Best Manychat Alternatives of 2026
Seven AI chat and messaging tools to consider instead of Manychat, ranked on published price, billing model, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger coverage, and fit for teams leaving it.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Tidio is the best Manychat alternative for businesses that need live chat and social DMs in one tool: Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and email next to a website widget, 10 seats on its free plan, and billing on human replies and AI quotas instead of every follower messaged. Crisp is the pick for one flat monthly price, and Chatbase for an AI agent in your DMs.
Our top picks
Why people look for Manychat alternatives
Manychat is the strongest Instagram and TikTok growth automation tool we track. The reasons buyers look elsewhere come from its pricing page and public reviews:
- Per contact billing. Every person messaged in a month counts, and overage runs $0.004 to $0.10 per contact by plan. A viral post can move the bill.
- Pro gates. AI, WhatsApp, SMS, email and broadcasts all need Pro at $39 a month ($29 annual).
- Seats. Inbox seats beyond the plan cost $25 each.
- Annual lock in. Annual plans cannot be downgraded or switched to monthly until the term ends.
- Vendor experience. Manychat scores 2.1 on Trustpilot from 306 reviews, with billing and support complaints.
A direct clone of Manychat's Instagram growth features is rare. Most alternatives here are stronger on support, AI or pricing model, and weaker on comment and follow triggers. If growth automation is your core use, read the Manychat review and Manychat pricing before switching.
How to choose
- Store with a website and social DMs: Tidio.
- Want a flat bill: Crisp.
- DMs are real questions that need AI answers: Chatbase or Intercom Fin.
- Agency building custom flows: Botpress.
- CRM is HubSpot: HubSpot Customer Agent.
- Shopify support team: Gorgias.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $29 per month
- Pricing model
- per conversation
- Price per resolution
- Not per resolution: $0.70 to $0.78 per Lyro conversation on monthly tiers
- Channels
- Website chat widget plus channels connected to Tidio; Lyro Connect for Zendesk, Intercom, Salesforce
Tidio covers Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and email next to a website chat widget and helpdesk, with 10 seats on its free plan against Manychat Free's 1 user. Billing counts only conversations a human replies to, plus Lyro AI quotas from $39 for 50, not every follower you message. It holds 4.8 on the Shopify App Store from 1,357 reviews.
Pros
- Free plan and a 7 day trial with no credit card
- Lyro learns from your site and FAQs; setup described as minutes
- 4.8 on the Shopify App Store from 1,357 reviews and 4.6 on G2 from 1,968
- Lyro can also plug into Zendesk, Intercom or Salesforce
Cons
- Billed per Lyro conversation, not per resolution, so failed answers still count
- Prices scale with conversation tiers on two meters, human and AI
- Premium's resolution guarantee is quote only
- Language count is not published on the Lyro page
Skip it if instagram growth automations (comment to DM, follow to DM, story replies) are your main use; Manychat is built for that.
- Starting price
- $45 per month
- Pricing model
- flat per workspace
- Price per resolution
- None; bundled credits, Crisp estimates $0.05 to $0.10 per AI handled conversation
- Channels
- Web chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, Line, Viber
Crisp charges one price per workspace with unlimited conversations: Essentials at $95 a month includes 10 seats, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, SMS, Messenger and a workflow builder, with $25 of AI credits. There is no per contact meter, so a viral post does not change the bill.
Pros
- Flat workspace price with 4 to 20 seats included
- Free plan and 14 day trial with no card
- AI credits bundled; Crisp estimates $0.05 to $0.10 per AI conversation
- Choice of OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral or Crisp hosted models, with EU processing options
- 4.5 on G2 from 205 reviews
Cons
- Credit to conversation ratio is an estimate, not a contract rate
- Tool connected AI agent, ticketing and 100+ integrations only on the $295 Plus plan
- Trustpilot score is 2.0 from 55 reviews, 70% one star, citing support delays and account suspensions
- Hugo stops answering when credits run out unless pay as you go is on
Skip it if vendor reliability matters most; Crisp scores 2.0 on Trustpilot from 55 reviews.
