ManyChat free plan limits · 2026
ManyChat's free plan.25 people a month.
Yes, ManyChat is still free. Since March 2026 the Free plan covers 25 active contacts a month, up to 4 live automations and any 2 of Instagram, TikTok, Messenger and Telegram. That is 25 different people a month, so one reel with a comment keyword can use it up.
Updated
ManyChat FreeNov 2026
- Price
- $0, no card
- Active contacts
- 25 a month
- Live automations
- Up to 4
- Channels
- Any 2 of 4
- Users
- 1
- Overage
- None
Channels: Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram. No WhatsApp, SMS or email.
What the ManyChat free plan includes in 2026
What you getfor ₹0.
Everything here is from ManyChat's Free plan help article (updated 27 August 2026) and its pricing page.
- 25 active contacts a month. A person counts once a month however many messages you swap. The count resets each billing cycle. Full rules on ManyChat active contacts explained.
- Up to 4 live automations at a time. For example a comment-to-DM on a reel, a welcome DM for new followers, a Story reply and a DM keyword.
- Any 2 channels out of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger and Telegram. WhatsApp, SMS and email are not on Free.
- 1 user and 1 inbox seat, with the ManyChat mobile app.
- Links, PDFs and images in DMs, public replies under comments, keyword triggers and tags.
- ManyChat branding. A “Powered by Manychat” message appears the first time you message each contact.
- Self-serve support: help centre, AI chat and the community. Email support starts on Essential.
- No card to sign up.
ManyChat is open about what this plan is for. Its August 2026 pricing explainer says the new Free plan is built for testing and getting comfortable with automation, not for ongoing business use: “It's a trial tier, and we want to be upfront about that.”
ManyChat free plan vs Essential
What's lockedon Free.
The features that matter for Instagram comment-to-DM, Free against the cheapest paid plan.
| Feature | Free | Essential |
|---|---|---|
| Active contacts a month | 25 | 250, then $0.10 each |
| Live automations | Up to 4 | Unlimited |
| Comment to DM, with a public reply | Yes, within the 4 | Yes |
| Follow to DM, Story replies, Live comments, keywords | Yes | Yes |
| Links, PDFs and images in DMs | Yes | Yes |
| Follower check (follow to get the link) | No | Yes |
| Collect emails and phone numbers in DMs | No | Yes |
| Conditions, actions and A/B randomizer | No | Yes |
| Start DMs from Meta or TikTok ads | No | Yes |
| “Powered by Manychat” message | Shown the first time you message someone | Removed |
| Users and inbox seats | 1 user, 1 seat | 2 users, 1 seat |
| Channels | Any 2: Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram | Same 2 of 4 |
| Google Sheets | No | Yes |
| Support | Help centre, AI chat, community | Adds email support |
From ManyChat's pricing page comparison table and Free plan help article, checked November 2026. ManyChat AI, broadcasts, WhatsApp, Zapier and the API start on Pro. ManyChat is a trademark of its owner; DMpop is not affiliated with it.
The one that hurts most for creators is the follower check. “Follow me and comment GUIDE” is a common reel format, and on ManyChat Free you can't check the follow before sending the link. Essential costs $17 a month (about ₹1,615 at ₹95 to the dollar, before bank charges), or $14 a month billed yearly. What Essential adds, and when Pro is the better buy, is on ManyChat Essential vs Pro. Every plan in rupees is on ManyChat price in India.
What happens when you hit 25 active contacts
Contact 26.Then what?
Paid plans keep running and charge overage. Free has no overage, so it works differently.
No overage on Free
ManyChat's pricing page lists the overage rate for Free as “N/A”, and the Active Contacts article gives overage rates only for paid plans. So there is no way to pay for a 26th person while staying on Free.
Automations may stop for new people
ManyChat doesn't spell out exactly what the Free plan does at the limit. When a Free user asked in March 2026 whether their comment-to-DM would only work for 25 people, a ManyChat community moderator replied that the limit is 25 active contacts per billing cycle and that automations may stop right after that number is reached (ManyChat community). On paid plans with a cap, ManyChat says automations keep running only for people already active that cycle. Expect new commenters to stop getting your DM until the count resets, and test it before you build a launch on Free.
Ordinary DMs use it up too
The same Free user found that friends' normal DMs had used most of their 25. Moderators say any interaction with the connected account counts, automation or not. A busy personal inbox can eat the allowance before a single reel goes out.
It comes back next cycle
The count resets at the start of each billing cycle. Deleting contacts doesn't lower the current month's count, according to ManyChat.
ManyChat free plan changes: 1,000 to 25
It used tobe 1,000.
