ManyChat vs Chatfuel (2026): pricing, AI and which to pick
ManyChat vs Chatfuel, checked October 2026: Chatfuel is $20 a month with AI, ManyChat $39 for 2,500 contacts. Channels, WhatsApp, AI and which to pick.
ManyChat vs Chatfuel comes down to where you sell and how you’d rather pay. ManyChat suits Instagram automation with visual flows, plus SMS, email and Telegram, and you pay by the number of people you talk to. Chatfuel suits businesses that sell mainly on WhatsApp and want an AI agent on a flat $20 plan, paying more as AI use and paid WhatsApp messages grow.
If you want Instagram automation and an AI agent that knows your store, without paying per contact, meetalto.ai is the third option. It’s what we build, so it has its own section after the head-to-head. We checked every price and feature below on ManyChat’s and Chatfuel’s own pages on 24 October 2026.
ManyChat vs Chatfuel at a glance
| ManyChat | Chatfuel |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Instagram automation with visual flows | AI conversations and campaigns on WhatsApp |
Free plan | 25 active contacts a month, no AI | None; a 7-day trial |
Cheapest plan with AI | Pro: $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) for 2,500 contacts | Business: $20 a month ($18 billed yearly) |
The bill grows with | Active contacts | AI usage, paid from a wallet |
AI | From Pro; AI replies work on Instagram only, in beta | An AI Agent on every plan |
Channels | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and email | Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and website chat |
Team | 3 users on Pro, 2 with Inbox seats | Unlimited teammates |
Shopify | No native integration | Not in its docs |
Free trial | 14 days on Essential and Pro | 7 days |
Pricing: ManyChat vs Chatfuel
ManyChat charges by active contacts, the people who interact with your account in a month. Its plans for accounts created since 2 March 2026:
ManyChat plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Active contacts | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free | $0 | $0 | 25 | No |
Essential | $17 | $14 a month | 250 | No |
Pro | $39 | $29 a month | 2,500 | Yes |
Business | $99 | $69 a month | 7,500 | Yes |
Advanced | $199 | $139 a month | 25,000 | Yes |
Past a plan’s limit, ManyChat charges for each extra contact, from 10¢ on Essential down to 0.4¢ on Advanced, on monthly billing.
Chatfuel charges a flat plan with unlimited contacts: Business at $20 a month ($18 billed yearly) with $20 of AI credits, and agency tiers from $100 a month. AI use beyond the credits, and Meta’s fees for paid WhatsApp messages, come out of a prepaid wallet. Our Chatfuel pricing guide covers every tier.
What that means with AI included, on monthly billing:
Active contacts a month | ManyChat | Chatfuel | meetalto.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
1,000 | $39 (Pro) | $20, plus AI beyond $20 of credits | $49 (Pro, 3,000 AI Credits) |
2,500 | $39 (Pro) | $20, plus AI beyond $20 of credits | $49 (Pro, 3,000 AI Credits) |
5,000 | $99 (Business) | $20, plus AI beyond $20 of credits | $49 (Pro, 3,000 AI Credits) |
10,000 | $161.50 (Business and overage) | $20, plus AI beyond $20 of credits | $49 (Pro, 3,000 AI Credits) |
25,000 | $199 (Advanced) | $20, plus AI beyond $20 of credits | $49 (Pro, 3,000 AI Credits) |
More AI costs extra on both Chatfuel and meetalto.ai: a wallet top-up on Chatfuel, or a larger meetalto.ai Pro plan ($99 for 6,500 AI Credits). ManyChat publishes no AI usage cap.
Which is cheaper?
Chatfuel’s plan price is lower at every size, but its wallet moves with your AI use, so a busy month costs more. ManyChat’s price climbs with your audience instead.
Without AI, ManyChat’s $17 Essential plan is the cheapest paid plan of the two, up to 250 contacts. Our ManyChat pricing calculator works out ManyChat’s price for any number of contacts.
Instagram: ManyChat goes deeper
ManyChat is built around Instagram. It runs Comment to DM, story replies and keyword campaigns, with a visual flow builder and templates. Its AI replies, AI comments and AI goals are “currently available only for the Instagram channel,” and ManyChat says its AI “is currently in beta.”
Chatfuel replies to post and Reels comments automatically, and its AI Agent handles conversations in Instagram DMs.
WhatsApp and Messenger: Chatfuel costs less
Chatfuel leans into WhatsApp. Its $20 plan includes bulk WhatsApp campaigns, booking meetings in WhatsApp automatically, syncing WhatsApp with your CRM and sending WhatsApp conversions to the Meta Pixel.
