A hosted document chatbot is the quickest way to put AI answers on a website. You add your pages and files, and it gives you a short piece of code to paste into your site.
This page compares two such services, CustomGPT.ai and DocsBot, with a third way: AnythingLLM, an open-source app on your own server. Each comparison comes from the services' own pricing, security and documentation pages, read on 27 October 2026.
CustomGPT.ai is made by CustomGPT Inc. of Needham, Massachusetts. DocsBot is made by UglyRobot, LLC.
Who this is for
- you want a chatbot on your website that answers from your own pages and files
- you are choosing between a hosted service and your own server
- you need to know where visitors' questions and your files are kept
Not for you if you want a private assistant for your team: see your own ChatGPT-style assistant.
Key numbers
- 1,000 queries a month on CustomGPT.ai's Standard plan, and 5,000 on Premium Official page,
- 5,000 AI credits a month on DocsBot's Personal plan; a standard message starts at one credit Official page,
- 2 GB of memory AnythingLLM recommends as a minimum, with a 2-core CPU that supports AVX2 Official page,
Three ways to add a chatbot
A hosted service is the quickest start; your own server gives you the most control over the data.
| What you do | What you pay for | Where data is kept | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CustomGPT.ai (hosted) | Add files or your sitemap, then add its widget to your site | A monthly plan with a set number of queries | Amazon AWS US East, by its security page |
| DocsBot (hosted) | Add sources, then paste one line of code into your site | A monthly plan with AI credits | US and EU storage options; data residency on Enterprise |
| AnythingLLM (your own server) | Run it with Docker, add documents, then create a chat widget | A server, plus a model API or a GPU | Your server, and the model API you choose |
All three answer from your own content: they search it for each question and pass the best passages to an AI model. Our guide to fine-tuning or a document chatbot explains the method.
CustomGPT.ai or DocsBot: how they compare
CustomGPT.ai counts queries and links every answer to its source; DocsBot counts credits and has a free plan to start with.
| CustomGPT.ai | DocsBot | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | 1,000 queries on Standard, 5,000 on Premium | 5,000 AI credits on Personal, 15,000 on Standard; a standard message starts at one credit |
| Bots | 10 on Standard, 25 on Premium | One on Personal, three on Standard |
| Content | 5,000 documents per agent on Standard, 20,000 on Premium | 5,000 source pages on Personal, 15,000 on Standard |
| Sources in answers | Every answer links to its source | Shown by default; the widget can hide them |
| Keeping up with your site | Auto-sync of website content on Premium | Scheduled refresh: monthly on Personal, weekly on Standard |
| When the answer is missing | An editable "I don't know" message | Not stated; the widget can show a support link |
| Training on your data | "No training or sharing your data" | Its trust centre says it does not train any models on your data |
| Where data is kept | Amazon AWS US East | US and EU options in its security notes; data residency options on Enterprise |
| Trying it | 7-day trial on Standard or Premium, card required | Free plan for personal use; 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Languages | 92+ languages | Over 100 languages |
| Made by | CustomGPT Inc., Needham, Massachusetts | UglyRobot, LLC |
A DocsBot credit is not always one question. Its pricing page says a standard chat message starts at one credit, and larger models and actions use more.
When the month's credits run out, DocsBot's bot stops answering and shows visitors an error. You can upgrade, turn on extra credits that are added automatically, or wait for the next calendar month.
| Plan | Price | New-customer offer | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| CustomGPT.ai Standard | $99/month billed monthly; the page says you can cancel or upgrade at any time · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | A 7-day free trial of the Standard or Premium plan, with all of that plan's features checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
| CustomGPT.ai Premium | $499/month billed monthly; the page says you can cancel or upgrade at any time · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | A 7-day free trial of the Standard or Premium plan, with all of that plan's features checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
| DocsBot AI Personal | $49/month billed monthly · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | Paid plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee checked 30 Oct 2026 | Visit |
| DocsBot AI Standard | $149/month billed monthly · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | Businesses that qualify can ask for a free trial of the Standard plan with every feature checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
CustomGPT.ai's trial needs card details and charges the chosen plan when the seven days end, unless you cancel.
What to look for
Sources with every answer
A link to the page behind each answer lets visitors check it. CustomGPT.ai links every response to its source, and DocsBot's widget shows sources unless you hide them.
An honest answer when the content has none
CustomGPT.ai lets you edit the message its agent gives when it does not know. DocsBot's widget can show a support link or an escalation button.
Ask the bot a few questions your pages do not answer before you go live, and read what it says.
Keeping answers up to date
A bot answers from the copy of your pages it last read. CustomGPT.ai syncs website content automatically on Premium; DocsBot refreshes sources monthly on Personal and weekly on Standard.
Where your data is kept
CustomGPT.ai runs in Amazon AWS US East, by its security page. DocsBot lists US and EU storage options. Its plan table gives data residency options only to Enterprise, so ask before you rely on EU storage.
Whether it trains on your files
CustomGPT.ai's pricing page says "No training or sharing your data". DocsBot's trust centre says it does not use your data to train any models. It adds that it does not opt in to the model providers' data sharing.