Until 2026, ManyChat's Free plan covered up to 1,000 contacts, counted over the life of the account (pricing page, October 2025). Free accounts couldn't delete or unsubscribe contacts, and some features were restricted once you reached 1,000.
The new Free plan arrived with active-contact pricing on 2 March 2026. ManyChat says every Free account has been moved to it, including accounts created before that date (Free plan article). ManyChat's argument is that 25 a month resets, while 1,000 was a lifetime ceiling. For most people using Free to run comment-to-DM on real reels, 25 a month is far less. The full before-and-after is on what changed in March 2026.
Who the ManyChat free plan still suits
Good for testing.Not for a launch.
It suits you if
- You want to learn ManyChat's Flow Builder before paying.
- You're testing one automation on a small account, with a handful of commenters a month.
- You need TikTok or Telegram as well as Instagram, at low volume.
- You plan to move to Essential or Pro anyway and want to build first.
Look elsewhere if
- You post reels with a comment keyword to an audience bigger than a few dozen people.
- You want “follow to get the link” with a real follow check.
- You collect emails or phone numbers in DMs.
- Your DM inbox is already busy with ordinary conversations.
Free ManyChat alternative for Instagram
Free, with1,000 DMs.
If Instagram comment-to-DM is the job, a free plan counted in DMs goes further than 25 people.
| Feature | DMpop Free | ManyChat Free |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | 1,000 DMs a month | 25 active contacts |
| What counts | DMs your campaigns send | Every person you interact with, incl. ordinary DMs |
| Automations | 5 live campaigns | Up to 4 live |
| Follow check before the link | Yes, checked with Instagram | No (Essential and up) |
| Branding in DMs | No branding message added | “Powered by Manychat” on first message |
| API and MCP server | Yes | No |
| Channels | Instagram only | Any 2 of Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram |
| Card needed | No | No |
Checked November 2026. ManyChat details from its pricing page and help centre. DMpop is one option among several: Zorcha and SuperProfile also have free plans, and ReplyKaro's Starter is ₹99 for 30,000 DMs. DMpop is not affiliated with ManyChat.
DMpop sends the DM when someone comments your keyword on a post or reel, through Meta's official API. The Free plan has every feature: follow gate, public replies, click tracking, a DM log with skip reasons, the REST API and the MCP server for ChatGPT and Claude. When the month's 1,000 DMs are used, further DMs are skipped and logged, not charged. Paid plans are ₹99 for 5,000 DMs and ₹499 for unlimited under fair use, GST included, by UPI or card. DMpop doesn't do TikTok, Messenger, Telegram or WhatsApp, AI replies or broadcasts. More on ManyChat alternatives in India.
Questions
ManyChat free plan,answered.
Is ManyChat still free?
Yes. ManyChat still has a Free plan with no card needed. Since March 2026 it covers 25 active contacts a month, up to 4 live automations, any 2 of Instagram, TikTok, Messenger and Telegram, and 1 user.
How many contacts does the ManyChat free plan allow?
25 active contacts a month. An active contact is a person who interacts with you through ManyChat that month, so 25 different people. You can store more contacts than that; only the people who interact in the current billing cycle count.
What happens when I reach 25 active contacts on ManyChat Free?
The Free plan has no paid overage. ManyChat doesn't spell out exactly what Free does at the 26th person, but a ManyChat community moderator said automations may stop once the limit is reached. Plan on new commenters not getting your DM until the count resets in your next billing cycle, or upgrade.
Did ManyChat's free plan used to be 1,000 contacts?
Yes. The old Free plan covered up to 1,000 contacts in total over the account's life. The new one covers 25 active contacts a month, and ManyChat says every Free account has been moved to it, including accounts created before March 2026.
Can I check if someone follows me on ManyChat's free plan?
No. ManyChat's comparison table lists Follower Status Check from Essential upwards, not on Free. DMpop's follow gate, which checks the follow with Instagram, is on its Free plan.
Can I remove “Powered by Manychat” on the free plan?
No. On Free, a “Powered by Manychat” message appears the first time you message a contact. Removing it needs a paid plan, starting with Essential.
Does my own DM inbox use up the 25?
It can. ManyChat community moderators say DMs to your connected account count as interactions even when no automation runs. One Free user said friends' ordinary DMs used up most of their contacts.
Is there a free ManyChat alternative for Instagram comment-to-DM?
Yes. DMpop's Free plan includes 1,000 DMs a month, 5 live campaigns and every feature, including the follow gate, the API and the MCP server, with no card. Zorcha also has a free plan. Both are Instagram tools; ManyChat covers more channels.
Free for 1,000 DMs
Post the reel.Let the DM pop.
DMpop's Free plan sends 1,000 DMs a month with every feature, including the follow gate. No card. Paid plans start at ₹99, GST included.