Crisp is a strong multi-channel inbox: live chat, WhatsApp, a shared team inbox, a CRM layer, with an AI chatbot (Hugo) as one feature inside a broader platform. Askvo is the opposite shape, an AI chatbot as the whole product, with human hand-off built in when it isn't enough. Which one fits depends on whether you're buying an inbox or a chatbot.
The core difference: AI gated behind a mid-tier plan vs AI on the free tier
Crisp's AI chatbot only becomes available on the Essentials plan (€95/month). The Free and Mini (€45/month) tiers don't include it at all. Once unlocked, AI runs on separate credits on top of the workspace fee: roughly $5 of AI credit on Mini-equivalent usage up to $75 on the Plus plan (€295/month), mapped to about 90–1,350 automated conversations depending on tier.
So a small business that wants an AI chatbot on Crisp has a real floor: at least €95/month just to unlock the feature, before AI credit usage. Askvo's AI chatbot is available on the Free plan from the start, and Pro at €29/month includes 2,000 messages with no separate credit purchase.
Pricing side by side
| What you need | Crisp | Askvo |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Live chat only, 2 seats, no AI chatbot | Live chat + AI chatbot, 1 bot, 50 AI messages/mo |
| Where AI unlocks | Essentials, €95/mo minimum | Free plan, no minimum tier required |
| AI usage billing | Separate credits on top of the plan (~$5–$75/mo by tier) | Flat message pool included in plan price |
| Entry paid plan | Mini, €45/mo (no AI) | Pro, €29/mo, AI included, 2,000 messages/mo |
| Seat limits | Hard caps on Free/Mini/Essentials, Plus needed to add seats | Team seats scale with plan (1 → 5 → unlimited on Agency) |
Where Crisp has an edge
- Real multi-channel support: WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and a shared team inbox in one place. Askvo is website-only and doesn't attempt to replace this.
- Built-in CRM and screen sharing on the Essentials tier and up, useful if you want support and lightweight sales tooling in one tool.
- Flat per-workspace pricing for human conversations: unlimited human chats on any paid tier, which suits teams with high live-chat volume and light AI needs.
Where Askvo has an edge
- AI chatbot from the free tier, with no need to reach a mid-tier plan before the core feature you likely came for is even available.
- No separate AI credit purchase. Message limits scale with your plan, not a second metered line item. See pricing.
- Same-window human hand-off: "Talk to a human" moves the conversation to your dashboard without the visitor starting over in a different tool.
- Honest fallback by design. Strict mode keeps answers grounded in your content and logs what it couldn't answer. See how Askvo avoids hallucinations.
- Lead capture included from Pro without a separate CRM subscription. See the chatbot lead generation guide.
Switching from Crisp to Askvo
- Create a free Askvo account. No card required.
- Paste your website URL so the crawler builds a knowledge base from your live pages directly.
- Re-add anything manual you'd fed to Crisp's Hugo (documents, FAQs, Q&A pairs). See how to train a chatbot on your own data.
- Swap the embed snippet: one script tag and a custom element, same pattern on WordPress, Shopify, or any other platform.
- Keep Crisp for other channels if you need WhatsApp or Messenger. The two aren't mutually exclusive, and plenty of small businesses run Askvo on the website while keeping a separate tool for other channels.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Crisp's AI chatbot on the Free or Mini plan?
No. Crisp's AI chatbot only unlocks on Essentials (€95/mo) and above. Free and Mini are live-chat only.
Is Askvo a replacement for Crisp's whole platform?
Only for the AI-chatbot-on-your-website piece. If you need WhatsApp, Messenger, or a built-in CRM, those are real reasons Crisp's broader platform might still be the right tool alongside or instead of Askvo.
How does AI billing differ between the two?
Crisp meters AI usage as a separate credit purchase on top of your workspace plan. Askvo's message allowance is included in the plan price with no separate credit system to manage.
What happens if the Askvo bot doesn't know an answer?
It says so with a fallback message you control, and logs the question in your Unanswered Questions report.