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Web Chatbot vs. Messaging Apps Chatbot: Pros and Cons

Illustrator: Adan Augusto
web-chatbot-vs-messaging-apps-chatbot

Please note that 'Variables' are now called 'Fields' in Landbot's platform.

Please note that 'Variables' are now called 'Fields' in Landbot's platform.

Chatbots have been paving their way into businesses for quite some time. Every since the pandemic, the dirt roads only the brave ones chose to travel turned into highways, and chatbots went from a questionable strategy to a top-notch commodity. 

While before, most businesses might have debated whether or not to have a chatbot, today, the question is more about what kind of chatbot you should get. We already talked about the differences between NLP and rule-based bots

So, the focus of this article is another critical aspect of chatbot usage and success, the channel.

Below we will discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of both channels, not in general but rather in relation to each other. Hopefully, the comparison will help you make the right decision.

Web Chatbots: Pros and Cons

Pros

Creative Freedom

One of the most fun advantages of choosing to create a chatbot for the web is the freedom to go all out on the design. A bot for a website or a campaign’s landing page is your modern-day chameleon. You can go all out adjusting the bot design to reflect your brand colors, shapes, and visuals or even create something new and exciting for every campaign.

For example, besides the brand inspired bots, you can see on our website, we had our creative moments with the chatbot escape room campaign

Or our International Coffee Day quiz: 

All in all, if part of your chatbot agenda is to boost brand awareness, a web chatbot can take you a long way helping you spread your brand visuals in the most natural ways possible. Take an example from the Liverpool City council that went with an official design to make their web bot widget look official and authentic: 

Make Heat Simple went for a seamless embed that complimented the overall design of their page: 

Full Channel Ownership

Creating a chatbot for your own website or one with its unique URL ensures you are always in full control of your conversational assistant. 

Its setup and functionality depend on your conversational design skills and general chatbot configuration rather than the whims of third-party platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, WeChat, and others. 

A good example of 3rd-party dependency backfiring was when, in 2020, chatbots were hidden from view in the Facebook app, and Messenger removed its “Discover” tab, making the conversational assistant hard to find. 

Format Versatility

Last but not least key advantage of a rule-based or AI website chatbot over a messaging app one is its amazing versatility of formats. 

A web bot can either appear as a chat widget in the corner of your page, be embedded into the layout of your website, work as a pop-up, or just function as a stand-alone landing page. This versatility opens the bot to a great variety of use cases, from lead gen to customer support. 

Arora, a Miami-based growth marketing agency, made use of exactly this type of flexibility when they started using a chatbot landing page instead of a traditional one and exploded their PPC results: 

On the other hand, RoadSave, an app that keeps you safe on the road, took advantage of a full-page conversation popup following a CTA click. The company managed to streamline its onboarding process so much that it generated over $30K monthly savings

There’s power in flexibility!

Cons

Difficult Followup

One of the disadvantages of a web bot might be the difficulty to follow up over longer periods of time. Sure, you can use cookies to track the same device connecting and chatting again, but it’s not very precise. 

Unless you get the users to signup or sign in, your bot can’t really store collected data and preferences long-term. So using a web bot for a more dedicated or bespoke support and customer handling might not be the best solution. On the other hand, it’s a great first touchpoint for capturing leads or offering FAQ support. 

Unfamiliar Channel

Another hurdle might be novelty or unfamiliarity o the channel. 

Some people might be wary to share details with a bespoke chatbot and be worried about data safety. Some of the ways you can fight this are by being transparent about security measures and the way you plan to use the collected data.

Messaging App Bots: Pros and Cons

Pros

High Engagement

Messaging apps are famous for their engagement level. 

No other communication channel gets as much of our daily attention as instant messaging. For most people, it’s the primary way to interact with their friends, family, colleagues, and clients. No wonder businesses wanted to join in on the action. 

All in all, sending your leads or customers notifications via WhatsApp makes engaging them in an interaction significantly easier and more likely than an email or a phone call. 

Asynchronous Communication

Many believe the most attractive feature of chatbots is instant interaction. When it comes to web bots, that’s likely it. However, bots on messaging apps have one huge advantage over every other channel—asynchronicity. 

Asynchronous communication allows the users to respond in their own time. So, while your bot responds instantly, your customers or leads have the freedom to go about their business and respond when it’s the most convenient for them without having to restart the conversation every time. 

