For companies that have customers and businesses throughout the year, no customer is less special. At a time of increased digital automation, are there any chatbot platforms that can disrupt the ways audiences engage with brands and companies?

That one question is associated with several corollaries. What are the best chatbot building platforms? How is the integration of the best chatbot platform into inbound marketing strategies shaping up in 2018?

This article throws an interesting perspective on the questions flagged above and much else. Before delving into the nuances of the best platforms for chatbots, let me clear the common confusion between chatbot publishing platform and chatbot building platform.

Examples of popular chatbot publishing platforms are FB Messenger, Slack, Kik, WeChat and Telegram. Chatbot publishing platforms are avenues through which audiences can access chatbots. Chatbot building platforms are development platforms. They are tools or software that let businesses create chatbots. Examples of popular chatbot building platforms are Botsify, Chatfuel, Aivo, etc.

Here’s a brief run-down on the best chatbot platforms in 2018.

#1: Botsify

Are you keen on creating smart and intelligent Facebook Messenger chatbots and searching ways on how to create a chatbot on other platforms too?

Botsify lets you create messenger chat bots without any hassles. This AI-powered platform is known for easy integrations and drag & drop template substitutes. For people with zero expertise in Machine Learning and AI, drag & drop substitutions are nothing short of a privileged prerogative.

Another impressive feature is its ability to enable human fallback. Just in case your bot behaves absurdly, a human support agent can intervene. Also, you are entitled to record all the messages that your chatbot couldn’t answer. You can teach your bot to answer those questions as per your discretion.

If you want to create a bot, you can do it for free. However, if you want to create a few bots, you should purchase a paid plan. Botsify can integrate seamlessly with multiple payment systems.

#2: Chatfuel

This is one of the most famous and easy-to-use platforms that let you launch full-featured bots in a few minutes. Technical knowledge isn’t expected of you. You just need to play with its editing tools and content cards. You can establish conversational rules in Chatfuel’s dashboard.

This platform has a free plan which can be used to your advantage. However, be informed that your bot shall have the words “powered by Chatfuel” written on it. Coming to analytics, Chatfuel lets you keep a close eye on open rates and click-ability of messages, subscription and un-subscription rates, reports on user retention, etc.

There are many paid plans. It’s easy to create answer templates. There’s no human handover and takeover. However, bots use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to comprehend phrases and provide answers. Chatfuel bots can interact seamlessly with a variety of tools such as Google Site Search, Zapier, subscription lists, etc.

Reputed companies such as Adidas, Volkswagen, British Airways and MTV use Chatfuel to design messenger chatbots.

#3: Flow XO

This platform lets you build bots for Slack, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. It boasts of over 100 third-party integrations and modules. The best thing about this platform is its built-in hosting and management.

You can use its pool of pre-built templates to build bots in a logical and straightforward way. Flow XO bots can perform complex tasks such as booking appointments, notifying users about an activity, etc. To enhance your conversions by pushing on-demand content, you can use Flow XO bots.

You are at liberty to execute your own Java scripts as well. You can create and design fully automated bots. Coming to analytics, this chatbot building platform lets you track various parameters, save data to your Google Sheets and Trello.

There are two types of plans – Free and Paid subscription. The free plan comes with restrictions on the number of interactions, the number of bots that can be created, the number of weeks of logs that can be maintained and monitored, etc.

#4: Recast AI

Recast AI is one of the best chatbot platforms in 2018. This chatbot building platform is power-packed with Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities. Thanks to its free plan, users can create innumerable bots. There isn’t any restriction.

However, the free plan isn’t recommended for businesses that want an insight into advanced analytics. Paid subscription plans offer advanced, informative and detailed insights and metrics.

Every developer involved in the making of Bot Connector – a tool that powers bot Recast AI bot integrations into various communication channels, flashes a smile. And yes, Recast AI bots can accept payments. If you are running an e-commerce entrepreneur, you can use this platform to your advantage.

#5: Octane AI

This is yet another great chatbot development platform. Right from setting up a full-functional bot in a matter of minutes to customizing it, this platform lets you do every step involved in launching customer engagement and support tools.

Octane AI bots are used by brands and businesses to sell products and services. Octane AI bots can tell stories and interact with folks. They can answer questions and help entrepreneurs build an audience. Other engagement capabilities worth mentioning are showcasing merchandise, facilitating discussions, filling out forms, etc.

Octane AI’s real-time analytics help you gain an insight into the growth of your business, customer interactions, customer needs, wants & desires.

And yes, Octane AI bots can help e-commerce entrepreneurs recover abandoned shopping carts.
That’s about it- my perspective on the 5 best chatbot platforms that will make your digital automation efforts a smooth experience.