Chatbase vs Supavec: A Detailed Comparison

Priyansh Khodiyar's avatar
Priyansh KhodiyarDevRel at CustomGPT
Comparison Image cover for the blog Chatbase vs Supavec

Fact checked and reviewed by Bill. Published: 01.04.2024 | Updated: 25.04.2025

In this article, we compare Chatbase and Supavec across various parameters to help you make an informed decision.

Welcome to the comparison between Chatbase and Supavec!

Here are some unique insights on Chatbase:

Chatbase.co pitches itself as a no-code RAG tool—upload a few PDFs or web pages, and you’ve got a chatbot you can drop into Slack or your site. It’s a smooth on-ramp, but if you’re planning big integrations or expect serious traffic, you’ll want to dig past the splash screen. Simplicity is great, yet it can hide limits around deep customization and scaling.

Use this overview as a jumping-off point for a closer look at how Chatbase.co stacks up when projects grow more demanding.

And here's more information on Supavec:

Supavec is an open-source RAG API for devs who want full control. Upload PDFs, Markdown, or raw text via REST and build your own connectors for other data. Flexibility is high, but you’ll write more code—there’s no one-click Google Drive or Notion sync.

The upside: you own the stack. The trade-off: extra scripting and a lack of a polished no-code UI.

Enjoy reading and exploring the differences between Chatbase and Supavec.

