What ManyChat is genuinely good at
Credit where due: for Instagram, ManyChat is probably the best-known automation tool in the world. Comment-trigger automations ("comment PRICE and I'll DM you"), story-reply flows, a huge template library and years of creator-education content make it the default for influencer commerce and Instagram-led brands. If Instagram DMs are the heart of your funnel, ManyChat deserves its place.
WhatsApp is a different story. On ManyChat, WhatsApp is one of the "more channels" that comes with the Pro plan, as their help centre documents (checked August 2026), the free plan covers up to 25 active contacts with basic automations and does not include WhatsApp.
Pro starts around $29/month and includes up to 2,500 active contacts; beyond that, every stored contact bills at $0.05 per month ($0.038 on annual billing). The pricing unit is the contact, someone you messaged once in January and never again still counts. Meta's WhatsApp fees come on top, in USD, and there's no INR billing or GST invoice.
Contact-based pricing is the wrong shape for WhatsApp
Here's the structural problem. WhatsApp lists in India grow fast, a season of click-to-WhatsApp ads or a checkout opt-in box can add thousands of contacts a month. On contact-based pricing, that growth is a cost even when the contacts are silent.
A 10,000-contact list on ManyChat Pro is 7,500 contacts over the base tier: at $0.05 each, that's $375, roughly ₹31,000, per month before a single message is sent, per their published overage rates (checked August 2026).
Conversation-based pricing charges you when something actually happens. On Growcord, storing 10,000 or 100,000 contacts costs nothing; plans meter the conversations you have. Meta's per-conversation charges are passed through at Meta's exact rate, with the estimate visible before every send, Growcord earns on the subscription and adds nothing to the message price. Grow the list all year; pay when you talk to it.
ManyChat vs Growcord for WhatsApp
| ManyChat | Growcord | |
|---|---|---|
Built around | Instagram + Messenger; WhatsApp added on Pro | WhatsApp only, on the official Cloud API |
Free plan | ✗ 25 contacts, WhatsApp not included | ✓ 1 number, 50 conversations/mo, WhatsApp included |
Entry paid plan | Pro, from about $29/mo for 2,500 contacts | ₹299/mo, or ₹99/mo billed yearly |
Price grows with | Stored contacts, $0.05 per contact over 2,500 ($0.038 annual) | Conversations you actually have |
WhatsApp broadcasts | ✓ On Pro | ✓ Every plan, with scheduling |
Visual bot builder | ✓ Flow builder | ✓ No-code flows + auto-replies |
Prebuilt ecommerce automations | ✗ Assemble your own flows | ✓ Abandoned cart, COD confirmation, order updates, review requests |
Shared team inbox | Inbox seats on Pro | ✓ All plans; extra member ₹149/mo |
Billing | USD | INR via Razorpay, GST invoice |
Support hours | Global | IST business hours |
Competitor pricing and features as published on their website, checked August 2026.
What WhatsApp-first looks like in Growcord
Broadcasts on every plan
Scheduled campaigns to tags and segments, with per-campaign delivered, read and reply counts.
No-code bot flows
Qualify leads, answer FAQs and route to a human, built for WhatsApp's buttons and lists, not adapted from Messenger.
Store automations, prebuilt
Abandoned cart, COD confirmation, order updates and review requests wired to Shopify or WooCommerce in minutes.
A real team inbox
Replies land in a shared inbox where agents pick up where the bot left off. Extra member: ₹149/month.
Rupee billing, GST invoice
Pay by UPI or card through Razorpay. Every invoice carries GST, no forex markups, no dollar surprises.
API and webhooks included
REST API, API keys and webhooks on every plan, so developers can plug WhatsApp into whatever you run.
Moving your WhatsApp from ManyChat to Growcord
Export contacts and tags
Download your WhatsApp contacts from ManyChat as a CSV and import them into Growcord, tags carry over as segments for your first broadcast.
Connect the number
A number already on the WhatsApp API migrates via Meta's embedded signup without changing what customers see. New to the API? Connection takes minutes.
Rebuild the two flows that matter
Most accounts run on a welcome flow and one qualifying flow. Rebuild those in Growcord's flow builder; skip the ones nobody triggered.
Resubmit templates and test
Re-create your approved templates in Growcord and submit to Meta, approval usually takes minutes to hours. Send a test broadcast to a small tag before the real one.
Keep ManyChat for Instagram if that's your engine
This isn't a knife fight. Plenty of brands sensibly run ManyChat for Instagram comment automations and Growcord for WhatsApp, the two don't conflict, and each does its home turf better than the other does as a side feature.
What we'd argue against is paying contact-based prices to run WhatsApp as an afterthought inside an Instagram tool. Compare the numbers on the pricing page, see how broadcast software works on the official API, or look at the chatbot builder that replaces your ManyChat WhatsApp flows.
Run WhatsApp on a tool built for it
Free tier: one number, 50 conversations a month. Import your list, rebuild one flow, and compare the invoice yourself.
Start free, no card neededWhy Growcord
What you get here that you don't get elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
Does ManyChat work with WhatsApp in India?
Yes. ManyChat supports WhatsApp through the official Cloud API, but only on its paid Pro plan, the free plan covers 25 contacts and doesn't include WhatsApp at all, per their published plans (checked August 2026). Meta's WhatsApp conversation fees are billed on top, and pricing is in USD with no GST invoice.
Why does ManyChat get expensive for WhatsApp?
Because it prices by stored contacts, not activity. Pro includes 2,500 active contacts; past that, each contact bills $0.05 a month ($0.038 on annual billing). A 10,000-contact list is roughly $375, about ₹31,000, a month before you send anything, and before Meta's fees. Conversation-priced platforms only charge when you actually message people.
Can I use ManyChat's free plan for WhatsApp?
No. As of August 2026, ManyChat's free plan covers up to 25 active contacts with basic automations on Instagram and Messenger. WhatsApp is one of the additional channels reserved for the Pro plan. If you want to try WhatsApp automation without paying, Growcord's free tier includes one number and 50 conversations a month.
Does Growcord do Instagram automation like ManyChat?
No. Growcord is WhatsApp-only, on purpose. ManyChat remains the stronger tool for Instagram comment triggers and DM flows, and many brands run both side by side: ManyChat for Instagram, Growcord for WhatsApp. What Growcord replaces is the WhatsApp half, broadcasts, bot flows, team inbox and store automations, at conversation-based prices.
How do I move my WhatsApp number from ManyChat to Growcord?
Export your contacts as a CSV, import them into Growcord with tags, and connect your number through Meta's embedded signup, an API number migrates without changing the number customers message. Re-create your key templates and flows, then send a small test broadcast. Most teams complete the move in an afternoon.
Why businesses pick Growcord
Official WhatsApp Business API
Built on Meta's Cloud API, the sanctioned channel, not a modded app. No number-ban roulette.
Indian pricing, GST invoice
Plans from ₹99/month billed yearly. Paid in ₹ via Razorpay, with a proper GST invoice every time.
Free tier, no card needed
1 number and 50 conversations a month to prove it on real customers before paying anything.
Support from New Delhi, in IST
A real team on email and WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday 10:00–19:00 IST, not a ticket void.
Talk to us
Get set up on WhatsApp this week
Tell us what you sell and how many customers you message. We'll reply on WhatsApp with the plan that fits and, if you want it, walk you through the Meta approval step.
- No sales call unless you ask for one
- Answers from the team that builds it, in IST hours
- Free tier available. You can start before you decide
Keep reading
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Last updated: 2026-08-07