Plum, an employee benefits platform that provides group medical cover for companies in India, used this aspect to their advantage when they created a WhatsApp bot to process their claims. It enabled their customers to find the information they needed as well as upload all the necessary documents when available. They could submit or process received information without them and the company losing track of their inquiry. Thanks to this strategy, the company reduced its claim resolution time by 60%.

This is an incredible advantage, especially when handling more complex customer queries, purchases, or upgrades. 

Familiarity

Another huge win for messaging apps is how familiar users are with them already. In other words, half the work is done for you already. 

People trust the messaging app of their choice. They hang out there not to talk to businesses but just to talk to other people. If your brand is there, too, it means you can help them out without forcing them outside of their comfort zone.

Familiarity is what HashAds took into account when Stars of Africa, a football academy, asked them to help them streamline player applications and trials. Since most of the queries the academy received already arrived via WhatsApp, the agency opted to create a WhatsApp chatbot. The solution increased trial attendance by 70% and revenue from trials y 60%.

So, a messaging app is not only familiar but also part of natural daily activities. There’s no better way to engage with your target audience. 

Cons

Limited Rich UI elements

But messaging apps are not just about unicorns and rainbows either. One of the disadvantages includes the limited UI and design option you get when designing your bot for a 3rd-party app. 

Not only can you not use any of your company colors to give your brand more visibility, but the type of UI elements is also limited to whatever is allowed on the app in question. 

For instance, while WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app, it has the most limiting UI out there. The button feature was only rolled out recently, and even so, it is still quite limiting compared to button options you would have on the web, for example. 

3rd-Party Dependency 

Naturally, we can’t talk about the messaging apps without mentioning the 3rd-party dependency issues you might end up facing, should you choose this option. 

As mentioned above, relying on the 3rd-party channels always comes with a risk of them “changing their tune,” as Facebook did with bots in 2020. On a more positive note, Meta is turning its attention to business messaging once again, so chances are bots are going to be in favor for some time, if not forever. 

Either or, the advantages are quite impressive and tend to overshadow the dependency risk. 

Wrap Up

And here you have it! 

The key pros and cons of having a web or messaging app chatbot. 

As you can see neither is better than the other. It all depends on your needs and the specifics of your use case. You might kill it with a web chatbot generating leads or offering purchase support. Or create messaging app bot that keeps your customers connected and content. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Landbot Pricing

What’s a Landbot chatbot template?

There are three ways to go about building a conversational app with Landbot:

1 - Do it all from scratch but still without coding

2 - Use only a few pre-made elements (bricks)

3 - Pick and customize a pre-designed template


There’s no need to reinvent a flow if our conversational experience designers already built a chatbot template for your use case. Before committing to a free sign up or a specific template, you can always use the preview function to try out the end-user experience. When you do load your chosen template, you’ll see the conversational flow all set up for you with guiding notes when needed.

All you have to do is customize the content inside the flow that’s already there. Edit the text, images, gifs, and links in the blocks so they fit your brand and product!

What’s the difference between a chat, a WhatsApp chat, and an AI chat?
  • A chat in Landbot represents a structured conversation between your bot and an end user, following a rule-based flow for web chatbots. It guides the user through specific tasks using buttons, keyword triggers, and decision trees with predetermined responses.

  • A WhatsApp chat in Landbot is a conversation between your bot and an end user on WhatsApp, following Meta’s messaging rules. When an end user messages your bot, a 24-hour window opens, allowing free responses, and the interaction counts as a WhatsApp chat in your Landbot plan. After 24 hours of inactivity, only pre-approved Message Templates can be sent, which you can manage directly in the Landbot platform.

  • AI chats incorporate AI functionalities, leveraging Landbot’s AI feature blocks or AI Assistants for lead generation, FAQs, or appointment booking. This enables the bot to understand intent and provide personalized, real-time responses instead of relying solely on predefined flows. AI chats are tracked and billed separately from regular chats and WhatsApp chats.

What is considered a “seat” in a Landbot plan?

A seat refers to a user license that grants an individual access to the Landbot platform under a specific account. Each seat allows one team member to log in, build, manage, and collaborate on chatbots. The number of seats included depends on your subscription plan, and additional seats can be purchased on all paid plans.

