How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- ManyChat's free plan was cut to 25 contacts in March 2026, down from 1,000, which makes it unusable for most growing businesses.
- BotPenguin's free plan is the most generous multi-channel option, with 1,000 messages a month and no contact-count cap.
- CreatorFlow and LinkDM offer free Instagram DM automation, with 500 and 1,000 free DMs a month respectively.
- Chatfuel, SendPulse, and Tidio offer free tiers that cover chatbots across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and websites.
- Meta Business Suite is free for basic keyword auto-replies on Facebook Pages, with no flows or sequences.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 BotPenguin | Free multi-channel chatbots | Free | Yes |
 Chatfuel | AI chatbots for Instagram and WhatsApp | $23.99 per month | No |
 SendPulse | Budget multi-channel marketing | Free | Yes |
 Tidio | Website plus social live chat | Free | Yes |
 UChat | Cheap multichannel chatbot building | Free | Yes |
 CreatorFlow | Flat-rate Instagram DM automation | Free | Yes |
 LinkDM | Comment-to-DM link delivery | Free | Yes |
 Meta Business Suite | Free basic Facebook auto-replies | Free | Yes |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best free alternatives to ManyChat
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
BotPenguin is the best free ManyChat alternative for most businesses. Its free-forever Baby plan gives 1,000 messages a month with no contact-count cap, which contrasts sharply with ManyChat's 25-contact free plan. AI chatbot capabilities and ChatGPT integration come on every plan, while ManyChat charges an extra $29 a month for AI features on top of the base plan.
Paid plans stay flat rather than per-contact: Little at $29 a month and King at $99 a month, with AI included and no per-contact tiers. That means a viral post never turns into a surprise invoice, which is the main complaint about ManyChat's pricing model. For a business that wants a genuine free tier across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and its website, BotPenguin is the first tool to try.
What we like- Free-forever plan with 1,000 messages a month and no contact-count cap
- AI chatbots included on every plan
- Covers WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and websites
Watch out for- GPT-5 and advanced AI training sit on the $99 King plan
- Smaller brand than ManyChat with a thinner template library
#2Chatfuel
Best for: AI chatbots for Instagram and WhatsApp4.4/5 on
G2 (45 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit chatfuel.com
Starting price$23.99 per month
Free planNo
Chatfuel is the closest ManyChat rival in builder style. Its flow-based drag-and-drop builder feels familiar to ManyChat users, and higher tiers add GPT-powered conversations for more natural replies. It covers Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, which matches ManyChat's core social channels.
There is no standing free plan, so Chatfuel is not strictly free, but it belongs here because its entry pricing is competitive and its builder needs the least relearning for a ManyChat migrant. Entry figures vary by source, from around $23.99 to $39 a month, so confirm on the pricing page. For a team that wants ManyChat's builder feel with AI conversations, Chatfuel is the smoothest switch.
What we like- Flow-based builder similar to ManyChat
- GPT-powered conversations on higher tiers
- Strong for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp
Watch out for- No standing free plan, only trials
- Entry pricing varies by source, from around $23.99 to $39 a month
- Meta-only channel focus
#3SendPulse
Best for: Budget multi-channel marketing4.6/5 on
G2 (723 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sendpulse.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
SendPulse is the budget multi-channel suite. Its free tier covers chatbots across 8 channels including Instagram, and it bundles email, SMS, and chatbot campaigns in one account, which suits a small business that wants one tool for several channels. Paid plans start near $8 to $10 a month, which undercuts most rivals.
The chatbot builder is less polished than ManyChat's, and free-tier limits scale with usage, so a growing list will need a paid plan sooner than with BotPenguin. For a small business that wants email and SMS alongside chatbots at the lowest price, SendPulse is hard to beat.
What we like- Free tier across 8 channels including Instagram
- Bundles email, SMS, and chatbots in one suite
- Paid plans from around $8 to $10 a month
Watch out for- Chatbot builder is less polished than ManyChat's
- Free tier limits scale with usage
- Support quality varies by plan
#4Tidio
Best for: Website plus social live chat4.6/5 on
G2 (1,967 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit tidio.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Tidio suits a business whose main channel is its website, with social chat as a second line. Its free tier covers live chat and basic automation, and the Lyro AI chatbot add-on near $32.50 a month answers common questions automatically. Paid plans start near $29 a month, with annual billing bringing Starter near $24.17 a month.
Instagram automation is thinner than at CreatorFlow or LinkDM, so an Instagram-first creator should look elsewhere. For a website-first business that also needs Facebook and Instagram messaging, Tidio combines live chat and chatbots in one inbox at a fair price.
What we like- Free tier for website live chat plus social channels
- Lyro AI chatbot available as an add-on
- Modern interface with automation flows
Watch out for- Paid plans from around $29 a month
- Lyro AI costs extra near $32.50 a month
- Instagram depth is thinner than Instagram-native tools
#5UChat
Best for: Cheap multichannel chatbot building4.8/5 on
G2 (76 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit uchat.com.au
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
UChat is the cheap multichannel builder. Its free tier covers 200 contacts, and the Business plan near $15 a month adds more capacity and features. The visual drag-and-drop builder covers websites, Facebook, WhatsApp, and other channels, which suits a small team building its first chatbot.
