We Explored the 10 Best Chatbots for Lead Generation

In the fast-growing digital marketing, businesses often face the challenge of customer engagement. The struggle to capture the attention of potential customers and convert them into leads can be a daunting task.

If this sounds like your business, then you’re in for a treat.

Chatbots like Chatling can transform your customer interactions and boost lead generation without any additional effort on your part. These automated agents are a powerful tool for businesses seeking to enhance their customer engagement strategies.

In this guide, we’ll introduce you to ten of the best chatbots for lead generation so that you can hit the ground running with this important tool.

What Are Chatbots for Lead Generation?

Lead gen chatbots are chatbots that specialize in discovering and capturing leads.

They use natural language processing (NLP) or preset rules to interact with potential customers, ask qualifying questions, offer information, identify warm leads, and often collect key information (like email addresses) for further follow-up.

Lead generation chatbots are usually integrated with a business’ website, but they can also live on social media platforms or any other messaging channels you use to interact with potential customers.

10 Best Chatbots for Lead Generation 

We’ve collected a list of the best chatbots for lead generation that we’ve tried and tested. Check them out below:

1. Chatling
2. Botsonic
3. Collect.chat
4. Tidio
5. Instabot
6. Salesloft Drift
7. Intercom
8. ManyChat
9. Customers.ai
10. Landbot

1. Chatling

Chatling is an AI chatbot for sales that can qualify, warm, and capture leads automatically.

Chatling trains on your data to offer accurate, generative answers to your customers’ questions. It’s fully customizable—from the colors and icon to behavior—so you can get the perfect brand experience for your users.

Plus, detailed analytics help you understand what people are talking about and where you need to improve. Quickly spot knowledge gaps and unhandled objections and fill them to convert more visitors into customers.

Key Features

• Capture Leads: Offer leads all the information they need to make an informed decision and direct them to the next stage of your funnel.
• Full Customization: Tailor the chatbot’s look, personality, and behavior to match your brand.
• Train on your Data: Link websites, FAQs, knowledge bases, and documents or add text inputs to automatically train your chatbot.
• Easy Integration: Integrate with any website quickly and easily—including WordPress, Squarespace, PrestaShop, and Shopify.
• Analytics: See what customers are asking your chatbot and track customer journeys for better insights.
• API: Leverage the flexibility of an API for seamless communication and data exchange between your chatbot and other applications.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free plan
• Multilingual support
• GPT-4 access
• Unlimited chatbots 
• Automated setup
• 24/7 availability

Cons

• Lacks multichannel support

2. Botsonic

Botsonic is an AI chatbot tool that trains on your data to provide quick, accurate answers to customer questions.

Botsonic can engage leads at key moments (like when they’re browsing pricing pages), collect information for follow-ups and qualification, and integrate with a range of CRMs, databases, and marketing tools to automate workflows and increase sales.

Key Features

• Collect Information: Collect important information like customer preferences and purchase history with automated chatbot conversations.
• Custom Training: Tailor the chatbot's learning process by providing specific training data, allowing it to adapt and respond more effectively to user queries and interactions.
• Customization: Personalize the chatbot's appearance, behavior, and communication style to align seamlessly with your brand.

Pricing

Botsonic offers three plans—Free, Starter ($49/month), and Business (custom).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No coding required
• Easy to use
• Powered by GPT-4
• Customization options

Cons

• Difficulty understanding complex queries
• Requires initial setup

3. Collect.chat

Collect.chat is a purpose-built lead generation and appointment booking chatbot.

Collect.chat offers an intuitive drag-and-drop builder and a well-designed lead generation template that you can adapt to your own needs. The chatbot supports information gathering (emails and names) and can integrate with a number of CRMs to store that information for follow-ups.

Key Features

• Drag & Drop Builder: Construct chatbots effortlessly with a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder without the need for complex coding.
• Lead Generation: Drive efficient lead generation by leveraging the chatbot's capability to pose targeted questions and gather valuable user information.
• Meeting Booking: Allow users to book appointments or meetings through interactive and intuitive conversations.

Pricing

Choose from Collect.chat’s four plans—Free, Lite ($24/month), Standard ($49/month), and Plus ($99/month).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Integrates with Slack, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more
• Easy to use 
• Good templates

Cons

• Limited customization features
• Not AI-powered

4. Tidio

Tidio is a customer service platform that combines human support with chatbots (rule-based and AI).

