---
title: "Chatty vs Manifest AI: pricing, features and how to choose (2026)"
slug: "chatty-vs-manifest-ai"
url: "https://chatty.net/blog/chatty-vs-manifest-ai/"
kind: "post"
author: "Drake Q."
author_url: "https://chatty.net/author/drake/"
published_at: "2026-11-13T09:00:00+07:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-13T09:00:00+07:00"
description: "Chatty vs Manifest AI compared on real monthly cost, Manifest's $500 minimum, setup, quizzes, order cancellations, channels and revenue tracking."
categories: ["Marketing"]
tags: ["Shopify", "AI sales agent", "Live chat comparison"]
reading_time: 17
feature_image: "https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/thumbnail-chatty-vs-manifest-ai.webp"
---

# Chatty vs Manifest AI: pricing, features and how to choose (2026)

Chatty vs Manifest AI compared on real monthly cost, Manifest's $500 minimum, setup, quizzes, order cancellations, channels and revenue tracking.

Manifest AI's App Store listing says "Free to install." Its own FAQ says plans start at $500 a month and there is no free plan. Several of its [1-star reviews](https://apps.shopify.com/manifest-ai-shopping-assistant/reviews) come from merchants who learned the difference after installing.

Chatty, the AI sales agent, starts with a Free plan and paid plans from $19.99 a month. So the starting prices are $0 against $500, and that comparison tells you almost nothing.

Both apps charge for the work the AI does. Manifest bills $0.05 per AI reply with a 10,000-reply minimum. Chatty bills plans of AI conversations, then $0.075 per AI reply past the plan.

The question that decides it is volume. This guide calls it the floor test: does your store use enough AI each month to fill Manifest's $500 minimum?

Below about 2,800 AI conversations a month, Chatty costs less. Above it, Manifest's per-reply price wins, and its team builds the agents for you.

Cost only settles part of it. You also need to decide who sets the AI up, and whether it should cancel orders without a person.

Below you'll find 5 differences side by side, monthly costs at 5 volume levels and a 14-day test plan. We checked every price and feature on 13 November 2026, using the two App Store listings, the two help centers and Manifest's pricing page.

**Key Takeaways**

- **Choose Chatty if**

  your store has fewer than about 2,800 AI conversations a month, at an estimated 2.5 AI replies each. At 1,000 conversations, Chatty Pro comes to about $163 against Manifest's $500.
- **Choose Chatty if**

  you want to install and run the AI yourself inside Shopify admin, with no contract and a spending cap you set.
- **Choose Chatty if**

  you want AI-touched orders marked on the Shopify order itself.
- **Choose Manifest AI if**

  you run well above 2,800 AI conversations a month, or want one fixed yearly price with unlimited AI replies.
- **Choose Manifest AI if**

  you want the AI to cancel eligible orders, and a vendor team to build those agents with you.
- **Choose Manifest AI if**

  you need AI on WhatsApp, Instagram, email or voice, or sell on WooCommerce or BigCommerce.

## Chatty vs Manifest AI at a glance

Both apps suggest products, look up orders and pass chats to your team. These 10 rows show where they differ.

| Capability | Chatty | Manifest AI | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billing unit | A plan of AI conversations, plus $0.075 for each AI reply past it | $0.05 for each AI reply, with 10,000 replies as the monthly minimum | Compare at your volume, not the starting price |
| Lowest monthly cost | Free plan, then Basic at $19.99 for 100 AI conversations | $500, plus a startup plan with no published price | Manifest's minimum applies even in a slow month |
| How you buy | Install from the App Store and pick a plan | Sales call, then a monthly or yearly agreement | Manifest's yearly price is set from your current volume |
| Who sets it up | You, or Chatty's team for free on any plan | Manifest's team builds agents with you, live in about 2 weeks | Both need someone to review replies after launch |
| Before the order | Product recommendations, Product quiz, size guide, proactive campaigns | Quizzes, Fit Predictor, product page (PDP) widgets, A/B tests on placement | Chatty's quiz and size guide need Pro or Plus |
| After the order | Looks up order status, then routes cancel, return and edit requests to a person | Pre-built agents cancel eligible orders and handle returns | With Chatty, your team finishes each request |
| Other channels | Email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp connect to one inbox | AI agents on chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and voice | Manifest's marketing tools bill by contact |
| Where you work | Inside Shopify admin | Manifest's own dashboard | A second login for your team with Manifest |
| Revenue proof | Two metafields on each Shopify order: Chatty Assisted and Chatty Direct | Sales made by Manifest, shown as a share of store sales | Each app defines an AI sale its own way |
| Platforms and trial | Shopify only. A Free plan, and 7-day trials on paid plans | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce. 7-day trial on the listing, 30 days on the pricing page | Ask Manifest which trial length applies to you |

