Chatfuel vs Chatrace (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Chatfuel: it is second in our ranking of SMS and chat marketing tools, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.2.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Chatfuel grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Chatfuel
AI chatbots for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook with a usage wallet
Chatrace
AI chatbot and inbox for Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp
Which one is for you
Pick Chatfuel if
- Fits if you want an AI agent answering Instagram and WhatsApp messages around the clock
- Works for agencies running chatbots for several clients from one wallet
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your bot is busy, as credits don't roll over and messages stop when the wallet hits zero
- Skip it if you rely on Zapier, which the help center says isn't supported though the pricing page names it
- Not for you if you like a long cooling-off period, as monthly plans are refunded only within 3 days
- Watch out: Meta's WhatsApp charges come out of your wallet at country rates, with no US figure given
- Tight if you need more than one bot, since Business S gives you 1 and agency plans start at $90 a month
Pick Chatrace if
- Fits if you want a chatbot on Instagram and Messenger as well as WhatsApp
- Works for agencies wanting a whitelabel offer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 7-day trial is offered
- Pricey if your list passes 3,000 contacts, as the page gives no further steps
- Watch out: Meta's WhatsApp fees are on top and not listed
- Watch out: whitelabel shows 499 with no billing period
- Skip it if you want a native app, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAChatfuelGood | 2.2GPAChatraceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBusiness S is $18 a month billed yearly ($20 monthly), with unlimited contacts and teammates and $20 of credits a month. That's the cheaper quarter of this category. Sizes run up to XXL at $366.67 a month billed yearly. Meta's WhatsApp charges come out of the wallet at its own rates, with no US figure given. | C$39 a month for 3,000 contacts, just above the $36 chat-tools middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 7-day trial with full access, $15 in credits and no credit card. Enough to set up the AI agent and watch it answer. | CA 7-day trial with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | BThe whole chat-marketing job: an AI agent that answers and qualifies leads, Instagram and Facebook comment auto-replies, WhatsApp broadcasts, bookings and payments in the chat, a shared inbox and a simple CRM. Business S gives you 1 bot. | CAI agents, flow builder, inbox, comment automation, broadcasts and whitelabel. Anything over 3,000 contacts is by conversation. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You'll connect each channel, feed the AI agent your knowledge base and keep an eye on the wallet, since heavy AI use can pause the bot. | CNo store rating on record. You build flows and connect channels. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns on the web, with Google Sheets, Stripe, Meta Pixel, a JSON API and an MCP server for AI assistants. Thin on ready-made integrations, though: the help center says Zapier isn't supported. No apps. | BWeb with Messenger, Instagram and the WhatsApp Business API. No apps are listed. |
| Best for | AI chatbots for WhatsApp and Instagram on a budget | chatbots across WhatsApp and Messenger |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Chatfuel and Chatrace. How we grade
Price against what you get
Chatfuel starts at $18 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Chatrace starts at $39 a month and scores 2.3.
Chatfuel scores higher and starts $21 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Chatfuel for less, and 4 score higher than Chatrace for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Chatfuel also covers live chat.
- Chatrace also covers shared inbox, no-code and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| Chatfuel | Chatrace | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $18 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | $39 per month for up to 3,000 contacts |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with full access and $15 in credits, no credit card required | 7-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Chatfuel | Chatrace LTD |
| Price read from | chatfuel.com | chatrace.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Chatfuel
- Meta's WhatsApp charges, including service replies since 1 October 2026, come out of the wallet at Meta's rates by country; no US figure is given.
- Plan credits do not roll over, and messages stop when the wallet reaches zero unless auto top-up is on; heavy AI use can pause the bot until the limit resets.
- Refunds are given only if you cancel within 3 days on monthly billing or 30 days on annual billing.
- The pricing page names Zapier among integrations, but the help center says Zapier is not supported; other tools connect through the JSON API.
Chatrace
- The listed Pro price covers up to 3,000 contacts per account; larger lists need a conversation with the vendor, as the page shows no further steps.
- Pricing is per account (chatbot); one account can have several channels and unlimited accounts can be created.
- The whitelabel offer shows 499 with 50 client accounts and 500,000 contacts, but the page text gives no billing period.
- WhatsApp message fees charged by Meta are not part of the plan price, and the page does not list them.
Key features
Chatfuel
- AI agent
- Replies from your knowledge base and instructions, qualifies and scores leads, follows up and hands a chat to a person when needed.
- Instagram and Facebook automation
- Automatic replies to post and Reels comments, story replies and keyword triggers, which lead people into a chat.
- WhatsApp broadcasts
- Bulk WhatsApp campaigns to segments, with click-to-chat ads and conversions sent back to Meta Pixel.
- Bookings and sales in chat
- Books meetings inside WhatsApp, shows a product catalog, takes orders and collects payments in the conversation.
- Shared inbox and CRM
- Teammates take over live conversations, and leads are tracked in a built-in CRM with unlimited contacts.
- JSON API and MCP
- A JSON API plugin connects bots to outside systems, and an MCP server lets AI assistants such as Claude run your bots.
Chatrace
- AI agents
- Agents trained on your files and business data answer support questions, qualify leads and handle sales questions. The vendor says no separate OpenAI account is needed.
- Drag-and-drop flow builder
- Build conversation flows without code and install them as templates in other accounts.
- Omnichannel inbox
- One team inbox for Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp conversations, with human takeover from the bot.
- Comment and story automation
- Reply automatically to Facebook and Instagram comments and to Instagram story mentions.
- WhatsApp broadcasts
- Send campaigns and updates through the official WhatsApp Business API.
- Whitelabel for agencies
- A separate whitelabel offer lets an agency use its own domain, name and logo and set its own prices for clients.
Plans
Chatfuel
Business S$18
per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
1 bot, every channel, unlimited contacts and teammates, and $20 of credits a month. Larger sizes run up to Business XXL at $366.67 a month, billed yearly, with $500 of credits.
Agency S$90
per month for up to 3 companies, billed annually ($100 monthly)
$100 of credits a month, an agency dashboard and an account manager. Larger agency tiers in the help center run up to $2,050 a month.
Chatrace
Pro$39
per month for up to 3,000 contacts
AI agents, omnichannel inbox with human takeover, CRM and sales pipelines, unlimited team members and all integrations. Price rises with contacts beyond 3,000.
Ways to pay less
Chatfuel
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
Chatfuel's pricing page takes 10% off for yearly billing: Business is $216 a year, against $20 a month billed monthly.
Chatrace
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Chatfuel or Chatrace?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Chatfuel is cheaper to start with: $18 a month, against $39 a month for Chatrace. Chatfuel starts at $18 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly), and Chatrace starts at $39 per month for up to 3,000 contacts.
Which has a free plan, Chatfuel or Chatrace?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Chatfuel nor Chatrace has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.