Live Chat · head to head
Freshchat vs ManyChat
ManyChat
Live Chat
Chatbot and automation platform for Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting; ManyChat pro plan pricing scales quickly with contact count, becoming expensive for large audiences.
- They diverge on capability: Freshchat covers Live chat, ManyChat covers Visual Flow Builder.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Freshchat and ManyChat actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Freshchat
- Live chat
- Chatbots
- Campaigns
- Apple Business Chat
- Freshdesk
- Freshsales
Only in ManyChat
- Visual Flow Builder
- Instagram Automation
- WhatsApp Automation
- SMS Marketing
- Broadcast Campaigns
- E-commerce Integrations
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Freshchat
- Live chat on a website or in an appnot ManyChat
- Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot ManyChat
- Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot ManyChat
- Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot ManyChat
ManyChat
- Automating Instagram DM and comment repliesnot Freshchat
- Lead generation via chat funnelsnot Freshchat
- WhatsApp order updates and broadcastsnot Freshchat
- E-commerce cart recovery via chatnot Freshchat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Freshchat
- The free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
- Reporting and social channels need Growth at $19 per agent per month billed annually
- Intelligent routing, multilingual support and custom dashboards require Pro at $49 per agent per month
- Skill-based routing, audit logs and IP whitelisting are Enterprise only at $79 per agent per month
- Freddy AI is charged on top of the seat price, at $49 per 100 agent sessions and $29 per agent per month for Copilot
ManyChat
- Pro plan pricing scales quickly with contact count, becoming expensive for large audiences.
- WhatsApp automation requires a connected WhatsApp Business API number with separate messaging costs.
- The free plan has restrictive contact and feature limits compared to paid competitors.
- Advanced flow logic can become difficult to manage for very complex automation sequences.
Pricing, plan by plan
Freshchat
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10 agents
- Chat widget for web and mobile
- Shared inbox
- Growth$19/month
- Per agent, billed annually
- Social media messengers, SMS/text messaging
- Reporting and analytics
- Pro$49/month
- Per agent, billed annually (marked Most Popular)
- Multilingual conversations
- Custom dashboards, intelligent routing
- Enterprise$79/month
- Per agent, billed annually
- Skill-based routing, audit logs
- JWT authentication, IP whitelisting
ManyChat
Free- Free$undefined/month
- Limited contacts
- Core automation features
- Basic channels
- Pro$15/month
- Higher contact limits
- All channels
- Broadcast messaging
Which should you pick?
Choose Freshchat if
- You need live chat.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want chatbots.
Choose ManyChat if
- You need visual flow builder.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android.
- You also want instagram automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Freshchat or ManyChat better?
- Neither clearly leads. Freshchat starts at Free and ManyChat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Freshchat or ManyChat?
- Freshchat starts at Free and ManyChat at Free.
- Does Freshchat or ManyChat run on more platforms?
- Freshchat runs on Web, Ios, Android. ManyChat runs on web, ios, android.
- Can I use Freshchat for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Freshchat best used for?
- Freshchat is most often used for live chat on a website or in an app, shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers, chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agent, routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiers. Of those, live chat on a website or in an app and shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers are not what ManyChat is typically brought in for.
- What can Freshchat do that ManyChat cannot?
- Freshchat covers Live chat, Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp. ManyChat covers Visual Flow Builder, Instagram Automation, WhatsApp Automation, SMS Marketing.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Freshchat: What is the cost of Freshchat's Growth plan?
Growth plan costs $19 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes social media messengers, SMS/text messaging, and reporting. AI agent features are available as an add-on at $49 per 100 sessions.
SourceManyChat: How much does Manychat cost?
Manychat offers a free plan at $0/month and Pro plan starting at $15/month. Pro plan pricing scales with number of contacts. Elite tier offers custom pricing. Free plan allows automation for up to 1,000 contacts.
SourceFreshchat: Does Freshchat offer a free trial?
Yes. Freshchat provides a 14-day free trial with full Enterprise plan access. After trial expiration, the Free plan supports up to 10 agents at $0/month, with no cancellation fees.
SourceManyChat: What channels does Manychat support?
Free plan supports Instagram Direct Messages and Facebook Messenger. Pro and Elite plans add WhatsApp, SMS text messaging, and email. All channels allow unlimited custom automation flows once contacts are engaged.
SourceFreshchat: How much does Freshchat's Pro plan cost?
The Pro plan (marked Most Popular) costs $49 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes multilingual conversations, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, and multiple SLA policies. AI Copilot is available as an add-on at $29/agent/month.
SourceManyChat: How does Manychat AI pricing work?
Manychat AI features including Intention Recognition, AI Steps, Text Improver, and Flow Builder Assistant are available in Pro and Elite plans at no extra cost. Pro plan includes monthly Chaos AI credits for AI-powered features.
SourceManyChat: Can I cancel my Manychat subscription anytime?
Yes, Manychat allows cancellation of payment plans at any time. No long-term contract is required. Standard payment methods including credit cards are accepted.
SourceRelated pages
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