No-Code Bot Development Platforms: Awesome, Reliable Options

Bots are everywhere these days for a good reason: they are useful! So what if you want to learn how to make one? Let us tell you: it can be quite tricky. Building a bot from scratch is difficult, and it usually requires a team of developers. But do not worry: there are other options, and a very interesting one is no-code bot building!

No-code bot development platforms exist so that you do not need to code. To get a bot out of the program, you just use regular language or drag-and-drop some items. The result might not be the most powerful or smart bot, but it has its uses. It is also a great starting point for developers who are still learning what bots can do. Let’s discuss no-code platforms in detail!

ChatGPT: Famous and Fun

It would be wrong to talk about chatbots and not mention the one and only ChatGPT. 

Did you know that you can build your own version of ChatGPT? You do not need to code for that. You do need a subscription, though; this option is not available in the free version of ChatGPT.

This bot builder requires you to tell ChatGPT what you want to build. It will also guide you, making recommendations and asking important questions. You do not have to copy-paste everything you want your bot to know: uploading files is an option. 

You can share your GPT bot, but any user needs to also have a ChatGPT subscription. But on the flipside, your GPT bot will know how to search the Internet, and it will even generate pictures. 

ChatGPT is a good training option to learn what bots can do and how to build one. But a bot needs more to become useful (and sellable). So let’s take a look at other platforms. 

Types of No-Code Platforms

There are different ways to eliminate coding. For example, ChatGPT only needs you to tell it what to build. Still, the most common approaches of no-code platforms include drag-and-drop versions and templates.

Drag-and-Drop

Otherwise known as visual bot-building, drag-and-drop means that a platform contains specific moveable elements. You can arrange them by dragging, dropping and connecting them, and this way you build the logic of your bot.

Botpress

A good example of this type of bot-building platform is Botpress. When working with Botpress, you use cards for the questions the bot would ask, answers the clients would give and subsequent responses for the bot. 

You can train the bot using your knowledge bases, and Botpress boasts that its bots use Large Language Models (LLM). That is a machine learning model, which helps to train bots to process natural language and generate it more effectively. 

Botpress also promises that the data from conversations is stored and managed by the bot. Finally, Botpress offers quite a number of integrations, including many that connect your bot to popular messaging platforms. Think WhatsApp and Slack. 

There is a limited number of interactions (1000) you can get for free with Botpress. That allows for testing, but further interactions require payment, which you can discuss with Botpress. 

No-Code Templates

Even less complex are platforms that offer templates for bots they have already built. Your job here is to customize the template with your text and preferences. It is a good method of making a bot fast and learning what bots can do. 

Hubspot

For example, Hubspot does allow creating a bot from scratch, but it also has a couple templates. Indeed, many platforms use both drag-and-drop and template options. They do not have to choose, especially when both approaches are so good for beginner bot-builders!

Back to Hubspot! The Offline Bot template helps you make a bot that collects data about those visiting your website. Another template, which is not available for free, is called Knowledge Base & Support Bot. Such a bot tries to help a customer by referring them to the articles from your Knowledge Base. If it cannot assist the client, it can redirect them to a human support member or create a ticket. 

Hubspot offers a lot of options, but many of them are inaccessible in the free version of the bot builder. For example, free bots cannot use if/then branches. Also, Hubspot has many products, which it will try to convince you to use with its bots. It can be convenient or annoying. See if Hubspot is for you!

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur C. Clarke, writer

Other Examples of No-Code Platforms You Will Love!

There are many other no-code platforms. Let us consider a few of them so that you have an idea of all the possibilities!

Zapier 

Zapier is honest in stating that its chatbots are in their beta stage. They might change. So far, these bots have a number of templates, including those for simple FAQs, customer service and ecommerce. They can be customized, including the creation of a tailored greeting. They also can learn from the knowledge sources you can link to or upload as a text document. Zapier’s bots use OpenAI models and can be connected to numerous apps. 

Zapier offers a convenient guide if you do not know how to approach building bots. You can also create 2 chatbots for free using GPT-3.5 and GPT-4o mini. However, free bots cannot get embedded, their history is stored for 7 days, and they cannot connect with your knowledge. The free plan is really there to try out the product and decide if you want it. 

IBM watsonx Assistant

IBM’s bot creation platform watsonx Assistant is another beginner-friendly no-code platform for bot-building. The company created what it calls “a conversational AI solution” for “building AI assistants.” It even has a free plan, which allows for the impressive 1000 monthly active users. However, a lot of features that make bots awesome (like autolearning and multiple language support) are behind a paywall.

IBM highlights the fact that its platform uses the visual approach to building bots. You can drag and drop to build a bot here. IBM also boasts numerous integrations, including WhatsApp, and its bots can even be used over phone (but not for free). Naturally, watsonx Assistant also collects data and performs analyses. 

It looks like IBM’s free plan might actually work for a small business. In any case, it is a nice no-code option worth exploring. 

PandoraBots

Chatbots are fun, but most of them only work for written language. And people do not always have the time or patience to type out their requests. Besides, it is an accessibility issue! People with impaired vision can never use bots that are limited to understanding writing. 

Enter PandoraBots, a company that allows building bots which can understand speech. Its bots support text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies. There is a free plan, too, but it is appropriately named “Sandbox.” As of now, it lacks crucial features like API, chat widget and learning. 

A fun little feature of PandoraBots is the opportunity to create an animated character for your bot. It can be cute or a little too close to the uncanny valley, but it is a nice option.

PandoraBots also accommodates people who prefer to code, but there are no-code options, which makes the company a worthy entry in this list. 

You cannot achieve a lot with the free Sandbox. But you can use it to try out PandoraBots and learn a thing or two about bot-building. 

In Conclusion

No-code bot building platforms are already quite popular, and it was difficult to select just a few versions. Still, our examples show very well how even a person with limited programming skills can create a bot. If you are looking to just play around with them and learn how to use them, free plans are the way to go. For use in business, one will probably have to pay for a bot-building platform. However, bots promise to improve customer experience and save money on support teams. They are also quite in demand if you are a builder rather than a business.

Think of the pros and cons and make a decision about creating your bot. And if you want an expert to do that, consider placing a task with Insolvo for best results!