Microsoft Bot Framework

• AKA Azure Bot service

• Framework. Code. Libraries. Developer Friendly.

• Write in C#, JavaScript, Node, Python, Java

• Built-in conversation management, dialog management, multi-turn support etc.

• Bot Framework Orchestrator with Skills for complex/reusable components

• Write once, work anywhere (20+ channels including Facebook, Alexa, Teams, Skype, Slack, Twilio etc)

• Works with Cognitive Services (you do the work)

Pricing wise, the bot is free for the first 10k messages, obviously you need to payt for the web app and any other azure resources, but the actual bot comes really cheap.

Bot Framework Composer

• “A Ul for Bot Framework”

• Visual canvas for designing conversation dialogs

• Can use existing Bot Framework dialogs, skills etc.

• Built-in integration to LUIS and language generation

• Bot built with Composer can be exported & extended with code

Why use the bot framework composer ?

You’re a developer and

• You want to work with non-developers to design conversation flow
• You want to quickly POC something
• You don’t want to learn all of Bot Framework straightaway

You’re not a developer, but

• You want to work with developers to build something together
• You want to build a POC that will then get handed over to developers
• You want to reference existing business logic skills

Power Virtual Agents

• Part of Power Platform
• (another) UI for building bots
• Built in natural language processing Al
• Free to add to Microsoft Teams (with restriction)
• Can trigger Power Automate flows
• Pricing: $1000 / month for up to 2,000 sessions
  • Publish to additional channels (not just Teams)
  • Use premium connectors in flows called by bots
  • Integration with Bot Framework*
  • Hand-off to human

So, which one is the best for you ?

Well, as you might expect, there is no one simple response, i’d say, it depends on the costs, in-house skills you have …etc.

You can also mix different technologies.

Many thanks to Tom Morgan