- Starting price
- $40 per month
- Pricing model
- per credit
- Price per resolution
- Not published; billed by message credits ($40 per 1,000 extra)
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Slack, Meta apps, email, voice
Chatbase builds an AI agent from your docs and site and deploys it to WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Slack, email and voice, with your choice of model at 1 to 5 credits per request. Hobby is $40 a month for 700 credits ($32 yearly). It suits brands whose DMs need real answers, not just link delivery.
Pros
- Train on docs and sites without code
- Multiple model choices, per its site
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA listed; does not train on customer data
- 4.8 on G2 from 46 reviews
Cons
- Credit use varies from 1 to 5 per request by model and multiplies when actions run
- One agent per plan, $300 per year for each extra
- Removing Chatbase branding costs $1,188 per year
- Voice and the helpdesk inbox are not on Hobby
Skip it if you need comment triggers and follower growth automations; Chatbase is a support agent, not a growth tool.
- Starting price
- $150 per month billed annually
- Pricing model
- per conversation
- Free tier
- 100 conversations a month, 3 agents, 3 seats
- Paid from
- $150 per month billed annually (Plus)
Botpress gives agencies a visual builder plus code for multi step agents across channels, with a free plan covering 100 conversations a month and 3 agents. Plus is $150 a month billed annually for 250 conversations and $25 of AI spend. It holds 4.5 on G2 from 514 reviews.
Pros
- Free tier with 100 conversations
- Unlimited agents on paid plans
- Per conversation rate drops to $0.50 on Team
- 4.5 on G2 from 514 reviews
Cons
- Paid plans shown only with annual billing
- Conversation packs auto add at 95% of quota and cannot be disabled
- You build and maintain the support logic
- Voice channel only on Enterprise
Skip it if you want ready made Instagram templates; Botpress takes more building.
- Starting price
- $0.99 per outcome
- Pricing model
- per resolution
- Price per resolution
- $0.99 per outcome
- Channels
- Chat, email, WhatsApp, SMS, Slack, Instagram, Facebook Messenger; voice at $1.99 per outcome
Fin answers on chat, email, WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and Messenger and bills $0.99 only for outcomes, with requests for a human free. For brands whose DMs are support questions rather than lead capture, that is a better fit than paying per contact.
Pros
- Billed per outcome at $0.99, and requests for a human are not charged
- Runs standalone on Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshworks, Front, Zoho, Gorgias and others with no seat fees
- 14 day trial with unlimited outcomes and no credit card
- Largest review base in this list: 4.5 on G2 from 3,925 reviews
Cons
- Assumed resolutions count: a customer who leaves without replying after Fin answers is billed
- Monthly seat prices are $10 to $14 higher than annual
- Voice costs double at $1.99 per outcome and is sold through sales
- Qualification outcomes cost $9.99 each
Skip it if your DMs are marketing funnels; Fin is a support agent with Intercom seats from $29.
- Starting price
- $100 per seat per month
- Pricing model
- per seat plus per resolution
- Price per resolution
- $0.50 (50 HubSpot credits); voice $0.50 per minute
- Channels
- Chat, email, forms, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, inbound voice
HubSpot's Customer Agent answers on chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger and voice at $0.50 per resolution and logs everything to the CRM. Manychat users who already sync leads into HubSpot can move the conversation itself there.
Pros
- $0.50 per resolution is among the lowest published rates in the category
- Reads CRM records, past conversations and files, so answers use customer context
- Covers chat, email, forms, WhatsApp, Messenger and inbound voice in all HubSpot languages
- Third party AI providers are contractually barred from training on your data; SOC 2 Type 2
Cons
- Needs Service Hub Professional or Enterprise, not available on Starter
- $1,500 to $3,500 one time onboarding fee
- Credits are shared with other HubSpot AI features and do not roll over
- Pricing page and product catalog show different seat figures, so confirm your quote
Skip it if you are a solo creator; Service Hub Professional is $100 per seat plus onboarding.
- Starting price
- $10 per month
- Pricing model
- per ticket plus per automated interaction
- Price per resolution
- $0.85 to $1.00 per automated interaction, plus a helpdesk ticket
- Channels
- Email, chat, SMS, Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp; voice as an add on
Gorgias brings Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp messages into a Shopify aware helpdesk, and its AI Agent can cancel orders, process returns and recommend products. It bills by ticket with 500 seats from Basic up.
