ChatMaxima vs Manychat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ChatMaxima and Manychat share a 2.4 GPA, and only Manychat has a free plan.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ChatMaxima
Omnichannel chat inbox with AI chatbots across WhatsApp, SMS and web
Manychat
Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger DM automation for creators and shops
Which one is for you
Pick ChatMaxima if
- Fits if you want WhatsApp and other chats in one inbox
- Works for agencies that want workspaces, on the higher plans
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have 4 or more people: Starter allows 3, and extras are $6 a month
- Tight if you want the API: it isn't on Starter
- Watch out: white-labeling is Ultra only, at $499, with a setup cost quoted on request
- Watch out: each extra 10,000 messages is $10
Pick Manychat if
- Fits if you post on Instagram and want a link sent to everyone who comments a keyword
- Works for creators collecting emails and phone numbers from their followers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to know what 1,000 contacts will cost before signing up, as the limits weren't readable on Manychat's pages
- Not for you if your customers expect plain texts, as SMS isn't one of its channels
- Tight if WhatsApp is your main channel, as Meta's per-message charges come on top of the plan
- Too light for broadcasts or linking other tools, as the listing shows no broadcasts and names no integrations
- Watch out: the App Store lists only Essential and Pro, and prices on the web may differ
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAChatMaximaFair | 2.4GPAManychatFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$19 a month is inside the cheaper quarter of the category, and each plan is shown against a higher crossed-out price. | BEssential is $169 a year as a US App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly), which sits in the cheaper quarter of this category. The catch: the App Store doesn't say how many contacts that covers, so we can't confirm it stretches to 1,000 customers, and Meta's WhatsApp charges come on top. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial with no card, and no free plan. | CThere's a free plan you can start with just a social handle or an email. But its contact and feature limits sit on a pricing page that turned automated readers away, so we can't say how far it gets you, and we won't credit it for more than that. |
| Features | CInbox, chatbots, broadcasts and drips across channels, with the API missing from Starter. | CComment and story auto-replies, keyword triggers that drop links and codes into DMs, lead capture in the chat and one inbox for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram. But the listing shows no broadcasts and no integrations, so it's the DM slice of this job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and chatbots and channels need setting up. | C4.3 from 2,142 App Store ratings, too few ratings for a 4.3 to earn a B. Prebuilt automations exist, but you still hook each one up to the right post, story or keyword. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a REST API and 8 integrations; no desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, so you can answer DMs from your phone with push alerts. No desktop app, which an A needs, and the listing names no integrations at all. |
| Best for | an inbox across WhatsApp, Instagram and more | auto-replies to Instagram comments and DMs |
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: ChatMaxima and Manychat. How we grade
Price against what you get
ChatMaxima starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Manychat starts at $14.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Manychat starts $4.92 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 2 score higher than ChatMaxima for less, and 1 scores higher than Manychat 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
- ChatMaxima also covers shared inbox and sMS marketing.
- Manychat also covers marketing automation.
At a glance
| ChatMaxima | Manychat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month, billed monthly ($99 per year if billed yearly) | $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | You can start free with a social handle or email; the free plan's limits are on Manychat's pricing page, which could not be read. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ChatMaxima | Manychat, Inc. |
| Price read from | chatmaxima.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ChatMaxima
- Starter caps each channel at 1 account per workspace, 3 team members and 10,000 messages a month.
- Extra members cost $6 a month each, extra accounts $6, extra workspaces $19 and each additional 10,000 messages $10.
- The API is not on Starter. White-labeling is Ultra only, with a separate one-time setup cost quoted on request.
- The pricing page shows each plan against a higher crossed-out price; the lower price is what is charged.
Manychat
- Manychat's web pricing page and help center turned away automated readers, so plan limits and web prices could not be checked; App Store prices may differ.
- WhatsApp messages carry Meta's per-message charges on top of the plan; Manychat's own figures could not be read.
- The App Store listing names only Essential and Pro as purchases; contact allowances and any larger plans are not shown there.
Key features
ChatMaxima
- Unified team inbox
- Handle WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Messenger, Telegram, email, SMS and website chat in one inbox, with a mobile app.
- AI chatbots and assistants
- MaxIA bots can be trained on a website, documents, Q&A and a knowledge base, with human takeover and a choice of AI model providers.
- Drag-and-drop automation
- A visual builder sets up chatbot flows and workflow automations without code.
- Broadcasts and drip campaigns
- Schedule broadcast messages and drip campaigns to segmented contact lists, with campaign analytics.
- Agency features
- Pro and above add multiple workspaces for clients and a branded chat widget; Ultra adds full platform white-labeling.
- REST API and integrations
- Developer API access on Pro and above, plus HubSpot, HighLevel, Zoho Recruit, WooCommerce, Google Sheets, Zapier and others.
Manychat
- Comment and story auto-replies
- Prebuilt automations that answer post comments, Reels replies, story mentions and DMs, so engagement turns into a conversation.
- One inbox for social DMs
- Messages from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram in one live chat, where replies can be assigned to teammates.
- Lead capture in chat
- Flows that ask for emails, phone numbers or other details inside the conversation and store them on the contact.
- Links, codes and offers
- Automations that drop affiliate links, discount codes and freebies into a DM when someone comments or replies.
- Mobile apps with tracking
- iOS and Android apps for replying on the go, with push notifications, message templates and click, open and conversion stats.
Plans
ChatMaxima
Starter$19
per month, billed monthly ($99 a year if billed yearly)
1 workspace, 3 team members, 10,000 messages a month and all channels. Shown as $30 crossed out.
Pro$99
per month, billed monthly ($499 a year if billed yearly)
5 workspaces, 15 team members, 50,000 messages a month, branded widget and API access. Shown as $150 crossed out.
Max$299
per month, billed monthly ($1,499 a year if billed yearly)
Unlimited workspaces and members, 100,000 messages a month. Shown as $600 crossed out.
Ultra$499
per month, billed monthly ($2,499 a year if billed yearly)
Adds full platform white-labeling and 200,000 messages a month. Shown as $1000 crossed out.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom volume, dedicated deployment, SSO, priority support and a 99.9% uptime SLA; quoted by sales.
Manychat
Free$0
Start free with a social handle or email. Its contact and feature limits could not be read on Manychat's own pages.
Essential$169
per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly)
Price as listed for the in-app purchase in the US App Store. Contact limits are not shown there.
Pro$349
per year as an App Store purchase ($39 billed monthly)
Price as listed for the in-app purchase in the US App Store. Contact limits are not shown there.
Ways to pay less
ChatMaxima
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs less than twelve months
The pricing page shows Starter at $99 a year against $19 a month, and labels the yearly plans as saving 57 to 58%.
Manychat
- Annual discount
Yearly plans cost less than 12 monthly payments
In the US App Store, Essential is $169 a year against $17 a month and Pro $349 a year against $39 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ChatMaxima or Manychat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Manychat is cheaper to start with: $14.08 a month when paid by the year, against $19 a month for ChatMaxima. ChatMaxima starts at $19 per month, billed monthly ($99 per year if billed yearly), and Manychat starts at $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, ChatMaxima or Manychat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Manychat has a free plan. ChatMaxima does not, though it has 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.