ManyChat Plans

Chatbots aren’t just a trend; they are a business growth tool. ManyChat is one of the most popular platforms for building chatbots on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp (via API), and web chat. But while ManyChat’s Free Plan is attractive for beginners, many businesses wonder if the Paid Plans are truly worth the investment.

This blog breaks down the features, limitations, and real business impact of ManyChat’s Free vs Paid plans, helping you choose what’s right for your growth strategy.

What Is ManyChat?

ManyChat is a chatbot platform that helps you:

• Automate conversations on social media and websites

• Generate leads

• Drive sales

• Send broadcasts and campaigns

• Integrate with CRM, email, and SMS software

Used by solopreneurs, e-commerce brands, agencies, coaches, and small businesses, ManyChat makes chatbot automation accessible without heavy coding.

Why Comparing Free vs Paid Matters

Choosing the right plan affects:

• How many people can message

• What features can you access

• Your ability to scale sales and engagement

• Overall return on investment

A Free Plan might work for hobby projects or testing, but many business goals require premium functionality.

ManyChat Free vs Paid Plans (Feature Comparison)

Feature	Free Plan	Paid Plan (Pro)
Chatbot builder	Yes	Yes
Messenger automation	Yes	Yes
Instagram automation	No	Yes
WhatsApp API integration	No	Yes
Audience size limit	Limited	Unlimited (tiered pricing)
Contact tagging	No	Yes
Growth tools (pop-ups, landing pages)	Limited	Full access
Scheduled broadcasts	No	Yes
SMS and Email automation	Limited	Full access
CRM integrations	No	Yes
A/B testing	No	Yes
Priority support	No	Yes
Templates and analytics	Basic	Advanced

Check out the ManyChat plans and features and select the plan that best suits your needs.

Feature Breakdown: What You Get with Each

Free Plan: What’s Included

The Free plan is ideal for:

• Learning ManyChat basics

• Small testing projects

• Very small audiences

What you can do:

• Build basic chat flows

• Respond to inbound messages

• Use limited broadcasting

• Capture leads with simple Growth Tools

Limitations to know:

• Cannot message users who didn’t initiate contact

• No access to Instagram/WhatsApp automation

• No advanced segmentation or tags

• Limited automation flexibility

This means Free users often hit limitations quickly if they try to scale beyond basic interactions.

Paid Plan: What You Unlock

Cross-Platform Automation
Paid plans let you automate:

• Facebook Messenger

• Instagram DM

• WhatsApp (via API)

• Chat widgets on your website

This expands your reach far beyond the basics.

Advanced Audience Segmentation
Tag users based on behaviour, such as:

• Product interest

• Purchase made

• Abandoned cart

• High engagement

Tags are critical for smarter messaging and revenue optimisation.

Growth Tools

Paid users get full access to:

• Pop-ups

• Landing pages

• Buttons on websites

• Instagram bio links

• Click-to-Messenger ads

These tools boost lead capture and build an audience fast.

Broadcasting and Campaign Scheduling
With Paid Plans, you can:

• Schedule messages

• Segment your audience

• Run drip campaigns

• Personalise based on tags

This drives better engagement and conversion.

CRM and Third-Party Integrations
Connect with:

• Shopify

• Klaviyo

• HubSpot

• Google Sheets

• Zapier

• Email and SMS platforms

Integrations make ManyChat a central automation hub.

When Free Makes Sense

ManyChat’s Free Plan is a great place to start if you:

• Are learning chatbot automation

• Have a tiny audience and low messaging needs

• Only need basic Messenger replies

• Are building a simple lead capture bot

Example use cases:

• Portfolio site with basic contact automation

• A small newsletter signup bot

• A test campaign before scaling

But as soon as you need to reach, engage, or monetise, the Free Plan starts hitting its limits.

When are Paid Plans Worth It

You should consider upgrading if:

• You want Instagram DM or WhatsApp automation.

• You need segmentation and audience tagging.

• You want to broadcast campaigns and drip nurture sequences.

• You’re running e-commerce growth campaigns.

• You use integration tools like Shopify, SMS, and Email.

Paid plans give you power, not just automation.

Real Business Impact

Here’s how upgrading can affect results:

Outcome	Free Plan	Paid Plan
Lead generation	Limited	Expandable
Campaign personalization	Basic	Advanced
Customer retention	Low	High
Revenue automation	None	Strong
Cross-platform reach	Messenger only	Messenger + IG + WhatsApp

Paid plans help you:

• Convert more leads

• Recover abandoned carts

• Push seasonal offers

• Increase repeat purchases

Pricing Snapshot

ManyChat pricing is usually based on the number of contacts and starts at a base level per month. Higher contact volume means higher monthly cost, but also more reach and flexibility.

Always check ManyChat’s official pricing page for current rates before planning your budget.

FAQs 

Is ManyChat Free always?

Yes, but it’s limited. As soon as your needs grow (broadcasting, segments, IG, WhatsApp), you must upgrade.

Can I use ManyChat with Instagram on the Free Plan?

No, Instagram automation is only available on Paid plans.

Does the Paid Plan let me send unlimited messages?

Messaging still adheres to platform policies, but segmentation and broadcast targeting make messaging far more powerful.

Can I migrate a Free account to Paid without losing data?

Yes, all your bots and data transfer when you upgrade.

Does ManyChat integrate with Shopify/E-commerce tools?

Yes, but integration features are stronger on Paid Plans.

Final Thoughts

The Free Plan is great for beginners, hobbyists, or simple tests, but it’s not a full growth engine. For any business looking to generate revenue, scale automation, and run high-impact campaigns, the Paid Plans are usually worth the investment.

Think of the Free Plan like a starter car; it gets you moving.
Paid Plans are the engine-upgraded vehicle that actually takes you places. Let’s automate smarter, not harder.