Manychat vs Zoko (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Manychat grades higher than Zoko: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Manychat grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
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
Zoko
WhatsApp inbox, campaigns and AI agents for Shopify stores
Which one is for you
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
Pick Zoko if
- Fits if your customers are on WhatsApp and your store is on Shopify
- Works for stores that want broadcasts and click-to-WhatsApp ads
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your store isn't on Shopify
- Pricey if you add flows, Instagram or AI agents, which are all separate charges
- Watch out: WhatsApp message fees go to Meta and aren't in the plan price
- Tight if you want to try it for longer than 7 days
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAManychatFair | 1.8GPAZokoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$49.99 a month, with per-conversation fees on top and WhatsApp fees paid to Meta. That sits in the dearer quarter ($49) of the category, not past it. |
| 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. | D7-day free trial with no contracts. The page doesn't say whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. |
| 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. | CInbox, broadcasts, ad links and flows on every plan. But custom flows are $5.99 each a month, Instagram is $9.99, and AI agents are $24.99 plus per-resolution fees. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. A web dashboard tied to your Shopify store, with flows to build. |
| 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. | CWeb only, with Shopify and Judge.me. No separate apps, and the listing names just two integrations. |
| Best for | auto-replies to Instagram comments and DMs | WhatsApp for Shopify stores |
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 Zoko. How we grade
Price against what you get
Manychat starts at $14.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoko starts at $49.99 a month and scores 2.0.
Manychat scores higher and starts $35.91 a month lower. Of the other SMS and chat marketing tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Manychat for less, and 14 score higher than Zoko 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
- Manychat also covers marketing automation and live chat.
- Zoko also covers shared inbox, workflow automation, AI agents and online store.
At a glance
| Manychat | Zoko | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly) | $49.99 per month, plus WhatsApp fees paid to Meta |
| 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, no contracts |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Manychat, Inc. | Zoko |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | zoko.io |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Zoko
- WhatsApp message fees are paid directly to Meta at its rate card and are not in the Zoko plan prices.
- Instagram adds $9.99 a month, while Facebook Messenger has no platform fee.
- Custom flows cost $5.99 a month each, and AI agents cost $24.99 a month plus per-resolution fees, with the first 100 resolutions free.
- Zoko is built around Shopify, and the pages read show a web dashboard only, with no separate apps.
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.
Zoko
- Shared WhatsApp inbox
- A team inbox with auto-distributed chats, custom inboxes, quick replies, business hours and welcome and away messages.
- Broadcasts and ads
- Bulk WhatsApp broadcasts go to tagged customer segments, and click-to-WhatsApp ads send shoppers into a chat.
- Automation flows
- Eleven pre-built ecommerce flows, such as abandoned checkout recovery and COD confirmation, are free; custom flows cost $5.99 a month each.
- AI agents
- Optional agents answer FAQs, track orders from store data or take orders in chat, at $24.99 a month plus a per-resolution or per-order charge.
- Catalog, calling and API
- A Shopify catalog syncs into WhatsApp, WhatsApp calling is listed, and the API and webhooks come with 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.
Zoko
Starter$49.99
per month, plus $0.015 per conversation
Unlimited agents with no agent fees. Every feature is included on every plan.
Plus$79.99
per month, with 5K conversations at no markup
Then $0.00199 per conversation. The first 5 agents are free, then $15 per agent.
Elite$139.99
per month, with 100K conversations at no markup
Then $0.00099 per conversation. The first 10 agents are free, then $12 per agent.
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.
Zoko
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Manychat or Zoko?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Manychat is cheaper to start with: $14.08 a month when paid by the year, against $49.99 a month for Zoko. Manychat starts at $169 per year as an App Store purchase ($17 billed monthly), and Zoko starts at $49.99 per month, plus WhatsApp fees paid to Meta.
Which has a free plan, Manychat or Zoko?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Manychat has a free plan. Zoko does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Manychat and Zoko run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Manychat lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.