Comparison Matrix

Feature
logo of chatbasecoChatbase
logo of supavecSupavec
logo of customGPT logoCustomGPT
Data Ingestion & Knowledge Sources
  • Upload docs (PDF, DOCX, TXT, Markdown) or point Chatbase at website URLs / sitemaps to build your knowledge base in minutes.
  • Hooks into Notion, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage services for automatic updates. Learn more
  • Supports both manual and auto-retraining so your chatbot always stays current. Retraining options
  • Drop content in via REST: upload PDFs, Markdown, or TXT [Upload File] or send raw text [Upload Text].
  • No one-click Google Drive or Notion connectors—you’ll script the fetch and hit the API yourself.
  • Because it’s open source, you can build connectors to anything—Postgres, Mongo, S3, you name it.
  • Runs on Supabase and scales sideways, chunking millions of docs for fast retrieval.
  • Lets you ingest more than 1,400 file formats—PDF, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, HTML, and many more—via simple drag-and-drop or API.
  • Crawls entire sites through sitemaps and URLs, automatically indexing public help-desk articles, FAQs, and docs.
  • Turns multimedia into text on the fly: YouTube videos, podcasts, and other media are auto-transcribed with built-in OCR and speech-to-text. View Transcription Guide
  • Connects to Google Drive, SharePoint, Notion, Confluence, HubSpot, and more through API connectors or Zapier. See Zapier Connectors
  • Supports both manual uploads and auto-sync retraining, so your knowledge base always stays up to date.
Integrations & Channels
  • Drop an embeddable widget onto any site or app with a quick snippet.
  • Comes with native connectors for Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Microsoft Teams. View integrations
  • Zapier and webhook support let you trigger actions in 5,000+ external apps based on chats. See Zapier integration
  • Pure REST for retrieval and generation—no built-in widget or Slack bot.
  • You code the chat UI or Slack bridge, calling Supavec for answers.
  • No Zapier—webhooks and automations are DIY inside your app.
  • If it speaks HTTP, it can talk to Supavec—you just handle the front-end.
  • Embeds easily—a lightweight script or iframe drops the chat widget into any website or mobile app.
  • Offers ready-made hooks for Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. Explore API Integrations
  • Connects with 5,000+ apps via Zapier and webhooks to automate your workflows.
  • Supports secure deployments with domain allowlisting and a ChatGPT Plugin for private use cases.
Core Chatbot Features
  • Uses retrieval-augmented Q&A so answers stick to your content and keep hallucinations low.
  • Stores full conversation history, viewable in the admin dashboard. Conversation history
  • Supports 95+ languages for global audiences. Language support
  • Built-in lead capture and human-handoff features handle complex questions gracefully. Human handoff
  • Just the essentials: retrieve chunks + LLM answer. Calls are stateless, no baked-in chat history.
  • No lead capture or human handoff—add those in your own layer.
  • Pulls the right text fast, then lets your LLM craft the reply.
  • Perfect if you only need raw RAG and will build the conversation bits yourself.
  • Powers retrieval-augmented Q&A with GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 Turbo, keeping answers anchored to your own content.
  • Reduces hallucinations by grounding replies in your data and adding source citations for transparency. Benchmark Details
  • Handles multi-turn, context-aware chats with persistent history and solid conversation management.
  • Speaks 90+ languages, making global rollouts straightforward.
  • Includes extras like lead capture (email collection) and smooth handoff to a human when needed.
Customization & Branding
  • Tweak logos, colors, welcome text, and icons so the widget matches your brand perfectly.
  • White-label option removes Chatbase branding for a seamless look. White-label info
  • Domain allowlisting ensures the bot only runs on approved sites. Domain restrictions
  • No pre-made UI, no theming—branding lives in whatever front-end you create.
  • Open source means zero “Supavec” label to hide—your app, your look.
  • Add domain checks or auth however you like in your code.
  • It’s “white-label” by default because Supavec is API-only.
  • Fully white-labels the widget—colors, logos, icons, CSS, everything can match your brand. White-label Options
  • Provides a no-code dashboard to set welcome messages, bot names, and visual themes.
  • Lets you shape the AI’s persona and tone using pre-prompts and system instructions.
  • Uses domain allowlisting to ensure the chatbot appears only on approved sites.
LLM Model Options
  • Powered by OpenAI GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, with toggles for cost-saving “fast” mode or higher-quality responses.
  • Pick the model that fits your speed-vs-depth needs. Model options
  • Model-agnostic: defaults to GPT-3.5, but switch to GPT-4 or any self-hosted model if you’d like.
  • No fancy toggle—just change a config or prompt path in code.