Despite the support focus, Tidio offers a few great lead generation tools like scroll depth triggers, conversational data collection, and 35+ e-commerce chatbot templates designed to generate leads and convert them into customers.

Lyro AI (Tidio’s AI chatbot) is a support tool first-and-foremost.

Key Features

• Lead Gen Templates: Choose from 35+ e-commerce chatbot templates to generate leads and convert them into customers
• Lyro AI: A support tool that uses AI and natural language processing to assist in customer service queries
• Smart Routing: Hand off conversations to the right agent at the right time.

Pricing

Tidio offers a range of pricing plans—Free, Starter ($29/month), Communicator ($25/user/month), Chatbots ($29/month), and Tidio+ ($394+/month). Lyro AI is an add-on that you’ll need to purchase separately.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free plan
• Custom plan
• Chat widget customization
• Canned responses
• Automated email marketing

Cons

• Lyra AI costs extra
• Limited seats and chatbot conversations for every plan except Tidio+

5. Instabot

Instabot is a simple AI chatbot tool that offers lead generation, sales, and support features.

The tool features a great visual builder and NLP capabilities for adapting to unusual phrasings and understanding customer needs. It also generates user profiles based on information entered by a customer. These can easily be exported to a CRM for further analysis.

Key Features

• Schedule Meetings: Allow users to book appointments or meetings through interactive chatbot conversations
• Comprehensive Bot Analytics: Gain valuable insights into user interactions and chatbot performance.
• Live Takeover: Allow live agents to take control of chatbot conversations when necessary.

Pricing

Instabot has four plans to choose from—Base ($49/month), Standard ($149/month), Advanced ($349/month), and Enterprise (custom).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy to set up and use
• Great visual builder
• Customization 
• Advanced keyword-driven AI

Cons

• Outdated UI
• No free plan

6. Salesloft Drift

Salesloft is an AI-powered conversational marketing platform designed to engage website visitors in real time, qualify leads, and automate the scheduling of meetings. It helps businesses accelerate their sales process by providing personalized, on-demand engagement.

Key Features

• Real-Time AI Chatbots: Engage visitors instantly and qualify leads through automated conversations.
• Custom Playbooks: Automate messaging sequences tailored to user behavior, enhancing lead engagement.
• Advanced Lead Routing: Direct conversations to the right team member based on predefined rules, ensuring timely responses.

Pricing

For more detailed information, businesses can request a demo directly from Salesloft’s website, as the platform tailors its offerings to meet unique needs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Seamless CRM Integration
• Intelligent Lead Routing
• Scalable Solutions for All Business Sizes
• Customizable Playbooks

Cons

• High Starting Price
• Complex Onboarding for New Users

7. Intercom

Intercom is an AI-powered customer engagement platform that combines live chat, automation, and CRM tools to enhance lead generation and customer support. Intercom's Fin AI Agent, built on GPT-4, provides real-time, human-like interactions, qualifying leads and resolving inquiries 24/7. 

Its visual bot builder allows for easy customization without coding, and it integrates seamlessly with various CRMs and messaging platforms.

Key Features

• Fin AI Agent: Delivers human-quality support and lead qualification.
• Custom Bots: Create tailored conversational experiences using a no-code builder.
• Omnichannel Messaging: Engage customers across web, mobile, email, and social media.

Pricing

Intercom offers three plans: Essential at $29/seat/month with basic messaging and Fin AI Agent, Advanced at $85/seat/month with workflows and multilingual support, and Expert at $132/seat/month with advanced analytics and compliance tools. The Fin AI Agent is priced at $0.99 per resolution.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Seamless CRM and messaging platform integration.
• High-resolution rates with Fin AI Agent.
• Customizable bots with a no-code builder.
• Omnichannel support for diverse customer interactions.

Cons

• Complexity in managing multiple workspaces.
• Limited customization options in certain features.

8. ManyChat

ManyChat is a user-friendly chatbot platform designed to automate conversations across multiple channels, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, and email. It's particularly popular among small businesses and marketers for its intuitive interface and powerful automation capabilities.

Key Features

• Visual Flow Builder: Easily design conversational workflows with a drag-and-drop interface.
• Multi-Channel Support: Engage customers on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, and email.
• Growth Tools: Utilize tools like comment triggers, landing pages, and QR codes to capture leads.