## Chatty vs Manifest AI pricing: plans you pick or a $500 monthly minimum

The table shows both apps meter AI work. This section puts both meters on your volume, so you can see which side of the floor your store sits on.

### How Manifest AI bills: AI replies above a $500 floor

At the time of writing, [Manifest's pricing page](https://blog.getmanifest.ai/manifest-ai-pricing/) charges $0.05 per AI reply. The minimum is 10,000 replies a month, which is $500. Human replies, tickets and resolutions are never billed.

Manifest puts the average at 3 AI replies per conversation, or about $0.15 per AI-handled conversation. At that average, the $500 floor covers about 3,333 conversations before the bill moves.

The same page lists what comes free with any plan:

- **BIK helpdesk:** unlimited seats and unlimited tickets. BIK is Manifest's parent company.
- **Agent building:** unlimited agents and automations, built by Manifest's team.
- **Support:** onboarding and help 7 days a week.

BIK's marketing tools for WhatsApp, Instagram and email campaigns are billed separately, by unique contacts. A yearly agreement sets one fixed price from your current volume, with unlimited AI replies for 12 months.

The [Manifest FAQ](https://help.getmanifest.ai/en/articles/17510195-manifest-ai-faq-ai-agents-for-ecommerce-support-and-marketing) also mentions a startup plan for brands just getting started. It has no published price, so you'll need a sales call to learn it.

![Manifest AI pricing image showing $0.05 per AI reply, about $0.15 per conversation, a free BIK helpdesk with unlimited seats, an 80% automation guarantee, and a monthly cost bar chart for 8 agents and 10,000 conversations with Manifest AI plus BIK at about $1,200](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/manifest-ai-pricing-page-500-floor-2026-11.webp)
\*Image via Manifest AI's pricing page, captured 13 November 2026.\*

Look at the bar chart's frame. Manifest prices itself against Gorgias, Zendesk and Richpanel for a brand with 8 agents. That tells you the store size it's built around.

### How Chatty bills: AI conversations, AI replies and a spending cap

Each Chatty plan includes a set number of AI conversations a month. At the time of writing, Chatty's [Shopify listing](https://apps.shopify.com/chatty) has four tiers:

- **Free:** $0, with 50 AI conversations and no cap on conversations your team handles.
- **Basic:** 100 AI conversations for $19.99 a month.
- **Pro:** 500 AI conversations for $68.99 a month. Cart campaigns start here.
- **Plus:** 1,000 AI conversations for $199 a month.

Message count doesn't change the conversation count. Per [Chatty's help center](https://help.chatty.net/ai/overview/ai-conversations/), a chat where the AI sends 1 message counts the same as one where it sends 10.

Once a paid plan's conversations are used up, each message the AI sends costs $0.075. You cap that overage with a usage limit in your subscription settings. Hit the cap and the AI pauses until the next billing cycle, while your team keeps replying from the inbox.

For the math below, use an estimate of 2.5 AI replies per conversation. That's what Chatty stores averaged between 13 October and 11 November 2026, across roughly 152,000 AI conversations (median 2).

So each conversation past the plan costs about $0.1875. Your shoppers may need more or fewer replies, so check 10 of your transcripts and swap in your number.

