Manychat vs respond.io
We give Manychat a 2.4 GPA and respond.io a 2.6, out of 4.0. respond.io grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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.
Manychat
Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger DM automation for creators and shops
respond.io
Team inbox for WhatsApp, social chats, email and calls with AI agents
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAManychatFair | 2.6GPArespond.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BStarter is $79 a month for up to 5 users billed annually ($99 monthly), so a team of five pays a price per head inside the cheaper quarter of help desks. One person pays the whole $79. Workflows, AI agents and the API start on Growth at $159, and Meta's WhatsApp fees come on top. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CNo free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, with no credit card needed. A week is short, but it's enough to plug in WhatsApp and see how the inbox feels. |
| Features | 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. | BThe whole job, with more channels than most: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, chat, email and SMS in one inbox, calls in the same thread, AI agents, workflows, broadcasts and lifecycle stages. Starter leaves the automation out. |
| Ease of use | C4.3 from 2,142 App Store ratings, which is fine but not great. The prebuilt automations help, though you still have to hook each one up to the right post, story or keyword. | CNo App Store rating on record. Each channel needs connecting, WhatsApp included, then there are workflows, AI agents and lifecycle stages to set up, and a contact tier to keep an eye on. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with the full inbox on every plan, plus HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Shopify, Zapier, Make, Calendly and Google Sheets, and a developer API from Growth. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | auto-replies to Instagram comments and DMs | support and sales over WhatsApp and social chat |
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: Manychat and respond.io. How we grade
Where they differ
- Manychat starts at $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
- Manychat has a free plan. respond.io does not, though it has a free trial.
- Manychat also covers marketing automation, whatsApp messaging and chatbots.
- respond.io also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and AI support agent.
At a glance
| Manychat | respond.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly) | $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Growth for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Manychat, Inc. | Rocketbots Limited (respond.io) |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | respond.io |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Manychat
- Creators who send links or freebies when followers comment a keyword
- Small shops answering Instagram and WhatsApp DMs from one inbox
- Marketers collecting emails and phone numbers from social traffic
respond.io
- Consumer businesses that sell and support customers over WhatsApp
- Teams handling leads from Meta and TikTok ads in chat
- Field or hybrid teams who answer chats and calls from their phones
Worth knowing
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.
respond.io
- WhatsApp fees are charged by Meta on top of the plan, and SMS and VoIP are billed at the provider's rates.
- Contacts past the tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced; extra AI credits are $15 per 1,000.
- Extra users cost $12, $20 and $24 a month on Starter, Growth and Advanced billed yearly ($15, $25 and $30 monthly).
- Starter has no broadcasts, workflows, AI agents or developer API; those start on Growth.
Key features
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.
respond.io
- One inbox for messaging channels
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, WeChat, a website chat widget, email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, SMTP) and SMS through providers, in one shared inbox.
- Calls in the same thread
- WhatsApp Business calls, Messenger calls and VoIP calls sit beside the chats with that contact; recording, transcripts and summaries come from Growth.
- AI agents
- From Growth, AI agents answer questions, qualify leads, follow up and route conversations to people, drawing on AI credits that grow with the contact tier.
- Workflows and broadcasts
- Automations for routing, assignment and follow-ups, and bulk messages to segments of contacts, both from the Growth plan.
- Lifecycle stages and CRM sync
- Track each contact through lifecycle stages; HubSpot sync starts on Growth and Salesforce on Advanced.
- Native mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps with the full inbox, calls, assignments and team activity, included on every plan.
Plans
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.
respond.io
Starter$79
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Team and custom inboxes, mobile app, AI Assist and prompts, basic reports and 2FA. The comparison table shows unlimited monthly active contacts and 5,000 AI credits.
Growth$159
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($199 monthly)
10 users. Adds broadcasts, workflows, AI agents, advanced reports, Zapier and Make, and the developer API. The price rises with the contact tier you pick.
Advanced$279
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($349 monthly)
10 users. Adds masked phone numbers and emails, multiple workspaces, webhooks, HTTP requests, SSO and custom channels. Sold through sales; price rises with contacts.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, more workspaces, higher API rate limits and a custom contact allowance. Priced on request.
Ways to pay less
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.
respond.io
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with yearly billing
respond.io's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 20%: Starter is $948 a year against $1,188 billed monthly, Growth $1,908 against $2,388.
