One thing I’d look at that isn’t really mentioned is the “cost of babysitting the bot.” A $50 chatbot sounds cheap until someone has to constantly check its answers, fix its knowledge, handle weird conversations, and clean up mistakes.

So I wouldn’t only ask, “Which chatbot can I afford for $100?” I’d ask, “Which one can actually take work off my plate without becoming another task I have to manage?”

That difference probably becomes much clearer after a few months in the real world.