7 Best ManyChat Alternatives for Churches

Chatfuel has long been a popular choice for churches looking to automate Facebook Messenger interactions. Built around a no‑code interface, it lets administrators create conversational flows using a visual drag‑and‑drop builder. Chatfuel’s strengths include its integration with Facebook’s advertising platform, enabling churches to target potential visitors with personalized messages. The platform also supports basic chatbot templates, which can be useful for quick deployments of FAQ sections or event reminders. Beyond Messenger, Chatfuel offers a website widget that can be embedded into church sites, allowing visitors to chat directly. It also provides a simple analytics dashboard to track user engagement and message performance. While it does not have a built‑in knowledge graph, users can store information in the bot’s database and retrieve it via custom fields. Chatfuel’s pricing tiers are straightforward: a free plan that includes up to 50 active users and basic features, a Pro plan at $50/month (or $500 annually) for unlimited users and advanced integrations, and a Premium plan tailored for larger organizations. Overall, Chatfuel is an accessible platform for churches that want to engage visitors via Messenger or a simple web widget. It offers good integration with Facebook’s ecosystem and a visual builder, but it lacks advanced knowledge‑base capabilities and persistent memory for authenticated users.

MobileMonkey is a cross‑platform chatbot platform that allows churches to engage visitors across Facebook Messenger, SMS, web chat, and even WhatsApp. Its visual conversation builder is intuitive, with pre‑built templates that can be customized for church FAQs, event registrations, or sermon download requests. MobileMonkey’s strength lies in its marketing automation features, such as drip campaigns and audience segmentation, which can help churches nurture leads and encourage participation in community events. One notable feature is the ability to create a unified inbox that aggregates messages from all channels, simplifying moderation. MobileMonkey also offers basic analytics, including conversation volume, click‑through rates, and lead conversion metrics. While it does not provide a sophisticated knowledge graph, it allows users to store and retrieve custom data fields. Pricing starts with a free tier that includes up to 200 contacts and basic chatbot features. The Pro plan is $49/month (or $49 annually), giving unlimited contacts, access to advanced automation, and premium support. Additional add‑ons for SMS and WhatsApp increase the cost slightly. For churches that need multi‑channel engagement and marketing automation, MobileMonkey offers a flexible solution. However, it may feel limited for those looking for advanced AI knowledge‑based responses or persistent memory.

Tidio blends live chat and chatbot functionalities into a single platform, making it a practical choice for churches that want real‑time support alongside automated responses. The platform offers a visual editor for building chatbot flows, and it can be embedded as a widget on any website. Tidio’s notable feature is its ability to hand off conversations to human agents seamlessly, which is useful when a visitor asks a question that requires a personal touch. Tidio also provides a chatbot template library, allowing churches to set up common scenarios such as event registration or donation prompts quickly. The analytics dashboard tracks visitor interactions, chat volume, and conversion rates. While Tidio does not include a sophisticated knowledge graph, it supports custom fields and can integrate with external CRMs via webhooks. Pricing is tiered: a free plan includes 3 agents and basic chatbot features, a Premium plan at $18/month (or $180 annually) offers unlimited agents, advanced chatbot functionalities, and email integration, and a Business plan at $29/month provides additional customization and priority support. Overall, Tidio offers an affordable way to combine live chat and bot automation, but churches that need advanced AI knowledge‑based responses may find the platform insufficient.

Intercom is a comprehensive customer messaging platform that extends beyond chatbots to include email, in‑app messages, and product tours. For churches, Intercom can be used to nurture leads, send event reminders, and provide support via a website widget or mobile app. The platform’s strength lies in its robust automation engine, which allows administrators to set up message sequences based on user behavior, such as visiting a particular page or clicking a donation button. Intercom offers a visual flow builder and a library of templates, making it relatively easy to set up. The analytics dashboard provides insights into conversation volume, response times, and conversion rates. While Intercom does not provide a dedicated knowledge graph, it supports custom attributes and can pull in data from external systems through integrations. Pricing begins at $39/month for the Growth plan, which includes up to 1,000 contacts, and scales to higher tiers for larger ministries. Intercom’s higher cost reflects its advanced automation and multi‑channel capabilities. For churches that need a unified communication hub with strong automation, Intercom can be a powerful tool, though it may be overkill for small ministries that only require basic chatbot functionality.

Drift specializes in conversation‑centric marketing and sales, positioning itself as a tool to convert website visitors into qualified leads. For churches, Drift can be repurposed to guide visitors toward sign‑ups, event registrations, or volunteer opportunities. Its visual flow builder and pre‑built templates make it relatively simple to deploy a chatbot that asks visitors about their interests and routes them to the appropriate resources. Drift offers a live chat component that can be staffed by volunteers or staff, and it includes basic analytics to monitor conversation volume and lead quality. The platform integrates with popular CRMs such as Salesforce and HubSpot, which can be useful for ministries that maintain a member database. Pricing starts at $100/month for the Essentials plan, which includes basic chatbot and live chat features. Additional plans offer advanced automation, reporting, and higher limits. While Drift can be a useful tool for churches that focus on lead generation and event promotion, it may lack the specialized knowledge‑base features and brand‑matching customization that other platforms provide.

Botsify is a chatbot platform that offers a no‑code builder, human handoff, and AI training capabilities. It allows churches to create conversational flows for FAQs, event registrations, or donation prompts. Botsify supports multiple channels, including Facebook Messenger, website chat, and WhatsApp. The platform’s AI training feature lets administrators upload documents and train the bot to answer specific questions, offering a rudimentary knowledge‑base capability. Botsify also provides a built‑in analytics dashboard and integration with external services via webhooks. Pricing starts with a free plan that includes up to 200 conversations per month and a basic chatbot. The Pro plan is $50/month, offering unlimited conversations, advanced features, and API access. Botsify’s simplicity makes it accessible for small ministries. However, the platform’s AI knowledge features are less sophisticated than those of more advanced systems, and it does not offer persistent memory for authenticated users.