Two plan facts follow from that rate. Basic stays the cheaper pick until about 361 AI conversations a month, then Pro takes over. Plus never undercuts Pro with overage, so price alone is no reason to pick it.

Past 1,500 a month, the cost calculator inside the app stops quoting list plans and suggests a custom plan.

### The floor test at 300 to 5,000 AI conversations

With both meters defined, the floor test is two formulas. Assume 2.5 AI replies per conversation and monthly billing:

**Chatty Pro = $68.99 + (AI conversations − 500) × 2.5 × $0.075**

**Manifest AI = the larger of $500 or AI conversations × 2.5 × $0.05**

Here's what that gives at 5 volume levels. The numbers are illustrative, computed from list prices.

| AI conversations a month | Chatty, cheapest plan plus overage | Manifest AI, monthly | Cheaper |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 300 | $57.49 (Basic) | $500 | Chatty, by about $443 |
| 1,000 | $162.74 (Pro) | $500 | Chatty, by about $337 |
| 2,000 | $350.24 (Pro, ask for a custom quote) | $500 | Chatty, by about $150 |
| 3,000 | $537.74 (Pro, ask for a custom quote) | $500 | Manifest, by about $38 |
| 5,000 | $912.74 (Pro, ask for a custom quote) | $625 | Manifest, by about $288 |

At 2.5 replies, Manifest's $500 holds until 4,000 conversations, but Chatty's cost reaches $500 sooner, at about 2,800. At 3 replies per conversation, Manifest's own average, that crossing falls to about 2,400.

![Line chart of monthly cost against AI conversations from 0 to 5,000. Manifest AI stays flat at $500 up to 4,000 conversations and then rises, while Chatty rises from $19.99 and crosses Manifest at about 2,800 conversations, assuming 2.5 AI replies per conversation](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/chatty-vs-manifest-ai-monthly-cost-floor-test.webp)
\*Manifest's line stays flat until 4,000 conversations. Chatty's crosses it at about 2,800.\*

Two things the table can't show. Above 1,500 conversations, Chatty's real price is a custom quote, so the last three rows are list-price math, not a promise. And Manifest's $500 buys a team that builds agents and cancels orders, which Chatty doesn't do.

To run the test on your own store, copy these five lines:

| Line | What to enter | Example (illustrative) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A. AI conversations a month | Your current chat app's report, or the 14-day test further down | 900 |
| B. AI replies per conversation | Count replies in 10 transcripts and average them. Start with 2.5 if you have none | 2.5 |
| C. Chatty cost | $68.99 + (A − 500) × B × $0.075, if A is above 500 | $143.99 |
| D. Manifest AI cost | The larger of $500 or A × B × $0.05 | $500 |
| E. Difference | D − C | $356.01 a month in Chatty's favor |

The example column is an illustrative home goods store, not a real merchant.

Now take its November. A sale doubles chats to 1,800, so Chatty Pro comes to $312.74 at list price, though past 1,500 you'd ask for a custom quote. Manifest stays at $500.

Even in its busiest month, the store stays well below the 2,800 crossing.

What to check in your own output: is line A within about 500 conversations of 2,800? Then cost won't settle it, and the next four sections will.

## Setting up Chatty vs Manifest AI: install it yourself or let their team build it

The floor test settles cost. Setup decides how much of your own time the first month takes, and here Manifest gives more hands-on help.

Manifest's FAQ says most brands go live in about 2 weeks. The Manifest team builds your agents with you during onboarding and keeps building new ones on request after launch.

Manifest's pricing page also guarantees 80% or more automation within 30 days of going live, or your money back. Ask how "automation" is measured before you sign, since the definition decides whether the guarantee applies.

Chatty is a regular App Store install and lives in Shopify admin. Your catalog syncs every day, and you teach the AI with Q&A pairs, files, links and pages from your store.

Prefer not to do it yourself? Click **Set it up for me** on the AI agent page, on any plan including Free. Chatty's team then [trains the AI](https://help.chatty.net/ai/train-ai/training-data/) and hands it back ready to switch on.

