Alternatives · DM automation

Manychat alternatives when contacts set the price

Manychat sizes its plans by active contacts, from 25 on Free to 25,000 on Advanced. SendPulse and Chatfuel are the nearest swaps if WhatsApp still matters. Zorcha, LinkDM, Reachlee and DMFast suit Instagram, and none of their paid plans is sized by contacts. We make DMFast, so it is listed and marked as ours.

DMFast publishes this page and is one of the options on it, labelled as ours. Facts about the other products come from their own websites, checked on 6 October 2026.

Why people look beyond Manychat

Plans are sized by active contacts: 25 on Free, 250 on Essential, 2,500 on Pro, 7,500 on Business and 25,000 on Advanced. Contacts over the limit are charged, from $0.0028 to $0.10 each depending on plan and billing period.
The pricing page shows annual-billing prices only, leaves out tax and says the final price depends on your billing country. Essential’s $14 a month, for example, is $168 billed once a year.
On Free, “Powered by Manychat” appears on a contact’s first message and live triggers stop at 4. Essential, $14 a month billed annually, adds unlimited automations and removes the branding.
WhatsApp, SMS and email channels, Broadcasts and Manychat AI all start on Pro, $29 a month billed annually. Free and Essential connect two channels, chosen from Instagram, TikTok, Messenger or Telegram.
Its help page says the comment trigger runs only on a person’s first comment under a post, and describes that as a limit on Instagram’s side.

Alternatives to consider

DMFast, ours, comes first. The others are listed best fit first.

DMFast
OursDM automation
Comment-to-DM and DM keywords on Instagram and Facebook, Story replies on Instagram, and email capture. Free plan to start, paid plans from $9 a month.
Limits: Works only with Instagram professional accounts and Facebook Pages: no WhatsApp, TikTok, Threads or personal Instagram accounts.
DMFast vs Manychat, head to head
SendPulse chatbots
Chatbot platform
The multichannel swap with a free plan. SendPulse’s no-code bot builder covers Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, TikTok and live chat, and Free allows 500 subscribers and 10,000 messages a month.
Best for: Businesses that run bots on several messaging apps at once and want comment replies, a follower check and in-chat payments from one no-code builder.
sendpulse.com (opens in a new tab)SendPulse chatbots alternatives
Chatfuel
DM automation
Pick it if WhatsApp matters and you want a CRM link. Chatfuel adds WhatsApp and website chat to Instagram and Facebook, connects to HubSpot and Salesforce, and Business is US$20 a month after a free trial.
Best for: Businesses that sell through WhatsApp as well as Instagram and Facebook, and want AI that qualifies leads and hands them to a CRM.
chatfuel.com (opens in a new tab)DMFast vs Chatfuel
Zorcha
DM automation
Instagram with no contact meter. Zorcha’s free plan lists unlimited automations, DMs and contacts, plus an “Ask for Follow” check. Collecting phone numbers or emails starts on Pro, $14.99 a month, or $9.99 billed yearly.
Best for: Instagram creators who want unlimited comment-to-DM automations and a follow check without paying, plus AI FAQ answers and a bio page in the same account.
zorcha.com (opens in a new tab)DMFast vs Zorcha
LinkDM
DM automation
Sized by DMs sent, not contacts. Free covers 1 Instagram account and 1,000 DMs a month, with Facebook comments included. Pro is $19 a month for 25,000 DMs and 3 accounts.
Best for: Creators and brands that send a lot of auto-DMs from Instagram and Facebook comments and Stories, from 1,000 a month free up to 300,000 on Platinum+.
linkdm.com (opens in a new tab)DMFast vs LinkDM
Reachlee
DM automation
Flat plans for Instagram and Facebook. Pro is $9 a month with unlimited DMs, contacts and leads on 3 accounts; Facebook Pages start on Pro, and the free plan keeps Reachlee branding.
Best for: Creators, coaches and local businesses that want comment, Story and DM automations, a follow check, tracked links and a bio page from one dashboard.
reachlee.co (opens in a new tab)DMFast vs Reachlee

Manychat and DMFast, feature by feature

Features of Manychat and DMFast. Manychat checked from its own pages (see the sources below) on 6 October 2026.
Feature	Manychat	DMFastOurs
Comments and DMs
Sends a DM when someone comments	YesA public reply under the comment plus a private DM, by keyword or on any comment, for one post, all posts or the next one	Yes
Replies to Story replies and mentions	YesStory mention replies are described, and its guide names Story replies among what its automation covers	YesInstagram only
Answers keywords in DMs	YesA keyword sent in a DM starts a flow, and a default reply handles other incoming messages	Yes
Sends the link only to followers	Not confirmed	Paid plansPro plan and up, Instagram only
Collects emails in the chat	YesCollects emails and phone numbers in chat, with a toggle in the comment-to-DM automation	Yes
AI-written replies	Paid plansManychat AI answers DMs and replies to positive comments from Pro, at $29 a month billed annually	Paid plansGrowth and Business plans
Product cards in the chat	Not confirmed	Yes
Links and selling
Link-in-bio page	Not confirmed	Yes
Sells digital products	Not confirmed	PartlyIndia only, through Razorpay
Platforms and plans
Works with Facebook Pages	YesFacebook Messenger is one of the channels you can connect on every plan	Yes
Works from ChatGPT or Claude (MCP)	Not confirmed	Yes
Free plan	YesFree plan with 25 active contacts and no credit card needed	Yes1 account, 100 people a month

Yes
Partly: with limits, see the note
Paid plans: not on the free plan
No
Not confirmed: their website didn’t say when we checked

The Manychat column comes from its own pages (listed under Sources), read on 6 October 2026. The DMFast column shows its current plans.

