, compliance, and enterprise integrations.

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Visual bot builder inside Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Includes connectors to Office, Teams, and Dynamics.
Pricing: $200/month for 25k messages .

AWS Lex + Bedrock

Lex: Managed chat/voice service.
Pricing: $0.00075 per text request .
Bedrock: LLM hosting + function calling for agentic workflows .

Google Dialogflow CX

Enterprise-grade conversational AI.
Pricing: $20 per 100 sessions (40 turns each) .
Strong for multi-turn flows and Google integrations.

IBM Watsonx Orchestrate

Agent builder + prebuilt HR/procurement assistants.
Pricing: Enterprise plans around $3,000/month .
Emphasis on governance and compliance .

Others

ServiceNow Virtual Agent: ITSM and HR bots .
UiPath AI: Blends RPA + LLMs .
LivePerson: Customer service automation .
Zapier AI: Workflow automation with AI steps .
Orby.ai: Prebuilt assistants for scheduling, inbox triage .

Pricing Models at a Glance

Model	Examples	Cost Style
Open-Source DIY	Rasa, Botpress, LangChain	Free software, pay infra/dev
API Pay-Per-Use	OpenAI API, AWS Lex	Per token/request (fractions of ¢)
Session Bundles	Google Dialogflow CX	$20/100 sessions
Subscription Packages	Microsoft Copilot, IBM Watsonx	Flat monthly (from $200 to $3k+)
Per-Seat / CRM Bundles	HubSpot, ServiceNow	Included in SaaS subscription

Which Option Fits You?

SMBs: Start with HubSpot free bots, Zapier AI, or open-source Botpress. Low cost, easy to deploy.
Tech-Savvy Mid-Market: Use LangChain or Rasa for custom integrations with internal data.
Enterprises: Microsoft, IBM, AWS, or Google for enterprise-grade features, compliance, and scaling.
Task Automation: Zapier AI or Orby.ai for quick wins without dev effort.

Final Thoughts

Agentic chatbots are rapidly moving from novelty to necessity. For CIOs and CTOs, the choice boils down to:

DIY vs. Managed: Do you want total control (OSS, APIs) or speed-to-market (cloud SaaS)?
Integration Needs: Must the bot connect deeply into ERP/CRM systems?
Compliance & Governance: Do you require audit trails, security, and data residency?
Budget: From free OSS to $3k+ enterprise suites, options span the spectrum.

Are you looking for AI Voice Agent solutions? Check out our AI Voice Agent Directory.