In short
- A rule-based bot costs $300-900 and fits lead forms, fixed-slot booking, price lists and loyalty programs.
- An AI chatbot starts at $1,200 and is justified where there is a large knowledge base, consultative service and free-form questions.
- The decision rule: if you can script 90% of the answers in advance, you need a rule-based bot; if not, consider AI.
- PaintBox case: choosing paint from a described task cannot be solved with buttons, the variations are too many.
A Regular Bot (Button-Based / Scripted)
It works on fixed scenarios: press a button, get an answer. The logic is defined in advance, and the bot doesn't deviate from it.
When this is exactly what you need:
- accepting requests through a form;
- booking with fixed time slots;
- sharing a price list or catalog;
- a loyalty program with points;
- notifications and reminders.
AI Chatbot
Handles free-form requests, "understands" context, and can answer open-ended questions, analyze, and make recommendations.
When AI is genuinely worth it:
- a large knowledge base (hundreds of questions phrased in different ways);
- consultative services (medicine, law, product selection);
- personalized recommendations based on behavior;
- 24/7 customer support with no operator;
- message analysis and routing between departments.
Real-World Example: PaintBox
Darobots built an AI chatbot for PaintBox, a service that helps customers pick paint and materials for renovation. Customers asked questions like "what paint works for a humid room with a kid's bedroom" and got specific recommendations from the catalog.
Dialog demo: this is how the bot works in a real chat
A regular button-based bot couldn't have handled this: too many variations of the question. AI processes them naturally, offers options, and hands the request to a manager already complete with the customer's preferences. Details in the PaintBox case study.
The Main Rule for Choosing
Darobots offers both types of solutions. We help you figure out which one fits at the briefing stage, for free.
