# AI chatbot free-tier cheat sheet — Thailand, June 2026

Quick reference for what "free" actually includes. Numbers are approximate as of
2026-06-11 and change often — ALWAYS verify on the official pricing page before
committing. Full analysis (Thai): https://korpai.co/blog/ai-chatbot-ฟรี-2026-ต้นทุนแฝง-sme

| Option | Free includes | First ceiling you hit | Hidden cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINE OA Free plan | keyword auto-reply, 1:1 chat replies | broadcast ~300 msgs/mo | paid plan ~1,200 THB/mo; overage ~0.06–0.10 THB/msg |
| Meta (Messenger/IG) automation | saved replies, FAQ automation | 24-hour messaging window | 3rd-party tool needed for real AI |
| ZWIZ.AI free | basic bot + analytics | message/AI-feature caps | monthly plan when serious |
| Botnoi free | no-code Thai bot builder | message/intent quota | monthly plan + setup time |
| Tidio / Manychat free | web widget, basic flows | ~50 convos / ~1,000 contacts per mo | USD pricing scales with contacts |
| Dify / Flowise / Typebot (self-host) | everything, OSS | your own ops capacity | VPS 250–500 THB/mo + tokens + maintenance hours |
| n8n self-host + LLM API | unlimited workflows | flow complexity / maintenance | VPS + tokens + learning curve |

## The 4 hidden costs of every "free" stack

1. Channel quota overages (broadcast/push messages)
2. LLM tokens — Thai text costs 2–3x English for the same sentence
3. Your own hours: 10–20 h setup + 2–5 h/week maintenance
4. Risk: no guardrails, no handoff, no PDPA log

True monthly cost = overages + tokens + (hours x hourly wage) + risk.
When that exceeds a managed plan, free is your most expensive option.

Interactive calculator: https://korpai.co/utility/chatbot-true-cost-calculator/

MIT — KORP AI (korpai.co)