A ManyChat alternative built for selling on WhatsApp
ManyChat is the best-known chat automation tool for Instagram, Messenger and TikTok, with more than a million users by its own count. On WhatsApp it is a different story for an online store: WhatsApp starts on its $39 Pro plan, message fees come on top from a prepaid wallet at rates above Meta's, the price grows with every active contact, and there is no native Shopify app. Our assistant does one channel, WhatsApp, and is built to sell there from your store's live catalog, at a flat price. Here is the honest side-by-side, checked October 2026, including where ManyChat is clearly ahead.
Last updated
ManyChat at a glance, checked October 2026
- Huge and multichannel: ManyChat says it is used by more than 1 million creators, marketers and brands, across Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS and email.
- Priced by Active Contacts: since March 2026, plans are Free (25 contacts), Essential $17 a month (250), Pro $39 (2,500), Business $99 (7,500) and Advanced $199 (25,000), cheaper billed yearly, with a fee for each contact over the limit.
- WhatsApp from Pro: Free and Essential exclude WhatsApp. On Pro and above, WhatsApp message fees are billed separately from a prepaid Wallet, at ManyChat's own rate table.
- No native Shopify app: ManyChat has no app on the Shopify App Store and no Shopify entry on its integrations page; store connections go through Zapier or Make.
- AI is strongest on Instagram: AI replies, comments, goals and knowledge are Instagram-only and in beta, per its help center. On WhatsApp, AI is a step inside flows you design.
Feature comparison
| Capability | ManyChat | Us |
|---|---|---|
| AI that sells in a WhatsApp chat (live catalog, carts, checkout) | An AI step inside flows you build; payments through a Buy Button with Stripe or PayPal in Messenger and Instagram; carts built from blocks | Yes, the core product: reads your live catalog, shows product cards, builds the cart and sends your store's own checkout link |
| Shopify and WooCommerce | No native app; through Zapier or Make | Direct connection to Shopify and WooCommerce, plus POS in early access and stores with no website |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Documented through its Hotmart integration, for digital products | Yes, timed reminders with resume links, and the AI answers the objection in the same chat |
| Order updates | Possible through automations you connect | Yes, built in: confirmed, shipped with tracking, delivered |
| Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram, SMS, email | Yes, a core strength, including Instagram comment-to-DM automation | No. WhatsApp only |
| Broadcast campaigns | Yes, on WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger from Pro | Not yet |
| Shared team inbox | Yes, 2 seats on Pro and 3 on Business, then $25 per seat | Single-operator dashboard today |
| Free plan | Yes, for 25 contacts, without WhatsApp | No |
Pricing comparison, checked October 2026
| ManyChat | Us | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan with WhatsApp | Pro: $39 per month, or $29 billed yearly, for 2,500 Active Contacts | $29 per month for 500 conversations |
| What grows the bill | Active Contacts ($0.05 each over 2,500 on Pro), extra inbox seats ($25 each), and WhatsApp message fees from the Wallet | Conversations only; move up a tier when you outgrow it |
| WhatsApp marketing message to a UK number | $0.0730 on ManyChat's own rate table | Meta's rate, $0.0635, passed through at cost |
| WhatsApp utility message to a UK number | $0.0253 on ManyChat's own rate table | Meta's rate, $0.022, passed through at cost |
| Marketing message to a German number | $0.1569 | Meta's rate, $0.1365 |
A note on fairness: the units differ. ManyChat counts each person you interact with in a month once, however many messages you exchange; we count each customer chat session. For a store with many contacts and few chats, ManyChat's Pro plan can work out cheaper; for one where the AI does a lot of talking on WhatsApp, the flat tier and Meta's own rates matter more. Meta's rates for every country we track are in our WhatsApp API pricing guide.
Which one should you pick?
Choose ManyChat if
Instagram is where your sales start: comment-to-DM campaigns, story replies, TikTok and Messenger, with broadcasts and email in the same tool, a team inbox, and a free plan to begin with. It is the strongest tool on this list for social-first brands.
Choose us if
Your customers buy through WhatsApp chats and you want the AI to sell from your live Shopify or WooCommerce catalog: product cards, cart, checkout link, then cart recovery and order updates, at a flat price from $29 a month with no per-contact meter and Meta's fees at Meta's rates. And you can live without Instagram, broadcasts and a team inbox for now, because we do not have them yet.
ManyChat alternative questions
How much does ManyChat cost for WhatsApp?+
As of October 2026, WhatsApp starts on ManyChat's Pro plan: $39 per month, or $29 billed yearly, for up to 2,500 Active Contacts, then $0.05 per extra contact. Free and Essential do not include WhatsApp. Business is $99 ($69 yearly) for 7,500 contacts and Advanced $199 ($139 yearly) for 25,000. WhatsApp message fees are charged on top, from a prepaid Wallet, at ManyChat's own per-message rates. ManyChat says prices depend on your billing country and exclude tax.
Does ManyChat charge more than Meta for WhatsApp messages?+
On template messages, its published rates are higher than Meta's. ManyChat's WhatsApp pricing guide lists $0.0730 for a marketing message and $0.0253 for a utility message to a UK number; Meta's own rate card, effective October 1, 2026, lists $0.0635 and $0.022. That is about 15% more. For service replies the two match. We pass Meta's fees through at Meta's rates.
Does ManyChat work with Shopify?+
Not natively. As of October 2026 ManyChat has no app on the Shopify App Store, and Shopify is not on its integrations page; its e-commerce page points to Zapier and Make for store connections. ManyChat's Buy Button takes payment through Stripe or PayPal in Messenger and Instagram, and a cart has to be built from blocks. Our assistant connects to Shopify and WooCommerce directly and sells from the live catalog.
Is ManyChat's AI included?+
ManyChat's pricing page shows "Manychat AI" on Pro and above, while its AI product page still describes AI as a $29 per month add-on to Pro, so confirm which applies to your account. Its newer AI features (AI replies, comments, goals and knowledge) are, per its help center, available only for Instagram and in beta. On WhatsApp, AI runs as an AI step inside flows you build.
What is the best ManyChat alternative for an online store on WhatsApp?+
It depends where your sales happen. If Instagram comments and DMs drive your business, ManyChat is hard to beat, and we do not do Instagram at all. If your customers buy through WhatsApp chats, the alternative to look for is an AI that reads your store's live catalog, builds the cart and sends the checkout link, on a flat price without a per-contact meter. That is what we built, from $29 per month for 500 conversations.