  • No extra prompt magic or anti-hallucination layer—plain RAG.
  • Quality rests on the LLM you choose and how you prompt it.
  • Taps into top models—OpenAI’s GPT-4, GPT-3.5 Turbo, and even Anthropic’s Claude for enterprise needs.
  • Automatically balances cost and performance by picking the right model for each request. Model Selection Details
  • Uses proprietary prompt engineering and retrieval tweaks to return high-quality, citation-backed answers.
  • Handles all model management behind the scenes—no extra API keys or fine-tuning steps for you.
Developer Experience (API & SDKs)
  • REST API covers creating, updating, and querying bots, with clear docs and live examples. API docs
  • Visual drag-and-drop builder speeds up initial setup, while the API handles advanced tasks.
  • Straightforward REST endpoints for file uploads, text uploads, and search. [Examples]
  • No official SDKs—use fetch/axios or roll your own wrapper.
  • Docs are concise with JS snippets; Postman collection included.
  • Full source is on GitHub, welcoming community tweaks.
  • Ships a well-documented REST API for creating agents, managing projects, ingesting data, and querying chat. API Documentation
  • Offers open-source SDKs—like the Python customgpt-client—plus Postman collections to speed integration. Open-Source SDK
  • Backs you up with cookbooks, code samples, and step-by-step guides for every skill level.
Integration & Workflow
  • Fits neatly into support flows via the widget and native channel connectors.
  • Webhooks can fire actions—like opening a Zendesk ticket—when certain chat events occur. Workflow options
  • Periodic retraining keeps the bot synced with live site content.
  • Think of it as a Lego brick: upload content, query matches, feed results to your LLM.
  • No built-in triggers—external actions are on you.
  • Scale horizontally on Supabase when self-hosted, or use the hosted plan (with API-call limits).
  • Big orgs can chat about higher tiers or dedicated infra for heavy traffic.
  • Gets you live fast with a low-code dashboard: create a project, add sources, and auto-index content in minutes.
  • Fits existing systems via API calls, webhooks, and Zapier—handy for automating CRM updates, email triggers, and more. Auto-sync Feature
  • Slides into CI/CD pipelines so your knowledge base updates continuously without manual effort.
Performance & Accuracy
  • Retrieval-augmented generation keeps answers factual and in context.
  • Choose between “fast” (speed-first) and “accurate” (detail-first) modes as needed. Model modes
  • Fallback messages and human escalation handle edge-case or ambiguous questions.
  • Accuracy = GPT quality + standard RAG lift—no extra guardrails.
  • Postgres vector search keeps retrieval snappy, even with millions of chunks.
  • No public head-to-head benchmarks yet; expect “typical GPT-3.5/4 RAG” results.
  • If you want citations or extra checks, you’ll prompt-engineer them yourself.
  • Delivers sub-second replies with an optimized pipeline—efficient vector search, smart chunking, and caching.
  • Independent tests rate median answer accuracy at 5/5—outpacing many alternatives. Benchmark Results
  • Always cites sources so users can verify facts on the spot.
  • Maintains speed and accuracy even for massive knowledge bases with tens of millions of words.
Customization & Flexibility (Behavior & Knowledge)
  • Update knowledge anytime—re-crawl a site or drop in new files via the no-code dashboard.
  • Set Personas and Quick Prompts to steer tone and guide chats. Persona settings
  • Create multiple bots under one account, each with its own domain focus.
  • Upload or overwrite docs any time—re-embeds almost instantly.
  • Behavior lives in your prompts; there’s no GUI for personas.
  • Multi-lingual works fine—just tell the LLM in your prompt.
  • Add metadata, tweak chunking—then build logic around it as needed.
  • Lets you add, remove, or tweak content on the fly—automatic re-indexing keeps everything current.
  • Shapes agent behavior through system prompts and sample Q&A, ensuring a consistent voice and focus. Learn How to Update Sources
  • Supports multiple agents per account, so different teams can have their own bots.
  • Balances hands-on control with smart defaults—no deep ML expertise required to get tailored behavior.
Pricing & Scalability
  • Tiered plans: Growth (~$79/mo) and Pro/Scale (~$259/mo), plus custom Enterprise deals. View pricing
  • Limits are based on message credits, number of bots, pages crawled, and file uploads—add-ons available when you need more.
  • MIT-licensed open source: self-host for free (pay your own infra).
  • Hosted plans: Free (100 calls/mo), Basic $190/yr (750 calls/mo), Enterprise $1,490/yr (5 k calls/mo). [Pricing]
  • Need more calls? Negotiate or self-host to ditch caps.
  • Storage isn’t metered—only query volume counts toward the plan.
  • Runs on straightforward subscriptions: Standard (~$99/mo), Premium (~$449/mo), and customizable Enterprise plans.
  • Gives generous limits—Standard covers up to 60 million words per bot, Premium up to 300 million—all at flat monthly rates. View Pricing
