This year, 85% of customer service leaders say they’ll be using conversational AI in some form, and it shows just how quickly support teams are shifting toward smarter tools.
With more tickets and fewer hands on deck, AI is becoming a must-have. It helps teams respond faster, automate common questions, and keep human agents focused on what matters most.
Chatbase is one of the tools people are trying out. It lets you build a chatbot using your own content, like help docs or FAQs. For simple setups, it gets the job done. But is it something you can build on long term?
The short answer: no. Companies need AI chatbots and automation that will scale with them and evolve as their company does. With deeper integrations, greater flexibility in customization, and agnostic platform compatibility, means companies are turning to tools like eesel AI.
So, let’s look at exactly what Chatbase can do and what you need to consider when deciding on your AI solution.
Chatbase AI features and limitations
Chatbase helps you build a chatbot using your own content — no code required. You can upload documents, paste in FAQs, or point to URLs. From there, the system creates an AI agent that can respond to customer questions based on that material.
The platform is built for ease of use, which works well for basic support setups. But when it comes to deeper workflows, real-time updates, or scaling with your team, its limits start to show.
How Chatbase trains your AI agent
Chatbase doesn’t follow a decision-tree logic like older bots. Instead, it uses vector embeddings and semantic search to understand your content. Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works, based on their documentation and technical insights from user discussions:
- Your documents are split into smaller sections
- The system analyzes the meaning of each section
- These sections are saved in a database the AI can quickly search
- When someone asks a question, the bot looks for the most relevant content and builds a response from it
This approach makes initial setup quick. But if you need to train a bot on more than just files, and instead on things like help desk tickets, internal wikis, or support chats, that is where it starts to fall short.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Capability | Chatbase | eesel AI |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge sources | Documents, URLs, Q&As | Help desks, tickets, wikis, 100+ platforms |
| Training method | Vector embeddings | LLM-based, multi-source, context-aware |
| Customization | Basic tone options | Full control over responses and workflows |
| Setup support | Self-serve | Dedicated onboarding with guided setup |
While Chatbase is often used for basic Q&A automation, it also includes a few extra tools that may be helpful depending on your needs.
AI actions and scheduling support
You can configure your chatbot to take simple actions, like scheduling meetings through Calendly or sending Slack notifications. These are set up through a limited selection of AI Actions that help the bot do more than just answer questions.
API and Zapier access
Chatbase supports integrations through its API and Zapier. This allows you to set up triggers and push basic data into other tools, such as CRMs or ticketing systems. However, these workflows are typically one-way and lack advanced logic.
Custom instructions and agent settings
You can fine-tune some bot behavior through custom instructions, such as how frequently it should retrain or how it handles certain types of input. That said, there’s no granular control over the tone, fallback and escalation logic, or how it prioritizes answers.
Workflow limitations to keep in mind
Chatbase offers basic automation for support workflows, though with notable limitations compared to more robust platforms. Let’s examine the key components:
Ticket handling and routing
Chatbase uses keyword matching and basic intent detection to route queries. It can recognize simple phrases and respond to known patterns, which works for straightforward questions. But it doesn’t account for things like urgency, past customer interactions, or emotional tone. All of which often matter in real support conversations. This can lead to generic or misrouted replies.
Escalation and handoffs
Escalating a ticket from bot to human agent is where Chatbase shows its limits. There’s no way to track which agents are online or preserve the full conversation context during a handoff. You also can’t have the AI and human collaborate within the same thread.
Integration capabilities
Chatbase integrates with a wide range of platforms, including Zendesk, Salesforce, Slack, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Stripe. You can also connect it to other tools through Zapier or its API, allowing for some level of automation and cross-platform functionality.
This makes it easy to deploy your chatbot across multiple channels and trigger basic actions, such as creating tickets or updating customer records. However, the depth of these integrations is fairly limited. Most actions are one-way, and there’s no support for syncing custom fields, maintaining real-time updates, or building advanced workflows without additional tools.
| What it connects to | Chatbase | eesel AI |
|---|---|---|
| Help desks | Can send tickets to Zendesk and Salesforce | Works with Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, and more. Keeps tickets updated and supports custom fields |
| Knowledge content | Uploads files like PDFs and text docs | Syncs automatically with help docs, PDFs, Confluence, wikis, and internal notes |
| Automations | Uses Zapier and basic API triggers | Lets you build flexible workflows based on actions and conditions |
| Chat and messaging | Slack, WhatsApp, Messenger, and website widget | Slack, Teams, Intercom, Zendesk, and others |
| Ecommerce platforms | Limited or no direct support | Works with Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom store fronts for order tracking, returns, and product data |
So while Chatbase gives you wide surface-level access, eesel AI is great for teams that rely on custom workflows or need to automate multi-step processes across platforms.
Technical constraints
Chatbase is designed to be simple, but that simplicity also brings a few trade-offs, especially for growing support teams or businesses with more complex workflows.
Here are some of the key limitations to know:
Limits on training content
Chatbase allows up to 33 million characters per AI agent. That’s roughly 10,000 to 15,000 pages of text. It might seem like a lot, but if you’re working with long documentation, multilingual content, or files that change often, you could hit the limit faster than expected. Since there’s no automatic syncing, you’ll also need to re-upload files manually whenever updates happen.
No automatic content updates
If your documentation changes often, you’ll need to manually re-upload files. Chatbase doesn’t support real-time syncing, which can lead to outdated answers if your bot isn’t constantly refreshed.
Limited control over AI behavior
You can’t fine-tune how the AI responds beyond some basic settings. There’s no option to adjust tone, prioritize certain answers, or customize the model’s logic around specific workflows.
