ManyChat automates DMs. Its pricing page says it works across Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, email and SMS. If DM automation on many messaging channels is what you need, it does the job well.
Postfjord automates Instagram and Messenger DMs too: comment to DM, keywords, story replies and mentions. The same plan schedules your posts, keeps every DM and comment in one inbox, emails the people you collect and gives you landing pages. The post that says "comment GUIDE" and the DM that sends the guide are set up in the same place.
This page compares the two with facts from ManyChat's own pricing page, checked on September 28, 2026. Plans and prices change, so open the link before you decide.
What ManyChat does and costs
ManyChat has five plans on its pricing page (checked September 28, 2026). The page shows these prices for yearly billing, in US dollars. Tax is extra, and the page says the final price depends on your billing country.
| Plan | Paid yearly | Active contacts a month | Channels | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 | Any 2 | 1 |
| Essential | $168 a year ($14 a month) | 250 | Any 2 | 2 |
| Pro | $348 a year ($29 a month) | 2,500 | Any 3 | 3 |
| Business | $828 a year ($69 a month) | 7,500 | All | 5 |
| Advanced | $1,668 a year ($139 a month) | 25,000 | All | 10 |
What else the page lists:
- Free has up to 4 active automations, a basic unified inbox and ManyChat branding. It needs no credit card.
- Essential has unlimited custom automations and no ManyChat branding. Essential and Pro start with a 14 day free trial.
- Pro, Business and Advanced add broadcasts and AI powered conversations. Business and Advanced add a shared team inbox with assignments.
- Above the included contacts you pay per extra active contact. On monthly billing that is $0.10 on Essential, $0.05 on Pro, $0.025 on Business and $0.004 on Advanced.
ManyChat counts an active contact as a person you exchange messages with in a month, through automations, AI, broadcasts or the inbox.
What Postfjord does
- DM automations on Instagram and Messenger: comment to DM, keywords, story replies, mentions, links and QR codes that start a conversation, and a default reply. Waits, conditions and tags, up to twenty steps.
- Claude answers the questions that come after the link, from your brand profile, and flags the thread when someone asks for a person. Every plan includes an AI budget.
- An inbox for Instagram and Messenger DMs and comments, with assignment, tags and saved replies, on every plan.
- Scheduling to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. When you write a post, you attach the DM automation to it, and it starts the moment the post goes live. X is an add-on at $12 a month for 40 posts.
- Email campaigns with postmail. An automation can ask for an email in the DM, and the address gets an email to confirm before it joins your list.
- A link in bio page and landing pages at your own address, like harbor-coffee.postfjord.page and harbor-coffee.postfjord.page/brunch.
Postfjord plans
| Free | Solo | Studio | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month, paid monthly | $0 | $39 | $99 | $249 |
| Price per month, paid yearly | $0 | $29 | $75 | $189 |
| Active contacts a month | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 |
| DM automations | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Social accounts per workspace | 2 | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| Members per workspace | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Posts a month | 15 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Emails a month | 500 | 5,000 | 20,000 | 50,000 |
| Landing pages | 1 | 10 | 25 | 50 |
In Postfjord an active contact is a person an automation replied to during the month. Messages you answer by hand are not counted. At the limit, automations pause for new people until next month. You can still reply by hand, and there is no charge per extra contact.
Side by side
ManyChat facts come from its pricing page, checked September 28, 2026. The two count active contacts differently, as described above.
| ManyChat | Postfjord | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 25 active contacts, up to 4 active automations | 100 active contacts, 1 automation |
| Around 1,000 to 2,500 contacts | Pro, $29 a month paid yearly, 2,500 contacts | Solo, $29 a month paid yearly, 1,000 contacts |
| Messaging channels | Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, email, SMS | Instagram and Messenger |
| Past the contact limit | Pay per extra contact | Automations pause for new people, no extra charge |
| AI answers in the DM | Pro and up | Every plan, from the AI budget |
| Team inbox with assignment | Business and Advanced | Every plan with more than one member, from Solo |
| Schedule posts | Not on the page we checked | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, YouTube |
| Link in bio page and landing pages | Not on the page we checked | 1 of each on Free, up to 50 landing pages on Agency |
| Listed as a channel | postmail, 500 emails a month on Free |
"Not on the page we checked" means we did not find it on ManyChat's pricing page. It does not mean ManyChat lacks it.
Who should pick which
Pick ManyChat if you need DM automation on WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram or SMS, or you reach more than 25,000 people a month. Its Advanced plan includes 25,000 active contacts for $139 a month paid yearly, and extra contacts cost $0.004 each on monthly billing.
Pick Postfjord if you post on Instagram and Facebook, run your DMs from the same place, and want the scheduler, the inbox and email in one plan. A salon in Miami schedules a Reel that says "comment BOOK", and the DM with the booking link is set up in the same composer. Everyone who leaves an email gets the monthly newsletter. The Free plan covers one automation, 100 active contacts, 15 posts a month and 500 emails.
FAQ
Is Postfjord free?
Yes. The Free plan has one DM automation, 100 active contacts a month, 2 social accounts, 15 posts a month and 500 emails a month. Solo costs $39 a month, or $29 a month paid yearly.
Does Postfjord automate WhatsApp or TikTok DMs?
No. Postfjord automates DMs on Instagram and Messenger. It publishes posts to TikTok, but does not automate TikTok DMs.
Can I move my ManyChat automations to Postfjord?
Set them up again in Postfjord's wizard. The templates cover comment to DM, keywords, story replies, mentions, links and QR codes, a default reply and review requests. Nothing moves over by itself.
Does Meta allow DM automation?
Yes. Postfjord uses Meta's official messaging APIs for business accounts: replies within the 24 hour window, one private reply per comment, and STOP always respected. Hourly send caps keep your account inside Meta's limits.
Does the AI step need my own API key?
No. Claude is part of Postfjord and every plan includes an AI budget. An answer costs about one cent from it.