Button-based vs AI chatbot – how to choose

Our platform supports two types of chatbots: button-based and AI-powered. You can also combine them into a hybrid bot. This article helps you understand the differences and choose the right approach.

Button-Based Chatbot

A button-based bot follows a pre-designed conversation flow. Visitors click buttons to navigate through options — like a menu. You build these in the Flow Builder using drag-and-drop blocks.

Best for: lead generation, appointment booking, simple FAQ routing, order tracking, and any scenario where you want to control the exact conversation path.

Pros: predictable behavior, easy to set up, works perfectly every time, no AI costs.

Cons: limited to the paths you create, can’t handle unexpected questions, requires more upfront planning.

AI-Powered Chatbot

An AI bot uses artificial intelligence to understand and answer questions in natural language. You configure it in the AI Knowledge Studio by providing your business information and instructions.

Best for: customer support, FAQ handling, product recommendations, and any scenario where visitors might ask varied or unexpected questions.

Pros: handles any question, natural conversation, minimal maintenance, scales well with lots of information.

Cons: less predictable, may occasionally give imperfect answers, requires good knowledge content and prompt tuning.

Hybrid Chatbot

A hybrid bot combines both approaches. Use buttons for structured paths (like lead forms or service selection) and hand off to AI for open-ended questions. You build this by placing an AI Assistant block inside your Flow Builder flow.

Best for: businesses that want structured lead capture AND flexible Q&A. For example: buttons to choose a topic, then AI to answer detailed questions within that topic.

Quick Comparison

Our Recommendation

If you’re just starting out: try an AI chatbot first — it’s the fastest to set up and handles the widest range of questions. If you need specific lead capture flows, add a button-based bot. As you get more comfortable, consider a hybrid approach.