Your own chatbot with AnythingLLM
AnythingLLM, an open-source app under the MIT licence, can publish a chat widget for any website with a <script> tag. The widget settings exist only in its Docker version, the one you run on a server.
- Query mode answers only from the documents in the workspace; Chat mode answers any question.
- You can cap the chats per day and per visitor session.
- You can list the domains allowed to use the widget. Its docs warn that an empty list means anyone can use it on any site.
AnythingLLM recommends at least 2 GB of memory, a 2-core CPU and 5 GB of storage, and its docs say the CPU must support AVX2. Our ChatGPT-style assistant guide shows how to install it with Docker.
The AI model can be an API. AnythingLLM's list of model providers includes a generic OpenAI option, and Infomaniak's AI Services offer OpenAI-compatible APIs from data centres in Switzerland.
Infomaniak says your queries are neither recorded nor used to train models. You then pay for the server each month and for the API by the token.
| Plan | Price | New-customer offer | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger KVM 2 2 vCPU, 8 GB | $8.79/month 24-month term, paid up front; Black Friday first-term price, then $14.99 checked 25 Oct 2026 | Black Friday prices on VPS plans and AI automation apps, for the first subscription term only checked 30 Oct 2026 | Visit |
| DigitalOcean Basic Droplet, 2 vCPUs, 4 GiB 2 vCPU, 4 GB | $24/month billed per second (60-second minimum), capped at this monthly price · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | New accounts get a $5 credit that lasts 90 days and covers every product except SaaS add-ons checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4 4 vCPU, 8 GB | €4.40/month 24-month term, paid up front; the price applies to the first 24 months and to the EU region in Germany; other regions cost more each month checked 25 Oct 2026 | No offer | Visit |
| Kamatera Cloud server Type A (Availability), 2 cores, 4 GB 2 vCPU, 4 GB | $16/month monthly, no long-term contract · VAT not stated checked 25 Oct 2026 | A 30-day trial of one cloud server in a configuration worth up to $100 checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
Some of the lowest prices need a long term paid in advance; the term is under each price.
| Plan | Price | New-customer offer | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infomaniak AI Services: mistralai/Mistral-Small-4-119B-2603 | €0.20 / €0.75 per 1M tokens, input / output · pay as you go, no commitment; billed at the end of each month checked 25 Oct 2026 | No offer | Visit |
| Infomaniak AI Services: swiss-ai/Apertus-v1.5-70B | €0.70 / €2.50 per 1M tokens, input / output · pay as you go, no commitment; billed at the end of each month checked 25 Oct 2026 | 1M free credits to start with AI Services, then pay as you go checked 29 Oct 2026 | Visit |
Each question sends your matching passages to the model, so a question uses more input tokens than its own words.
Our guide to paying per token or renting a GPU shows how tokens add up over a month.
Data protection basics
A website chatbot handles what your visitors type, so check its data terms before you add it. DocsBot's FAQ says it acts as your data processor under the GDPR and provides data processing agreements.
DocsBot's plan table lists a standard agreement from Business upwards, and CustomGPT.ai's pricing page lists one on Enterprise. Our EU AI hosting guide covers where data is kept and what to ask.
How we checked
We read CustomGPT.ai's pricing, security and help pages, DocsBot's pricing page, widget documentation and trust centre, and AnythingLLM's documentation on 27 October 2026.
DocsBot's legal pages returned a server error that day, so its training terms come from its trust centre.
Our own measurements will be added here, with their dates, when our test bench runs them.
Mistakes to avoid
Hiding the sources
Instead: Keep them on, so visitors can check each answer against your page.
Forgetting to refresh the content
Instead: Schedule a refresh, or the bot answers from old pages.
Running out of credits mid-month
Instead: DocsBot stops answering at the limit; watch the usage or turn on extra credits.
Leaving a self-hosted widget open to every site
Instead: List your own domains in AnythingLLM's widget settings.
Other questions
Which AI chatbot is best for a small website?
It depends on your volume and your data rules. CustomGPT.ai counts queries and links every answer to its source; DocsBot counts credits and has a free plan; AnythingLLM runs on your own server.
How much does a website chatbot cost a month?
A hosted plan costs its monthly price, shown in the boxes above. Your own chatbot costs a server plus the model API by the token.
Does a website chatbot train the AI on my documents?
CustomGPT.ai says no training or sharing of your data, and DocsBot's trust centre says it does not train any models on your data. Read the terms before you upload anything private.
Can visitors see where an answer came from?
Yes, on both hosted services: CustomGPT.ai links every answer to its source, and DocsBot shows sources unless you hide them.
Sources and test notes
- CustomGPT.ai pricing, read
- CustomGPT.ai security and trust, read
- CustomGPT.ai help: change the "I don't know" message, read
- CustomGPT.ai: about us (company details), read
- DocsBot pricing and FAQ, read
- DocsBot: embeddable chat widget, read
- DocsBot trust centre, read
- AnythingLLM: embedded chat widgets, read
- AnythingLLM: chat modes, read
- AnythingLLM: system requirements, read
- AnythingLLM: model providers, read
- Infomaniak AI Services, read
Every page read on 27 October 2026. Plan limits are the services' own; prices come from our weekly records.