# ManyChat Alternatives 2027: 12 Paid, Free & Open-Source

Source: https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/manychat/
Prices checked: 2026-11-13 (Zekai Price Ledger)

The best ManyChat alternatives in 2027 are Chatfuel (best overall, $20/mo), SendPulse (best free plan: 500 subscribers, 3 chatbots) and ChatbotX (best open source, MIT). ManyChat itself starts at $29/mo billed yearly. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 13 Nov 2026; 9 more are compared below, including 4 with a free plan and 3 open source.

| Tool | Type | Starting price | Free plan limit | Licence | Best for | Price checked | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ManyChat (the tool being replaced) | — | $29/mo billed yearly | 25 Active Contacts a month on new accounts | — | — | 2026-11-13 | [pricing](https://help.manychat.com/hc/en-us/articles/25800228332572) |
| Chatfuel | Paid | $20/mo | No free plan | — | WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok sales bots | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://chatfuel.com) [pricing](https://chatfuel.com/pricing) |
| respond.io | Paid | $99/mo | No free plan | — | Multi-agent team inbox across messaging channels | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://respond.io) [pricing](https://respond.io/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/respond-io/) |
| SendPulse | Free plan + paid | $9.60/mo billed yearly | 3 chatbots, 500 subscribers, 10,000 messages a month | — | Cheapest multi-channel bot with a real free plan | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://sendpulse.com/features/chatbot) [pricing](https://sendpulse.com/en/pricing/messengers) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/sendpulse/) |
| Landbot | Free plan + paid | $45/mo | 100 chats a month, 1 seat, no AI chats | — | Web and WhatsApp lead-capture flows | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://landbot.io) [pricing](https://landbot.io/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/landbot/) |
| Heyy | Paid | $49/mo | No free plan | — | WhatsApp-first AI employees with unlimited contacts | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://heyy.io) [pricing](https://heyy.io/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/heyy/) |
| Mixdesk | Free plan + paid | $49/mo | 10 conversations a month, unlimited teammates, no AI messages | — | Shared inbox with unlimited teammates | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://www.mixdesk.com) [pricing](https://www.mixdesk.com/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/mixdesk/) |
| Tidio | Free plan + paid | $24.17/mo billed yearly | 50 billable conversations, 50 one-time Lyro AI conversations | — | Live chat plus Lyro AI for online stores | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://www.tidio.com) [pricing](https://www.tidio.com/pricing/) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/tidio/) |
| Botpress | Free plan + paid | $189/mo | 100 conversations a month, 3 seats, 3 AI agents | — | Developer-grade AI agents on WhatsApp and web | 2026-11-13 | [site](https://botpress.com) [pricing](https://botpress.com/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/botpress/) |
| ChatbotX | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | MIT | Self-hosted ManyChat-style flow builder |  | [site](https://github.com/ChatbotXIO/ChatbotX) [code](https://github.com/ChatbotXIO/ChatbotX) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/chatbotx/) |
| OpenReply | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | MIT | Instagram comment-to-DM keyword automation |  | [site](https://github.com/diwenne/openreply) [code](https://github.com/diwenne/openreply) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/openreply/) |
| Chatwoot | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | MIT | Open-source shared inbox for DMs |  | [site](https://www.chatwoot.com) [code](https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/chatwoot/) |
| Hexabot | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | FCL-1.0-ALv2 | Developer-built YAML chatbot workflows |  | [site](https://hexabot.ai) [code](https://github.com/hexabot-ai/Hexabot) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/hexabot/) |

