Botpress vs. Dialogflow CX: Which chatbot platform is right for you?

Dialogflow CX Pricing

Dialogflow CX uses a usage-based pricing model. They offer $600 in free credits for standard features and $1,000 for Generative AI features. 

Pricing is based on request type (text or voice) and feature type (standard or generative AI):

• Standard text requests: $0.007 per request
• Text with Generative AI: $0.012 per request
• Audio input/output without Generative AI: $0.001 per second
• Audio input/output with Generative AI: $0.002 per second
• Generative AI storage: First 10 GiB/month free, then $5.00 per GiB/month

Botpress Pricing

Botpress offers a free plan that includes $5 in monthly AI credits. These AI credits act as a budget for powering smart features like knowledge retrieval and text rewriting in your bots.

Botpress also offers a Pay-As-You-Go option, which lets teams pay only for the AI usage they consume, making Botpress a cost-effective option for businesses.

In terms of paid plans, Botpress offers straightforward pricing tiers:

1. 24/7 Multilingual Support for a Global Travel Company

Key Problem: Providing 24/7 multilingual support across channels for a global customer base.

Amir leads customer support at a global travel booking platform. His team deals with time-sensitive inquiries like flight changes, cancellations, and travel advisories – often in multiple languages and across channels like WhatsApp, mobile apps, and the company website. Amir needs:

• A chatbot that can understand and respond in multiple languages
• Consistent experience across all platforms
• Ability to access real-time booking data and perform actions like cancellations or itinerary changes

TL;DR: Dialogflow CX can handle multilingual queries and integrates with messaging apps, but Botpress offers stronger multilingual NLP and channel flexibility.

Dialogflow CX supports 30+ languages and enables language detection for delivering localized experiences. Amir can deploy his chatbot on WhatsApp, web, and IVR systems using built-in integrations and manage complex flows using visual, state-based conversation design. This helps his team handle multiple user journeys. 

That being said, Dialogflow CX still lacks built-in long-term memory, so personalizing interactions across sessions requires external databases and webhook-based retrieval. While it integrates well with Google Cloud, adding real-time booking logic (like checking flight status or updating reservations) depends on building and managing that logic outside the platform. Dialogflow CX pricing can also increase quickly, especially with voice or Generative AI features enabled.

Botpress offers robust multilingual support (100+ languages) with control over localized content and NLU performance. It supports out-of-the-box integrations with web, WhatsApp, and custom channels, and allows Amir’s team to build flows that adapt based on language or booking status. 

More importantly, Botpress bots can store user preferences and history between sessions, making it easier to offer personalized travel support without forcing users to repeat themselves. Botpress also offers predictable pricing tiers and a pay-as-you-go option, which makes it a more cost-effective solution for Amir.

Ultimately, if Amir’s team needs flexible multilingual support with backend automation and personalization, Botpress offers stronger capabilities.

2. Subscription SaaS Customer Support Scaling

Key Problem: A fast-growing SaaS company wants to deflect basic technical support and billing inquiries without hiring more agents.

Sam is the Head of Support at a rapidly growing B2B SaaS company. His team handles a flood of tickets related to login issues, billing confusion, and onboarding questions. To keep up without hiring more agents, Sam needs:

• A chatbot that can answer repetitive technical and billing questions
• Easy deployment within Zendesk and Intercom workflows
• Backend integration with CRM and billing systems like Stripe or HubSpot

TL;DR: Dialogflow CX enables structured FAQ bots and backend integration, but Botpress offers deeper customization, session memory, and built-in support for advanced workflows.

Dialogflow CX gives Sam the tools to build more structured support bots. The bot can be deployed across Slack, web, or Messenger and can connect to tools like Stripe or HubSpot through webhooks that call external services. 

But Dialogflow CX still doesn't include built-in memory across sessions, so remembering a returning user or tracking ongoing support history requires setting up external storage and retrieval logic. While Dialogflow CX is powerful for handling structured support flows, more complex workflows or personalized follow-ups require more engineering effort and infrastructure management.

Botpress, on the other hand, supports persistent memory and visual flow logic. Sam can integrate the bot with Stripe APIs to let users check their billing status or update payment methods. With JavaScript-based custom nodes, Botpress allows for full backend integration and real-time logic, all while fitting neatly into helpdesk workflows. It can even tag conversations for agent review or follow up with automated onboarding reminders.

For a fast-moving SaaS company looking to automate support while retaining flexibility, Botpress provides a more scalable, integrated solution.

3. Automated Order Management for a D2C E-commerce Brand

Key Problem: Automating post-purchase support like tracking, returns, and product questions.

