Chatbase is a popular AI agent builder with a monthly credit subscription, many messaging channels and Shopify actions. Sourceteller is pay-as-you-go with no subscription, shows the exact source passage behind every answer, and includes Telegram and a phone line on your own number from the first $5 pack.
Chatbase facts from its own pages, checked 5 October 2026
| Feature | Sourceteller | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | One-off credit packs. No subscription; credits never expire | Monthly subscription with message credits |
| Lowest paid entry | $5 one-off pack | $40/month (Hobby): 700 credits, 2–6 credits per message |
| Free option | 1,000 free credits, no card | Free plan, 50 credits/month; idle agents deleted after 14 days |
| Shows sources to customers | Every answer links to the exact passage, including PDFs and scans | Not stated on official pages |
| AI phone line | Your own number over SIP, 36 spoken languages, from the first pack | AI phone agent, from Standard ($150/month) |
| Telegram | Built in | Not listed |
| WhatsApp / Messenger | Not yet, on the roadmap | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram |
| Shopify | Widget through your theme today; App Store app with order lookups coming | Shopify app with order, cart and returns actions |
| Languages | 72 written, 36 spoken, plus Banglish | 95+ languages |
| Handoff to a person | Gives customers your own contact route; no live-chat inbox | Escalation to live chat and helpdesk |
| Your data kept out of AI training | Never used to train models | Not used to train models |
Chatbase sells monthly plans with message credits, and one message uses 2–6 credits depending on the AI model (Hobby: $40 a month for 700 credits; phone from the $150 Standard plan). Sourceteller sells one-off packs: an answer costs 7 credits, a voice call 68 credits a minute (74 on a phone line), and unused credits never expire.
It depends on volume. Sourceteller has no monthly fee: packs start at $5, an answer costs about 1 cent, and credits never expire. Chatbase starts at $40 a month for 700 credits, with each message using 2–6 credits depending on the model. For a few hundred questions a month, or seasonal traffic, pay-as-you-go usually costs less; at high, steady volume, compare both on your own numbers.
For answering questions, yes: add the widget to your theme and it reads your product pages, policies and FAQ. Chatbase’s Shopify app can also take actions such as order lookups and returns; Sourceteller’s App Store app with order lookups is on the way.
No. Both state that customer data is not used to train models.
Checked 5 October 2026. Prices and features change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it. Chatbase is a trademark of its owner.
That is the whole evaluation. If the answer comes back in your customer’s language with the right passage attached, you already know whether this works for you.
No card · credits never expire · every language from day one