[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":124},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2v6shlh2rz0sv":3},{"section":4,"slug":5,"path":6,"title":7,"headline":8,"description":9,"published":10,"updated":11,"minutes":12,"blocks":13,"headings":25,"faq":41,"sources":57,"comparison":89},"compare","manychat","\u002Fcompare\u002Fmanychat","ManyChat vs Stonechat for answering customer DMs","ManyChat and Stonechat for the customers who write to you","ManyChat and Stonechat both handle Instagram and Facebook DMs. ManyChat is built around automations you design. Stonechat is built around answering the people who write in, quickly and in your own words. A side by side look with prices, as of September 2026.","2026-09-30","2026-10-10",4,[14,17,19,21,23],{"type":15,"html":16},"html","\u003Cp>ManyChat is the best-known tool for Instagram and Facebook messages, and most people comparing inboxes look at it first. Its homepage describes it as "powerful automations for Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, and Messenger" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002F\">ManyChat\u003C\u002Fa>), and that is its strength: you design flows, keyword triggers and broadcasts, and it runs them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stonechat starts from the other end of the inbox: the people who write to you. Someone asks whether you can fit twelve in on Friday, another is chasing a quote from Tuesday, a third just said thanks. Stonechat works out which of them still need you, puts the unhappy ones and the longest waits first, and has a reply drafted from your knowledge base and from how you answered the same question before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"side-by-side\">Side by side\u003C\u002Fh2>",{"type":18},"comparison",{"type":15,"html":20},"\u003Ch2 id=\"what-stonechat-does-for-the-people-who-write-in\">What Stonechat does for the people who write in\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Knows who is still waiting.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A message someone opened on their phone and forgot is no longer unread, but it is still unanswered. Stonechat reads each conversation and keeps a list of the people still owed a reply. A "thanks, see you Saturday" usually drops off by itself.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Puts the right people first.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It notices when someone is getting impatient or upset and moves them to the top, then everyone else by how long they have waited.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Drafts replies that sound like you, from day one.\u003C\u002Fstrong> For the questions you answer every day, Stonechat writes a draft from your knowledge base and from how you answered before, and shows the sources each one rests on. Write your policies down once and drafts start before you have any history. Use it as it is or change a word.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keeps what you tell customers in one place.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Short answers the team drops into a reply with \u002F, and longer articles on delivery, returns and prices. Import a page from your website to start, and save the answers Stonechat notices your team sending again and again.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Answers comments too.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A question under your post joins the same list as your messages. Praise and tagged friends stay out of the way. Reply in public or message them privately, and hide spam or delete a comment that shares a phone number without leaving the inbox.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Works as a team.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Assign conversations, leave each other notes, search every conversation, snooze one until Thursday, and see when a teammate is already replying. Everyone is included in the price.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Knows your store.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Connect a Shopify store and a customer's orders sit beside the conversation, found by the order number or email they send. Let it read your products as well, and when someone asks about one, the suggested reply gives its price and what is in stock right then, with its link ready to send. Your refund and shipping policies can go straight into your knowledge base, and you hear when they change.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Counts your real hours.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Set your hours and an away message, and your typical wait counts only the time you are open.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"where-manychat-is-the-stronger-choice\">Where ManyChat is the stronger choice\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Giveaways, lead magnets and launches\u003C\u002Fstrong> where people comment a word and expect something in their DMs. ManyChat calls this Comment to DM (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing\">ManyChat pricing\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Broadcasts\u003C\u002Fstrong> to contacts who have opted in.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>An AI that answers on its own\u003C\u002Fstrong> from business information you save, which ManyChat calls AI Replies, from its Pro plan.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>More channels\u003C\u002Fstrong> than Facebook and Instagram, such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS or email (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing\">ManyChat pricing\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>Stonechat is not open to everyone yet. It lets people in from a waitlist in small groups.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"type":22},"waitlist",{"type":15,"html":24},"\u003Ch2 id=\"what-each-one-costs\">What each one costs\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Prices below are ManyChat's list prices in US dollars as of September 2026, from its pricing page. ManyChat notes that prices depend on your billing country and do not include tax (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing\">ManyChat pricing\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"table-wrap\">\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Cth>Plan\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Billed monthly\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Billed annually\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Active contacts included\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Free\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$0\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$0\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>25\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Essential\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$17 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$14 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>250\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Pro\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$39 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$29 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>2,500\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Business\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$99 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$69 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>7,500\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Advanced\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$199 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$139 a month\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>25,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cp>ManyChat charges by \u003Cstrong>active contacts\u003C\u002Fstrong>: "One person = one Active Contact for the month" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800323349020-Active-Contacts\">ManyChat Help\u003C\u002Fa>). Someone who sends you a DM, comments on your post or replies to your story counts. Past your plan's number, each extra contact is billed, for example $0.05 each on Pro billed monthly. You can set a threshold to control whether overages are allowed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two details matter for a team answering customers:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Seats.