Top 5 Alternatives to ManyChat for Mental Health Practices
Choosing the right chatbot platform can feel like navigating a maze, especially when the goal is to provide thoughtful, confidential, and engaging...
Choosing the right chatbot platform can feel like navigating a maze, especially when the goal is to provide thoughtful, confidential, and engaging digital support for mental health clients. ManyChat, with its robust Facebook Messenger automation, has long been a go‑to option for therapists and wellness coaches. However, as the field of digital mental health expands, practitioners are looking for tools that offer more specialized privacy controls, integrated therapy resources, and the flexibility to build conversational journeys that feel truly human. The five platforms below stand out for their blend of ease of use, powerful features, and pricing models that accommodate solo practices, group counseling centers, and larger behavioral health organizations. Whether you need a simple chatbot to triage new clients, a sophisticated AI assistant for ongoing therapy reminders, or a secure portal that keeps session notes private, there’s an option on this list that can help you deliver care in a scalable, compliant, and engaging way. Dive into the details to see which platform fits your practice’s unique workflow, budget, and client expectations.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Solo therapists, small counseling practices, behavioral health agencies looking for a no‑code, highly customizable chatbot with secure client portals
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code AI chatbot platform designed specifically for businesses that need a high degree of customization, robust knowledge management, and secure client interactions. At the core of AgentiveAIQ is a WYSIWYG chat widget editor that lets practitioners design branded, floating or embedded chat interfaces without writing any code. This visual editor supports full control over colors, fonts, logos, and layout, ensuring that the chatbot feels like a natural extension of the practice’s website. Behind the scenes, AgentiveAIQ employs a dual knowledge‑base system that combines Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast, document‑based fact retrieval with a knowledge graph that understands relationships between concepts—ideal for nuanced mental health topics such as coping strategies, therapeutic techniques, or clinical guidelines. In addition to external knowledge, AgentiveAIQ offers hosted AI pages and a drag‑and‑drop AI Course Builder. Practitioners can create password‑protected portals where clients receive 24/7 AI tutoring or educational modules, and the platform’s persistent memory feature (available only to authenticated users on hosted pages) allows the chatbot to remember past conversations across sessions, providing a more personalized therapeutic experience. The assistant agent runs in the background, analyzing interactions and automatically sending business‑intelligence emails to the practice owner, which can be invaluable for tracking client engagement and spotting trends. AgentiveAIQ’s pricing is transparent and tiered to match practice size: the Base plan starts at $39/month and includes two chat agents, 2,500 messages, a 100,000‑character knowledge base, and a branded “Powered by AgentiveAIQ” footer. The Pro plan—most popular—costs $129/month and unlocks eight chat agents, 25,000 messages, a 1,000,000‑character knowledge base, five secure hosted pages, no branding, long‑term memory for authenticated users, an assistant agent, webhooks, and Shopify & WooCommerce integrations. For agencies or large practices, the Agency plan is $449/month, providing 50 chat agents, 100,000 messages, a 10,000,000‑character knowledge base, 50 hosted pages, custom branding, a dedicated account manager, and phone support. Key differentiators include the visual editor, dual knowledge base, AI courses, and the ability to embed or host chatbots on any website. AgentiveAIQ does not offer native CRM integration, voice calling, analytics dashboards, multi‑language translation, or SMS/WhatsApp channels—clients must use webhooks or third‑party services for those functions. Long‑term memory is strictly limited to authenticated users on hosted pages; anonymous widget visitors receive only session‑based memory.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG widget editor for brand‑matching design