The ecosystem is smaller than ManyChat's or Chatfuel's, so templates and integrations are thinner, and the free tier's 200-contact cap is lower than BotPenguin's uncapped-contact message allowance. For a small business that wants a cheap, visual, multichannel builder, UChat is a solid free starting point.
What we like- Free tier with 200 contacts
- Business plan near $15 a month
- Visual drag-and-drop builder across many channels
Watch out for- Smaller ecosystem than ManyChat or Chatfuel
- Free tier contact cap is lower than BotPenguin's message cap
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
CreatorFlow is the value pick for Instagram-only creators. Its free tier gives 500 DMs a month, and the paid plan costs $15 a month flat with no per-contact pricing, which removes the surprise-bill problem that drives creators away from ManyChat. The interface is modern and built for individual creators rather than marketing teams.
The focus is Instagram, so a team running WhatsApp, SMS, and email alongside Instagram will need another tool or accept a second subscription. For a creator who lives on Instagram and wants comment-to-DM automation without per-contact billing, CreatorFlow is the best value on this list.
What we like- Free tier with 500 DMs a month
- Flat $15 a month paid plan with no per-contact pricing
- Modern interface built for creators
Watch out for- Instagram-focused, so multi-channel teams need another tool
- Smaller brand with fewer integrations than ManyChat
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
LinkDM does one job well: comment-to-DM link delivery on Instagram. A commenter types a keyword, and LinkDM sends the link by DM, which is the core workflow most creators buy ManyChat for. Its free plan gives 1,000 DMs a month, and the paid plan near $19 a month adds capacity, with 60,000 plus creators, brands, and agencies already on the platform.
The feature set is narrower than a full chatbot builder, with thinner advanced flows than ManyChat's, and the focus is Instagram only. For a creator whose main need is comment-to-DM link delivery, LinkDM's free tier is generous and its paid plan is simple. For complex multi-step flows, BotPenguin or Chatfuel fits better.
What we like- Free plan with 1,000 DMs a month
- Paid plan near $19 a month
- 60,000 plus creators, brands, and agencies already use it
Watch out for- Narrower feature set than full chatbot builders
- Instagram-only focus
- Advanced flows are thinner than ManyChat's
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Meta Business Suite is the zero-cost baseline. It includes free basic keyword auto-reply for Facebook Page messages, which covers the simplest use case: replying automatically when someone writes a specific word. There is nothing to install and nothing to pay, which suits a tiny business testing automation for the first time.
The limits are strict: one layer of keyword matching, no multi-step flows, no sequences, and no broadcasts. It also covers only Facebook and Instagram Pages, not WhatsApp or websites. For a business that outgrows keyword replies, BotPenguin's free tier is the natural next step.
What we like- Completely free
- Basic keyword auto-reply built into Facebook
- No new tool to learn for Page managers
Watch out for- Limited to one layer of keyword matching
- No flows, sequences, or broadcasts
- Facebook and Instagram Pages only
How we chose
We compared each tool against what ManyChat's free plan used to offer: chatbot flows across Instagram and Facebook with a usable contact allowance. The March 2026 cut to 25 contacts changed that baseline, so we favored tools with genuinely usable free tiers rather than token allowances. Pricing figures come from vendor pages and published comparisons, and anything we could not confirm is written as "See website". We flagged where a tool is Instagram-only, website-first, or multi-channel, since that decides whether it replaces ManyChat or only part of it.
What to check before you pick
Start with your channel. If Instagram is your only channel, shortlist CreatorFlow and LinkDM for free tiers and flat pricing. If you need WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, and your website, shortlist BotPenguin and SendPulse. If your website is the main channel, shortlist Tidio. Then check four things on a trial: whether billing is per-contact or flat, what the free tier actually allows (messages versus contacts versus DMs), whether AI replies are included or an add-on, and whether the tool uses Meta's official messaging APIs, which protects your account from automation bans. Test with a real post and a real keyword before committing, since comment-to-DM reliability varies by tool and by account type. A short live test with a small audience reveals delivery delays and formatting problems that a demo never shows in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Is ManyChat still free in 2026?
Technically yes, but only for 25 contacts, down from 1,000 before March 2, 2026. For most growing businesses, 25 contacts makes the free plan unusable.
What is the best free ManyChat alternative?
BotPenguin offers a genuine free-forever plan with 1,000 messages a month and no contact-count cap, across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and websites.
Do these alternatives use official Instagram APIs?
CreatorFlow, LinkDM, and BotPenguin work through Meta's official messaging APIs, which is the safe route for automation. Unofficial automation tools risk account restrictions, so confirm API status before buying.
Can I move my ManyChat flows to another tool?
Most alternatives support importing contacts and rebuilding flows, but flow formats differ, so expect to rebuild multi-step flows by hand. BotPenguin and Chatfuel both offer migration help.
Is per-contact or flat pricing better?
Flat pricing is better for creators whose audience grows in spikes, since a viral post cannot raise the bill. Per-contact pricing suits steady lists with predictable growth, but it punishes virality.
What is the cheapest paid ManyChat alternative?
SendPulse paid plans start near $8 to $10 a month, and UChat Business sits near $15 a month. CreatorFlow at $15 a month flat is the cheapest Instagram-native paid option.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://botpenguin.com/
- https://chatfuel.com/
- https://sendpulse.com/
- https://www.tidio.com/
- https://www.uchat.com.au/
- https://creatorflow.so/
- https://linkdm.com/
- https://business.facebook.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.