Skolbot vs Gecko: which student engagement chatbot for your school?

Gecko is a student engagement platform for universities: a website chatbot, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, its own CRM, events and calling. Its published references are mostly in the UK and the US. Skolbot is built only for higher-education recruitment. The comparison covers the needs of a French-speaking school, the CRM and the scope of deployment.

Comparison written by Skolbot from each vendor's public pages, checked between Aug 13, 2026 and Nov 9, 2026.

The essentials

Updated on

Who it is for
Skolbot Higher-education schools that recruit studentsGecko Universities that want one platform for their chatbot, CRM, events and calling
What Skolbot does
Four agents on three channels (website, WhatsApp, Instagram) answer applicants day and night, from the school's knowledge base.
The result
Every applicant who leaves contact details reaches your CRM with study level, programme, campus, a score and a call brief.
Conditions
Our team sets it up in two weeks, once your content and access are in place. Price on quote. Data hosted in the EU. Gecko pricing: On request.

A concrete case

Fictitious example. A candidate writes at 10 pm. They ask whether the bachelor's includes an internship, give their study level and want a call back.

On the Gecko side, from its public pages

  1. 10 pm, the question comes in

    Skolbot

    The website agent answers at once, from your knowledge base.

    Gecko

    Documented

    Answers even outside office hours

  2. They give their study level

    Skolbot

    The agent records study level, programme and campus, then grades the lead.

    Gecko

    Conditional or unspecified

    Hands over to the right department with context and history; no score described

  3. They ask for a call back

    Skolbot

    The lead reaches your CRM with a score and a call brief.

    Gecko

    Documented

    Gecko's own CRM, or two-way sync with Slate, Salesforce and Ellucian

  4. They go quiet

    Skolbot

    WhatsApp Activate can re-engage their cohort towards an open day or a meeting.

    Gecko

    Documented

    Answers enquiries on WhatsApp; outbound follow-up not stated on this page

The result in your CRM

What your team receives when a candidate leaves their details.

Skolbot · Record in the CRMFictitious example
Level
Two years of higher education
Programme
Marketing bachelor's
Lead
Hot

Call brief: call back about the internship.

Study level, programme, campus, score and call brief in the CRM

On the Gecko side, from its public pages

CRM handoff or sync

Documented

Gecko's own CRM, or two-way sync with Slate, Salesforce and Ellucian

Criterion by criterion

Each cell links to its source, with the date it was checked. “Not stated”: absent from the official pages reviewed, which does not prove the feature is missing.

Key

  • Documented: stated on the vendor's official pages
  • Conditional or unspecified: depends on the plan, or no detail given
  • Not stated: not found on the pages reviewed, which does not mean missing
Skolbot vs Gecko: which student engagement chatbot for your school?
CriterionSkolbotGecko
Set up by the vendor's teamChecked on Documented. Our team builds the knowledge base, connects the CRM and configures the agentsDocumented. Gecko sets the chatbot up with your content and preferred tone
CRM handoff or syncChecked on Documented. HubSpot, Salesforce, OSCAR Campus, Slate, Zoho, Odoo; others by API or webhookDocumented. Gecko's own CRM, or two-way sync with Slate, Salesforce and Ellucian
WhatsApp channelChecked on Documented. Answers inbound messages (Capture) and re-engages CRM cohorts (Activate)Documented. Answers enquiries on WhatsApp; outbound follow-up not stated on this page
Lead qualificationChecked on Documented. Study level, programme, campus; hot, warm or cold leadConditional or unspecifiedHands over to the right department with context and history; no score described
The other criteria5 criteria
Skolbot vs Gecko: which student engagement chatbot for your school? · The other criteria
CriterionSkolbotGecko
Dedicated higher-education offerChecked on Documented. Built for student recruitment in higher educationDocumented. Built for admissions offices; answers applicant questions
Multilingual (6+ languages)Checked on Documented. Answers in the candidate's languageDocumented. 50+ languages, including French, Spanish, German and Arabic
EU data residencyChecked on Documented. Data hosted in the EU, DPA signed with each schoolConditional or unspecifiedHosting location not named; transfers outside the UK or EEA possible
After-hours responsesChecked on Documented. Answers day and night, from the knowledge baseDocumented. Answers even outside office hours
Instagram channelChecked on Documented. Answers Instagram direct messages, day and nightDocumented. Answers enquiries on Instagram and Facebook Messenger

What changes for your school

  1. What a French-speaking school needs

    Gecko states 50+ languages, French included, and Skolbot answers in the applicant's language: both answer in French. Gecko's published references are English-speaking universities. Skolbot is built only for higher-education recruitment, hosts data in the EU and signs a DPA with each school.

  2. A new CRM or your current one

    Gecko offers its own CRM, with contacts, conversations, events and calling, or two-way sync with Slate, Salesforce and Ellucian. Skolbot connects to HubSpot, Salesforce, OSCAR Campus, Slate, Zoho and Odoo, or to another CRM by API or webhook. When an applicant leaves their details and gives consent, their record arrives with level, programme, campus, a hot, warm or cold score and a call brief.

