ManyChat pricing in 2026, explained
ManyChat's pricing changed shape in 2026. Instead of a fixed plan with a large contact allowance, you now pay according to how many people are active in your automations in a month. This page explains how that works, what counts, and how to estimate your own bill before you commit.
The model in one paragraph
Every person who interacts with your ManyChat automations during a billing month counts as an active contact. Your plan, and so your price, is set by that count. Quiet months cost less; big months cost more. The free plan, which used to cover 1,000 contacts, now covers 25.
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually (per month) | Active contacts included | Channels | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 25 | Any 2 | 1 |
| Essential | $17 | $14 | 250 | Any 2 | 2 |
| Pro | $39 | $29 | 2,500 | Any 3 | 3 |
| Business | $99 | $69 | 7,500 | Unlimited | 5 |
| Advanced | $199 | $139 | 25,000 | Unlimited | 10 |
Free allows up to 4 active automations and carries ManyChat branding; Essential adds unlimited custom automations and removes the branding. Broadcasts and AI-powered conversations start on Pro, and Business adds a shared team inbox and assignments. Every paid plan charges per active contact beyond those it includes, and Essential and Pro have a 14-day free trial.
What counts as an active contact
- Someone who comments a keyword and receives your DM.
- Someone who replies to a story that triggers an automation.
- Someone who messages a keyword to your inbox and gets an automated answer.
- Each person counts once per month, however many messages they exchange with you.
Estimate your own bill
- Count the people your automations reached last month: commenters messaged, story replies answered, DM keywords triggered.
- Add your expected growth, and assume one post a quarter does three to five times better than usual.
- Find the plan whose active-contact range covers your busy month, not your average month, on ManyChat's pricing page.
- Compare that figure with a tool that does not bill by contacts, at the same volume.
Three scenarios
| Month | People reached | Effect on a contact-billed plan |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet month | 300 | Past Essential's 250, so Pro at $39 or extra contacts on Essential |
| Normal month | 2,000 | Pro at $39 (2,500 included) |
| Viral reel month | 15,000 | Advanced at $199 (25,000 included) |
The viral month is the one that matters. On contact billing, your best content sets your highest bill.
Ways to keep the contact count down
- Trigger on keywords rather than on every comment, so people who only say "nice" do not become contacts.
- Avoid automations on posts you expect to go viral if the conversion is low.
- Clean out old flows that still fire on evergreen posts.
When ManyChat is worth the price
If you use its multi-channel builder, run Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram or SMS alongside Instagram, or depend on integrations, the contact-based price buys real capability. If you automate Instagram only, you are paying for channels you do not use, and the price moves with your reach.
Recommended alternative: Tadlo AI
For Instagram-first creators and businesses, Tadlo AI is our top pick over ManyChat on cost.
Tadlo AI
Our top pick
Best for: Instagram automation that does not bill by reach
Tadlo AI's price does not depend on how many people you reach. The free plan has unlimited DMs and automations for one account, and the Creator plan is ₹249 / $5 a month.
Price: Free forever plan with no card needed. Paid plans start at ₹249 a month in India or $5 a month elsewhere. Every plan, including Free, has unlimited automations and unlimited DMs (no monthly DM quota and no per-contact charge; sends are paced within Instagram's limits).
Strengths
- Unlimited DMs and automations on every plan, including Free, so a viral reel never raises your bill
- Verified follow gate: checks through Instagram's API whether the commenter really follows you before sending the link
- Comment-to-DM on any comment or chosen keywords, story reply automation and DM keyword flows in a visual flow builder
- Email capture, comment-to-product carousels and a link-in-bio page in the same tool
- Connects with Instagram Business Login on the official API, so no Facebook Page is needed
- AI reel analysis and analytics on paid plans
Limitations
- Facebook comment-to-DM and Messenger keyword replies are still being added
- Newer than ManyChat, so the template library and tutorial community are smaller
- The Free plan covers one Instagram account
- The Free plan adds a "via Tadlo" line to DMs and limits lead export to 100 leads
Frequently asked questions
How much does ManyChat cost in 2026?
Free covers 25 active contacts. Essential is $17 a month ($14 billed annually) for 250, Pro $39 ($29) for 2,500, Business $99 ($69) for 7,500 and Advanced $199 ($139) for 25,000, with per-contact charges beyond those.
Does ManyChat include AI?
AI is included from the Pro plan ($39 a month); the Free and Essential plans do not include it.
When did ManyChat change its pricing?
On 2 March 2026, when it moved to contact-based plans and cut the free plan from 1,000 to 25 active contacts.
Is ManyChat's free plan still useful?
For learning the builder, yes. For a live post with real traffic, 25 active contacts runs out quickly.
What is a cheaper alternative to ManyChat?
Tadlo AI is our top pick: free with unlimited DMs, and ₹249 / $5 a month for its paid plan, with no per-contact charge.
Sources
- manychat.com/pricing, checked 16 October 2026,
manychat.com/pricing. - ManyChat pricing breakdown (Featurebase, 2026),
featurebase.app/blog/manychat-review. Date of the change: free plan cut to 25 contacts on 2 March 2026. - tadlo.ai: Tadlo AI plans and features. Plans, follow gate, A/B testing, carousels and analytics checked 16 October 2026.