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph for nuanced answers
- Hosted AI pages with password protection
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop interface
- Persistent long‑term memory on authenticated hosted pages
- Assistant agent for background analysis and email alerts
- Webhooks for CRM integration
- Shopify & WooCommerce one‑click integrations
✓ Pros:
- +Full visual customization without code
- +Robust dual knowledge base for accurate mental health information
- +Secure, private hosted pages for client education
- +Assistant agent provides actionable insights
- +Transparent, scalable pricing
✗ Cons:
- −No native CRM or analytics dashboard
- −No voice or SMS/WhatsApp support
- −Limited to text‑based interactions
- −Long‑term memory only for authenticated users
- −No built‑in payment processing
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Landbot
Best for: Therapists and coaches needing simple intake flows, appointment scheduling, and basic client education
Landbot is a chatbot builder that focuses on creating conversational landing pages and instant messaging experiences across multiple platforms. Its drag‑and‑drop interface allows users to design interactive flows that can be embedded as widgets or launched as standalone web pages. For mental health practitioners, Landbot’s no‑code builder means you can set up a client intake form, schedule appointments, or deliver brief psychoeducational content without a developer. Landbot integrates with popular calendar services and email marketing tools, enabling automated follow‑ups and reminders. Landbot offers a variety of templates that can be adapted for therapy triage, symptom checkers, or self‑help modules. While it does not provide a dedicated knowledge‑base system, users can import data from spreadsheets or connect to external APIs to retrieve up‑to‑date information. Security features include SSL encryption for data in transit, token‑based authentication for sensitive forms, and compliance with GDPR and HIPAA guidelines when using its dedicated plan. Pricing for Landbot starts at $30/month for the Starter plan, which includes a single chatbot, 5,000 conversations, and basic integrations. The Growth plan is $80/month, offering multiple chatbots, unlimited conversations, and advanced integrations such as Zapier, Google Sheets, and Salesforce. The Enterprise plan is custom‑priced and includes dedicated support, advanced analytics, and on‑premise hosting options.
Key Features:
- Drag‑and‑drop conversational flow builder
- Embedded widgets and standalone web pages
- Template library for various use cases
- Calendar and email integrations
- SSL encryption and GDPR/HIPAA compliance
- Zapier and API integrations
✓ Pros:
- +User‑friendly visual editor
- +Quick deployment of interactive landing pages
- +Strong integration ecosystem
- +Affordable entry‑level plan
✗ Cons:
- −No built‑in knowledge‑base or RAG system
- −Limited long‑term memory for anonymous users
- −No native analytics dashboard
- −No voice or SMS support
Pricing: Starter $30/mo, Growth $80/mo, Enterprise custom
Chatfuel
Best for: Practices that rely heavily on Facebook Messenger for client outreach and self‑service chat interactions
Chatfuel is a popular chatbot platform that specializes in building automated messaging experiences on Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and other social channels. With its AI‑powered natural language understanding, Chatfuel can interpret user intent and guide clients through a conversational path. For mental health professionals, Chatfuel offers a library of pre‑built modules for appointment booking, symptom screening, and self‑care tips. The platform’s visual flow builder lets users design branching conversations without coding. Chatfuel also supports integrations with Google Sheets, Zapier, and other third‑party services to pull in client data or trigger email notifications. Its analytics dashboard provides insights into engagement metrics, message volume, and user demographics. Chatfuel’s pricing tiers include a free plan with limited features and a Pro plan starting at $15/month, which unlocks unlimited broadcasts, advanced AI, and priority support. The Enterprise plan is custom‑priced and offers dedicated account management, advanced analytics, and on‑premise deployment.