  3. The scope of deployment

    Gecko deploys a full engagement platform and supports the setup: chatbot configuration, connection to your systems, training. Skolbot deploys four agents on three channels. Our team builds the knowledge base from your sources, has you settle contradictions, connects your CRM and configures the agents, including WhatsApp Activate, which follows up a cohort from your CRM toward one action.

The verdict

Gecko fits a university that wants one platform for its chatbot, CRM, events and calling. For a French-speaking school that wants to capture and follow up applicants on its website, WhatsApp and Instagram, with the setup handled, its current CRM and data hosted in the EU under a DPA, Skolbot is the one to choose.

When to choose Skolbot

You recruit students and want the setup handled for you: our team builds the knowledge base from your sources, connects your CRM and configures the agents. Your team provides access, settles contradictions and approves before go-live. Four agents answer on three channels: the website, WhatsApp and Instagram. When an applicant leaves their details and gives consent, their record reaches your CRM with the information collected and a score based on your qualification rules.

When to choose Gecko

You want one platform that combines chatbot, CRM, events and calling, or you already work with Slate, Salesforce or Ellucian.

Comparing Skolbot and Gecko?

See Skolbot in action on your site

Book a demoRead the case studies

Cost and the work left to the school

Skolbot

Price

On quote

Setup

Our team builds the knowledge base, connects the CRM and configures the agents, in two weeks.

Your team provides the sources and access, then tests and approves before go-live.

Gecko

Price

See official pricing

Setup

Vendor setup support documented on its public pages.

Gecko sets the chatbot up with your content and preferred tone

Source ·

Before you decide

What Gecko does well

  • Answers on the website, by SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram
  • 50+ languages, French included
  • Gecko's own CRM (contacts, conversations, events, calling) or two-way sync with Slate, Salesforce and Ellucian
  • Supported setup: Gecko sets the chatbot up with your content and tone, connects your systems and trains your teams
  • Answers day and night and hands over to the right department with context and history
  • Published references: University of East London, Queen's University Belfast, Ulster University, El Camino College

Points for a school to verify

  • Pricing not published: custom quote required
  • Hosting location not stated; the privacy policy allows transfers outside the UK or the EEA
  • No lead score described on the pages reviewed
  • No French or continental-European institution among the published references

What your demo should prove

  1. 1Can the agent answer a real programme question without imposing a form?
  2. 2Which fields, triggers and updates does the integration support in your CRM?
  3. 3How are consent, opt-outs and human handover handled?
  4. 4Which channels, languages, fees and limits are included in your setup?

Frequently asked questions

Gecko or Skolbot: which one should you choose?

For a French-speaking school that wants to capture and follow up applicants on its website, WhatsApp and Instagram while keeping its current CRM, Skolbot is the one to choose, because it is built only for recruitment and our team handles the setup. For a university that wants one platform for its chatbot, CRM, events and calling, Gecko covers that scope.

Does Gecko answer in French?

Yes. Gecko states 50+ languages, French included. Skolbot also answers in the applicant's language. For a French-speaking school that also wants data hosted in the EU under a DPA and a direct link to HubSpot, Salesforce, OSCAR Campus, Slate, Zoho or Odoo, Skolbot is the one to choose.

Does Gecko answer on WhatsApp or Instagram?

Yes. Gecko answers enquiries on the website, by SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. For a school that also wants to follow up applicants on WhatsApp, Skolbot has three dedicated agents: WhatsApp Capture for applicants who write, voice notes included, WhatsApp Activate to follow up a cohort from your CRM toward one action, and Instagram Answer for direct messages.

Who sets up Gecko and Skolbot?

Both vendors support the setup. Gecko sets the chatbot up with your content and tone, connects your systems and trains your teams. At Skolbot, our team builds the knowledge base from your sources, shows you the contradictions so you decide, connects your CRM and configures the agents. Your team provides the sources and access, then tests and approves before go-live.

How much do Gecko and Skolbot cost?

Gecko does not publish its pricing: a custom quote is required. Skolbot is on quote, depending on the size of the school and the package. To compare, ask each for a written quote with the channels, volumes and setup included.

Where is the data hosted, with Gecko and with Skolbot?

Gecko's reviewed pages do not state the hosting location, and its privacy policy allows transfers outside the UK or the EEA. For a school that wants to keep applicant data in the EU, Skolbot is the one to choose: it hosts data in the EU, does not train on conversations and signs a DPA with each school.

Method and sources

Comparison published by the Skolbot team, an interested party. Revised on Nov 9, 2026.

We read the official public pages of Gecko. We did not test its product.

A feature that is “Not stated” is not a missing feature. Check the “Conditional” and “Not stated” cells in a demo.

See the 5 sources

One night, played twice.

Read the transcript

At 11:47 pm, Léa, seventeen, is looking for a school. An advert takes her to a website, but a fifteen-field form stops her. Six hours pass: she is not in any CRM. The same night starts again with Skolbot. At 1:12 am, she asks about co-op options and gets an immediate answer. She leaves her first name and number. In the morning, her record and a summary of the conversation are waiting in the CRM. Today, Léa starts her program.