Pricing

ManyChat offers three pricing plans to suit different business needs. The Free plan provides basic features for up to 1,000 contacts. The Pro plan starts at $15/month and scales with the number of contacts. For businesses requiring advanced features and dedicated support, the Elite plan offers custom pricing.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Intuitive visual flow builder.
• Supports multiple messaging platforms.
• Effective lead capture tools.
• Responsive customer support.​

Cons

• Some users report occasional system bugs.
• Limited customization options in certain templates.​

9. Customers.ai

Formerly known as MobileMonkey, is a chatbot platform designed to automate customer interactions across multiple channels, including Shopify, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and SMS. It's particularly favored by marketers for its user-friendly interface and robust automation features.

Key Features

• OmniChat Technology: Engage customers seamlessly across various messaging platforms from a single inbox.
• Chat Blasters: Send bulk messages to your audience, boosting engagement and outreach.
• Drip Campaigns: Automate a series of messages to nurture leads over time.

Pricing

Starts at $199/month + visitor ID fees. Includes enriched contact data, retargeting for anonymous and known visitors, and encrypted syncing to Google and Meta ads. Restores lost signals from Meta Pixel deprecation. 7-day free trial, no credit card. Custom plans for high-traffic sites.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical users.
• Effective automation tools like Chat Blasters and Drip Campaigns.
• Comprehensive analytics for performance tracking.
• Live chat functionality for real-time customer support.

Cons

• No built-in artificial intelligence or natural language processing capabilities.
• Some users report challenges with advanced automation features.

10. Landbot

Landbot is a no-code chatbot platform designed to help businesses create conversational experiences across web, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Its intuitive interface allows users to build and deploy chatbots without any coding knowledge, making it accessible for teams of all technical levels.

Key Features

• No-Code Builder: Design chatbots using a drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for programming skills.
• Omnichannel Support: Deploy bots across various platforms, including websites, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
• AI Integration: Utilize AI agents for personalized conversations and lead qualification.

Pricing

Landbot offers four pricing plans: Sandbox (free, 100 chats/month), Starter ($45/month, 500 chats, AI bots, 2 seats), WhatsApp Pro ($220/month, 2,500 chats, WhatsApp integration), and Business ($450/month, 10,000 chats, custom limits).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical users.
• Supports multiple messaging platforms for broad reach.
• Advanced customization options for tailored chatbot experiences.
• Scalable pricing plans to fit various business sizes.​

Cons

• Limited support for non-English languages in certain features.
• Customization options can be overwhelming for beginners.

Benefits of Using Chatbots for Lead Generation

• Data Collection: Chatbots serve as efficient data collectors, gathering essential customer information that can be used to personalize marketing strategies and tailor product offerings.
• User Engagement:  By engaging users in dynamic conversations, chatbots create a more interactive and enjoyable experience. This keeps visitors on your site longer and increases the likelihood of converting them into leads.
• 24/7 Availability: Unlike human agents who are bound by working hours, chatbots tirelessly work around the clock. This ensures that even chatbots for small business are accessible to a global audience, irrespective of time zones, increasing the chances of lead conversion.

Criteria To Consider When Choosing A Chatbot for Lead Generation

Customization

Look for a chatbot solution that allows easy customization to match your brand's tone, style, and specific lead generation requirements. The ability to tailor the conversation flow and responses ensures a personalized experience for users, increasing the likelihood of successful lead qualification.

With Chatling, effortlessly align every aspect of the chatbot with your brand identity, ensuring a seamless and cohesive user experience. You can configure the chatbot according to your specific needs, allowing for a personalized touch that resonates with your audience. 

AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Opt for a chatbot equipped with advanced AI and NLP capabilities. NLP allows the chatbot to understand and respond to user queries in a human-like manner, enhancing the overall user experience.

Additionally, advanced AI enables the chatbot to learn and adapt over time, improving its ability to qualify leads effectively.

Integration

Integration ensures smooth data flow between the chatbot and your business infrastructure, enabling efficient lead management and follow-up processes. So, choose a chatbot that seamlessly integrates with your existing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and other relevant tools.

Conclusion

Chatbots bring a human touch to digital conversations without requiring a human to be present at all times. This level of personalization and accessibility is great for lead generation—the initial touchpoint in any customer journey.

The tools on this list make it easy to create and manage chatbots with minimal technical effort. 

If you’re looking for an intuitive AI chatbot that simplifies lead generation, look no further than Chatling. We offer advanced AI features, deep customization, and pricing designed to work for businesses of all sizes.

Get started for free.