  • Handles scaling for you: the managed cloud infra auto-scales with demand, keeping things fast and available.
Security & Privacy
  • Uses HTTPS/TLS in transit and encrypted storage at rest—industry-standard cloud security.
  • Keeps your data isolated in your workspace; while formal certs aren’t highlighted, best practices are followed.
  • Self-hosting keeps everything on your servers—great for tight compliance. [Privacy note]
  • Hosted Supavec runs on Supabase with row-level security—each team’s data is fenced off.
  • No training on your docs—data stays yours.
  • Enterprises can go dedicated or on-prem for HIPAA/GDPR peace of mind.
  • Protects data in transit with SSL/TLS and at rest with 256-bit AES encryption.
  • Holds SOC 2 Type II certification and complies with GDPR, so your data stays isolated and private. Security Certifications
  • Offers fine-grained access controls—RBAC, two-factor auth, and SSO integration—so only the right people get in.
Observability & Monitoring
  • Dashboard shows chat history, sentiment, and usage metrics at a glance.
  • Daily email summaries keep support teams informed without logging in constantly. Dashboard example
  • No dashboard baked in—log requests yourself or use Supabase metrics when self-hosting.
  • Hosted plan shows basic call counts; no transcript analytics out of the box.
  • Need deep insights? Wire up your own monitoring layer.
  • Designed to play nicely with external logging tools, not ship its own.
  • Comes with a real-time analytics dashboard tracking query volumes, token usage, and indexing status.
  • Lets you export logs and metrics via API to plug into third-party monitoring or BI tools. Analytics API
  • Provides detailed insights for troubleshooting and ongoing optimization.
Support & Ecosystem
  • Offers email support and a “Submit a Request” channel for additional integrations.
  • Growing ecosystem via blog posts, Product Hunt launches, and an agency partner program. Submit a request
  • Community help via GitHub/Discord; paid plans unlock email or priority support. [Docs]
  • Open-source means forks, PRs, and home-grown connectors are welcome.
  • Docs are lean—mostly endpoint references rather than big tutorials.
  • Code samples pop up in the community, but it’s not a huge library yet.
  • Supplies rich docs, tutorials, cookbooks, and FAQs to get you started fast. Developer Docs
  • Offers quick email and in-app chat support—Premium and Enterprise plans add dedicated managers and faster SLAs. Enterprise Solutions
  • Benefits from an active user community plus integrations through Zapier and GitHub resources.
Additional Considerations
  • Built-in “Functions” let the bot perform tasks like opening support tickets without leaving the chat.
  • Developers can tap the headless SourceSync API if they need a pure RAG backend.
  • No vendor lock-in: transparent code, offline option, host wherever you like.
  • Focuses on core RAG—no SSO, dashboards, or fancy UI included.
  • Great for devs who want full control or must keep data in-house.
  • Conversation flow, advanced prompts, fancy UI—all yours to build.
  • Slashes engineering overhead with an all-in-one RAG platform—no in-house ML team required.
  • Gets you to value quickly: launch a functional AI assistant in minutes.
  • Stays current with ongoing GPT and retrieval improvements, so you’re always on the latest tech.
  • Balances top-tier accuracy with ease of use, perfect for customer-facing or internal knowledge projects.
No-Code Interface & Usability
  • Guided dashboard lets non-tech users spin up a bot just by entering a URL or uploading files.
  • Pre-built templates, live demos, and a copy-paste embed snippet make deployment painless. Embed instructions
  • Try everything free for seven days before committing.
  • No drag-and-drop dashboard—everything’s via API or CLI.
  • Meant for code-first teams who’ll bolt it into their own chat or workflow.
  • Self-hosters can craft custom GUIs on top, but Supavec keeps the slate blank.
  • If you want a business-user UI like CustomGPT, you’ll layer that yourself.
  • Offers a wizard-style web dashboard so non-devs can upload content, brand the widget, and monitor performance.
  • Supports drag-and-drop uploads, visual theme editing, and in-browser chatbot testing. User Experience Review
  • Uses role-based access so business users and devs can collaborate smoothly.

We hope you found this comparison of Chatbase vs Supavec helpful.

Chatbase.co shines for quick pilots, but its ease-of-use comes with trade-offs. Larger, more complex deployments may bump into walls around flexibility and volume.

We hope this breakdown helps you decide whether Chatbase.co meets today’s needs—or if a platform built for deeper integrations will serve you better down the line.

Supavec is perfect when you value transparency and control over convenience. If you’d rather avoid extra coding and maintenance, a managed, plug-and-play platform may be a better fit.

Stay tuned for more updates!

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Priyansh Khodiyar's avatar

Priyansh Khodiyar

DevRel at CustomGPT. Passionate about AI and its applications. Here to help you navigate the world of AI tools.