Introduction
If you have a WordPress site and want to add an AI chatbot that can answer your visitors’ questions, most solutions offer a monthly subscription between $2 and $12 — sometimes with hidden limits underneath. The good news: it’s entirely possible to do this for free, with no monthly billing, no hidden cap, and one simple condition: you need your own account with an AI API provider.
This is exactly what ChatCraft AI Free — the free version of the ChatCraft AI plugin developed by Izri.Online — enables. Here’s how to install it, configure it, and take advantage of Groq and OpenRouter’s free tiers to get a fully functional chatbot on your site, without paying a cent.
Why a WordPress AI chatbot can be free
A modern AI chatbot works like this: 1. Your website hosts the chat widget (the plugin) 2. The plugin sends the user’s messages to an AI API provider (OpenAI, Groq, OpenRouter, etc.) 3. The AI generates a response and the plugin displays it in the chat
The plugin itself can be free. What can cost money is the AI call. Except that today, several providers offer generous free tiers that are more than enough for a standard site (brochure site, blog, small store, local service).
The BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) model of ChatCraft AI gives you full control: you create your own account with the provider, retrieve your API key, and paste it into the plugin. You pay the provider directly for what you use — often zero to start with.
What the free version of ChatCraft AI offers
The Free version of ChatCraft AI is designed to get started with zero commitment. Here’s what it includes:
| What you get | Details |
|---|---|
| 1 chatbot | A single bot on your site, which is enough for most sites |
| 1 WordPress site | You can install it on one site with a single license |
| 3 integrated AI providers | OpenAI, Groq, and OpenRouter — you choose which one to use |
| Lead capture | The bot can collect the name and email of visitors who interact |
| CSAT rating | Users can rate the responses (useful for improving the bot) |
| Offline mode | You can configure an automatic message when the bot is unavailable |
| System prompt | You customize the bot’s behavior and tone via a system prompt |
| Appearance customization | Colors, position, welcome message, avatar — to match your brand identity |
| Free for life | No expiration, no surprise billing. The license is free and permanent. |
What the free version does NOT include (and requires Pro or Plus): - Multilingual (FR, AR, ES, DE) - Knowledge base RAG (indexing your WordPress content) - Keyword rules, business hours, negative guardrails - Automatic fallback provider - Conditional display (show the bot only on certain pages) - WooCommerce (order tracking, product search, PDF invoices) - Advanced stats / analytics
For a site that’s starting out, the free version is more than enough.
The 3 providers included in the Free version
The Free version of ChatCraft AI gives you access to three AI providers right out of the box: OpenAI, Groq, and OpenRouter. You don’t need to buy anything to use them — just create a free account with the provider and copy your API key into the plugin.
1. Groq — the generous free tier
Groq is an AI inference provider known for speed. It offers free access to a certain monthly quota of requests, with performant models like Llama 3, Mixtral, etc.
What’s free with Groq: - A monthly token quota (non-commercial use, under current terms) - Fast and quality models for standard use (FAQ, welcome, information)
How to use it with ChatCraft AI:
1. Go to console.groq.com and create a free account
2. In the API Keys section, generate an API key
3. In ChatCraft AI (WordPress > ChatCraft AI > Settings), select “Groq” as the provider
4. Paste your API key and choose the model (e.g., llama-3.1-8b-instant or mixtral-8x7b-3276q)
5. Test the chat in a preview tab or directly on your site
Watch out: Groq’s free quota is enough for a site with moderate traffic, but for a very busy site, it may be necessary to switch to a paid plan. The BYOK model’s transparency lets you see exactly what you consume and switch providers if needed.
2. OpenRouter — a model aggregator with a free tier
OpenRouter is a platform that aggregates many AI models (open source and commercial) and lets you access them via a single API. It offers a free starting credit and a pay-as-you-go system.
What’s interesting about OpenRouter for free use: - Open-source models accessible with a small initial free credit - The ability to choose from many models (Llama, Mistral, etc.) - Very detailed pay-as-you-go billing — you see exactly what you consume - A simple administration portal
How to use it with ChatCraft AI: 1. Go to openrouter.ai and create an account 2. In the API settings, generate an API key 3. In ChatCraft AI, select “OpenRouter” as the provider 4. Choose the model that suits you (e.g., a Llama or Mistral model available with the free tier) 5. Save and test
Watch out: OpenRouter’s free tier is based on an initial free credit. Once that credit is consumed, you pay as you go — often a few cents per standard chat session. This is very little for a standard site, and often well below a typical monthly subscription.
3. OpenAI — the default provider, with a limited free tier
OpenAI is the default provider included in the Free version. It offers high-quality models (like GPT-4o-mini) with a free tier on some accounts.
What’s free with OpenAI (for new accounts): - A free credit amount granted when creating the account (terms vary, check OpenAI’s page) - Access to models with this credit
How to use it with ChatCraft AI:
1. Go to platform.openai.com, create an account
2. Generate an API key in the API Keys section
3. In ChatCraft AI, select “OpenAI” as the provider
4. Paste the key and choose the model (e.g., gpt-4o-mini for economical use)
5. Test the chat
Watch out: OpenAI’s free credit is useful for testing, but it depletes quickly if the bot is used regularly. For sustainable free use, Groq or OpenRouter are often more interesting.