## How each alternative compares with ManyChat

- **Chatfuel** (Paid, $20/mo, checked 2026-11-13): Chatfuel Business S includes US$20 of AI credits a month and bulk WhatsApp campaigns, and its pricing page lists TikTok next to Instagram and Facebook; ManyChat's page shows contacts, not AI credits. Switch if you run click-to-WhatsApp ads and want leads qualified and booked in chat, with Meta WhatsApp fees billed through one wallet. Stay with ManyChat if you only need Instagram comment-to-DM flows on a free tier and can live with ManyChat's contact-based billing.
- **respond.io** (Paid, $99/mo, checked 2026-11-13): respond.io Starter covers 5 users with extra users at $12/month each, 5,000 AI credits and a workflow builder; priced per monthly active contacts from 1,000, with WhatsApp fees billed separately. Switch if you have a support or sales team of five or more sharing one WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger inbox with routing. Stay with ManyChat if you are a solo creator who needs keyword and comment triggers at a fraction of a $99 plan.
- **SendPulse** (Free plan + paid, $9.60/mo billed yearly, checked 2026-11-13): SendPulse's free chatbot plan allows 3 chatbots, 500 subscribers and 10,000 messages a month with unlimited flows; its Pro plan lists a free WhatsApp Business API and removes SendPulse branding. Switch if you want a free tier with 3 bots and 10,000 messages before paying, or a sub-$10 paid entry price. Stay with ManyChat if you need ManyChat's Instagram-first growth tools and template ecosystem more than a lower subscriber-based price.
- **Landbot** (Free plan + paid, $45/mo, checked 2026-11-13): Landbot's builder is chat-based rather than Instagram-first: Starter gives 500 chats a month at $0.05 per extra chat, and WhatsApp on your own number starts at the Professional plan. Switch if you want a website and WhatsApp lead-qualification flow billed per chat, with EU-hosted data. Stay with ManyChat if you want Instagram and Messenger comment automations rather than website chat flows.
- **Heyy** (Paid, $49/mo, checked 2026-11-13): Heyy bills by credits (1,000 on Hobby, 6,000 on Pro) with unlimited contacts, and sells extra WhatsApp numbers at $8/month; ManyChat meters by contact count instead. Switch if your contact list is large but conversations are few, so credit billing with unlimited contacts is cheaper. Stay with ManyChat if your list is under 1,000 contacts and you want to stay on a free plan.
- **Mixdesk** (Free plan + paid, $49/mo, checked 2026-11-13): Mixdesk charges no per-seat fees (unlimited teammates and contacts on every plan) and includes AI messages only from Pro: 5,000 a month, then $100 per extra 10,000. Switch if a growing team needs many inbox seats at a flat price and wants AI replies metered by message. Stay with ManyChat if you are a single operator, since ManyChat's free tier is larger than Mixdesk's 10 free conversations.
- **Tidio** (Free plan + paid, $24.17/mo billed yearly, checked 2026-11-13): Tidio combines live chat and ticketing with its Lyro AI agent (from $32.50/mo billed yearly for 50 AI conversations) and lists Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp integrations. Switch if you want live chat and an AI agent for a store, with Messenger and Instagram as extra channels. Stay with ManyChat if your main job is automated Instagram comment and story replies rather than website live chat.
- **Botpress** (Free plan + paid, $189/mo, checked 2026-11-13): Botpress prices by conversation, not contact: Free covers 100 a month with 3 AI agents and 3 seats, Plus adds 250 conversations plus $25 of AI usage; its compare table lists WhatsApp and webchat. Switch if you want a programmable AI agent with webchat and WhatsApp and are happy to pay per conversation. Stay with ManyChat if you want Instagram-native keyword triggers and a no-code visual flow without per-conversation fees.
- **ChatbotX** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Drag-and-drop flow builder with 15+ node types for WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and Telegram, plus comment automation and bring-your-own-key AI agents on Postgres you host. Switch if you want to host your own flow builder and keep contact data in your own PostgreSQL. Stay with ManyChat if you do not want to run Postgres, Redis and Meta app review yourself.
- **OpenReply** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Does one job: when an Instagram comment matches your keyword it sends a private reply through Meta's official API, with an optional follow gate; it has no multi-step flow builder. Switch if your main need is keyword comment-to-DM replies on Instagram and you can host a small app. Stay with ManyChat if you need multi-step flows, broadcasts and WhatsApp or Messenger in one tool.
- **Chatwoot** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Shared inbox rather than a flow builder: the README lists website live chat, email, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Line and SMS channels, plus its Captain AI agent. Switch if humans answer most Instagram and WhatsApp messages and you want an MIT-licensed inbox you control. Stay with ManyChat if you want keyword-triggered comment-to-DM automations out of the box.
- **Hexabot** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Builds agentic workflows written in YAML with tools, MCP, memory and RAG across conversational channels; the Fair Core licence is source-available and not OSI-approved. Switch if you are a developer who wants YAML workflows and agent tooling across channels. Stay with ManyChat if you want a visual drag-and-drop flow builder for Instagram DMs without writing code.