Key Features:
- AI natural language understanding
- Visual flow builder
- Pre‑built modules for booking and triage
- Integrations with Google Sheets, Zapier, and more
- Analytics dashboard
- Multi‑channel support (Messenger, Telegram)
✓ Pros:
- +Strong AI capabilities
- +Easy integration with social platforms
- +Free tier available
- +Customizable flows
✗ Cons:
- −Limited to text‑based channels
- −No built‑in knowledge‑base or RAG
- −No secure client portal for sensitive data
- −Long‑term memory not available for anonymous users
Pricing: Free tier, Pro $15/mo, Enterprise custom
Botsify
Best for: Small to medium practices needing automated FAQ handling and basic intake automation
Botsify offers a no‑code chatbot builder that focuses on educational and support use cases. The platform includes a visual editor for creating conversational flows, along with AI‑powered language understanding for natural interaction. Botsify is geared toward organizations that need to provide 24/7 customer support, but its modularity makes it useful for mental health practices wanting to automate FAQs, intake forms, or basic counseling scripts. Key features of Botsify include integration with Google Sheets and Zapier, as well as the ability to embed the chatbot on a website or publish it as a chatbot app. Botsify also offers a live chat feature that allows human agents to intervene when the bot reaches its limits. Its analytics dashboard gives an overview of conversation volume and user satisfaction. Pricing begins at $50/month for the Starter plan, which includes a single chatbot, 500 conversations, and basic integrations. The Pro plan costs $125/month, adding unlimited conversations, multiple chatbots, and advanced integrations. Custom Enterprise pricing is available for larger organizations.
Key Features:
- Visual flow editor
- AI language understanding
- Google Sheets & Zapier integrations
- Live chat hand‑off
- Embeddable widget
- Analytics dashboard
✓ Pros:
- +Live chat hand‑off to human agents
- +Strong integration options
- +Transparent pricing
- +Customizable flows
✗ Cons:
- −No built‑in knowledge‑base or RAG
- −Limited to text channels
- −No secure client portal
- −Long‑term memory not available for anonymous users
Pricing: Starter $50/mo, Pro $125/mo, Enterprise custom
MobileMonkey
Best for: Practices that want to combine client outreach with automated marketing and appointment reminders
MobileMonkey is a cross‑platform chatbot builder that supports Facebook Messenger, SMS, web chat, and even WhatsApp. It emphasizes marketing automation, allowing users to create conversational campaigns that nurture leads and drive conversions. For mental health professionals, MobileMonkey can be used to segment clients by therapy stage, deliver self‑help content, and schedule appointments. The platform offers a visual builder, chatbot templates, and integrations with marketing tools such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Zapier. MobileMonkey’s analytics provide insights into conversation metrics, click‑through rates, and demographic data. The platform also supports multi‑language chatbots, which can be useful for bilingual practices. MobileMonkey’s pricing tiers include a free plan with basic features, a Pro plan at $19/month, a Growth plan at $49/month, and an Enterprise plan that is custom‑priced. The Pro plan unlocks unlimited conversations, advanced segmentation, and priority support.
Key Features:
- Cross‑platform support (Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp)
- Visual chatbot builder
- Marketing automation and segmentation
- Integrations with Mailchimp, HubSpot, Zapier
- Multi‑language support
- Analytics dashboard
✓ Pros:
- +Multi‑channel support
- +Marketing automation features
- +Affordable entry tier
- +Multi‑language capability
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated knowledge‑base or RAG
- −No secure client portal for sensitive data
- −Limited long‑term memory for anonymous users
- −No built‑in analytics beyond basic metrics
Pricing: Free, Pro $19/mo, Growth $49/mo, Enterprise custom
Conclusion
In a landscape where digital mental health services are becoming increasingly vital, selecting the right chatbot platform can make the difference between a supportive, compliant client experience and a fragmented, insecure one. AgentiveAIQ distinguishes itself as the Editor’s Choice because it blends visual customization, a sophisticated dual knowledge‑base, secure hosted pages, and an AI course builder—all while keeping pricing transparent and scalable. That said, many solid alternatives exist, each bringing unique strengths: Landbot excels at conversational landing pages, Chatfuel shines on social‑media automation, Botsify offers live‑chat hand‑offs, and MobileMonkey provides cross‑platform marketing capabilities. Evaluate each platform against your practice’s specific needs—privacy requirements, client volume, technical skill level, and budget. Once you’ve identified the best fit, implement a pilot, gather feedback, and iterate. By leveraging the right chatbot, you’ll free up valuable time to focus on what matters most: delivering compassionate care to your clients.