On training, the two are even. In both, you can see where a reply came from and fix it in place. Plan on checking replies weekly with either app for the first month.

**The decision:** if you want a vendor team building custom agents for weeks, with a named guarantee, that's Manifest. If you want the AI live this week without a sales call, that's Chatty.

## Selling before the order: Manifest AI's quizzes and PDP widgets vs Chatty's recommendations and campaigns

Setup gets the AI ready. Before the order is where it earns its keep, and both apps help shoppers pick the right product.

Manifest has more ways onto the page. Its [homepage](https://getmanifest.ai/) lists a Fit Predictor Agent that suggests a size from height, weight and fit preference. It also offers quizzes, embeds and PDP widgets that sit on the product page itself.

Manifest also lets you A/B test where those placements go. Its [entry point analytics](https://help.getmanifest.ai/en/articles/11839059-entry-point-embed-analytics-in-manifest) count shoppers shown, engaged and adding to cart for each one. For on-page testing, Manifest is ahead.

Chatty works inside the chat window and through campaigns. The AI recommends products from your synced catalog and adds them to the cart in chat.

Chatty's [Product quiz](https://help.chatty.net/ai/train-ai/ai-skills/product-quiz/) asks up to 3, 5 or 7 questions, then suggests 1 to 3 products. It starts when a shopper's message matches a trigger like "help me choose", or from a proactive teaser.

The [size guide skill](https://help.chatty.net/ai/train-ai/ai-skills/size-guide/) reads your size charts as text, HTML or an image. It then asks shoppers for the measurements you define. Both skills need the Pro or Plus plan.

![Chatty AI Sales Agent chat window where a shopper says they are 5'6" and 130 lbs and asks what size to get, and the AI recommends size M based on the product's size guide](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/mockup-chatty-size-guide-recommendation-v2.webp)
\*Add a size chart in Size guide and the AI recommends a size from the shopper's own measurements.\*

Proactive chat in Chatty runs on campaigns you set by page, time on page, scroll and cart value. Per [Chatty's proactive chat guide](https://help.chatty.net/live-chat/proactive-chat/), cart campaigns need Pro or Plus.

**The decision:** if you want to test widget placements on product pages and measure each one, Manifest gives you the tools. If chat, a quiz and a few cart campaigns cover your shoppers' questions, Chatty Pro does it for $68.99 plus overage.

## After the order: Manifest AI agents cancel orders, Chatty hands off to your team

Before the order, the difference is mostly placement tools. After the order, Manifest does work that Chatty leaves to a person.

### Cancellations, returns and order edits

Manifest's [Agent Builder](https://help.getmanifest.ai/en/articles/17662675-ai-agents-build-your-own-ai-agent-in-manifest) ships with a pre-built Order Cancellation Agent. It looks up the order, checks it can still be cancelled, tags it in Shopify and alerts your team.

A Returns and Exchanges Agent comes pre-built too. Order tools only run after the shopper passes an email or phone one-time code, because they touch private order data.

![Manifest AI Agent Studio screen for an Order Cancellation Agent, with instructions to look up the order, check it is unfulfilled and placed less than 24 hours ago, then trigger a refund, next to Tools and Sub-agents panels](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/manifest-ai-order-cancellation-agent-listing-2026-11.webp)
\*Image via Manifest AI's App Store listing. It's a marketing composite, not a live account.\*

Chatty's AI looks up order status on paid plans and stops there. Its [after-sales support skill](https://help.chatty.net/ai/train-ai/ai-skills/after-sales-support/) spots four kinds of request: return and refund, cancel order, order issue and edit order.

Each kind gets one of three routes, set by you:

- **Transfer to email:** the shopper fills in a form with email, order number and the problem, plus a photo if you allow it.
- **Transfer to human:** a teammate takes over the chat in the Chatty inbox.
- **Send contact methods:** the AI lists the ways to reach you that you set in chatbox settings.

The AI never cancels, edits or refunds an order. Someone on your team closes it out, starting from the details the form already gathered.

