If you're searching for "manychat alternatives free", the short answer is: yes, several tools let you automate Instagram DMs at no cost, and some give you far more room than ManyChat's free plan of 25 active contacts. Below are six options with free plans, what each free plan actually includes, and what the first paid step costs — useful if you need a ManyChat alternative for Instagram, Telegram or both.
This list is written by the Craft team, and Craft is on it. Every number comes from the vendor's own pricing page or help center. Prices as of September 21, 2026.
| Tool | What the free plan includes | Channels | First paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| ManyChat | 25 active contacts, any 2 channels, 4 automations, ManyChat branding, no broadcasts | Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, Telegram | Essential $17/mo ($14 annual), 250 contacts |
| Craft | 1 account; Instagram: 300 new conversations a month; Telegram: up to 500 subscribers in the bot | Instagram, Telegram | Solo $12/mo ($6 annual), no contact limit |
| ChatPlace | 200 active contacts | Instagram, TikTok, Telegram | Pro $20/mo per connected account |
| SendPulse | 3 bots, 500 subscribers, 10,000 messages a month | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, Viber, TikTok, live chat | about $9.60/mo for 500 subscribers (annual) |
| LinkDM | 1 Instagram account, 1,000 DMs a month | Instagram (some Facebook) | Pro $19/mo, 3 accounts, 25,000 DMs |
| CreatorFlow | 1 Instagram account, 500 DMs a month | Pro $15/mo ($12 annual), 2 accounts, 5,000 DMs |
💡 Read the units carefully. Tools count different things. ManyChat and ChatPlace count active contacts — anyone who messaged you or got a message from you that month. LinkDM and CreatorFlow count DMs sent. Craft counts new people who start a conversation with your Instagram account in a month; people who already messaged you this month keep getting replies. A funnel of 3–4 messages per person uses up a DM allowance much faster than a contact allowance.
The benchmark. The free plan gives you 25 active contacts, any 2 channels and 4 automations, with ManyChat branding and no broadcasts. Comment-to-DM, story replies and keyword triggers are available on every plan, including Free. Paid plans grow with your audience: Essential is $17 a month for 250 contacts, Pro is $39 for 2,500. A 14-day trial is available on Essential and Pro. Full breakdown: Craft vs ManyChat.
Craft's free plan covers one account — Instagram or Telegram. On Instagram, up to 300 new people a month get your funnel; on Telegram, up to 500 subscribers in your bot. What Craft funnels do:
Paid plans don't depend on contacts at all: Solo is $12 a month ($6 annual) with no contact limit; Pro is $39 ($19 annual) for 5 accounts, Instagram and Telegram at the same time. How the free limit works and how we warn you before it runs out: Funnel limits on the free plan.
Honest: Craft supports only Instagram and Telegram — no WhatsApp, Messenger or TikTok DMs. It has no public API for your own integrations, and the funnel side launched in 2026.
A close match in spirit: comment-to-DM on Instagram, plus TikTok and Telegram. The free plan includes 200 active contacts. Paid is $20 a month per connected account with unlimited contacts. ChatPlace also has an MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT. More: Craft vs ChatPlace.
The widest channel list here, including WhatsApp and Viber. The free chatbot plan gives 3 bots, 500 subscribers and 10,000 messages a month. Paid plans scale with subscribers, so costs rise as your list grows. Payments in chat and an API are included.
Instagram-focused and generous with volume: the free plan sends up to 1,000 DMs a month from one account. Pro is $19 a month for 3 accounts. No Telegram.
Also Instagram-only: 1 account and 500 DMs a month for free, Pro at $15 ($12 annual) for 2 accounts. A simple choice if all you need is "comment a word, get a link".
They're often listed as ManyChat alternatives, but neither has a free plan. Chatfuel offers a free trial without a card, then paid plans (Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp; no Telegram). respond.io starts at $79 a month on annual billing and is built for support and sales teams. Details: Craft vs Chatfuel and the wider list of ManyChat alternatives.
For a broader view beyond free plans, see Top chat automation tools.
Several tools have free plans for Instagram: Craft (300 new conversations a month), LinkDM (1,000 DMs a month), CreatorFlow (500 DMs a month), ChatPlace (200 active contacts) and SendPulse (500 subscribers). Each has a cap, so they're free up to a point, not forever at any size.
It depends on how long your funnel is. With a single message per person, LinkDM's 1,000 DMs goes furthest. With a funnel of several messages, a plan that counts people rather than DMs — like Craft's 300 new conversations — lasts longer.
ManyChat includes comment-to-DM on every plan, Free included, and so does Craft. For the others, check the plan page before you build. On Craft you connect one comment auto-reply to your funnels, and it picks up their keywords automatically — see Comment auto-reply for a funnel.
Message us on Telegram and we'll help rebuild your funnels. People switching from another service get 6 months of funnel automation for free (individual terms).
Try it free: https://app.craftopen.space