14 rules in 6 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 12.
Version 1, published 10 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages or from G2.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "price for 1,000 conversations", then to the name.
Tools you set up yourself to build website or messaging chatbots, for small teams and businesses. Finished AI agents you cannot steer and help desks are left out; a live chat or inbox suite counts when it ships a bot builder you set up yourself. Browser-based tools. Plan lines count the plans on the vendor's public pricing page; a quote-only plan counts only where a line says so.
Channels 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Channels
The vendor's website or documentation names the channel as a place where a bot built with the product can talk to people, generally available, on any plan including a quote-only one. Each one earns 2 points.
14
Chat API
A documented API or SDK lets you send and receive messages with the bot from your own app or site.
4
Building 19 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
No-code builder
You lay out the bot in a visual editor, with blocks or a flow canvas, and need no code to publish it. A builder set up only with a prompt and settings does not count.
6
Answers from your own content
The bot can answer from your own website pages, files or help articles. It must be generally available on a paid plan, not beta or on a waitlist.
9
Calls other systems
During a chat the bot can call an outside service through a webhook, an API request or a built-in integration.
4
Running it 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Handoff to a human
A person can take over a live chat from the bot, in an inbox that comes with the product or through a connection to a help desk or live chat tool that the vendor's pricing, help or documentation pages describe, on at least one paid plan.
8
Built-in analytics
A dashboard inside the product shows conversation counts and at least one outcome, such as handoffs, drop-off or resolved chats, on at least one paid plan.
6
Remove vendor branding
The vendor's logo or badge can be removed from the chat widget on a paid plan, or with a paid add-on, that has a published price. A quote-only plan does not count.
4
Trust 11 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it.
6
Open source
The source code of the apps is public under an open-source licence. A licence approved by the Open Source Initiative counts; source-available licences such as the Functional Source License or the Business Source License do not.
3
Data processing agreement
The vendor publishes a data processing agreement, or says on a public page that one is offered to every customer.
2
Price 14 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free plan
A free plan, not a time-limited trial, that lets you publish a working bot to real visitors.
5
Price for 1,000 conversations
The cheapest paid plan with a published price whose included monthly allowance is at least 1,000 conversations, chats or sessions: US dollars a month, yearly billing (monthly equivalent) if shown. If counted in messages, queries or credits, 1,000 of those is the bar; if in contacts, 1,000 contacts. Extra packs and overage do not count. No such plan, or quote-only: null.
9
Independent testing 20 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
G2 AI CX evaluation
Overall points in G2's AI CX Agent Evaluations, the leaderboard from the test G2 runs itself on the same 46 support tasks for every agent it evaluates, scored here for the bot the product builds. Every 10 G2 points earn 1 point here, up to 20 at 200; fewer than 10 earn 0. Results run by partners rather than G2, and bots G2 has not evaluated or lists as under evaluation, earn 0. Added 10 October 2026 as a dated rules version.
20
Independent labs
Lab results are the only test results that earn points here: the labs run the same tests on every product and publish the numbers.