## Open-source options in detail

- **ChatbotX** (https://github.com/ChatbotXIO/ChatbotX): Licence: MIT; Commercial use: Yes for the MIT code; the enterprise folder needs a commercial licence.; Runs on: Docker host running Postgres with pgvector, Redis and S3-compatible storage.; Setup: moderate: Docker Compose with pre-built images, plus Meta app review for channels.; Last commit: 2026-11-13; Last release: 2026-11-11; GitHub stars: 1,114 (2026-11-13)
- **OpenReply** (https://github.com/diwenne/openreply): Licence: MIT; Commercial use: Yes (MIT).; Runs on: Server with PostgreSQL, Redis, a worker process and a public HTTPS URL.; Setup: moderate: Deploy your own copy; Instagram needs your own Meta app or Zernio.; Last commit: 2026-10-28; GitHub stars: 3,219 (2026-11-13)
- **Chatwoot** (https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot): Licence: MIT; Commercial use: Yes for the MIT code; the enterprise folder is under a separate licence.; Runs on: Docker or docker-compose host; Heroku and DigitalOcean one-click deploys exist.; Setup: moderate: Docker Compose, or a documented one-click cloud deploy.; Last commit: 2026-11-13; Last release: 2026-10-24; GitHub stars: 39,807 (2026-11-13)
- **Hexabot** (https://github.com/hexabot-ai/Hexabot): Licence: FCL-1.0-ALv2; Commercial use: Yes unless it competes with Hexabot; converts to Apache-2.0 later.; Runs on: Node.js 24 with npm, pnpm, yarn or bun; Docker optional.; Setup: moderate: Install the CLI, create a project, run hexabot dev.; Last commit: 2026-11-13; Last release: 2025-01-24; GitHub stars: 1,161 (2026-11-13)

## Questions

### What is the best alternative to ManyChat in 2027?
Chatfuel is the best overall ManyChat alternative on this page ($20/mo). For no cost, SendPulse has a free plan (3 chatbots, 500 subscribers, 10,000 messages a month). To self-host, ChatbotX is open source (MIT).

### Is there a free version of ManyChat?
Yes. ManyChat has a free plan: 25 Active Contacts a month on new accounts. Paid plans start at $29/mo billed yearly, checked on 13 Nov 2026.

### Is there a 100% free alternative to ManyChat?
Yes. ChatbotX, OpenReply, Chatwoot, Hexabot are open source and free to self-host. SendPulse, Landbot, Mixdesk, Tidio, Botpress have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

### What is cheaper than ManyChat?
SendPulse starts at $9.60/mo billed yearly, against $29/mo billed yearly for ManyChat, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 13 Nov 2026.

### How much do ManyChat alternatives cost for a team of 5?
If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 13 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is SendPulse $48/mo, Chatfuel $100/mo, Tidio $120.85/mo, against ManyChat $145/mo for ManyChat. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

### Which is better, Chatfuel or ManyChat?
Chatfuel Business S includes US$20 of AI credits a month and bulk WhatsApp campaigns, and its pricing page lists TikTok next to Instagram and Facebook; ManyChat's page shows contacts, not AI credits. Choose Chatfuel if you run click-to-WhatsApp ads and want leads qualified and booked in chat, with Meta WhatsApp fees billed through one wallet. Stay with ManyChat if you only need Instagram comment-to-DM flows on a free tier and can live with ManyChat's contact-based billing.

### Why are people leaving ManyChat?
The documented reasons are: ManyChat announced on 20 April 2026 that billing moves from cumulative contacts to monthly Active Contacts, with new Free, Essential, Pro, Business and Advanced plans; AI starts on Pro and Inbox seats cost extra on Pro and above (20 Apr 2026); ManyChat's Help Center says the Active Contacts model launched 2 March 2026 for new accounts: Free 25 Active Contacts, Pro 2,500 at $0.05 per extra contact, and Pro costs $39 monthly or $29/mo billed yearly (2 Mar 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

### What are the best ManyChat alternatives?
Chatfuel, respond.io, SendPulse, Landbot and Heyy are the closest paid options; SendPulse and Botpress have free plans, and ChatbotX is an open-source ManyChat-style builder.

## Related on Zekai

- [Botpress alternatives](https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/botpress/)
- [AI for Customer Support & Experience](https://zekaiwork.com/professions/ai-customer-support-experience-automation/)

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Live table, team cost finder and price alerts: https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/manychat/