A bot builder (low-code) works when the bot's flow is simple and you need to test an idea quickly. Custom development in code is needed when you have non-standard stages, your own roles, integrations, or when it matters where the data is kept. We build bots in code: a small solution starts at €350, a bot-based system costs €1 000–2 000, and hosting on our server is €8.50 a month.
Bot builder vs custom development: the difference
A bot builder is a platform where a bot is assembled from ready-made blocks without writing code. The bot runs within the platform, so its features, rules and pricing become yours too. Check what a particular builder can do and what it costs on its own website: we don't compare them here.
With custom development, we write the bot in code around your process: which roles, which stages, what happens at each step. After launch it can run on our server with regular backups, and where exactly the system is hosted is decided to fit your requirements.
Comparison by criteria
| Criterion | Bot builder | Code (custom development) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Fast, if the flow fits the ready-made blocks | Up to a month; ready-made mini CRM on the day of purchase |
| Upfront cost | The platform's plan | From €350; bot-based system €1 000–2 000 |
| Monthly payments | The platform's subscription | Hosting €8.50 a month |
| Flexibility | Within the platform's blocks | Stages, roles and flows for your process |
| Data and server | Wherever the platform stores it | Our server with backups, or as you require |
| Who you depend on | The platform's rules and pricing | The developer; ask about the code before ordering |
Code doesn't remove dependence, it shifts it: instead of a platform, you depend on whoever built and maintains the bot. So before ordering, check whose server it runs on, what hosting includes and whether the code is handed over.
When a bot builder is enough
- the flow is simple: a few buttons, answers to common questions, collecting a contact;
- you need to test an idea quickly before investing in development;
- everything you need is already available as platform blocks;
- you are fine with its pricing and with where it stores data.
If all of these apply to you, a bot builder may well be the better choice, and paying for development makes no sense.
When you need code
- Non-standard stages. A request goes through statuses and rules that don't fit ready-made blocks without workarounds.
- Your own roles. Customer, operator, administrator and assignee see and do different things.
- Integrations. Requests should come in from Telegram, a website form and email, and data should flow to your other systems.
- Data on a specific server. It matters where exactly the bot runs and the data is stored.
Examples of such logic from our case studies: in the mini CRM, the bot checks whether a technician is free at the required time before the administrator assigns them; in the paid group topic, the bot deducts 1 point per message, spending free points first; in the support bot, operators reply to customers without access to the owner's account.
The middle ground: a ready-made solution on our server
If you want builder-like speed without a platform in between, there is our ready-made mini CRM in Telegram. You take a ready solution and start working on the day of purchase, and the bot runs on our server:
- €350 — mini CRM: requests, assignees, statuses and statistics;
- €500 — the same plus an Android app;
- from €100 — changes for your business;
- €8.50 a month — hosting, backups included.
How to weigh ready-made services against development for a CRM is covered in “Custom vs ready-made CRM”.
What a bot built in code costs
| What | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-made mini CRM in Telegram | €350, €500 with Android | Installed on the day of purchase |
| Changes to the ready-made mini CRM | from €100 | For your business |
| Small custom bot-based solution | from €350 | Up to a month |
| Full bot-based system | €1 000–2 000 | Up to a month |
| CRM: web admin panel + Telegram bot | €3 000–5 000 | Up to a month |
| Hosting on our server | €8.50 a month | Backups included |
| Priority support | €50 a month | Optional |
Solutions we build come with a 12-month warranty. How to pick a level for your budget is explained in “Ready-made or custom-built”. All prices are on our pricing page, and bot formats on the Telegram bot development page.
About the code. Fleet Control, our fleet ERP, runs as a subscription service (SaaS), and its code is not handed over. For other solutions, ask whether the code is handed over before you order. What else to check with any studio is collected in our article on choosing a studio and writing a brief.
FAQ
Which is better for a Telegram bot: a bot builder or custom development?
For a simple flow and a quick test of an idea, a bot builder may be enough. Custom development is needed for non-standard stages, your own roles, integrations, or when it matters where data is stored; with us it starts at €350.
When is a bot builder enough?
When the flow is simple, everything you need is already available as platform blocks, and you are fine with its pricing and where it stores data. In that case, paying for development makes no sense.
How much does a bot built in code cost?
A small custom Telegram bot-based solution starts at €350, a full system costs €1 000–2 000, and a CRM with a web admin panel and a bot costs €3 000–5 000. Development takes up to a month.
Is there an option as fast as a builder, but without a platform?
Yes, the ready-made mini CRM in Telegram for €350 (€500 with an Android app). We install it on the day of purchase, the bot runs on our server, and hosting is €8.50 a month.
Is the bot's code handed over?
Fleet Control runs as a subscription service (SaaS), and its code is not handed over. For other solutions, ask before you order.
What are the monthly payments for a bot built in code?
Hosting on our server costs €8.50 a month, with regular backups included. Optional priority support is €50 a month, and solutions we build come with a 12-month warranty.