ManyChat supports WhatsApp from Pro, including WhatsApp broadcasts, alongside SMS and email. Free and Essential connect two channels, Pro three, and Business and Advanced all of them.
Both run Facebook Messenger. Chatfuel’s AI Agent replies there on the $20 plan; on ManyChat, Messenger flows can use the AI Step from Pro.
AI: Chatfuel includes it on every plan
- ManyChat: AI comes with Pro and up for accounts created since March 2026: AI replies, AI comments, AI goals, knowledge, the AI Step and intent recognition. The reply features work on Instagram only, in beta; the AI Step, used inside flows, runs on Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok and Telegram. ManyChat publishes no AI usage cap. Older accounts on the previous plans buy AI as an add-on.
- Chatfuel: an AI Agent on every plan, with $20 of AI credits a month on Business. Beyond that, you pay from a wallet, at a per-reply price Chatfuel doesn’t publish. Past the fair-use limit, “your bot pauses” until the limit resets, unless you renew or connect your own OpenAI key.
Team and inbox: Chatfuel has unlimited seats
ManyChat counts users and Inbox seats separately. Pro includes 3 users, 2 of them with Inbox seats, and a third seat costs $25. Business has 5 users and 3 seats, Advanced 10 users and 5 seats, and Free has one user.
Chatfuel includes unlimited teammates on every plan.
Integrations: neither connects Shopify natively
Both have mobile apps.
- ManyChat has a native Klaviyo integration. It has no native Shopify integration: stores connect through Zapier, on paid plans, or Make.
- Chatfuel books meetings through its own calendar with Google Calendar sync, and its new MCP server lets you run bots from Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor. Its docs don’t mention Shopify, and its old Shopify page now redirects to the homepage. Zapier is unclear: the pricing FAQ lists it, but the help docs say “Chatfuel does not support Zapier integration.”
Limits worth knowing
- TikTok: ManyChat works with TikTok business accounts only. “Users located in the EU and UK are currently unable to connect their TikTok accounts,” it says. Chatfuel can’t connect TikTok accounts registered in the United States, and its docs say TikTok doesn’t allow DMs triggered by comments.
- Free plans: ManyChat’s free plan covers 25 active contacts a month and shows “Powered by Manychat.” Chatfuel has no free plan.
Four things many comparisons get wrong
Some of what you’ll read about these two, including in Google’s AI answers, is out of date:
- “ManyChat has a native, deep Shopify integration.” It doesn’t. Shopify isn’t among the integrations in ManyChat’s help centre, and its old Shopify app listing is gone. Stores connect through Zapier or Make.
- “ManyChat’s AI is a $29 add-on.” For accounts created since 2 March 2026, AI is included in Pro and up. Only accounts on ManyChat’s older plans buy AI as an add-on, and ManyChat’s current pages don’t state its price.
- “Chatfuel costs $69” or “has a free plan.” Both were true earlier this year. Chatfuel changed its pricing three times in 2026; since October, Business is $20 a month. Our Chatfuel pricing guide shows each change.
- “ManyChat is cheaper.” Not with AI: ManyChat Pro is $39 for 2,500 contacts, and Chatfuel Business is $20 with $20 of AI credits.
The third option: meetalto.ai
ManyChat’s price rises with your audience; Chatfuel’s rises with your AI use. meetalto.ai Pro has no contact limit: $49 a month covers unlimited contacts and 3,000 AI Credits, and larger plans, from $99, add AI Credits rather than contacts.
| ManyChat Pro | Chatfuel Business | meetalto.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
Free plan | 25 contacts, no AI | None | 1,000 active contacts a month, no AI |
Price | $39 a month for 2,500 contacts | $20 a month, plus AI usage | Pro from $49 a month, unlimited contacts |
AI included | Yes; replies on Instagram only, in beta | $20 of credits a month | 3,000 AI Credits |
AI on | Replies on Instagram; the AI Step in flows on 5 channels | Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and website chat | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp |
Channels | 3 of 7 on Pro (all 7 from Business, $99) | 5, including website chat | 5, including YouTube |
Team | 3 users, 2 Inbox seats | Unlimited | Unlimited on Pro |
Shopify | Through Zapier or Make | Not in its docs | Built into the AI agent |
On price, meetalto.ai costs less than ManyChat from about 2,700 contacts a month: $49 against $99 at 5,000, and $49 against $199 at 25,000. Chatfuel’s $20 is the lower sticker price. meetalto.ai has a free plan to start on, and for $29 more, Pro adds YouTube comments, Shopify and an agent that acts as well as replies:
- Conversations: the AI DM Agent reads voice notes and photos, remembers each customer’s history and replies in your brand’s voice.