What Manychat does well, and its limits

Manychat

Best for: Creators, shops and agencies that want comment-to-DM and lead capture on Instagram and also message people on WhatsApp, TikTok, Messenger or Telegram from one tool.

Strengths

One account reaches Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS and email. DMFast works only with Instagram and Facebook.
Comment automations can post a public reply, rotate several wordings of it, and then send a private DM, using keyword include and exclude lists.
The free plan starts from 60+ ready-made templates for replying to comments, greeting new followers and sending links in DMs.
Pro and above add Manychat AI, which you teach about your business and tone of voice so it can answer FAQs in DMs and reply to positive comments.
Leads can be tagged and sent to tools such as Klaviyo and Mailchimp, and Live Chat lets a person take over from the automation.

Limits

Every plan caps active contacts each month: 25 on Free, 250 on Essential, 2,500 on Pro, 7,500 on Business and 25,000 on Advanced. Extra contacts are charged.
WhatsApp, SMS and email channels, Broadcasts and AI conversations all start on Pro; Free and Essential connect 2 channels from Instagram, TikTok, Messenger or Telegram.
On Free, “Powered by Manychat” appears on the first message to a contact, and live triggers stop at 4.
Its help page says the comments trigger runs only on a person’s first comment under a post, which it describes as a limit on Instagram’s side.
The pricing page text shows annual-billing prices only, excludes tax, and says the final price depends on your billing country.

Prices at the time of writing

Manychat

Free$0
25 active contacts, 2 channels, up to 4 live triggers, 1 user, no card needed. “Powered by Manychat” shows on a contact’s first message.
Essential$14/month, billed annually
$168 a year (18% off). 250 active contacts, 2 channels, unlimited automations, 2 users, no Manychat branding. 14-day free trial.
Pro$29/month, billed annually
$348 a year (25% off). 2,500 active contacts, 3 channels, Broadcasts, Manychat AI and 3 users. 14-day free trial.
Business$69/month, billed annually
$828 a year (30% off). 7,500 active contacts, unlimited channels, 5 users, a shared inbox with 3 seats and priority support.
Advanced$139/month, billed annually
$1,668 a year (30% off). 25,000 active contacts, unlimited channels, 10 users, a shared inbox with 5 seats and priority support.
Extra active contacts$0.0028 to $0.10 per extra contact
Per contact over the limit. Monthly billing: $0.10 Essential, $0.05 Pro, $0.025 Business, $0.004 Advanced; annual: $0.082, $0.038, $0.018, $0.0028.

As listed in Manychat’s own pages (see the sources below) on 6 October 2026, at the time of writing. Prices change, so check their pricing page (opens in a new tab) before you buy.

DMFastOurs

Free$0
1 account, 100 people a month, 10 emails
Pro$9/month
3 accounts, unlimited people and emails
Growth$14/month
3 accounts, unlimited people and emails, AI replies with 1,000 credits a month
Business$29/month
10 accounts, 5 seats, unlimited people and emails, AI replies with 2,500 credits a month
Extra AI credits$5 for 500
One-off pack on Growth and Business; packs never expire

Current prices in US dollars. Paid plans are monthly and can be cancelled any time.

When to stay with Manychat

Stay if your customers are not all on Instagram. One Manychat account reaches Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS and email. DMFast covers two of those, Instagram and Facebook, and nothing else.

You use its comment tools in full: a public reply that rotates between several wordings, then a private DM, with keyword include and exclude lists, for one post, all posts or the next one.
You like starting from templates. Free comes with 60+ ready-made ones for replying to comments, greeting new followers and sending links in DMs.
You want Manychat AI. From Pro you teach it about your business and tone of voice, and it answers FAQs in DMs and replies to positive comments.
Your leads move on to other tools. Contacts can be tagged and sent to Klaviyo or Mailchimp, and Live Chat lets a person take over from the automation.
You are testing with a small list. Free costs $0, needs no card and covers 25 active contacts.

When DMFast fits instead

DMFast publishes this page, so read this as our pitch. It fits when the work is Instagram and Facebook comments and DMs and you would rather pay one flat price than watch a contact count. Pro is $9 a month for 3 accounts with no cap on people or emails, and Growth, at $14, adds AI replies written only from the business details you give it.