Step-by-step installation
Here’s how to install ChatCraft AI Free on your WordPress site in under 10 minutes.
Step 1 — Download the plugin
- Go to Izri.Online’s Gumroad store: izrionline.gumroad.com/l/chatcraft-free
- Click on “Get Free Key” to download the plugin ZIP file
- The file is usually named
chatcraft-ai-free.zip(or similar)
Step 2 — Install the plugin on WordPress
- Log into your WordPress dashboard (backoffice)
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Click on Upload Plugin (top left)
- Choose the ZIP file you downloaded
- Click Install Now
- Once installation is complete, click Activate Plugin
Step 3 — Configure your AI provider
- In the WordPress menu, go to ChatCraft AI (the plugin’s entry is added automatically)
- You arrive on the configuration page for the first chatbot
- In the “AI Provider” section, choose Groq (or OpenRouter if you prefer)
- In “API Key”, paste your provider’s API key
- Choose the model (e.g.,
groq/llama-3.1-8b-instantor the model you selected with the provider) - Click Save
Step 4 — Customize the chatbot
On the same configuration page, you can:
- Chatbot name: the name that appears in the chat window (e.g., “Support”, “Welcome”, “Ask a question”)
- Welcome message: the first message displayed when a visitor opens the chat (e.g., “Hello! How can I help you today?”)
- System prompt: the instructions given to the AI to define its behavior (e.g., “You are a friendly assistant for a Moroccan SME. Answer in clear French, with short sentences. If you don’t know, say so simply.”)
- Colors: background, text, accent — to match your brand guidelines
- Window position: bottom right (default) or other
- Avatar: an image or color for the bot’s icon
Step 5 — Test and publish
- In the plugin’s preview section, you can test the chat directly without leaving the backoffice
- Publish your changes
- Go to your site, the chat widget is visible in the corner (bottom right by default)
- You’re live — your AI chatbot is online
Concrete free configuration example
Here’s a typical configuration that works perfectly without paying anything:
| Element | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| Plugin | ChatCraft AI (Free version) |
| AI provider | Groq |
| Model | llama-3.1-8b-instant (fast, good quality/price ratio, free tier enough for a standard site) |
| Bot name | “Support” |
| Welcome message | “Hello! I’m the assistant for [your company name]. How can I help you?” |
| System prompt | “You answer questions from visitors about [name]’s site. Your tone is friendly and professional. You answer in French. If you don’t know the answer, simply say you don’t have that information and offer to leave a message.” |
| Colors | Dark background, gold accents, light text (ideal for an elegant brand identity) |
| Position | Bottom right (standard, non-intrusive) |
This configuration allows you to answer most common questions: hours, location, contact info, service description, pricing, FAQ. All this, without paying a monthly subscription.
When the free version isn’t enough (and what to do)
The free version of ChatCraft AI is perfect for getting started. But there are cases where you’ll need advanced features:
| Need | Version required |
|---|---|
| Multiple bots on the same site | Pro or Plus (unlimited bots) |
| Index your site’s content (pages, articles, products) so the bot answers with your exact info | Pro or Plus (RAG Knowledge Base) |
| Multiple languages (FR, AR, ES, DE) | Pro or Plus (Multilingual) |
| Show the bot only on certain pages | Pro or Plus (Display Rules) |
| WooCommerce order tracking, product search, cart in chat | Plus only (WooCommerce Suite) |
| Bot usage statistics (how many entered, what questions, how many converted to leads) | Pro or Plus (Token Analytics, Dashboard Charts) |
| Voice (TTS/STT) to talk with the bot | Plus only (Voice Chat) |
| Send conversations to an external tool (Zapier, Make, n8n) | Pro or Plus (Webhooks) |
Moving from Free to Pro or Plus is a one-click operation: you simply swap your license key. All your configurations, leads, and conversations are preserved. No data loss.
Conclusion
Installing a free AI chatbot on WordPress is possible today, with no monthly subscription, no hidden limits, and no compromise on quality. The key is the right marriage between a free plugin (ChatCraft AI Free) and AI provider free tiers (Groq and OpenRouter in particular, OpenAI for testing).
This is a simple tool to set up, which can: - Welcome your visitors 24/7 - Answer common questions (contact info, services, pricing, location) - Capture leads (names, emails, requests) - Strengthen your brand image (a site that “converses” inspires trust)
And if down the line you need advanced features, you can move to Pro or Plus without rebuilding everything.
Want to install an AI chatbot on your site without paying a monthly fee? Start with ChatCraft AI’s free version and configure Groq or OpenRouter in under 10 minutes.
Need help choosing the right AI provider or configuring the bot for your business? Get a free diagnostic: https://izri.online/diagnostic
[Concept visual: A friendly AI chatbot widget appearing on a website, illustrated in an elegant and streamlined way, in Izri.Online’s dark style. The composition should evoke a chat window without text in the image (the title will be added after). Suggested elements: a stylized chat window with minimal dialogue bubbles, a subtle robot or AI spirit icon, and in the background a suggestion of a website or blurred WordPress interface. Palette: dark background #0C0908, gold accents #D4A86A, terracotta touches #C86743. Style: modern, clean, accessible to SMEs/entrepreneurs. No text, no logos in the image. Format 1200×630.]