**The decision:** pull last month's cancellation requests. A steady daily stream makes Manifest's agent worth a share of its $500. Ten or twenty a month, and Chatty's form plus a teammate handles them fine.

### WhatsApp, Instagram, email and voice

Manifest runs AI agents on website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and voice calls. The pricing page lists one per-reply rate and no separate AI fee per channel. Confirm on the call that those replies count toward the same floor.

In Chatty, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp messages connect to one inbox, and a person on your team replies there. If your shoppers expect AI on DMs or phone calls, Manifest covers that and Chatty doesn't.

## Revenue tracking: how Chatty and Manifest AI show what the AI sold

Setup, selling and order work all lead to one question: how much revenue did the AI bring in? Manifest and Chatty credit a sale by different rules, so a side-by-side of their totals misleads.

Manifest's [home page analytics](https://help.getmanifest.ai/en/articles/12066419-home-page-analytics) show sales made by Manifest after a shopper interacts, and that figure as a share of total store sales. They also compare conversion rate, average order value and add-to-cart rate for shoppers who chatted against those who didn't.

The help article doesn't state an attribution window, meaning how long after a chat a sale still counts. Ask for it on the sales call.

Chatty stamps its result on the Shopify order through two [metafields](https://help.chatty.net/analytics/Chatty-Attribution-Metafields/):

- **Chatty Assisted:** true when the buyer chatted with Chatty, or opened your FAQs, in the 7 days before ordering.
- **Chatty Direct:** true when the order includes a product Chatty showed or named in the chat.

Pin them to the order page, then use them as order filters or in customer segments.

![Shopify admin order page with a Metafields card showing Chatty Direct and Chatty Assisted fields, highlighted and enlarged beside the order](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/chatty-assisted-direct-shopify-order-metafields.webp)
\*Pin Chatty Direct and Chatty Assisted to see them on every order page.\*

For a fair read, put Chatty Direct next to Manifest's sales figure once you know Manifest's window. Both numbers show correlation, not proof that the AI caused the sale. To test that, see our guide on [orders that came from chat](https://chatty.net/blog/how-to-see-which-shopify-orders-came-from-chat/).

## Chatty or Manifest AI: which to choose for your store

Each section above ended with its own decision. Read the two verdicts below with those calls in hand.

### Chatty

**Best for:** Shopify stores under about 2,800 AI conversations a month that want to start today. It suits teams that will set up the AI themselves, or hand it to Chatty's free setup.

**Skip it if:** order cancellations must finish without a person, or AI has to reply on WhatsApp, Instagram or phone calls. It's also out if part of your catalog sells off Shopify.

**Where it taps out:** after-sales requests end with a person. Proactive chat runs on campaigns you write, and cart campaigns, Product quiz and size guide need Pro or Plus. Past 1,500 AI conversations a month, pricing becomes a custom quote, and the AI goes quiet once overage reaches your cap.

### Manifest AI

**Best for:** brands well above 2,800 AI conversations a month with a support team. It also suits teams weighing a helpdesk like Gorgias, since BIK's helpdesk comes free. It fits stores that want order cancellations handled by AI and a vendor team to build agents.

**Skip it if:** your store has a few hundred chats a month. You'd pay the $500 floor for AI capacity you don't use.

**Where it taps out:** pricing goes through a sales call, and the startup plan has no public price. Budget for the $500 floor before the trial starts, not after it ends. Your team works in a separate dashboard.

Still undecided? Find the row that sounds like your store:

| If your store… | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Has under about 2,800 AI conversations a month | Chatty | You stay under Manifest's $500 floor |
| Has well over 2,800 AI conversations a month | Manifest AI | Its per-reply price is lower at scale |
| Spends hours a week on cancellations | Manifest AI | Its Order Cancellation Agent acts on eligible orders |
| Wants the AI live this week, no sales call | Chatty | Self-serve install with free setup help |
| Needs AI on WhatsApp, Instagram or voice | Manifest AI | Its AI agents run on those channels |

## Test Chatty and Manifest AI before you sign a contract

Line A is a guess until you measure it. Two weeks with a live AI turns it into a real count.

