On 2 March 2026 ManyChat introduced a new pricing model. If you signed up recently, or you are comparing ManyChat with other tools, the plans you see now are very different from the "$15 a month" many older tutorials mention. Here is what changed, in plain words.
Sources: ManyChat's Help Center plan pages (updated August 2026) and its pricing page, checked in October 2026. ManyChat says prices depend on billing country and exclude tax. Always check the current page before buying.
The short version
- Before: you paid by the total size of your contact list. Pro started at $15 a month for a small list, and the free plan allowed up to 1,000 contacts.
- Now: you pay by active contacts, the people who interact with your automations in a month. The free plan covers 25 active contacts, and there are four paid plans: Essential, Pro, Business and Advanced.
- According to ManyChat's Help Center, the new model is the default for accounts created on or after 2 March 2026.
Old plans vs new plans
| Old model (before March 2026) | New model (from 2 March 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| How you are billed | Total contacts in your list | Active contacts each month |
| Free plan | Up to 1,000 contacts | 25 active contacts a month, up to 4 live automations |
| Entry paid plan | Pro from $15 a month | Essential, $14 a month billed yearly or $17 monthly, 250 active contacts |
| Main paid plan | Pro, price rising with list size | Pro, $29 a month billed yearly or $39 monthly, 2,500 active contacts |
| Bigger plans | Premium, custom price | Business ($69 yearly / $99 monthly, 7,500 active contacts) and Advanced ($139 yearly / $199 monthly, 25,000 active contacts) |
| Going over the limit | Move up a contact tier | Pay per extra active contact (overage) |
What an "active contact" means for comment-to-DM
With comment-to-DM, every person who comments your keyword and gets a DM is an active contact for that month. So the number that drives your bill is how many people respond to your posts, not how many followers you have.
That is fair for steady accounts. It becomes expensive in the month a reel goes viral, because a viral reel can bring thousands of commenters in a few days. More: ManyChat active contacts explained.
Worked examples (Pro, billed yearly)
These use ManyChat's published Pro rates: $29 a month for 2,500 active contacts, then $0.038 per extra contact. Before tax.
| Commenters in the month | Included | Extra contacts | Overage | Month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 | 1,500 | 0 | $0 | $29 |
| 2,500 | 2,500 | 0 | $0 | $29 |
| 6,000 | 2,500 | 3,500 | $133 | $162 |
| 12,000 | 2,500 | 9,500 | $361 | $390 |
On monthly billing the plan is $39 and overage is $0.05 per contact, so the same 6,000-commenter month comes to $39 + $175 = $214. ManyChat says you get notified at 70%, 90% and 100% of your allowance and can set an overage limit, so check that setting when you start.
In rupees, the 6,000-commenter month on yearly Pro is roughly ₹14,000 before tax, depending on the exchange rate. See ManyChat pricing in India for the rupee view.
Other changes worth knowing
- Channels are now per plan. Essential lets you pick up to 2 channels, Pro up to 3, Business and Advanced all. The Help Center's Essential list names TikTok, Messenger and Telegram, and does not mention Instagram, while Pro and above list it clearly. Instagram users should confirm on the pricing page that their plan includes Instagram before buying.
- Free trials. Essential and Pro have a 14-day free trial; Business and Advanced do not.
- Inbox seats. Extra inbox seats are $25 each on Pro and above.
- AI included. AI features are part of Pro and above, with no separate add-on.
Who is affected most
- New accounts: you are on the new model from the start.
- Creators with occasional viral reels: your bill moves with your best month.
- Small sellers testing the free plan: 25 active contacts runs out with one busy post. See ManyChat free plan limits.
If you are on an older ManyChat account, check your billing page in ManyChat to see which model applies to you.
What to do now
- Look at your last three months: how many people commented your keywords each month?
- Put your busiest month into the table above.
- Compare that with a flat-priced tool on the same numbers. See per-contact vs flat pricing.
If your bill swings a lot, a flat rupee plan can be easier to budget. DM Flow, for example, has no contact limit: Growth is ₹999 a month and Pro ₹1,299 a month for 3 Instagram accounts. Compare honestly: ManyChat vs DM Flow, ManyChat alternatives for India and the full ManyChat guide.
Frequently asked questions
When did ManyChat change its pricing?
ManyChat's Help Center says the new pricing model began on 2 March 2026 and is the default for accounts created on or after that date.
Is ManyChat still free?
Yes, there is a free plan, now with 25 active contacts a month and up to 4 live automations.
How much is ManyChat Pro now?
$29 a month billed yearly or $39 a month billed monthly, for up to 2,500 active contacts, before tax. Extra contacts cost $0.038 (yearly) or $0.05 (monthly) each.
Did ManyChat get more expensive?
It depends on your account. With a large contact list but few people messaging each month, active-contact pricing can cost less. With many new commenters each month, as with viral reels, it can cost more.
Is there an overage cap?
ManyChat says you can set an overage limit and that it notifies you at 70%, 90% and 100% of your allowance.
Is DM Flow part of ManyChat?
No. DM Flow is an independent Indian product. ManyChat is a trademark of its owner and is named here only for comparison.