M4A

Botpress

Open-source conversational AI platform with visual flow builder

freemiumproductionopen-sourcetypescriptvisual-builderself-hosted
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Memory Types

episodic, conversation, user-variables

Integrations

telegram, slack, teams, whatsapp, webchat


Overview


Botpress is an open-source conversational AI platform that combines visual flow building with code-level customization. Built with TypeScript, it provides a comprehensive suite for building, deploying, and managing chatbots across multiple channels. Botpress is designed for developers who want the speed of visual tools with the power of code.


The platform includes a visual flow editor, NLU engine, conversation management, and deployment tools. Botpress emphasizes developer experience with hooks, custom actions, and extensive APIs, making it popular among teams that want more control than pure no-code solutions but faster development than coding from scratch.


Key Features


  • **Visual Flow Editor**: Design conversations graphically
  • **NLU Engine**: Built-in intent and entity recognition
  • **Custom Actions**: Write TypeScript/JavaScript for complex logic
  • **Multi-Channel**: Deploy to web, messaging apps, voice
  • **Open Source**: Self-host with full control
  • **Hooks System**: Extend behavior at any point
  • **Analytics**: Built-in conversation analytics
  • **Version Control**: Git-based workflow for teams

    • When to Use Botpress


    Botpress is ideal for:

  • Developers wanting visual tools with code flexibility
  • Teams requiring self-hosted conversational AI
  • Organizations with custom integration requirements
  • Projects needing multi-channel deployment
  • Companies avoiding vendor lock-in
  • TypeScript/JavaScript development teams

    • Pros


  • Open-source with active community
  • Good balance of visual and code-based development
  • Self-hosting with full control
  • TypeScript-based for type safety
  • Flexible and extensible
  • Multi-channel support
  • No vendor lock-in
  • Good documentation

    • Cons


  • Requires development expertise
  • More complex than pure no-code solutions
  • Self-hosting requires DevOps knowledge
  • Smaller ecosystem than major platforms
  • NLU may lag behind LLM-based approaches
  • UI less polished than commercial alternatives
  • Limited enterprise features in open-source
  • Cloud version has pricing limitations

    • Pricing


  • **Open Source**: Free, self-hosted
  • **Cloud Free**: 5 chatbots, limited messages
  • **Cloud Pro**: $495/month
  • **Enterprise**: Custom pricing

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