Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Botpress VS Optlo

Compare Botpress VS Optlo and see what are their differences

Botpress logo Botpress

Open-source platform for developers to build high-quality digital assistants

Optlo logo Optlo

An Intercom or Zendesk alternative for support teams that would rather not pay per resolution. The AI runs on your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini account, so the token bill arrives from your provider and Optlo only charges for the platform.
  • Botpress Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-27

  • Developer-first
  • Open-source
  • Cloud-agnostic
  • Flexible and Extensible
  • Top-tier Natural Language Understanding in more than 100 languages
  • Get started fast, as in less than 60 seconds you are ready to create
  • Optlo Adding an AI provider account and switching providers
    Adding an AI provider account and switching providers //
    2026-08-19
  • Optlo Inbox thread navigation and rich replies
    Inbox thread navigation and rich replies //
    2026-08-19
  • Optlo Visual workflow editor showing a conversation flow
    Visual workflow editor showing a conversation flow //
    2026-08-19
  • Optlo Adding source data and custom answers
    Adding source data and custom answers //
    2026-08-19
  • Optlo AI handing a conversation over to a human operator
    AI handing a conversation over to a human operator //
    2026-08-19

Teams usually arrive here after doing the arithmetic on per-resolution pricing. If every resolved conversation carries a fixed fee, the better your support gets the more you pay for it, and none of the underlying AI cost is visible to you.

Optlo splits that in two. The platform is a subscription: $19/month for 500 active conversations and one seat, $59 for 2,000 conversations and three seats, custom above that, two months free on annual billing. The AI is yours: connect an OpenAI, Anthropic or Google Gemini account in your own name and that provider bills you for tokens at their rates, with the spend caps set in their console.

What the platform fee buys is an agent trained on your site, docs and help centre, replies in the customer's language, a shared inbox, human handoff that carries the thread across, a visual editor for building conversation flows a step at a time, and connectors that call Stripe or any HTTP API mid-conversation.

Two things to weigh before switching. You have to be willing to hold a provider account and its keys. And Optlo answers on your website - it has no ticketing, so if you are replacing a full helpdesk you would be replacing only part of one.

Model choice stays open afterwards: change provider, or run different models at different steps, without changing the support tooling around them.

Optlo

Website
optlo.com
$ Details
paid Free Trial $19 / Monthly (Starter - billed on active conversations and seats)
Platforms
Web SaaS
Release Date
2026 June
Startup details
Country
New Zealand
State
Auckland
City
Auckland
Founder(s)
Jonas Budelmann
Employees
1 - 9

Botpress features and specs

  • Open Source
    Botpress is an open-source platform, providing flexibility and customization options not typically available with proprietary solutions.
  • Modular Architecture
    The system's modular architecture allows for the integration of only necessary components, making it more efficient and tailored to specific needs.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Botpress offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easier for developers to design, develop, and manage chatbots.
  • Multi-Channel Support
    The platform supports multiple channels, enabling the deployment of chatbots on various messaging platforms such as Slack, Facebook Messenger, and web chat.
  • Strong Developer Community
    Being an open-source platform, it boasts a large and active community of developers, which can offer support, plugins, and innovative ideas.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Botpress provides comprehensive documentation, which helps developers to understand, implement, and troubleshoot the platform effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Botpress

  • Complexity for Beginners
    The platform can be somewhat complex for beginners, as it requires a certain level of technical knowledge to set up and customize effectively.
  • Limited Pre-Built Integrations
    Compared to some other chatbot platforms, Botpress has fewer pre-built integrations, which could require additional effort for custom integrations.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running a Botpress instance can be resource-intensive, and it may require significant server resources, particularly for large-scale deployments.
  • Requires regular updates
    As with many software platforms, staying up-to-date with the latest releases and security patches is necessary, which can be time-consuming.
  • Limited Hosting Options
    The platform does not offer its own cloud hosting, meaning users must manage their own infrastructure or choose a third-party hosting solution.

Optlo features and specs

  • Bring your own AI
    Connect your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google Gemini account and pay that provider directly
  • No per-resolution markup
    Platform subscription based on active conversations and seats; AI usage is billed by your provider
  • Model and provider choice
    Switch providers or mix models per workflow step, with no lock-in on the AI itself
  • Trained on your content
    The agent answers from your website, documentation and help center
  • Visual workflow editor
    Build conversation flows where every step is inspectable and editable
  • Human handoff
    The agent hands the conversation to a human operator when needed
  • Secure API connectors
    Connect Stripe or any API so the agent can read and write data mid-conversation

Analysis of Botpress

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Botpress is a robust choice for developers and businesses looking to create sophisticated, custom chatbot solutions. Its open-source nature and comprehensive features make it a competitive option in the chatbot development space.

