Manychat and Chatfuel are both marketing bots for Meta's channels, used to answer and sell in Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp messages. Manychat is built around scripted DM and comment automation, with Instagram and TikTok at the centre. Chatfuel positions itself as an AI sales agent for WhatsApp and Instagram and also offers a website widget.
The deciding difference is how you pay and how predictable that is. Manychat charges by the number of contacts you reach each month and publishes the price of each extra contact. Chatfuel sells a prepaid wallet of dollar credits, does not publish what one AI reply costs, and stops replying when the wallet is empty. Because one meter counts people and the other counts spend, the plan prices are not directly comparable.
Bottom line
- Manychat is the safer pick for predictable, scripted social DM automation, while Chatfuel suits teams that want an AI sales agent on WhatsApp and Instagram and can live with a prepaid wallet whose cost per reply is not published.
Side by side
| Manychat | Chatfuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.9 | 6.3 |
| Type of tool | Messaging-marketing bot | AI agent for support |
| Pricing model | By number of contacts | Credits |
| Paid plans from | US$17 per month | US$20 per month |
| What the bill grows with | contacts | credits |
| Free plan | Yes | Partly |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Visual flow builder | Yes | Partly |
| Extensible with code | Partly | Partly |
| Choose or bring your own AI model | Partly | Not documented |
| Bot export | Not documented | Not documented |
| Self-hosting | No | No |
| Built-in inbox for human handoff | Yes | Yes |
| Channels | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, Email | Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok |
| Languages | Not documented | 15+ languages |
| EU data hosting | Yes | No |
| Compliance | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 42001, GDPR DPA, EU-US DPF, PCI DSS SAQ A | GDPR DPA + SCCs, HIPAA BAA on request |
| Vendor's headline claim | — | — |
| Figure | — | — |
| Best for | Creators and social-first shops that sell through Instagram, TikTok or Messenger DMs | Agencies and small sales teams that want an AI agent answering leads on WhatsApp and Instagram |
Choose Manychat if
- You sell through Instagram or TikTok DMs and comments and want scripted flows rather than an AI agent.
- You want a free plan to start, with 25 contacts and 4 automations.
- You want a published overage price, from US$0.10 per extra contact on Essential.
- You need data hosted in the EU, which Manychat documents and Chatfuel does not offer.
Choose Chatfuel if
- You want an AI agent that answers leads on WhatsApp and Instagram rather than a scripted flow.
- You also want a chat widget on your own website, which Chatfuel lists and Manychat does not.
- You run an agency and need several bots: Chatfuel's Agency plan includes 3 bots.
- You are comfortable with a prepaid wallet and can watch the balance so the bot does not stop.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Manychat | Chatfuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing clarity | 25% | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Access: free plan and time to a first bot | 15% | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Builder depth and control | 20% | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Reach and human handoff | 20% | 2/5 | 4/5 |
| Data, compliance and evidence | 20% | 3/5 | 3/5 |
What it costs at three volumes
| Product | What the bill grows with | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manychat | contacts | US$17 (Essential) | US$39 (Pro) | US$99 (Business) |
| Chatfuel | credits | Not modelled | Not modelled | Not modelled |
Frequently asked questions
Is Manychat or Chatfuel cheaper?
Chatfuel's Business plan is listed at US$20 a month (a promotional price the page showed until 30 September 2026), against a list price of US$69; Manychat Essential is US$17 a month. They meter different things: Manychat counts contacts, while Chatfuel draws AI replies from a wallet at an unpublished rate. Your real cost depends on your volume, so check the Manychat pricing and Chatfuel pricing pages.
Does Manychat work on a website?
No. Manychat lists Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS and email, but not a website chat widget. Chatfuel does list a web channel. For website bots, see our best chatbot builders list.
What happens when the Chatfuel wallet runs out?
When a Chatfuel wallet reaches zero, the bot stops replying until you add money. Chatfuel does not publish what one AI reply costs, so plan a buffer and watch the balance during campaigns.
Do Manychat and Chatfuel charge for WhatsApp messages?
Meta charges its own per-message fees for WhatsApp on both Manychat and Chatfuel, on top of the plan price. Manychat publishes example Meta rates by country on its WhatsApp pricing page. Our guide to WhatsApp chatbot rules explains Meta's message categories and the 24-hour messaging window.
Related pages
- Manychat reviewreview
- Manychat pricing explainedpricing
- Chatfuel reviewreview
- Chatfuel pricing explainedpricing
Sources
- Manychat pricing — Manychat · 18 September 2026
- Free plan — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Essential plan — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Pro plan — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Business plan — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Advanced plan — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Active Contacts — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Manychat subscription: How to choose the right one for you — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Billing FAQ (legacy pricing) — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- WhatsApp pricing guide — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- How to send emails with Manychat — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- How to send SMS/MMS through Manychat — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Understanding messaging windows — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Power up your chat marketing with Manychat AI — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Manychat AI Knowledge — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Manychat AI Replies — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- ChatGPT integration — Manychat Help Center · 18 September 2026
- Deprecation of Send to Messenger website widgets — Manychat Community (Manychat team post) · 18 September 2026
- Security and compliance — Manychat · 18 September 2026
- Service providers (sub-processors) — Manychat · 18 September 2026
- Manychat AI — Manychat · 18 September 2026
- About Manychat — Manychat · 18 September 2026
- Manychat raises $140M to fuel the future of AI-driven customer engagement on social and messaging platforms — Manychat via PR Newswire · 18 September 2026
- Messenger Platform policy overview — Meta for Developers · 18 September 2026
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp · 18 September 2026
- WhatsApp Business Platform pricing: non-template messages — Meta for Developers · 18 September 2026
- Chatfuel pricing — Chatfuel · 18 September 2026
- Chatfuel home page — Chatfuel · 18 September 2026
- Chatfuel plans and pricing — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- How your wallet and credits work — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Plan usage notifications — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Pricing FAQ — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- How long is the free trial? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Can I get a plan for just one feature? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Data retention after non-payment — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Chatfuel plan limits — Chatfuel · 18 September 2026
- How Fuely AI sessions work — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Can I integrate ChatGPT with Chatfuel? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- AI autonomy levels — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Why Chatfuel does not use buttons — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- How to stop AI during active conversations — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Is a Legacy account the same as a Panel account? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- How to test before migrating from Legacy — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Supported channels — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Set up the chat widget for your website — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Can I export chats? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Zapier is unavailable — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- Where is my data stored? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- What regulations does Chatfuel comply with? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- How is my data protected? — Chatfuel Docs · 18 September 2026
- WhatsApp pricing: non-template (service) messages — Meta for Developers · 18 September 2026
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp · 18 September 2026
- Messenger Platform policy overview — Meta for Developers · 18 September 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. We have not built or tested bots on these platforms yet. Method: How we review