---
title: "What is an active contact in ManyChat?"
description: "What is an active contact in ManyChat? How per-contact billing works, ManyChat's tiers and overage as of October 2026, and a worked cost example."
url: https://replyrep.io/glossary/active-contact
updated: 2026-10-19
---

# What is an active contact in ManyChat?

An active contact is the unit ManyChat bills by: plans include a set number of active contacts a month, and paid tiers charge for each extra one. Per manychat.com/pricing, checked 19 October 2026, the free plan covers 25 and Pro costs $29 a month for 2,500, plus $0.05 per extra contact. ReplyRep bills by DMs sent instead.

## How does active contact billing work?

ManyChat prices its plans by Active Contacts per month. Each tier includes a number of them, and every contact beyond that is charged at the tier's overage rate. These are the monthly figures per manychat.com/pricing, checked 19 October 2026:

*Source: manychat.com/pricing, checked 19 October 2026. Prices can change; check ManyChat before you buy.*

| ManyChat plan | Monthly price | Active contacts included | Each extra contact |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 25 | Not listed |
| Essential | $14 | 250 | $0.10 |
| Pro | $29 | 2,500 | $0.05 |
| Business | $69 | 7,500 | $0.025 |
| Advanced | $139 | 25,000 | $0.004 |

## What does that cost in a real month?

Say a reel brings 5,000 people into your automation in one month. On these figures, the cheapest ManyChat option is **Business at $69** a month. ReplyRep counts DMs, not people: one DM each is 5,000 DMs, which fits **Lite at $10** (10,000 DMs). If each person gets three messages, that is 15,000 DMs, which fits **Boost at $25**. Run your own numbers in the [ManyChat pricing calculator](https://replyrep.io/tools/manychat-pricing-calculator).

## Why does the billing unit matter for DM automation?

Comment-to-DM brings in new people with every post, so a contact-based bill grows with your reach, and a viral post can move you up a tier. A DM-based bill grows with how many messages you send. Which is cheaper depends on your numbers: many people with one DM each favors DM pricing, while a small audience you message often can favor contact pricing.

## How does ReplyRep price it?

ReplyRep has no contact count. Plans are capped by DMs a month: Free 2,000 DMs ($0), Lite 10,000 DMs ($10), Boost 40,000 DMs ($25), MAX 400,000 DMs ($100). See [ReplyRep pricing](https://replyrep.io/pricing), the full [ManyChat pricing breakdown](https://replyrep.io/guides/manychat-pricing) or the [ReplyRep vs ManyChat comparison](https://replyrep.io/compare/manychat). If you need channels beyond Instagram, pick a multi-channel tool such as ManyChat: ReplyRep is Instagram only.

**Pay for DMs, not contacts** Start on the Free plan with 2,000 DMs a month.

## Related terms

- [Comment-to-DM](https://replyrep.io/glossary/comment-to-dm): the automation that adds most new contacts.
- [Conversion rate](https://replyrep.io/glossary/conversion-rate): what each contact or DM is worth to you.

Sources:
- [ManyChat pricing (checked 19 October 2026)](https://manychat.com/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is an active contact the same as a follower?

No. Followers are counted by Instagram. Active contacts are ManyChat's own billing count of people active in your ManyChat account in a month. Someone who follows you but never interacts with your automations is not the same as a contact your automation talks to.

### What happens if I go over my active contact limit?

On ManyChat's paid tiers, each extra active contact is billed at the tier's overage rate, per manychat.com/pricing checked 19 October 2026. On Pro that is $0.05 per extra contact. The free plan covers 25 active contacts.

### How much does ManyChat cost for 5,000 contacts?

Using ManyChat's monthly prices checked 19 October 2026, the cheapest option for 5,000 active contacts is Business at $69 a month. Your bill can differ if your country pricing or contact count is different.

### Does ReplyRep charge per contact?

No. ReplyRep plans are priced by DMs a month and Instagram accounts, from Free with 2,000 DMs up to MAX with 400,000 DMs. There is no separate contact count or overage charge per person.

Last updated 2026-10-19. Source: https://replyrep.io/glossary/active-contact