--- title: "ManyChat Free Plan in 2026: 25 Active Contacts, What Changed and Your Options" slug: manychat-free-plan-25-contacts-2026 date: 2026-05-28T05:24:47-04:00 updated: 2026-10-07T01:01:38-04:00 author: SumGeniusAI Team category: Instagram Automation description: "ManyChat's free plan now covers 25 active contacts a month, down from 1,000. What it includes, what paid plans and overage cost, and your options. Checked October 2026." canonical_url: https://sumgenius.ai/blog/manychat-free-plan-25-contacts-2026/ reading_time: 5 min read word_count: 984 featured_image: https://sumgenius.ai/blog/uploads/manychat-free-plan-25-contacts-2026.png tags: - instagram-automation - instagram - facebook - messenger - pricing --- **Short answer:** ManyChat's free plan now covers 25 active contacts a month, down from the old 1,000-contact limit. ManyChat announced the change in April 2026, when it moved every plan from total stored contacts to *active contacts*: the people you actually interact with each month. Below is what the free plan includes now, what the paid plans cost, how the new billing behaves when a post takes off, and your options. ## What Changed ManyChat explained the change in its own post, [Manychat Pricing Explained](https://manychat.com/blog/manychat-pricing-explained/). Two things moved at once: - **Contacts are counted per month, not for life.** Under the old model, everyone who ever entered your account counted toward your contact total, even people who went quiet years ago. Now a person only counts in a month when they interact with you that month, and the count resets every billing cycle. Inactive contacts stay stored but stop counting. - **The free plan went from 1,000 contacts to 25 active contacts a month.** The old 1,000 was a lifetime total: once an account reached it, sending stopped until you upgraded, even if you deleted contacts. The new 25 resets every month, but 25 people a month is small, and ManyChat itself calls the free plan a tier for testing, not for running a business. ManyChat also notes that plan availability can vary by region and account, so check your own billing page for what applies to you. ## What the ManyChat Free Plan Includes in 2026 From ManyChat's pricing page, checked October 6, 2026: - 25 active contacts a month - Any 2 channels out of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger and Telegram - Up to 4 live automations, including comment-to-DM - 1 user and 1 inbox seat - ManyChat branding on messages - No credit card required Left out of Free: ManyChat AI (AI replies, AI comments and knowledge start on Pro), collecting emails and phone numbers in DMs, the follower status check, WhatsApp, SMS and email. ## ManyChat's Paid Plans and Overage Rates | Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | Active contacts included | Each extra contact (monthly / annual) | |---|---|---|---|---| | Free | $0 | $0 | 25 | Not available | | Essential | $17/mo | $14/mo | 250 | $0.10 / $0.082 | | Pro | $39/mo | $29/mo | 2,500 | $0.05 / $0.038 | | Business | $99/mo | $69/mo | 7,500 | $0.025 / $0.018 | | Advanced | $199/mo | $139/mo | 25,000 | $0.004 / $0.0028 | Rates are from ManyChat's pricing page on October 6, 2026. ManyChat's pricing blog post describes Advanced overage as custom, so confirm that one with ManyChat if you are at that size. Prices exclude tax and can vary by billing country. AI is no longer a separate add-on. ManyChat says AI replies are included in Pro, and that older help articles mentioning a $29/month AI add-on describe the previous model. Want your own number? Our [ManyChat pricing calculator](/tools/manychat-pricing-calculator) works out the bill at your volume, extra contacts and inbox seats included. ## What Happens When a Post Takes Off This is the part people worry about most. If a Reel sends 5,000 people into your comment-to-DM automation, all 5,000 become active contacts that month. On Pro, which includes 2,500, the extra 2,500 cost $0.05 each on monthly billing: $125 on top of the $39 plan, or $164 for the month. Two things soften it, both from ManyChat: - **It is a one-month cost.** Next month, only the people who interact with you again count. - **You can cap it.** ManyChat sends notices at 70%, 90% and 100% of your allowance, and you can set an overage limit in your billing settings, including turning overage off. Deleting old contacts does not lower this bill. Under active contacts, only people you interact with in the month count, so pruning your list has no effect on what you pay. ## Your Options ### 1. Stay on Free for testing If fewer than 25 people a month interact with your automations, Free still works. It is enough to learn the tool, not to run a funnel. ### 2. Pick the paid plan that matches your volume Essential ($17/mo) covers 250 people a month without AI. Pro ($39/mo) covers 2,500 and adds AI. Set an overage limit either way, so a busy month cannot surprise you. ### 3. Compare a tool that includes AI on its free plan ChatGenius is our product, so weigh this accordingly. Its Free plan covers 50 conversations a month with AI replies included, plus 2 comment-to-DM triggers, and needs no credit card. A conversation is one person you reply to in a month, counted once, which is close to how ManyChat counts an active contact. To be clear about the limits: a viral post counts on ChatGenius too. Every person ChatGenius replies to or DMs, including comment-to-DM sends, is a conversation. When you reach your plan's limit, ChatGenius stops sending until the next cycle, or on a paid plan you can turn on overage at $0.03 per extra conversation. Paid plans are Creator ($29/mo, 1,500 conversations, 7-day free trial), Professional ($99/mo, 8,000) and Business ($297/mo, 25,000). ChatGenius has no annual billing. Neither tool is cheaper at every volume. Comparing plans that include AI on monthly billing: ChatGenius costs less up to about 1,800 people a month, ManyChat costs less from about 1,800 to 3,500, the two land within a few dollars of each other from 3,500 to 10,500, and ManyChat costs less above that. The [calculator](/tools/manychat-pricing-calculator) shows both at your number. ### Try AI Replies on a Free Plan ChatGenius Free covers 50 conversations a month with AI included. No credit card. [Start Free](/get-started) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is ManyChat still free? Yes. The Free plan costs $0 and covers 25 active contacts a month, 2 channels, up to 4 live automations and 1 user, with ManyChat branding. ### What is an active contact on ManyChat? A person who interacts with you through ManyChat during your billing month, through automations, AI, broadcasts or the inbox. They count once that month however many messages you exchange, and the count resets each cycle. ### When did ManyChat change its pricing? ManyChat says it announced the move to active contacts in April 2026. It also says availability can vary by region and account, so your billing page is the final word on which model you are on. ### Does deleting contacts lower my ManyChat bill? Not under active contacts. Only people you interact with in the billing month count toward your total. --- ### Sources - [ManyChat pricing (checked October 6, 2026)](https://manychat.com/pricing) - [ManyChat, Manychat Pricing Explained: How Active Contacts, Plans, and Overages Work (August 19, 2026)](https://manychat.com/blog/manychat-pricing-explained/) - [ChatGenius pricing](/pricing)