Software · head to head
ManyChat vs LiveChat
ManyChat
Software
Chatbot and automation platform for Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ManyChat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: ManyChat pro plan pricing scales quickly with contact count, becoming expensive for large audiences.; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
- They diverge on capability: ManyChat covers Visual Flow Builder, LiveChat covers Live chat.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ManyChat and LiveChat actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 ManyChat
- Visual Flow Builder
- Instagram Automation
- WhatsApp Automation
- SMS Marketing
- Broadcast Campaigns
- E-commerce Integrations
Only in LiveChat
- Live chat
- Ticketing
- Chat routing
- Analytics
- Canned responses
- File sharing
- Shopify
- WordPress
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ManyChat
- Automating Instagram DM and comment repliesnot LiveChat
- Lead generation via chat funnelsnot LiveChat
- WhatsApp order updates and broadcastsnot LiveChat
- E-commerce cart recovery via chatnot LiveChat
LiveChat
- Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot ManyChat
- Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot ManyChat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
LiveChat
- The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
- Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
- AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
- Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
- SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only
Pricing, plan by plan
ManyChat
Free- Free$undefined/month
- Limited contacts
- Core automation features
- Basic channels
- Pro$15/month
- Higher contact limits
- All channels
- Broadcast messaging
LiveChat
$20/month- Starter$20/month
- 60-day chat history
- Basic customization
- Ticketing system
- Team$41/month
- Unlimited history
- Advanced reporting
- Branding removal
- Business$59/month
- Staffing prediction
- Work scheduler
- Apple Business Chat
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Dedicated account manager
- Product training
- SSO
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose LiveChat if
- You need live chat.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- You also want ticketing.
Questions people ask
- Is ManyChat or LiveChat better?
- Neither clearly leads. ManyChat starts at Free and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ManyChat or LiveChat?
- ManyChat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ManyChat and $20/month for LiveChat.
- Does ManyChat or LiveChat run on more platforms?
- ManyChat runs on web, ios, android. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- Can I use ManyChat for free?
- Yes. ManyChat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
- What is ManyChat best used for?
- ManyChat is most often used for automating instagram dm and comment replies, lead generation via chat funnels, whatsapp order updates and broadcasts, e-commerce cart recovery via chat. Of those, automating instagram dm and comment replies and lead generation via chat funnels are not what LiveChat is typically brought in for.
- What can ManyChat do that LiveChat cannot?
- ManyChat covers Visual Flow Builder, Instagram Automation, WhatsApp Automation, SMS Marketing. LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics.
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