Compare
Why Fred instead of another chatbot?
Compare content sources, configured controls, channels, integrations and costs. See how Fred fits the work your business needs to do.
The short version.
Compare the features your business needs: content grounding, guardrail controls, voice, lead capture, and the work required to connect them.
The trust test
- Configured checks with detection limits to review
- Your website and uploads guide answers; review their accuracy
- Review the action records available for your deployment
- Industry, regional, and your own custom rules stacked
The outcomes test
- Contact capture and conversation summaries through your configured integration
- Booking options depend on your scheduling tools
- Surfaces your pages and products inside the conversation
- Configure team handoff and review delivery requirements
Questions to ask
- Which content sources can it use?
- What controls can you configure and review?
- Which channels and integrations are supported?
- What records and export options are available?
And the part most comparisons skip: with Fred you pay AI providers directly at their rates. We charge for Fred, not a markup on every message.
Review Fred’s building blocks.
Evaluate how content grounding, configured checks, data handling and provider costs fit together in your deployment. Review the limits of each before launch.
Rules enforced in code, not requested in a prompt
Fred uses configured checks for recognized jailbreak, off-topic, and crisis patterns. Review their detection limits and the response workflow for each deployment. See the guardrail layers →
Your content is the source of truth
Your website, uploads and product content guide Fred’s answers. Supported integrations can surface pages, product cards or booking options. AI responses can still be incorrect or unsupported.
Protection your legal team can review
Configure redaction, retention, and destination settings for your deployment. Review supported data paths and provider handling. Detection can miss sensitive information; regional settings do not establish legal compliance. Read the trust page →
Pay providers directly, keep the upside
You bring your own API keys and pay OpenAI, Anthropic, or your provider of choice at their rates. We charge for Fred. Scaling conversations doesn’t mean renegotiating per-message fees with us.
Website voice and text options let visitors type or talk. Confirm provider support and the controls required for your setup. See how it works
A prompt is not a guardrail.
Talk to Fred.
Build your shortlist.
Use the same questions when evaluating Fred and other options. Product capabilities, plans and integrations can differ.
FAQ chat widgets
Check how answers are sourced and updated, which channels are available, and how contact capture connects to your team. Review the actual product and plan; a category label does not tell you its capabilities.
Bring-your-own-key GPT plugins
Compare provider support, content handling, available checks, voice options and CRM integration. Include your hosting and maintenance responsibilities in the comparison.
Resold-AI SaaS chatbots
Compare the platform subscription and provider usage charges for the services you are considering. Fred uses connected provider accounts, with provider usage billed separately from Fred’s subscription.
Enterprise AI platforms
Fred offers a WordPress plugin and a managed Cloud option. Choose the deployment that fits your hosting, integrations, and support needs. Setup time depends on that scope.
The DIY ChatGPT embed
For a custom implementation, document who will maintain content sources, checks, data handling, activity records and integrations. Compare that work with the setup and operating requirements of a supported product.
Honest note: already deep in a helpdesk suite?
If your whole operation lives inside a helpdesk platform and its bundled bot covers what you need, that may genuinely be the convenient choice. Fred lives on your site and your stack, sends leads to the CRM you already run, and is built to stay in your lane. When you want the agent on your homepage rather than inside the inbox, that’s Fred.
Compare.
Talk to Fred
What to confirm
Guardrails
Configured checks and response rules.
Which patterns and responses are supported?
Content
Your website and uploads guide answers.
How will you review answer accuracy?
Follow-up
Configure handoff and review activity.
Who handles a missed or delayed handoff?
Industry rules
Industry and regional guardrail packs.
Which rules fit your business requirements?
Costs
Pay connected providers directly.
What is the total cost for your usage?
Channels
Website voice and text; phone and SMS options.
Which channels and features do you need?
See how Fred’s lead signals and summaries can support your team’s follow-up. See the results
Fred vs Fred vs Fred.
Choose a deployment and channel option for your business. Compare hosting responsibilities, available features and integration requirements.
Fred Plugin
- The original, a full plugin living inside your WordPress site
- Deepest WooCommerce integration, product cards and add-to-cart in the chat
- You bring your own AI keys and pay providers at their rates
- Best when you want everything under your own roof
Fred Cloud
- A lightweight connector plus a content ingester, works on any website, WordPress included
- We run the infrastructure and the RAG, you keep your keys and own your data
- No inference to host, we keep the connectors updated for you
- Every new channel we ship lands here first
Fred Everywhere
Available now- Website voice and text, phone calls, and SMS
- Review supported controls and conversation fields for each channel
- Built on Fred Cloud as a $100 monthly add-on
- Add phone and SMS to your customer-contact options
What to review for your deployment.
Choose the WordPress plugin when you want to manage the installation on your hosting. Choose Cloud for managed infrastructure, with Fred Everywhere available for phone and SMS. Confirm the features and integrations you need before choosing a plan.
Put Fred up against whatever you’re using.
Try Fred in the corner of this page. When you are ready, choose a plan and work through setup with your own content and integrations.