- Store knowledge: it answers from your files, web pages and Shopify catalog and policies, checks orders and tracking, and shares approved discounts.
- Actions: it books calls through Calendly or Cal.com, saves emails and phone numbers to Klaviyo, Kit, Beehiiv or Flodesk, and hands the chat to a person, with a Slack alert, when it should.
- Learning: it turns your edits into reply guidelines and flags the questions it can’t answer yet.
- Sales: when a customer buys on Shopify through a link the agent sent, the order shows on that contact (revenue attribution).
The same Comment to DM, Story to DM and keyword campaigns you’d build in ManyChat are all here, and Comment to DM and Story to DM come with the Free plan. If you’re moving from ManyChat or Chatfuel, ask Alto AI in the app, and our team rebuilds your automations, keywords and lead magnets for free.
Which should you choose?
Choose ManyChat if:
- you need SMS, email or Telegram alongside your DMs;
- you like building visual flows from templates;
- your audience stays under about 2,500 contacts a month.
Choose Chatfuel if:
- WhatsApp is your main channel and you want bulk WhatsApp campaigns;
- you run an agency with several client bots;
- your AI use is light enough to stay near the included credits.
Choose meetalto.ai if:
- you want a free plan that covers 1,000 contacts a month;
- your audience is growing past a few thousand contacts a month;
- you want an AI agent that knows your Shopify store and books calls on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp;
- you want YouTube comments handled too.
Start on meetalto.ai’s Free plan, with 1,000 active contacts a month, or ask Alto AI to move your ManyChat or Chatfuel setup over for free. For more options, see our ManyChat alternatives.
FAQ
Which is better, ManyChat or Chatfuel? ManyChat for Instagram automation and the widest set of channels; Chatfuel for AI conversations on WhatsApp at a flat price. If you want AI and Instagram automation together without paying per contact, look at meetalto.ai.
Which is cheaper, ManyChat or Chatfuel? With AI, Chatfuel’s $20 plan is cheaper than ManyChat Pro’s $39, and ManyChat’s price rises with your audience. Chatfuel’s AI usage beyond the included credits is extra.
How much does ManyChat cost a month? From $17 (Essential, 250 contacts, no AI) to $199 (Advanced, 25,000 contacts) on monthly billing. Pro, the first plan with AI, is $39 for 2,500 contacts, and the Free plan covers 25 active contacts.
How much does Chatfuel cost? $20 a month for Business, or $18 billed yearly, plus any AI use beyond $20 of credits. Agency tiers run from $100 to $2,050 a month; our Chatfuel pricing guide lists them all.
Does ManyChat or Chatfuel have a free plan? ManyChat does, for 25 active contacts a month without AI. Chatfuel doesn’t; it has a 7-day trial. meetalto.ai’s Free plan covers 1,000 active contacts a month.
Which has better AI, ManyChat or Chatfuel? Chatfuel puts its AI Agent on every plan and channel it supports. ManyChat’s AI starts at Pro, and its AI replies work on Instagram only, in beta, though its AI Step works inside flows on five channels. meetalto.ai’s AI DM Agent works on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp, and can check Shopify orders and book calls.
Which is better for Instagram? ManyChat, of the two: Instagram is where its flows, templates and AI features are focused. meetalto.ai runs the same Comment to DM and Story to DM campaigns and adds an AI agent across four channels.
Which is better for WhatsApp? Chatfuel, on price: bulk campaigns, booking and CRM sync on WhatsApp come in its $20 plan. ManyChat has WhatsApp broadcasts too, from Pro at $39.
Does ManyChat work with Facebook? Yes. ManyChat runs on Facebook Messenger as well as Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and email.
Is ManyChat safe to use? ManyChat’s help centre says it’s “an official Meta Business Partner”, and it connects to your accounts through Meta. Chatfuel also shows Meta Business Partner status on its site.
Is there a better alternative to ManyChat and Chatfuel? For no contact limit and an AI agent across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp, try meetalto.ai: Pro is $49 a month with unlimited contacts and 3,000 AI Credits. Its Free plan covers 1,000 active contacts a month. More options are in our ManyChat alternatives roundup.
Can I switch from ManyChat or Chatfuel? Yes. You reconnect your Meta accounts in the new tool; flows don’t import automatically, so they’re rebuilt. meetalto.ai rebuilds them for you for free.
How we compared
ManyChat’s prices and features come from its help centre, including its Pro plan, free plan and AI articles. Chatfuel’s come from chatfuel.com/pricing, its plans and pricing docs and its limits page. All were read on 24 October 2026. We build meetalto.ai, so weigh its section with that in mind.