Comment-to-DM on posts and Reels: a public reply under the comment, then a plain-text DM that asks the person to reply, with the link card, buttons or a product carousel following once they do.
Story replies and mentions on Instagram, keywords sent by DM such as PRICE or HOURS, and Facebook Pages through Messenger.
From Pro: “Only send to followers” on Instagram, one reminder for people who stop halfway, scheduled DMs, and replies to older comments, which must still fall within Meta’s 7-day limit.
Link and promo-spam comments are skipped, each person is answered once a day per auto-reply, and throwaway email addresses are rejected.
A link-in-bio page with tracked links, and an MCP server so you can work with DMFast from ChatGPT or Claude.

What stays with Manychat is everything outside Instagram and Facebook: WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and email.

How to switch from Manychat

List every automation: the post or Reel it watches, the trigger keywords and any exclude words, the wordings of the public reply, and each message in the DM.
Check where your leads went. Contacts already sent to Klaviyo or Mailchimp are there; save anything else you need before you cancel, in whatever form your plan allows.
Decide which channels move. If you still message people on WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS or email, keep Manychat for those and move only Instagram and Facebook.
Rebuild each automation in DMFast. Make the first DM plain text that asks for a reply, such as “Reply YES and I’ll send the guide”, and let the link card follow once they answer.
Turn the Manychat automation off on a post before its DMFast version goes live. Instagram allows one private reply per comment, within 7 days, so two tools on one post compete for it.
Test with a comment from a second account, then move the next post. Time the cancellation for the end of your paid period, since annual plans are billed once a year.

Tip: Past conversations stay in your Instagram inbox, and DMFast starts with no contacts. Under Meta’s 24-hour rule it can message someone only within 24 hours of their last message, so people you reached through Manychat become reachable again when they write or comment.

What it costs, side by side

At the time of writing (checked on 6 October 2026), Manychat’s pricing page shows annual-billing prices only, and they leave out tax. Contacts over a plan’s limit cost extra, from $0.0028 to $0.10 each. DMFast’s prices are monthly, in US dollars. The two meters differ, active contacts on one side and people reached on the other, so treat the table as a guide.

What you need	Manychat, billed annually	DMFast
A small test, no card	Free: 25 active contacts, 4 live triggers, “Powered by Manychat” on first messages	Free: 1 account, 100 people a month
Hundreds of people a month	Essential: $14 a month, 250 active contacts, no Manychat branding	Pro: $9 a month, 3 accounts, unlimited people and emails
AI answering DMs	Pro: $29 a month, 2,500 active contacts, Manychat AI, Broadcasts	Growth: $14 a month, 1,000 credits, one per AI reply
A team on one account	Business: $69 a month, 5 users, shared inbox with 3 seats	Business: $29 a month, 10 accounts, 5 seats
WhatsApp, SMS or email	From Pro, $29 a month billed annually	Not available

Over twelve months that is $168 for Manychat Essential, billed annually, against $108 for DMFast Pro, as long as you stay within Essential’s 250 active contacts. Beyond that the next plan up is Pro, at $348 a year. Business is $828 a year and Advanced $1,668.

Tip: Before you compare, check how Manychat counts an active contact on your plan, then count how many different people your automations reach in a busy month. That number, not your follower count, decides which row of the table you are in.

Questions people ask

Is Manychat free?

It has a free plan: 25 active contacts, 2 channels, up to 4 live triggers and 1 user, with no card needed. “Powered by Manychat” shows on a contact’s first message. The first paid plan, Essential, is $14 a month billed annually, with a 14-day free trial.

Which Manychat alternative works with WhatsApp?

SendPulse, Chatfuel and respond.io all list WhatsApp among their channels. DMFast does not: it works only with Instagram professional accounts and Facebook Pages, so keep a WhatsApp tool for that channel.

Does Manychat answer a second comment from the same person?

Not under the same post, according to its help page: the comments trigger runs only on a person’s first comment under a post, which Manychat describes as a limit on Instagram’s side. If repeat commenters matter to you, test any tool with a second account first.

Can I run Manychat and DMFast on the same account?

Not on the same post. Instagram allows one private reply per comment, so the two would compete for it. You can split the work, with DMFast on the posts and channels it covers and Manychat on the rest, such as WhatsApp or Telegram.

Does Manychat have AI replies?

Yes, from Pro. Manychat AI learns your business and tone of voice, answers FAQs in DMs and replies to positive comments. DMFast’s AI replies come with Growth and Business, use one credit per reply, and are written only from the business information you provide.

Sources

Manychat, checked 6 October 2026

SendPulse chatbots, checked 6 October 2026

Chatfuel, checked 6 October 2026

Zorcha, checked 6 October 2026

LinkDM, checked 6 October 2026

Reachlee, checked 6 October 2026

Reachlee home page, with plans and FAQ (opens in a new tab)

Prices and features change. If something here is out of date, the vendor’s own page is the one to trust.

Keep comparing

More alternatives

Try DMFast on your own posts

Set up a comment-to-DM reply in about two minutes and see how it runs on Instagram or Facebook. The free plan covers 1 account and 100 people a month, no card needed.

Start free