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Taking part in inbox conversations needs an inbox seat. Pro includes 2 inbox seats and lets you add one more for $25. Business includes 3, up to 5 (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800228332572-Pro-plan\">ManyChat Help\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing\">ManyChat pricing\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Assignment.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The shared team inbox with assignments is listed from Business, at $99 a month billed monthly (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing\">ManyChat pricing\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>The free plan adds a "Powered by Manychat" message the first time you message a contact, and allows up to 4 live automations (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800197498652-Free-plan\">ManyChat Help\u003C\u002Fa>).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Stonechat\u003C\u002Fstrong> is $39 a month for the whole team, with everything included. There is no charge per seat and nothing to unlock. If more than about a thousand people write to you in a month, we would rather talk than guess. Stonechat is not taking payments yet, and you will see your own last 30 days before you pay anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-decide\">How to decide\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Ask one question: when your phone buzzes with a DM, is it someone you want to reach, or someone who wants to reach you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you are mostly starting conversations, with campaigns and comment triggers, ManyChat is built for that. If customers are writing to you, and a slow or missed reply costs a booking or a sale, Stonechat keeps the list, puts the right people first and has the answer half written.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ManyChat is a trademark of its owner. Stonechat is not affiliated with ManyChat, and this page compares the two only to help you choose.\u003C\u002Fp>",[26,29,32,35,38],{"id":27,"text":28},"side-by-side","Side by side",{"id":30,"text":31},"what-stonechat-does-for-the-people-who-write-in","What Stonechat does for the people who write in",{"id":33,"text":34},"where-manychat-is-the-stronger-choice","Where ManyChat is the stronger choice",{"id":36,"text":37},"what-each-one-costs","What each one costs",{"id":39,"text":40},"how-to-decide","How to decide",[42,45,48,51,54],{"q":43,"a":44},"Is Stonechat a cheaper ManyChat?","They cost the same at the entry paid level, $39 a month, but what you get differs. ManyChat's $39 plan is built around automations and gives you two inbox seats. Stonechat's $39 covers your whole team, with assignment, notes, a knowledge base and drafts included.",{"q":46,"a":47},"Which is better for customer service on Instagram?","If customers write to you with questions, bookings and complaints, Stonechat is built for that job. It keeps a list of who is still waiting, puts upset people first and drafts replies in your words. If you mostly want to start conversations at scale with comment triggers and broadcasts, ManyChat is built for that.",{"q":49,"a":50},"Does ManyChat have a shared inbox?","Yes. Every ManyChat plan includes an inbox. As of September 2026 the shared team inbox with assignments is listed from the Business plan, which is $99 a month billed monthly or $69 a month billed annually.",{"q":52,"a":53},"How does ManyChat charge?","By active contacts, meaning each person you interact with in a month through messages or automations. Each plan includes a number of them, and ManyChat charges a small fee for each one past that. People who comment on your posts count too.",{"q":55,"a":56},"Does Stonechat answer comments?","Yes. Comments that need an answer join your list beside your messages, and you can reply under the post or message the person privately. Your team can also hide spam or delete a comment from the same place. Stonechat does not send automatic replies to keyword comments.",[58,61,64,67,70,73,76,80,83,86],{"title":59,"url":60,"checked":10},"ManyChat homepage","https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002F",{"title":62,"url":63,"checked":10},"ManyChat pricing","https:\u002F\u002Fmanychat.com\u002Fpricing",{"title":65,"url":66,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Active Contacts","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800323349020-Active-Contacts",{"title":68,"url":69,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Free plan","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800197498652-Free-plan",{"title":71,"url":72,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Pro plan","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800228332572-Pro-plan",{"title":74,"url":75,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Business plan","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25800254159900-Business-plan",{"title":77,"url":78,"checked":79},"ManyChat Help, Manychat AI Knowledge","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F25626595060124-Manychat-AI-Knowledge","2026-10-01",{"title":81,"url":82,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Manychat Inbox","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F14281070478748-Manychat-Inbox",{"title":84,"url":85,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Manychat Mobile App","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F19858378137756-Manychat-Mobile-App",{"title":87,"url":88,"checked":10},"ManyChat Help, Instagram Post and Reel Comments trigger","https:\u002F\u002Fhelp.manychat.com\u002Fhc\u002Fen-us\u002Farticles\u002F14281316989724-Instagram-Post-and-Reel-Comments-trigger",{"them":90,"rows":91},"ManyChat",[92,95,98,100,103,106,109,113,115,118,120],{"feature":93,"them":94,"us":94},"One inbox for Facebook and Instagram DMs","yes",{"feature":96,"them":94,"us":94,"note":97},"Shared team inbox with assignment","ManyChat lists it from Business, $99 a month. Stonechat includes it for the whole team at $39.",{"feature":99,"them":94,"us":94},"Private notes on a conversation",{"feature":101,"them":94,"us":94,"note":102},"Team response times","ManyChat from Business. Stonechat counts only your open hours.",{"feature":104,"them":94,"us":94,"note":105},"A knowledge base of your answers and policies","ManyChat's Knowledge holds text and public links for its AI to answer from on Instagram, from Pro. Stonechat keeps short answers the team drops in with \u002F beside longer articles, can import a page from your website or your Shopify store's policies, suggests answers from what your team keeps sending, and tells you when your team quotes a different price or time than an entry.",{"feature":107,"them":94,"us":94,"note":108},"AI replies from what you have written down","ManyChat's AI Replies answer from business information you save, from Pro. Stonechat drafts from your knowledge base and how you answered before, and shows the sources behind every draft.",{"feature":110,"them":94,"us":111,"note":112},"Labels","no","ManyChat from Essential.",{"feature":114,"them":94,"us":111},"Comment to DM, keyword triggers and flows",{"feature":116,"them":94,"us":111,"note":117},"Broadcasts to your contacts","ManyChat from Pro.",{"feature":119,"them":94,"us":111},"WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS or email",{"feature":121,"them":94,"us":122,"note":123},"Mobile app","partial","Stonechat works in a phone's browser and can notify you there, but has no app to install.",1792608537816]