Why this product is good

  • Botpress is considered a good option for building and deploying chatbots because it offers an open-source framework that is highly customizable and flexible. It supports various integrations, natural language understanding, and provides a developer-friendly environment with tools that simplify the development process. Additionally, it has a strong community and extensive documentation, which can be beneficial for troubleshooting and learning.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking an open-source chatbot platform
  • Businesses in need of highly customizable chatbot solutions
  • Organizations looking for a platform with strong integration capabilities
  • Teams that require a tool with a supportive community and extensive documentation

Botpress videos

Botpress Server source codes review

More videos:

  • Review - Botpress Server - a cool platform for chatbot creation
  • Review - Botpress Overview

Optlo videos

No Optlo videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Botpress and Optlo)
Chatbot Platforms & Tools
Customer Support Chat
0 0%
100% 100
Chatbots
100 100%
0% 0
Customer Support
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Botpress and Optlo.

What makes your product unique?

Optlo's answer:

Optlo runs on your own AI account. You connect your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google Gemini account and pay that provider directly for tokens, while Optlo charges a platform subscription based on active conversations and seats.

Most AI support tools bundle AI usage into your bill and charge per resolution, so the cost of the AI is invisible and grows with your success. Here the provider account stays yours: usage and spend limits sit in your own provider console, conversations run through your account, and you can switch providers or mix models per workflow step without renegotiating your support tooling.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Optlo's answer:

Three reasons, and all of them are about control rather than a feature count.

  • Cost. You hold the AI provider account, so there is no per-resolution markup and your usage and spend limits sit in your own provider console.
  • Provider. You can switch providers or mix models per workflow step, so there is no lock-in on the AI itself.
  • Behaviour. A visual workflow editor means the agent acts inside flows your team designed and can audit, rather than a black box you cannot open.

Two trade-offs worth knowing up front: you need to be comfortable holding your own AI provider account, and the agent acts inside workflows you design rather than planning its own.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Optlo's answer:

Support and CX leads at SaaS and online businesses running support at volume - teams handling enough conversations that per-resolution AI pricing becomes a real line item, and who are comfortable holding their own AI provider account.

It suits companies that want cost visibility and control over which model runs where. It is not a fit for teams looking for a full multi-channel helpdesk: Optlo is a website chat agent with a shared inbox and human handoff, with no email, phone or ticketing.

What's the story behind your product?

Optlo's answer:

We built Optlo because AI support pricing is backwards. Most tools charge per resolution, so your bill grows with your success and you never see what the AI actually costs.

Optlo flips that: you bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google Gemini account and pay the provider directly, and we charge for the platform rather than your tokens. Your provider account, your spend limits, your call on which model runs where.

Optlo was founded by Jonas Budelmann, who previously built the product-onboarding platform HelpHero, and launched in June 2026.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Botpress and Optlo

Botpress Reviews

  1. MeganMills
    Average app

    not really worth it


Top 20 Replika Alternatives for AI Chatbots
One of the most important advantages that is unique to Botpress is the modular design that allows users to develop new functions for their chatbots whenever they want. Botpress also offers built-in modules like conversation analysis, natural language comprehension and chat management, that are easily integrated into a the chatbot’s workflow. Furthermore, Botpress can be...

Optlo Reviews

We have no reviews of Optlo yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Botpress seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Botpress mentions (5)

  • Who's building open source personal AI
    Here's the thing. I want a personalized AI. Full stop. There's no arguing back and forth. Tech is here someone needs to put it together. I'm so busy with other things, but I really want to see this thing come through and happy to work on it. To me, its insane Apple didn't figure it out. The goal: Build a truly personalized AI. - Single threaded conversation with an index about everything. - Bot should be... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • [Hiring] Botpress Bot Developer for ITOP Agent Routing Integration
    We are seeking an experienced Botpress bot developer to integrate an existing chatbot with our ITOP system for agent routing. The chatbot is already developed and can handle customer inquiries, but we need an integration that will route customers to the appropriate ITOP agent who is currently logged in. Source: over 3 years ago
  • ChatGPT Goldmine: Top 5 Money-Making Opportunities You Can't Miss!
    Chatbot frameworks: Utilize chatbot frameworks such as Botpress, Rasa, or Microsoft Bot Framework to streamline development. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Emoji not appearing inside List in WhatsApp using Botpress
    Greetings! My gf is working on a chatbot project and is responsible for designing the phrases and its behaviours using the Botpress (https://botpress.com/) platform for WhatsApp API. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Chatbot Terminology
    Ever read an article that made you switch to Google and search for that secret programming word or jargon? Like you have no clue what the author is talking about in his post. This happened to me when I started coding my first Amazon Alexa Skill. If you are also one of those guys who is getting started with conversational AI, then this short read can be very useful to you. This post will help you understand the... - Source: dev.to / over 5 years ago

Optlo mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Optlo yet. Tracking of Optlo recommendations started around Aug 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Botpress and Optlo, you can also consider the following products

Dialogflow - Conversational UX Platform. (ex API.ai)

Intercom - Intercom is a customer relationship management and messaging tool for web businesses. Build relationships with users to create loyal customers.

Tidio - Tidio is an AI customer support software suite. It merges help desk, live chat, chatbot, and AI agent features into one seamless platform. With Lyro, the customer service AI agent, businesses can resolve up to 67% of all tickets automatically.

ChatBot - Easy to use chatbot platform for business

Crisp Chat - Multi-channel customer support software

ManyChat - ManyChat lets you create a Facebook Messenger bot for marketing, sales and support.