Slower performance during peak traffic
During busy periods, the platform may experience lag or slower responses. This can impact customer experience when speed matters most.
Doesn’t learn from past conversations
While Chatbase protects customer privacy by not using your data to train its models, it also means the bot won’t get smarter over time unless you manually retrain it with updated content.
Monthly message caps
Depending on your plan, you’re limited to between 100 and 40,000 messages per month. These caps can be a blocker for teams handling high volumes of chats or running bots across multiple platforms.
By comparison, eesel AI is built for scale. There are no message caps, and knowledge sources can sync automatically. It also gives you more control over how the bot speaks, how it handles edge cases, and how it evolves based on your team’s needs.
What Chatbase costs — and what’s not included
If you’re comparing AI tools for customer support, the monthly plan is just part of the picture. It’s just as important to look at message limits, hidden fees, and how easily a tool scales as your usage grows.
Chatbase offers four main pricing plans. Each tier increases the number of messages, team seats, and AI features you can access. But keep in mind that many advanced options still require add-ons.
| Plan features | Free ($0/mo) | Hobby ($40/mo) | Standard ($150/mo) | Pro ($500/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly messages | 100 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 40,000 |
| AI agents | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Agent size | 400KB | 33MB | 33MB | 33MB |
| AI actions per agent | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Team members | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5+ ($25 each) |
| Training links | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Analytics | — | Basic | Basic | Advanced |
| API access & integrations | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Website embeds | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Add-ons to watch for
While the plans give you a starting point, many commonly needed features are only available as paid extras:
| Add-on | Cost |
|---|---|
| Extra message credits | $12 per 1,000/month |
| Auto-recharge credits | $14 per 1,000 (on-demand, don’t expire) |
| Extra AI agents | $7 per agent/month |
| Extra team members (Pro only) | $25 per user/month |
| Custom domains | $59/month |
| Remove branding | $39/month |
What really drives cost as you scale
Even if you start small, here’s what can cause pricing to grow quickly:
1. AI model usage matters
Advanced models like GPT-4 consume significantly more message credits, sometimes up to 20 times more than GPT-3.5. If your bot is handling complex conversations, you might hit your monthly credit limit far sooner than expected.
2. Add-ons are required for common use cases
Most growing teams will need to pay extra for things like more agents, custom domains, additional users, or removing branding. These aren’t part of the core pricing, which can make budgeting harder.
3. Static training limits add friction
Even on paid plans, your agent is limited to 33MB of content. If you work with large or evolving documentation (like release notes, policy libraries, or multilingual FAQs), you’ll have to constantly compress and re-upload.
4. There’s no real-time learning or syncing
Chatbase doesn’t automatically learn from past tickets or update as your documentation changes. To keep responses accurate, you’ll need to retrain your bot manually whenever something changes which adds overhead for busy teams.
Why choose eesel AI instead?
Chatbase covers the basics, but eesel AI is built for teams that need more flexibility, deeper integrations, and predictable pricing that scales with them. Here’s how the two compare:
Chatbase vs. eesel AI: pricing comparison
| Feature | Chatbase Pro ($500/mo) | eesel AI Business ($799/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Usage limit | 40,000 messages | 3,000 AI interactions |
| Bots | 3 AI agents | Unlimited AI agents |
| Content limit | 33MB per bot | No hard limit, auto-syncs |
| Help desk integration | Zendesk, Salesforce | Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, and more |
| Slack/MS Teams | Slack only | Slack and Microsoft Teams |
| AI actions (triage, tagging) | Limited (15 per agent) | Included |
| Branding removal | $39/month extra | Included |
| Custom domains | $59/month extra | Included |
| Past ticket training | ❌ | Up to 3,000 tickets |
| Real-time updates | Manual upload | Auto-sync from sources |
| Cost extras | Add-ons for agents, users, branding | No extra fees |
Smarter automation features
eesel AI supports more than just simple Q&A. You can connect it to help desks, CRMs, or ecommerce platforms, and train it using past tickets, help docs, or internal wikis. There’s no need to worry about hitting upload limits or constantly re-training when content changes with everything stays synced in real time.
It also supports practical automation features like tagging, routing, and API lookups. These can help teams manage incoming queries more efficiently, or even when you’re dealing with volume or recurring workflows.
Built-in features, without the extra fees
One of the biggest differences between Chatbase and eesel AI is what you actually get out of the box. With Chatbase, features like removing branding, using a custom domain, or adding more team members come at an extra cost. With eesel AI, they’re already included and no upgrade required.
There’s no separate charge to take off the “Powered by” label. No surprise fees just to make your agent feel like it belongs on your site. And no juggling add-ons just to access core analytics or workflows.
Teams using eesel AI get access to features that many other tools lock behind premium plans. Real-time syncing ensures your help docs and internal sources stay up to date without manual uploads. You can run multiple bots across different platforms, automate repetitive tasks like ticket triage and tagging, and access usage metrics and performance reports right from the dashboard, and they’re all included in the base plan.
Making the right choice for your support team
If you’re just getting started with AI, Chatbase might check some basic boxes. But for support teams that are growing, juggling multiple channels, or looking to automate more than just FAQs, it may not be enough.
eesel AI is built with those challenges in mind. It integrates with the tools your team already uses, keeps your content in sync automatically, and helps you streamline real support workflows, not just basic chatbot replies. And because key features come included, you can focus on scaling your operations instead of managing credits or unlocking upgrades.
Whether you’re handling hundreds of tickets or thousands, having the right foundation makes all the difference.
Want to see how eesel AI fits into your team’s workflow? Book a demo or start a free trial — no credit card needed.
