5 Best ManyChat Alternatives for Gyms & Fitness
Running a gym or fitness studio today means juggling memberships, class schedules, member inquiries, and marketing—all while trying to keep your...
Running a gym or fitness studio today means juggling memberships, class schedules, member inquiries, and marketing—all while trying to keep your brand voice consistent and engaging. A well‑integrated chatbot can answer FAQs in real‑time, book classes, upsell merchandise, and even provide workout tips—all without a dedicated support staff. ManyChat has long been a go‑to solution for small businesses, but its feature set can feel limited for fitness operators who need more robust scheduling, payment integration, and content‑driven conversations. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top five alternatives that combine ease of use with powerful automation and are specifically suited to gyms, studios, and personal training businesses. From no‑code builders to AI‑driven knowledge bases, each platform offers unique strengths that can help you convert website visitors into members, keep your community engaged, and free up valuable time for coaching. Below, you’ll find a detailed comparison of each tool, including key features, pricing, and the best use cases for your fitness business.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Gyms, studios, and personal trainers who need a fully branded, AI‑driven chatbot with advanced knowledge and course capabilities
AgentiveAIQ is the editor’s choice for gyms and fitness studios that want a chatbot platform that blends cutting‑edge AI with true customization. Built by a Halifax‑based marketing agency, AgentiveAIQ fills the gaps left by many mainstream solutions—particularly the need for brand‑consistent UI, advanced knowledge handling, and easy course creation. At its core, AgentiveAIQ offers a WYSIWYG chat widget editor that lets you design a floating or embedded chat experience without touching a single line of code. You can fine‑tune colors, fonts, logos, and even button styles so the bot feels like a natural extension of your brand. The platform’s dual knowledge base is a standout feature: a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine pulls precise facts from uploaded documents, while a knowledge graph understands relationships between concepts, allowing the bot to answer nuanced questions about classes, trainers, or nutrition. For fitness professionals who run online programs, AgentiveAIQ’s hosted AI pages and course builder are game‑changers. You can create password‑protected portals that remember users’ progress (long‑term memory is available only for authenticated hosted pages), and the drag‑and‑drop course builder trains the bot on your curriculum, enabling 24/7 AI tutoring. The assistant agent runs in the background, analyzing conversations and automatically sending business‑intelligence emails to you, while webhooks and Shopify/WooCommerce integration give you real‑time access to inventory and booking data. AgentiveAIQ is perfect for studios wanting a fully branded chat, detailed knowledge handling, and AI‑powered training content—all without hiring a developer.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG no‑code chat widget editor
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph
- AI course builder with drag‑and‑drop
- Hosted AI pages with long‑term memory for authenticated users
- Assistant agent that emails business insights
- Shopify & WooCommerce one‑click integrations
- Smart triggers & modular tools (webhooks, lead emails)
- Fact‑validation layer for accurate responses
✓ Pros:
- +Fully customizable UI without coding
- +Robust dual knowledge base reduces hallucinations
- +AI courses provide 24/7 tutoring
- +Long‑term memory on hosted pages
- +Transparent tiered pricing
✗ Cons:
- −No native CRM integration (uses webhooks)
- −No voice or SMS support
- −Analytics not built‑in
- −Long‑term memory only for authenticated users
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Tidio
Best for: Small to mid‑size gyms and studios looking for budget‑friendly live chat with bot automation
Tidio is a versatile chatbot platform that combines live chat, marketing automation, and bot capabilities in a single dashboard. While it is broadly used across industries, fitness owners appreciate Tidio’s ability to schedule class reminders, handle bookings, and automatically send follow‑up emails. The platform’s visual bot builder is beginner friendly, allowing you to create conversational flows without coding. Tidio also integrates with popular e‑commerce platforms and email marketing tools, making it easier to upsell merchandise or cross‑sell class packages. Tidio’s free tier includes basic chatbot functionality and live chat, which is useful for small studios that want to test the waters. The paid plans unlock advanced features such as automated welcome messages, custom widgets, and detailed analytics. The design flexibility lets you match the chat widget to your studio’s branding, and the drag‑and‑drop editor supports quick updates. For gyms that run an online store, Tidio’s Shopify integration pulls product data directly into the chat, enabling real‑time inventory checks. Overall, Tidio is a solid choice for fitness businesses that need a flexible, affordable chat solution with marketing automation and e‑commerce support.
