Comparison · chatbot vs human agent
Chatbot or human agent: which costs less for your business?
For repeated questions and high volume, a chatbot plus a human agent for the hard cases usually costs less than human agents alone. For low volume or conversations that require judgment, a human agent remains the better choice. The exact calculation depends on your figures.
Updated: 10.10.2026
In short
The direct answer
The cost of a human agent grows with every conversation. The cost of a chatbot is mostly fixed: the monthly subscription, $49, $150 or $500 for aichat, plus a one-time configuration. That is why the difference shows at volume, not at a few messages a day.
The share the chatbot can close on its own is the deciding figure. Do not guess it: you find it out in the first weeks, from real conversations. The calculator below shows you the result for your estimate and the formula, so you can check it.
Comparison
What each does, point by point.
| Criterion | Chatbot | Human agent |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Answers any time, including nights and weekends | During working hours |
| Cost at high volume | Mostly fixed: subscription | Grows with the number of conversations |
| Repeated questions | Answers the same way every time, from your information | Gets tired and answers differently |
| New or tense situations | Hands them to a person | Resolves them with judgment |
| Languages | Romanian, Russian, English in the same conversation | As many as the agent knows |
| Mistakes | Can answer wrongly if the information is wrong or missing | Can forget or make mistakes in a hurry |
What stays with people
A chatbot is not a cheaper human agent.
- Complaints, returns and tense situations.
- Negotiations and personalized offers.
- Any decision that affects the customer: a refusal, a refund, an exception.
- Checking what the chatbot answered, especially in the first weeks.
Calculator
Calculate with your own figures.
Enter your conversation volume, an operator's time and their cost. The result is just arithmetic on your data.
The starting values are a sample calculation, not a market average. Replace them with your own figures.
Monthly cost with operators only: 6,667 MDL (66.7 operator hours)
Monthly cost with chatbot and operators: 4,215 MDL (33.3 operator hours)
Difference per month: 2,451 MDL
Formula
Operators only = conversations × minutes per conversation ÷ 60 × cost of one hour.
With chatbot = subscription × rate + conversations × (100% − share closed by chatbot) × minutes ÷ 60 × cost of one hour.
The calculation does not include the initial setup (a fixed-scope offer), your review time, or conversations that come in at night or on weekends, when nobody answers today.
Plainly put
When a human agent is the better choice.
- When you get few conversations a day: the subscription and configuration do not pay off.
- When every conversation is different and requires judgment, for example consulting or complex sales.
- When business information changes daily and no one can update it for the chatbot.
Price
What it costs with us
Public subscription prices. Setup for your business is agreed in a fixed-scope offer.
| Plan | Price | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| aichat Starter | $49/month | For a business starting with one chat agent |
| aichat Pro | $150/month | For a higher volume of conversations |
| aichat Scale | $500/month | For more channels and teams |
aichat: $49, $150 or $500 per month, depending on conversation volume and channels. Kallina: $99 or $300 per month; for higher volumes the price is set on request. We confirm exactly what each tier includes in the offer.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does a chatbot cost compared with a human agent?
A chatbot costs the subscription, $49, $150 or $500 per month for aichat, plus configuration. A human agent costs working hours. Put your figures into the calculator on the page.
What share of conversations can a chatbot close?
It depends on the business and on how complete the information given to the agent is. You find out the real figure from the first weeks of conversations, not from an average.
Do I still need a human agent if I have a chatbot?
Yes, for the conversations the chatbot hands over and for checking. The difference is that the human agent no longer answers the same questions every time.
Does the chatbot answer at night too?
Yes. Conversations that need a person are handed over and picked up during working hours.
See also
Related pages
Want to see a chatbot on your customers' questions?
Tell us which channels you use and what your customers ask. We reply the same working day, with a fixed-scope proposal.