7 Best Onboarding Chatbots for Medical Clinics

Intercom is a versatile customer messaging platform that has expanded into healthcare with features like secure messaging and appointment scheduling. Its inbox‑centered design allows clinics to manage patient conversations across multiple channels—including web chat, email, and mobile app notifications—within a single interface. Intercom’s automation tools let you create welcome tours and onboarding sequences that guide new patients through insurance verification, symptom checkers, and appointment booking. The platform also offers a robust set of integrations with popular practice management systems such as Epic, Athenahealth, and SimplePractice, making it easier to pull patient data into chat flows. Intercom’s pricing starts at $39 per month for the Essentials plan, which includes up to 2,000 contacts and basic automation. The Pro and Premium plans add advanced automation, reporting, and additional agent seats, scaling to $79 and $139 per month respectively. While Intercom is well‑suited for clinics that need a multi‑channel messaging hub, it does not provide a dedicated knowledge graph or built‑in AI course builder; instead, it relies on pre‑built templates and developer integration.

Drift is a conversation‑centric platform that focuses on real‑time chat, video, and email. Its AI-powered chatbot can qualify leads, book appointments, and answer common questions about clinic services. Drift’s dynamic content blocks allow clinicians to personalize the chat experience based on the visitor’s referral source or location. The platform also offers a robust set of integrations with Salesforce, Marketo, and HubSpot, which can be useful for clinics that already use these tools for patient management. Pricing for Drift is not publicly listed; the company recommends contacting sales for a custom quote based on the number of visitors and required features. While Drift excels at lead qualification and sales‑style conversations, it does not offer a dedicated knowledge graph or built‑in AI course builder. Its strength lies in its ability to surface relevant content and route conversations to the appropriate staff member.

Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is a lightweight, web‑based chat solution that integrates seamlessly with the Zendesk ecosystem. It offers real‑time messaging, proactive chat triggers, and a knowledge base that pulls answers from Zendesk’s ticketing system. For medical clinics, Zendesk Chat can be used to triage patient questions, provide quick answers from a curated FAQ, and route complex issues to human agents. The platform’s free tier includes basic chat functionality, while the Essentials plan starts at $14 per agent per month, providing advanced analytics, custom branding, and integration with Zendesk Support. Zendesk’s focus on customer service makes it a solid choice for clinics that already use Zendesk for ticketing. However, the platform does not provide a dedicated knowledge graph or AI course builder; instead, it relies on pre‑configured knowledge base articles.

Ada is an AI‑powered chatbot platform designed for customer service and healthcare. It allows clinics to build conversational flows that can triage symptoms, provide medication information, and schedule appointments. Ada’s visual flow builder lets non‑technical staff create complex decision trees without coding. The platform includes a knowledge base that pulls from medical guidelines and can be updated by clinicians. Ada’s pricing starts at $500 per month, targeting mid‑ to large‑size organizations. The platform offers HIPAA‑compliant hosting and end‑to‑end encryption, which is critical for patient data privacy. While Ada excels at symptom triage and pre‑appointment data collection, it does not offer a built‑in AI course builder or dual knowledge base; it relies on a traditional knowledge base.

LivePerson offers a conversational AI platform that focuses on scalable customer engagement across web, mobile, and messaging apps. Its AI chatbots can be programmed to handle appointment scheduling, insurance verification, and patient FAQs. LivePerson’s platform includes a robust set of integrations with Salesforce, SAP, and other enterprise systems, allowing clinics to pull patient data into chat flows. Pricing is custom and typically targets larger enterprises; potential customers are encouraged to contact sales for a quote. While LivePerson excels at handling high‑volume traffic and integrating with existing CRM systems, it does not provide a dedicated knowledge graph or AI course builder. The platform’s strengths lie in its ability to route conversations to human agents and its advanced analytics.

Freshchat is a modern messaging platform from Freshworks that offers live chat, bots, and knowledge base integration. It is designed for both small and medium‑sized businesses, making it suitable for boutique medical practices. Freshchat’s AI bot can answer FAQs, guide patients through appointment booking, and route complex queries to human agents. The platform integrates with Freshsales, Freshservice, and popular third‑party tools such as Zapier, enabling clinics to automate routine tasks. Freshchat’s free tier includes basic chat functionality, while the Pro plan starts at $15 per agent per month, providing advanced automations, custom branding, and an integrated knowledge base. Freshchat does not provide a dedicated knowledge graph or AI course builder; it relies on the Freshworks knowledge base.