Priya leads CX at a D2C e-commerce brand that just expanded internationally. Her team handles thousands of queries about order tracking, returns, and product details every week. Priya needs:

• A chatbot that can guide customers through returns and track orders in real time
• Seamless integration into Shopify and web chat
• Support for automating repetitive tasks like refund requests or FAQs

TL;DR: Dialogflow CX supports structured conversation design and webhook-based automation, but Botpress provides stronger support for real-time data handling, memory, and complex workflows.

Dialogflow CX gives Priya a way to manage structured post-purchase flows using its visual flow builder. Her team can create flows for returns, shipping questions, and product FAQs, and connect to tools like Shopify via webhooks to fetch real-time tracking data or process return requests. 

However, Dialogflow CX doesn’t include built-in long-term memory, so the bot can’t recall previous user preferences or product interactions across sessions without external storage. There’s also no built-in support for complex, multi-step workflows. For example, verifying return eligibility, updating an order, and sending a refund confirmation would require multiple external integrations and custom logic. Pricing is usage-based, which could become unpredictable during high-traffic periods like sales or holidays.

Botpress gives Priya and her bot more capabilities. The bot can look up orders via Shopify’s API, confirm delivery status, or walk users through the return process. With built-in memory, the bot can remember user preferences or product categories from previous chats. Plus, Botpress supports custom flows and natural-language filtering for navigating large product catalogs. Botpress also makes sense for Priya’s team cost-wise: predictable monthly pricing for usage, integrations, and multilingual support keeps things budget-friendly during peak seasons.

For post-purchase support with real-time updates and automation, Botpress is a more flexible and cost-effective choice.

4. Heavily Regulated Industry Support (Healthcare)

Key Problem: Automating inquiries while meeting strict compliance and audit needs.

Marcus is responsible for customer experience at a healthcare provider. His team wants to automate scheduling, policy questions, and coverage info while staying compliant with HIPAA and regional data laws. Marcus needs:

• A secure chatbot that protects patient data
• Full audit logs and access control
• Option to deploy on-premise for compliance with internal security policies

TL;DR: Dialogflow CX benefits from Google Cloud’s strong security and compliance capabilities, but Botpress offers more control with on-premise deployment, built-in auditability, and flexible access control.

Dialogflow CX runs on Google Cloud Platform, giving Marcus access to enterprise-grade security features including encryption at rest and in transit, IAM-based role control, audit logging, and data residency options. It supports HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and is covered under Google Cloud’s SOC 2 certifications. However, these capabilities are configured through GCP infrastructure, not directly within Dialogflow CX itself. 

To meet his team’s needs – like appointment scheduling or patient record lookups – Marcus would need to build external logic via webhooks and store any patient-related data outside of Dialogflow. Persistent memory isn’t supported natively and would require connecting to a secure database.

Botpress, by contrast, includes audit logs, RBAC, and memory out of the box. Most importantly, Botpress can be deployed on-premise or in a private cloud, ensuring full control over sensitive data. Developers can build workflows like insurance eligibility checks or lab scheduling, while storing key details securely with encrypted memory.

In summary, for use cases requiring maximum security and deployment control, Botpress is better suited to meet enterprise compliance needs.

1. How steep is the learning curve for each platform for first-time builders?

The learning curve for Botpress is moderate. Non-technical users can start with its visual builder but developers will benefit most from its full-code flexibility. Dialogflow CX has a steeper curve due to its state machine architecture and dependence on Google Cloud configuration, which often requires familiarity with IAM, webhooks, and external tooling.

2. What are the storage limits for knowledge base files or documents on each platform?

Botpress allows file uploads (e.g., PDFs, CSVs, JSON) with a soft size limit of around 50MB per file in most use cases, and teams can scale storage via integrations or external sources. Dialogflow CX’s knowledge ingestion is tied to its Data Stores (part of Generative AI features), and while there’s no strict document size limit published, Google charges separately for generative storage after the first 10 GiB/month, making scale more expensive.

3. Which platform offers better support for voice-based assistants or IVR systems?

Dialogflow CX has better built-in support for voice applications and IVR systems, offering native telephony integrations (e.g., with Twilio, Vonage) and audio input/output via its Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech APIs. Botpress supports voice use cases but requires more manual setup using external STT/TTS APIs and connectors, making it less plug-and-play for voice-first applications.

4. How do these platforms handle version control or staging environments?

Botpress supports versioning through workspaces and Git-based workflows, allowing teams to manage different environments and roll back changes when needed. Dialogflow CX includes built-in versioning and environment deployment tools that let users test and publish flows to specific stages (e.g., test, production), but more complex DevOps often requires Google Cloud tooling and IAM configuration.

5. Which platform allows faster prototyping for internal stakeholders or testing?

Botpress allows faster prototyping thanks to its drag-and-drop builder, instant preview, and built-in testing tools in the Studio. Dialogflow CX requires more configuration upfront, especially for managing agents, intents, and flows. So while powerful, it takes longer to get a usable prototype up and running without developer help.