Botpress alternatives: free, open-source and no-code options, with the licences explained

Botpress is a strong platform for developers building AI agents, and that is exactly why some people look elsewhere: either they want a fully open-source framework they control, or they want something a non-technical owner can run without building anything. This guide covers both directions with verified prices and licences.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 17 October 2026 · 7 min read

Who Botpress is built for, and what it costs in 2026

Botpress is built for developers and technical teams who want to design agent logic, call APIs and deploy to many channels. It is free for 100 conversations a month; the first paid plan, Plus, is $150 a month billed yearly.

Free includes three AI agents and three seats; Plus adds unlimited agents; Team adds unlimited seats, routing and roles. A storage add-on is $40 a month. Every conversation includes $0.10 of AI usage paid by Botpress, and heavier usage draws on the included AI spend.

Botpress's main GitHub repository is MIT-licensed and describes itself as an open-source hub for building agents, but most people use the hosted cloud with the plans above. Its strengths: flexible logic, a large integration hub and an active community. Its cost: someone has to build and maintain the agent. Our ReplyKit vs Botpress comparison covers the non-technical side.

Is there a free Botpress alternative?

Yes, several, but "free" means different things: a free hosted tier with a usage cap, or free software you host and pay to run.

• Rasa Developer Edition: a free licence usable locally or in production for up to 1,000 external conversations a month (or 100 internal), one bot per company.
• Dify Community edition: free to self-host, one workspace. Dify's cloud Sandbox is also free with 200 message credits.
• Typebot: 200 chats a month free on its cloud, or self-host the source.
• Landbot: 100 chats a month free, no AI chats.

Self-hosted means you pay for a server, an AI provider's API and your own time. Our guide on open-source versus hosted bots sets out the hidden costs, especially for WhatsApp.

A useful way to compare: free hosted tiers are for testing an idea, and free self-hosted software is for teams that already run servers. If neither describes you, the cheapest option is usually a paid tool that is finished, because your time is the largest cost.

Open-source Botpress alternatives and what their licences allow

"Open source" covers very different terms. Read the licence before you build a business on it. Here is what each project's own licence file or page said in October 2026.

If you plan to resell bots to clients, the licence matters most. Dify's multi-tenant restriction and Typebot's competing-use clause both affect agencies.

Seven Botpress alternatives ranked from most code to no code

We ranked by how much technical work you take on, because that is the real choice when leaving Botpress. A rough rule: if nobody on your team has shipped a web app, start from the bottom of this list; if you have engineers and unusual requirements, start from the top. We make ReplyKit, so weigh our view accordingly.

1. Rasa (most code)

Best for: engineering teams that need full control, on-premises deployment or strict compliance. Pros: deep control, free Developer Edition, enterprise support available. Cons: Python skills required; open source in maintenance mode; Enterprise pricing is by sales only.

2. Dify

Best for: developers who want a visual workflow and knowledge-retrieval tool they can self-host. Cloud Professional is $590 a year for 5,000 message credits a month and three members; Team is $1,590 a year. Pros: any model, large community, free self-hosting. Cons: licence conditions above; no customer inbox for staff.

3. Typebot

Best for: flow-first bots without much code. Starter $39 a month for 2,000 chats; Pro $89 for 10,000 chats with WhatsApp. Pros: clean builder, self-hostable. Cons: AI is something you connect yourself.

4. Voiceflow

Best for: customer experience teams that design agents together across web, app, WhatsApp, SMS and voice. Pros: strong collaboration and observability. Cons: no public prices now; businesses request a quote. More in Voiceflow alternatives.

5. Landbot

Best for: marketers building structured flows visually. Free for 100 chats; Starter EUR 40 a month (EUR 32 yearly). Pros: easy builder. Cons: WhatsApp needs a higher plan. See Landbot alternatives.

6. Chatbase

Best for: a no-code bot that answers from documents. Hobby $40 a month ($32 yearly) for 700 message credits; no free plan. Pros: fast setup, model choice. Cons: credits make cost harder to predict. See Chatbase alternatives.

7. ReplyKit (no code)

Best for: a small business that wants a finished WhatsApp and website agent, not a project. You add your website, PDFs and price lists; it answers, qualifies leads and books appointments. Pros: about 15 minutes to set up, flat price. Cons: no custom code, no API or webhooks, WhatsApp by unofficial QR pairing.

What the Flowise shutdown teaches about choosing a framework

Flowise was one of the most popular open-source agent builders, with tens of thousands of GitHub stars. In July 2026 its team announced a code freeze; the repository was archived on 10 August and official support ended on 31 August 2026. The code remains available under Apache 2.0, but there is no longer a core team shipping fixes.

The lesson is not "avoid open source". It is to check three things before you commit months of work to any framework:

1. Who pays the maintainers? A company with paying customers is more likely to keep shipping.
2. Can you run it without them? A permissive licence and simple deployment mean you can fork if needed.
3. How hard is it to move? Keep your knowledge content, prompts and data in plain files you can take to another tool.

For a small business that only needs an agent to answer customers, the safest framework may be none at all. Our build versus buy guide walks through that decision.

Where ReplyKit fits if you would rather not code at all

ReplyKit is not a Botpress replacement for developers. It is the option for an owner who tried a builder and realised they want a working agent this week. It answers WhatsApp and website chat from your content, says so and escalates when the answer is not there, scores leads hot, warm or cold, and books real slots with a reminder about 24 hours before. You can take over any chat in one click. Plans are $29, $49 and $99 a month with AI replies included.

WhatsApp connects through Quick Connect, a QR pairing that links your number as a device in about two minutes. It is unofficial, not the WhatsApp Business API, and a number can be restricted. You see one plain notice, and pressing Connect accepts section 3 of our Terms. Replies are capped per number (30 an hour and 200 a day by default) and we recommend a dedicated number.

Stay with Botpress, or choose Rasa or Dify, if you need custom code, API calls into your own systems, webhooks, channels beyond WhatsApp and the website, a voice agent, or the official WhatsApp API. If you just want enquiries answered and booked, start a 7-day free trial.

Frequently asked questions

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp, or by Botpress or any other vendor named here. Prices for other vendors are taken from their public pricing pages as checked in October 2026 and may change. This article is general guidance, not financial advice.