Best 5 Onboarding Chatbots for Marketing Agencies

Intercom is a widely adopted customer communication platform that offers a versatile chatbot feature designed to engage website visitors, qualify leads, and provide instant support. The platform integrates seamlessly with a broad range of tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Shopify, making it a natural fit for marketing agencies that rely on a mix of CRMs and e‑commerce systems. Intercom’s chatbot builder uses a visual flow editor that allows marketers to compose conversational paths with branching logic, conditionals, and product recommendation widgets—all without writing code. The bot can automatically route inquiries to the appropriate sales or support teams, and it can trigger follow‑up emails or task assignments based on user intent. Intercom’s pricing is tiered: the Essentials plan starts at $39/month and includes basic chat, automation, and integrations; the Standard plan is $99/month, adding advanced targeting and automation; the Premium plan costs $199/month and offers full AI-powered chat, advanced analytics, and priority support. Enterprise plans are available on request. Intercom’s strengths lie in its robust integration ecosystem, user-friendly flow editor, and detailed analytics that allow agencies to track engagement and conversion metrics. However, the platform’s chatbot logic can become complex for larger conversations, and its AI capabilities are less advanced than some dedicated conversational AI solutions. Additionally, the cost can increase quickly as the number of active users or agents rises, which may be a concern for smaller agencies. Overall, Intercom remains a solid choice for agencies that value an all‑in‑one customer communication tool with strong integration and automation capabilities, especially when combined with its email and help center features.

Drift positions itself as a conversational marketing platform that emphasizes real‑time chat, lead qualification, and sales automation. Its chatbot component is built on a conversational AI engine that can answer product questions, schedule meetings, and capture contact information. Drift’s visual conversation builder allows marketers to design flows with branching logic, quick replies, and dynamic content insertion. One of Drift’s core differentiators is its ability to turn chat interactions into calendar bookings using integrated scheduling tools such as Calendly, making it a powerful lead‑generation engine for agencies focused on B2B sales. Pricing for Drift starts at $400/month for the Marketing plan, which includes chat, email, and basic automation. The Growth plan is $1,200/month, adding advanced intent detection, custom bots, and analytics. The Enterprise plan is custom‑priced and offers full suite integration, dedicated support, and advanced analytics. Drift’s strengths lie in its strong sales focus, integration with Salesforce, and the ability to embed chat widgets on any website. However, its pricing can be prohibitive for smaller agencies, and the platform does not offer a built‑in knowledge base for fact‑retrieval beyond scripted responses. Additionally, Drift’s conversational logic is more rigid compared to fully no‑code editors, which may limit rapid iteration. For agencies that need a chat solution tightly coupled with sales workflows and calendar scheduling, Drift remains a compelling option, especially when paired with a robust CRM like Salesforce.

HubSpot Conversations is part of HubSpot’s all‑in‑one marketing, sales, and service platform. The chatbot feature integrates directly into the HubSpot CRM, allowing agencies to create automated chat flows that qualify leads, answer FAQs, and schedule meetings. Using HubSpot’s drag‑and‑drop builder, marketers can design simple conversation paths with conditional logic and quick‑reply buttons. HubSpot offers a free Starter plan that includes basic chat functionality, making it accessible for small agencies. The Marketing Hub Starter starts at $45/month and includes chat, email, and basic automation. Higher tiers such as Marketing Hub Professional ($115/month) and Enterprise ($200/month) unlock advanced analytics, predictive lead scoring, and integration with other HubSpot tools such as Service Hub and CMS Hub. HubSpot’s biggest advantage is its tight integration with the HubSpot CRM, enabling seamless data capture and lead nurturing. It also offers a robust knowledge base and content management system that can be linked to chatbot responses. However, the chatbot logic is relatively basic compared to dedicated conversational AI platforms, and advanced AI features are limited to higher‑tier plans. The pricing can become steep if agencies need to upgrade multiple HubSpot hubs. HubSpot Conversations is ideal for agencies already invested in the HubSpot ecosystem who need a simple, no‑code chatbot that feeds directly into their sales and marketing pipelines.

ManyChat is a popular chatbot platform that focuses on social media and e‑commerce automation, particularly for Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct. The platform offers a visual conversation builder that allows marketers to create interactive flows, broadcast messages, and integrate with e‑commerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce. ManyChat’s strengths include its ease of use, affordable pricing, and native integration with social networks, making it a natural choice for agencies that manage social media campaigns and online stores. Pricing for ManyChat is structured around a free plan that includes basic chat and broadcast features, a Pro plan at $10/month for unlimited broadcasts and advanced customization, and a Growth plan at $25/month for additional automation and analytics. ManyChat also offers a paid plan with advanced e‑commerce and marketing automation features. While ManyChat excels at social media engagement, it lacks a robust knowledge‑base engine or advanced AI capabilities for fact‑based responses. The platform’s chat widgets are primarily designed for Messenger, limiting its utility for website‑based onboarding. However, its integration with Shopify and WooCommerce, along with built‑in email marketing tools, can still provide value for agencies focused on e‑commerce sales funnels. ManyChat is best suited for agencies that prioritize social media interaction, broadcast marketing, and lightweight e‑commerce chat flows.