| Requirement | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Free access | Recurring allowance, trial expiry and AI inclusion. |
| Useful answers | A review against your approved knowledge. |
| Lead handling | A voluntary contact request and usable saved brief. |
| Required channel | A demonstrated native workflow where necessary. |
| Operating cost | Subscriptions, usage, implementation and staff time. |
The selection method
Start with the owner time: who updates knowledge, reviews unanswered questions and follows up? A feature-rich system that nobody maintains can fail a straightforward enquiry task. Compare the minimum useful workflow before adding channels or complex automation.
Commercial disclosure: this guide is published by LeadVaani. It does not present an independent ranking, paid recommendation or verified accuracy league table. The right alternative may be better for your required channel or operational process.
Tawk.to: what to evaluate
Base live chat and AI Assist have separate allowances and add-ons. Confirm the current free AI limits.
Consider LeadVaani when your immediate need is a focused website assistant using your business knowledge, collecting relevant contact details and putting enquiries into a business workspace. Keep your evaluation small enough to inspect the answers and records yourself. Measure staffing needs, unanswered hours and AI usage separately. Do not assume that every free chat product has the same automation costs.
Crisp: what to evaluate
The free inbox has different entitlements from paid AI tiers; a free live-chat inbox is not unlimited AI.
Consider LeadVaani when your immediate need is a focused website assistant using your business knowledge, collecting relevant contact details and putting enquiries into a business workspace. Keep your evaluation small enough to inspect the answers and records yourself. Test staff collaboration and the AI allowance separately. Estimate the cost of the inbox and the capacity needed for automated replies.
HubSpot chatbot: what to evaluate
The free chatbot builder is connected to HubSpot CRM. Rule-based flows and generative AI should not be conflated.
Consider LeadVaani when your immediate need is a focused website assistant using your business knowledge, collecting relevant contact details and putting enquiries into a business workspace. Keep your evaluation small enough to inspect the answers and records yourself. Test contact ownership and returning-visitor context. A separate lead record or generic export is not equivalent to native CRM personalisation.
Use the same trial before deciding
Write down five representative customer questions, including an unsupported request and a follow-up requiring confirmation. Give the products equivalent approved knowledge where their workflows allow it. Review the answers, saved records and staff action required, not only the first greeting.
Compare recurring allowances, paid operating cost, implementation effort and the capabilities you still need elsewhere. Keep a dated note of provider terms because a free entitlement or channel rule can change.