Pros
- AI Agent takes real order actions (cancel, return, address change) on Basic and up
- Priced by ticket, not by seat: Basic and up include 500 seats
- One AI Agent covers support and pre sale shopping assistant work, with product recommendations and discount codes
- SOC 2 Type II since 2020, HIPAA report available, and no training of third party LLMs on your data
Cons
- A resolved ticket is billed twice, once as a ticket and once as an automated interaction
- Starter has no AI actions, no BigCommerce and only 3 seats
- Requires a connected Shopify store for AI Agent setup
- Trustpilot score is 2.0 from 153 reviews, with complaints about support and billing
Skip it if you are not a Shopify store or you mainly need growth automations.
Price comparison at a glance
| Product | Billing model | Entry price | Social channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manychat | Plan plus per Active Contact | Free, Essential $17 | Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram; WhatsApp from Pro |
| Tidio | Human conversations plus Lyro quotas | Free, Starter $29 | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp |
| Crisp | Flat per workspace | Free, Mini $45 | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS from Essentials |
| Chatbase | Message credits | Hobby $40 | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram |
| Botpress | Conversations plus AI spend | Free, Plus $150 annual | Multiple channels |
| Intercom Fin | $0.99 per outcome | Seats from $29 | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger |
| HubSpot Customer Agent | $0.50 per resolution | Service Hub Professional $100 per seat | WhatsApp, Messenger |
| Gorgias | Per ticket plus AI interactions | $10 Starter | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp |
A worked comparison for a brand messaging 10,000 people a month, 1,500 of whom ask real questions. Manychat Business monthly: $99 plus 2,500 extra contacts at $0.025, $161.50. Crisp Essentials: $95 flat. Tidio Growth 1,500 plus Lyro 1,000: $249 plus $700, $949, because Tidio meters every conversation a human or Lyro answers. Chatbase Standard at $150 covers about 1,000 to 4,000 replies depending on the model. Manychat and Crisp win on broadcast scale; Tidio costs more but gives you a full helpdesk. All tracked prices are on the AI Price Index.
Who should stay on Manychat
Stay if Instagram or TikTok is your main sales channel and comment to DM, follow to DM, story replies and ad to DM flows drive your leads. No tool here matches that set. Use Manychat's overage cap and compare your overage with the next plan up each month.
How we picked
We started from Manychat's published plans and the reasons users leave, then ranked the chat and messaging tools in our database on four questions: does it cover Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, is the price published and predictable, does it include AI that answers real questions, and how strong are verified ratings. Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page, checked in October 2026. Nobody paid for placement. See how we score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Manychat?
For a store that needs live chat and social DMs in one place, Tidio. For a flat monthly price with WhatsApp and Instagram, Crisp. For an AI agent that answers real questions in DMs, Chatbase. None of them match Manychat's Instagram growth automations one for one.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Manychat?
It depends on audience size. Manychat Free covers 25 contacts and Essential is $17 for 250. For large engaged audiences, Crisp's flat $95 workspace price or Tidio's per human conversation billing can cost less than Manychat's per contact overage.
Why do people leave Manychat?
The most common complaints are billing that rises with followers under the Active Contact model, AI and WhatsApp locked to Pro, and support. Manychat scores 2.1 on Trustpilot from 306 reviews, though its App Store rating is 4.3 from 2,144.
What is the best Manychat alternative for WhatsApp?
Crisp for a flat priced shared inbox with WhatsApp Business, Chatbase for an AI agent on WhatsApp, and HubSpot if you want WhatsApp tied to your CRM.
Is Tidio better than Manychat?
For customer support and website chat, yes. For Instagram growth automations such as comment to DM and follow to DM, Manychat is better.
Can I use AI in DMs without Manychat Pro?
Yes. Chatbase deploys AI to Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp from $40 a month, Tidio's Lyro starts at $39 for 50 conversations, and Crisp includes AI credits from its $45 Mini plan.