What Is Chatfuel? AI Sales Agent for WhatsApp and Instagram
By Joris van Huët · Chatfuel's own site
The short answer: you are not misreading it: Chatfuel's pricing page sells a $100-a-month Agency S tier for three companies, while its help centre lists Agency at $100 for up to three bots and Agency S at $225, so ask before you buy an agency tier. For a single business the plan that matters is Business, $20 a month on monthly billing with $20 of credits loaded into the wallet (pricing page, plans article, checked on 26 October 2026). Chatfuel is an AI agent that replies, qualifies leads, books appointments and follows up on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and website chat, for businesses that sell in conversations.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission through some links on this site. It does not change what this page says.
What the bill is made of:
- A subscription and a wallet. For example, Business billed yearly is $216, or $18 a month, against $20 a month on monthly billing, a $24 difference over twelve months, and both include the monthly credits, per the pricing page.
- The channels you already run. Every plan includes every channel, unlimited contacts and unlimited teammates, per the plans article, so connect the number and accounts you already have.
- The line to watch. The billing page itemises every charge by day and by type, AI, templates and Meta's messages, per the wallet article. That breakdown is what tells you what a conversation costs.
What Chatfuel does
The AI agent, called Fuely AI in the help centre, answers from a Knowledge Base, saves contact details to a lead card, qualifies leads, books appointments and sends payment links. Around it sit comment auto-replies, a five-stage Leads board, live chat, and Meta Conversions API events at $0.02 per accepted event, per the Conversions API page. An AI Co-pilot changes settings when asked in plain words, and an MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT run the account from outside.
The WhatsApp costs that are not Chatfuel's
From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service messages inside the 24-hour window, which had been free, while conversations started from a click-to-WhatsApp ad keep a free 72-hour window, per Chatfuel's pricing change article. Chatfuel pays Meta through a credit line on your WhatsApp Business Account and takes the charge from your wallet; Meta lists its rates per country on its pricing page.
Who it suits
Service businesses and shops that sell in chat, and agencies running lead funnels for several clients. It suits less well a business that cannot keep a card on file, because at a zero wallet the automations stop until it is topped up, per the limit article.
Prices, checked on 26 October 2026
In USD, from the plans article:
| Plan | Price a month | Credits included | Bots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | $20 | $20 | 1 |
| Agency | $100 | $100 | Up to 3 |
| Agency S | $225 | $250 | Unlimited |
| Agency M | $440 | $500 | Unlimited |
| Agency L | $850 | $1,000 | Unlimited |
| Agency XL | $2,050 | $2,500 | Unlimited |
The trial runs 7 days with $15 of credits. The trial article says it takes a card and becomes the paid plan when the seven days end unless you cancel, although the pricing page says no card is needed; the default runs toward Chatfuel's first invoice, so put the cancel date in your calendar the day you start.
Next to ManyChat and Botpress
- ManyChat: its pricing page blocked automated reading on 26 October 2026, so no figure from it appears here. Price it against Chatfuel's wallet line by line: what the subscription covers, what is metered, and who passes on Meta's message charges.
- Botpress is built for customer support, an agent that "takes real action on refunds, account updates, and multi-step workflows", per its homepage, priced by conversation: Plus is $150 a month billed annually for 250 conversations, and extra packs of 100 cost $65, per its pricing page. Choose Botpress for a support desk and Chatfuel for sales chats that start from ads and comments.
Getting started
How to use Chatfuel qualifies leads from click-to-WhatsApp ads.
FAQ
Are Meta's WhatsApp fees included in the plan?
No. Meta charges them separately; Chatfuel pays Meta and takes them from the same wallet as your credits, so there is one bill, per the pricing page.
Do unused credits carry over?
No. They are granted for the billing cycle and expire with it, per the plans article.
What happens when the wallet hits zero?
Automations stop replying and messages stop going out; contacts, history and live chat stay, so your team can answer by hand until the wallet is funded.