ManyChat pricing: what you'll actually pay
ManyChat pricing, in short: from $0 (Free, 25 active contacts) to $199 a month (Advanced, 25,000 active contacts) on monthly billing, excluding taxes, as of 24 October 2026. What drives your bill is your number of active contacts: past your plan's quota, every extra contact costs money. PlugKit, which we tested on a real Instagram account on 22 October 2026, doesn't count contacts: $49 a month for 5 connected accounts.
By Jérémy Santos Updated on October 24, 2026 Tested on his own PlugKit account since September 2026. This page is part of the guide: ManyChat alternative
ManyChat plans as of 24 October 2026
Prices read on manychat.com on 24 October 2026, excluding taxes. ManyChat states that prices depend on your billing country, so check the amount shown to you before paying.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Active contacts included | Extra contact | Channels | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 25 | Not applicable | 2 | 1 |
| Essential | $17 | $14 ($168 a year) | 250 | $0.10 ($0.082 annual) | 2 | 2 |
| Pro | $39 | $29 ($348 a year) | 2,500 | $0.05 | 3 | 3 |
| Business | $99 | $69 ($828 a year) | 7,500 | $0.025 | Unlimited | 5 |
| Advanced | $199 | $139 ($1,668 a year) | 25,000 | $0.004 | Unlimited | 10 |
What each tier unlocks, per the official grid:
- Free: up to 4 active automations, a basic inbox, ManyChat branding.
- Essential: unlimited automations, no branding.
- Pro: broadcasts, advanced automations, AI features (replies, goals, knowledge base), integrations and API access.
- Business: shared inbox and priority support.
The annual rate for extra contacts is only published for Essential ($0.082). For trials, ManyChat offers 14 days on Essential or Pro and a possible refund within 30 days of purchase.
What you’ll pay: three worked examples
The math below uses monthly billing and the per-contact rates from the official grid.
Example 1: a creator with 1,000 active contacts a month
She automates Instagram and WhatsApp, so 2 channels.
- Essential: $17 + (1,000 minus 250) × $0.10 = $17 + $75 = $92 a month.
- Pro: $39 a month, because 1,000 contacts stay under the 2,500 included.
Pro costs the same as Essential at 470 active contacts: $17 + (470 minus 250) × $0.10 = $39. Past that point, staying on Essential means paying more for fewer features.
Example 2: an online store with 5,000 active contacts
- Pro: $39 + (5,000 minus 2,500) × $0.05 = $39 + $125 = $164 a month.
- Business: $99 a month, since 5,000 contacts stay under the 7,500 included.
Business costs the same as Pro at 3,700 active contacts ($39 + 1,200 × $0.05 = $99), and becomes the better deal above that.
Example 3: a brand with 10,000 active contacts
- Business: $99 + (10,000 minus 7,500) × $0.025 = $99 + $62.50 = $161.50 a month.
- Advanced: $199 a month.
Business stays cheaper than Advanced below 11,500 active contacts (both cost $199 at that point). At 30,000 contacts, Advanced costs $199 + 5,000 × $0.004 = $219 a month.
What pushes your ManyChat bill up
- Active contacts: the main driver. The more your audience engages, the more you pay.
- Channels: Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and TikTok make 4 channels. Essential allows 2, Pro 3, so you need Business at least.
- Team size: 2 users on Essential, 3 on Pro, 5 on Business, 10 on Advanced.
- Advanced features: broadcasts, AI, integrations and API require Pro at least, so $39 a month.
- Country and taxes: listed prices exclude taxes and vary by billing country.
On the flip side, annual billing trims the bill: $36 saved per year on Essential ($204 versus $168), $120 on Pro, $360 on Business and $720 on Advanced.
ManyChat vs PlugKit on price
PlugKit doesn’t count contacts: Creator costs $49 a month for 5 connected accounts and Pro $97 for 30 accounts, monthly billing only (prices read on 24 October 2026). The full grid is on our PlugKit pricing page. Here’s the cheapest ManyChat plan for each audience size, next to PlugKit Creator:
| Active contacts per month | Cheapest ManyChat plan | ManyChat price | PlugKit Creator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | Essential | $17 | $49 |
| 1,000 | Pro | $39 | $49 |
| 3,000 | Pro | $64 | $49 |
| 5,000 | Business | $99 | $49 |
| 10,000 | Business | $161.50 | $49 |
The tipping point is 2,700 active contacts: below it, ManyChat costs less; above it, PlugKit Creator wins, as long as you stay at 5 connected accounts.
Don’t compare numbers alone, though. ManyChat gives you TikTok DMs, SMS and email, which PlugKit doesn’t handle. PlugKit publishes your posts to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn, which ManyChat’s grid doesn’t list. The feature-by-feature view is in our ManyChat vs PlugKit comparison. To see PlugKit at work on a real account, read our PlugKit review.
PlugKit has two variable costs too: X API calls are billed at cost, under a default $20 monthly cap, and Reel Studio video credits are sold separately beyond the ones included.
How to pay less
- Pick your plan by contact count, not by sticker price: Pro above 470 contacts, Business above 3,700.
- Switch to annual billing if your audience is stable: up to $720 saved per year on Advanced.
- Use the 14-day trial on Essential or Pro to measure your real number of active contacts before committing.
- Look at another pricing model if your audience is growing fast: our ManyChat alternative guide sorts 7 tools by need, several of which don’t bill per contact.
Frequently asked questions
Is ManyChat free?
Yes, on the Free plan: 25 active contacts per month, 2 channels, 4 active automations, 1 user and ManyChat branding, no credit card needed. Beyond that you need a paid plan, from $17 a month (prices read on 24 October 2026).
How much is ManyChat per month?
On monthly billing: Essential $17, Pro $39, Business $99 and Advanced $199, plus a fee per active contact above the included quota. Billed annually: $14, $29, $69 and $139 per month. Prices exclude taxes and vary by billing country.
Does ManyChat have a free trial?
Yes: 14 days on Essential or Pro, according to its official FAQ. ManyChat also mentions a possible refund if you cancel within 30 days of purchase.
Why does my ManyChat bill keep going up?
Because each plan includes a quota of active contacts, then charges for every extra one: $0.10 on Essential, $0.05 on Pro, $0.025 on Business and $0.004 on Advanced. The number of channels (2 on Essential, 3 on Pro) and users can also force you onto a bigger plan.
ManyChat or PlugKit: which one is cheaper?
Below 2,700 active contacts a month, ManyChat costs less than PlugKit Creator ($49). Above that, PlugKit Creator is cheaper as long as you stay at 5 connected accounts. But they don't do the same job: ManyChat's grid lists no post publishing, and PlugKit doesn't handle TikTok DMs, SMS or email.
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Verified sources
- ManyChat pricing, comparison grid and FAQ (2026-10-24)
- PlugKit pricing (text version) (2026-10-24)
- PlugKit billing (trial, accounts, X) (2026-10-24)