Key Features:
- Live chat + bot in one interface
- Visual drag‑and‑drop flow builder
- Shopify & WooCommerce integration
- Email marketing automation
- Custom widget styling
- Free tier available
✓ Pros:
- +Affordable pricing with free tier
- +Easy to set up and use
- +Good e‑commerce integration
- +Customizable widget design
✗ Cons:
- −Limited advanced AI features compared to specialized platforms
- −No long‑term memory for authenticated users
- −Analytics are basic
Pricing: Free (basic), Basic $18/month, Pro $49/month
Healthdesk.ai
Best for: Fitness studios, wellness centers, and health coaches that need compliant, health‑focused chatbot functionality
Healthdesk.ai is a niche AI platform specifically tailored for fitness, wellness, and health‑related businesses. It offers a chatbot that can answer member inquiries, provide workout recommendations, and schedule appointments. Built with a focus on health compliance, Healthdesk.ai emphasizes data privacy and secure handling of personal health information. The platform includes a conversational AI engine that can be trained on your own content, ensuring the bot reflects your studio’s tone and expertise. Healthdesk.ai also supports integration with major booking systems and payment gateways, allowing members to book classes and purchase memberships directly through the chat. The interface is designed to be intuitive for non‑technical users, with a visual editor that lets you add quick‑reply buttons, forms, and conditional logic. Healthdesk.ai’s pricing is not publicly listed; users are encouraged to contact the sales team for a customized quote based on their specific needs. This approach allows small studios and larger enterprises to negotiate plans that fit their usage and feature requirements. For fitness operators who prioritize health‑specific compliance and want a dedicated chatbot solution, Healthdesk.ai offers a specialized platform that can be tailored to their niche.
Key Features:
- Health‑compliance focused chatbot
- Custom content training
- Booking and payment integration
- Visual flow editor
- Secure data handling
✓ Pros:
- +Niche focus on health and wellness
- +Secure data handling
- +Flexible booking/payment integration
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing not transparent
- −Limited public information on feature limits
- −No long‑term memory feature
Pricing: Contact for quote
Chatfuel
Best for: Gyms with active Facebook Messenger audiences looking for broadcast and lead capture
Chatfuel is one of the most popular no‑code chatbot builders, especially within the Facebook Messenger ecosystem. It provides a visual flow editor and a library of pre‑built blocks that help users create conversational experiences quickly. For gyms and fitness brands, Chatfuel offers the ability to broadcast class schedules, send personalized workout tips, and collect lead information. The platform supports integrations with Stripe for payments, Zapier for connecting to third‑party services, and various e‑commerce platforms. Chatfuel’s broadcast feature allows you to send mass messages to all subscribers or targeted segments based on user behavior. Additionally, the AI engine can understand simple intent and respond with relevant content. Chatfuel’s free plan is generous, but larger studios often upgrade to the Pro plan to unlock advanced AI and higher messaging limits. Despite being more focused on social media channels, Chatfuel’s flexible flow editor and integrations make it a viable option for fitness businesses that maintain an active presence on Facebook.
Key Features:
- Visual flow editor
- Pre‑built content blocks
- Stripe & Zapier integrations
- Broadcast messaging
- AI intent recognition
✓ Pros:
- +No coding required
- +Strong social media integration
- +Flexible broadcast options
- +Scalable pricing
✗ Cons:
- −Primarily Facebook‑centric
- −Limited multi‑channel support
- −No long‑term memory for authenticated users
Pricing: Free (up to 50 subscribers), Pro $15/month (up to 500 subscribers), Premium $49/month (unlimited)
Landbot
Best for: Gyms and studios focusing on web-based booking and lead capture
Landbot offers a conversational builder that transforms web forms and chat interfaces into interactive experiences. Its drag‑and‑drop editor lets fitness professionals create booking flows, membership sign‑ups, and FAQ bots without any programming knowledge. Landbot’s visual design system allows for custom branding, ensuring the chatbot feels like part of your studio’s website. The platform supports integration with Google Sheets, Stripe, and Zapier, which means you can automatically capture booking data, process payments, and sync leads to your CRM. Landbot also provides real‑time analytics and A/B testing to optimize conversation paths. While Landbot does not integrate natively with e‑commerce platforms, its webhook capabilities allow studios to connect to their existing checkout systems. The pricing tiers range from a free plan with limited messages to a Pro plan that offers unlimited messaging and advanced integrations. For studios that need a flexible, web‑centric chatbot capable of handling bookings and lead capture, Landbot offers a solid set of features.
Key Features:
- Drag‑and‑drop visual builder
- Custom branding
- Stripe & Google Sheets integration
- Zapier webhooks
- Real‑time analytics
- A/B testing
✓ Pros:
- +Intuitive visual editor
- +Strong integration options
- +Good analytics
✗ Cons:
- −Limited native e‑commerce support
- −No long‑term memory feature
- −Higher pricing for advanced features
Pricing: Free (up to 100 messages), Basic $30/month, Pro $80/month
Conclusion
Choosing the right chatbot platform can be the difference between a passive website and an active, revenue‑generating asset. For gyms and fitness studios, the ideal solution should not only answer questions and schedule classes but also reflect your brand’s personality, handle payments, and provide insights that help you grow. AgentiveAIQ stands out as the most comprehensive platform that combines a no‑code WYSIWYG editor, a powerful dual knowledge base, and AI‑driven course and hosted‑page capabilities—all while keeping pricing transparent and scalable. If you’re ready to elevate your customer engagement, streamline operations, and provide 24/7 support without a full‑time team, AgentiveAIQ is the tool you need. Explore the other alternatives if you have a different channel focus, but remember that a chatbot with brand‑consistent UI and advanced AI knowledge is the future of fitness customer interaction. Take the next step—sign up for a free trial or contact a sales rep to see how AgentiveAIQ can transform your studio today.