ManyChat vs respond.io for Instagram DM automation
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These two tools solve different problems. ManyChat is built to automate Instagram and costs $39 a month for 1,000 active contacts. respond.io is a team inbox for many channels, and its automation starts at $199. Choose ManyChat for marketing automation on Instagram, and respond.io for a team that answers customers across channels.
Side by side
| Fact |  ManyChatRated 2.1 out of 5305 reviews on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
 respond.ioRated 2.5 out of 517 reviews on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| 1K contacts | $39 | $199 |
| 10K contacts | $162 | $1,279 |
| Billing basis | Plan plus usage | Plan plus usage |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Send a DM when someone comments | Yes | Yes |
| Keyword triggers | Yes | No |
| Public reply under the comment | Yes | No |
| Auto-reply to incoming DMs | Yes | Yes |
| Trigger on replies to your stories | Yes | Yes |
| Trigger on story mentions | Yes | No |
| Trigger on live video comments | Yes | No |
| Message new followers | Yes | No |
| Multi-step flow builder | Yes | Yes |
| Broadcast messages | Yes | Yes |
| AI agent that replies on its own | Yes | Yes |
| Hand the chat to a person | Yes | Yes |
| Shared team inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Meta, CRM and payments | ||
| Meta status | Business Partner | Business Partner |
| Built-in CRM | No | No |
| Payment inside the chat | Yes | No |
| Payment providers | Stripe, PayPal | None |
| Other | ||
| Channels | Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, Email | Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, Viber, LINE, SMS, Email, Website chat |
Price
Both bill by monthly active contacts, but respond.io starts much higher. Its Starter plan at $99 has no workflows or AI agents, so automation begins on Growth at $199 with 1,000 active contacts.
Above that, respond.io charges $12 for every extra 100 active contacts. At 10,000 the bill is $1,279, against $162 on ManyChat.
Seats work the other way round. respond.io’s Growth plan includes ten users. ManyChat limits inbox seats on every plan and charges for extra ones.
Instagram triggers
ManyChat documents every Instagram trigger we track. respond.io documents comment-to-DM, replies to your stories and DM auto-replies. Its pages do not itemise keyword triggers or story mentions, and they do not mention live comments.
Team inbox and AI
respond.io is built around the inbox. It routes each conversation to the right person, reports on agent performance and connects ten channels on every plan. Its AI agents are included from Growth, with a fair-use credit allowance.
ManyChat’s multi-user inbox starts on Business at $99 a month. Its AI is included from Pro.
Which to pick
Pick ManyChat if Instagram is your main channel and you want flows, giveaways and lead capture at a lower price.
Pick respond.io if several people answer customers on WhatsApp and Instagram as well as other channels. It suits teams that need routing and reports.
Neither has a free plan that suits a team. If price is the issue, the respond.io alternatives and ManyChat alternatives pages compare cheaper options.
Questions people ask
Is respond.io better than ManyChat?
For a support or sales team working across channels, respond.io’s inbox is stronger, with routing and agent reports built in. For Instagram marketing automation, ManyChat covers more triggers for less money.
Which is cheaper, ManyChat or respond.io?
ManyChat. At 1,000 active contacts it costs $39 against $199 on respond.io, and at 10,000 it costs $162 against $1,279.
Does respond.io have a free plan?
No, it offers a seven-day trial of the Growth plan. ManyChat has a free plan, but it covers only 25 active contacts.