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Comparing ManyChat and ChatbotBuilder.ai: A Comprehensive Breakdown

By Kelly Mirabella

When evaluating ManyChat and ChatbotBuilder.ai, it’s important to understand how their pricing structures and feature sets compare. This detailed comparison covers base prices and includes features, AI integration, multilingual capabilities, contact limits, voice capabilities, standalone web chat options, trial comparisons, additional costs for achieving parity, and customer support.

Pricing

ManyChat:‍

‍The Pro plan starts at $15 per month for up to 500 contacts. As the number of contacts increases, prices increase. For example:

• 2,500 contacts: $25 per month
• 5,000 contacts: $45 per month
• 10,000 contacts: $65 per month
• 20,000 contacts: $125 per month
• 50,000 contacts: $235 per month
• 100,000 contacts: $435 per month (manychat.com)​​ (TrustRadius)​.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:‍

‍The base price is $49 per month, which includes unlimited contacts and all features without additional costs for scaling the number of contacts.

AI Integration

ManyChat:

‍Lacks native AI integration. You must pay for your own OpenAI API and a 3rd party tool like Zapier or Make to include AI capabilities in your chat automations.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Chatbot Builder AI offers native AI integration and instant access to GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4.o, which are included in the base price. Thus, the product provides robust AI-driven capabilities without extra charges, API pulls, webhooks, or 3rd party applications.

Multilingual Capabilities

ManyChat:

‍MayChat does not provide native multilingual support. Users need to create separate chatbot flows manually for each language ​ (manychat.com)​.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Supports over 50 languages for chat interactions and allows switching the dashboard interface to six different languages (more coming soon), making it more user-friendly for non-English speakers.

Contact Limits

ManyChat:

‍Contact limits are tiered and increase with the price. Users need to upgrade their plans as their contact lists grow. For instance, 10,000 contacts cost $65 per month, and 50,000 contacts cost $235 per month (TrustRadius)​.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Provides unlimited contacts across all plans. Businesses can grow their contact lists without worrying about escalating costs.

Voice Capabilities

ManyChat:

‍ManyChat does not offer native voice capabilities, so users must integrate third-party services if they need voice interactions.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

Chatbot Builder AI includes native voice capabilities through its native integration with Google text-to-speech. There is no need to do anything, as this feature is already available to all users, allowing for seamless voice interactions directly within the platform.

Standalone Webchat

ManyChat:

‍ManyChat does not offer a standalone web chat widget since Meta Sunset it’s web application. It mainly integrates with platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Provides a standalone and customizable web chat feature, enabling businesses to engage with website visitors directly without relying on third-party messaging platforms.

Trial Comparisons

ManyChat:

‍ManyChat offers a free trial plan with limited tools. This trial allows access until 1,000 people engage with your chatbot, after which you need to upgrade to continue using the service. You do not have access to all the features within ManyChat.

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Includes a 3-day trial that lets you use all its features, including AI capabilities, providing a comprehensive experience of the platform’s full potential.

Customer Support

ManyChat:

‍ManyChat has a reputation for poor customer support, slow response times, and often no response at all.
Don’t believe me? Check any of ManyChat’s social media posts, Facebook groups, or even sites like TrustPilo, which rates ManyChat at a 1.9 out of 5 (poor).

ChatbotBuilder.ai:

‍Works hard to maintain an updated AI support chatbot that answers most questions.
They also have a dedicated human support team to help those who can’t find solutions with the AI support chatbot. Read rave reviews from customers in their Facebook Group, their social media posts, or all 5-star reviews on G2.

Cost Analysis: Replicating ChatbotBuilder.ai Features with ManyChat

To achieve similar functionality to ChatbotBuilder.ai using ManyChat, additional costs and integrations are necessary:

AI Capabilities:

‍ManyChat lacks native AI integration, so you would need to integrate with an external AI service like OpenAI. The pricing for OpenAI’s GPT-4.0 API can be found here​​. As of the latest information: GPT-4.0: $0.03 per 1,000 tokens for prompt requests and $0.06 per 1,000 tokens for completions.

Multi-Lingual Support:

‍Implementing multi-lingual support in ManyChat requires the manual creation of separate flows for each language, which can be time-consuming and complex.

Voice Capabilities:

‍ManyChat does not offer native voice capabilities, so you need to integrate third-party services like Google Cloud Text-to-Speech or ElevenLabs:

• Google Cloud Text-to-Speech: $4 per 1 million characters.
• ElevenLabs: $5 per month for up to 30,000 characters.
• Zapier or Make: $19.99 per month for Zapier Starter plan or $9 per month for Make.

Standalone Webchat:

‍ManyChat does not offer a standalone web chat widget, meaning you would need to use alternative solutions to engage website visitors.

Estimated Monthly Cost for ManyChat (Based on 3,000 Contacts)

For 3,000 contacts with AI, voice capabilities, and multi-lingual support:

• Base cost (3,000 contacts): $35
• AI integration: $100
• Voice capabilities: $20
• Integration tool: $19.99

Total: $174.99 per month

VS. ChatbotBuilder.ai

Flat Rate: $49 per month

• Includes AI integration with GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4.o
• Native voice capabilities
• Multi-lingual support for over 50 languages
• Unlimited contacts
• Standalone webchat
• Robust customer support

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While ManyChat may initially seem more affordable, achieving the same functionality as ChatbotBuilder.ai can result in significantly higher monthly costs. For 3,000 contacts, ManyChat could cost approximately $174.99 per month, compared to ChatbotBuilder.ai’s flat rate of $49 per month. Additionally, ManyChat’s customer support has a reputation for being less responsive, whereas ChatbotBuilder.ai provides dedicated human support alongside its AI support chatbot.

When evaluating these platforms, it becomes clear that ChatbotBuilder.ai offers a more comprehensive and cost-effective solution for businesses with complex needs, including AI, voice capabilities, and multi-lingual support, all at a significantly lower overall cost.

Learn more about ChatbotBuilder.ai for details.

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Credit

This blog post is based on an article by Kelly Mirabella. You can read the original post here.

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