What subscription plans does Landbot offer?
  • Starter: Ideal for individuals and small businesses looking to create website chatbots effortlessly.

  • WhatsApp Starter: Perfect for small teams and businesses automating conversations across websites, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

  • Pro: Great for growing teams that need advanced features, automation, and integrations for website chatbots.

  • WhatsApp Pro: Best for businesses looking to scale customer interactions on WhatsApp with automation and rich messaging capabilities.

  • Business: Tailored for enterprises that require a fully customized chatbot solution with premium support and integrations for all channels.

How does the 14-day free trial work?

New sign-ups to the Landbot platform receive a 14-day free trial with access to all Landbot features and channels. After this period, the account is automatically downgraded to the Sandbox (Free) plan, which has certain limitations. You can upgrade to a paid plan should you wish to continue using Landbot’s premium features.

How is my subscription charged?

Your credit card is automatically charged at the start of each billing period. For monthly plans, the charge is processed on the first day of each new monthly cycle, while for annual plans, it occurs on the first day of the new yearly cycle.

Can I change my subscription plan later?

Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your subscription plan anytime within the Landbot platform. Changes will be applied according to Landbot's billing policies.

How many chats are included in the Business Plan?

Our Business Plan is fully customizable to suit your needs, including the number of chats, seats, and WhatsApp Business Account numbers. Please reach out to our Sales team for a personalized quote tailored to your requirements.

What happens when I reach my plan's chats limit?

If you go over your paid plan’s chat limit, extra chats will be charged based on the chat type. Regular chats cost €0.05 per extra chat, while WhatsApp chats also cost €0.05 per chat plus Meta’s additional fee. AI chats are €0.10 per extra chat. Business plans have custom pricing for extra chats.

Are there any plans that only include WhatsApp?

No, all of our plans that include WhatsApp (WhatsApp Starter, WhatsApp Pro, and Business) also grant access to other channels, such as web, API, and Facebook Messenger. These additional channels are included in all WhatsApp plans.

Can I add more than one WhatsApp number to my account?

Yes, you can link multiple WhatsApp Business Account numbers to your Landbot account, but the number of WhatsApp Business Account numbers allowed depends on your plan.

What payment methods does Landbot accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Bank transfers are only available for Business plans.

What currency will I be billed in?

Subscriptions are billed in Euros (€) for most customers. However, customers in the following countries will be billed in US Dollars ($): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Uruguay, the USA, and Venezuela.

Does Landbot use the official WhatsApp Business API? How does the application process work?

Yes! Landbot uses WhatsApp’s official API to integrate the most popular instant messaging app. The API offered by Facebook(Meta) is under constant improvement, the reliability is fantastic and generates a frictionless experience for your users and for your team. To review which type of enterprises, businesses and brands WhatsApp accepts at the moment, please read our WhatsApp API application guide.

Landbot’s onboarding team helps you in the application process. Once you sign up for Landbot’s WhatsApp solution, our team will ask you to submit the required information and initiate the application process on your behalf. The entire process usually lasts around 1-2 weeks, regardless of which provider you work with. We take utmost care to ensure each business we collaborate with has their application approved, managing the application process at every step of the way. However, ultimately, the final approval decision rests with WhatsApp.

Can I start building my bot before my WhatsApp API access is approved?

Landbot’s special WhatsApp Test environment feature allows you to build and test your WhatsApp bot before your API application gets approved.

This is possible because the testing channel is a closed one, and only allows communication between the Landbot interface and the phone number you associated with the test account. So you can already test your WhatsApp bot with your own phone, and have it ready to be published live to your users when the access is approved by WhatsApp.

Do you offer support resources on WhatsApp bot creation?

Yes, you have access to a large collection of support resources including WhatsApp guides, documentation and academy videos to help you get the most out of the WhatsApp chatbot builder and campaign manager. Listed below are some of the resources:

- How to Create a WhatsApp Bot: Step By Step Guide
- How to Create & Test your WhatsApp Chatbot: Video Guide
- Landbot Academy: WhatsApp

What is the WhatsApp opt-in and how does it work?

WhatsApp opt-in is the active consent users have to give you before you can contact them via WhatsApp. Opt-ins need to be done via a third-party channel. You can learn more about WhatsApp opt-ins and how they work here.