Trial lengths differ by source. Manifest's listing says 7 days, and its pricing page says 30, both checked 13 November 2026. On Chatty, a Pro trial runs 7 days and adds 300 bonus AI conversations, and the Free plan has no end date.

![Pricing section of the Manifest AI App Store listing showing Free to install, a 7-day free trial with month-to-month and long-term agreements after it, and a features list](https://cdn.chatty.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/manifest-ai-listing-free-to-install-2026-11.webp)
\*Image via [Manifest AI's App Store listing](https://apps.shopify.com/manifest-ai-shopping-assistant), captured 13 November 2026.\*

Run Chatty first, because it needs no call. Use the result to decide whether Manifest's call is worth booking.

| Days | What you do | What you record |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Day 1 | Install Chatty and start the Pro trial. Note any promotion planned in the next two weeks | Promotion dates, so you can discount those days |
| Days 1-3 | Add your top 20 questions, then turn on one product page campaign and one cart campaign | Questions the AI couldn't handle |
| Days 4-14 | Let it run on all traffic | AI conversations per day, AI replies in 10 sampled chats |
| Day 14 | Multiply the average daily conversations by 30 and fill in lines A to E | Your floor test result |

Keep the scorecard to two numbers: monthly AI conversations and replies per conversation. If line A lands well under 2,800, you have your answer. If it lands near or above it, book the Manifest call.

Bring these 5 questions to that call:

1. What does the startup plan cost, and how many AI replies does it include?
2. Does a reply on the Ultra model count as more than one AI reply? The [model settings article](https://help.getmanifest.ai/en/articles/12116284-ai-model-and-personality) lists Ultra at 4 credits per message.
3. How is "automation" measured for the 80% guarantee, and what does the refund cover?
4. Is the free trial 7 days or 30, and does it include agent building?
5. How long after a chat does a sale count in the sales analytics?

## Chatty vs Manifest AI: let your monthly volume pick the model

Manifest sells a managed agent platform with a $500 floor and a team that builds for you. Chatty sells self-serve plans that start free and grow with your AI conversations.

The floor test decides which one costs less. Below about 2,800 AI conversations a month, that's Chatty. Above it, Manifest's per-reply price wins, and order cancellations come with it.

Your next step: fill in lines A to E with last month's chats. No chat history yet? Run the 14-day test and use what it measures.

If your store sits under the $500 floor, Chatty is the one to try first. [Preview Chatty on your store](https://chatty.net/demo/your-store/), install the Free plan, and let a month of real chats tell you which paid plan fits.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manifest AI free?

No. The app is free to install, but Manifest's FAQ says there is no free plan. Plans start at $500 a month, plus a startup plan priced on a call. Some third-party lists and AI summaries still quote a free tier or a $99 plan, which doesn't match Manifest's own FAQ.

### Does Manifest AI work on WooCommerce or BigCommerce?

Yes. Manifest's homepage says it runs natively on WooCommerce and BigCommerce, with catalog sync and order handling. Its FAQ adds other platforms through the Manifest API.

Chatty is built for Shopify only, though its Plus plan at $199 a month manages several Shopify stores.

### Does Manifest AI use ChatGPT?

Partly. The App Store listing still describes it as "ChatGPT powered." Manifest's homepage says it runs on its own models: Lite, Pro and Ultra. If the model matters to you, ask which one your plan includes and how each is billed.

### Which one is Built for Shopify?

Chatty. The badge shows on Chatty's listing, and on 13 November 2026 it did not show on Manifest's. Shopify grants it to apps that pass its [Built for Shopify standards](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/launch/built-for-shopify), which test speed, design and admin integration.

The badge says nothing about how good the AI is.

### How does Manifest AI compare with Rep AI?

They meter different things. Rep AI bills on website sessions, starting at $39 a month for 3,000 sessions, while Manifest bills AI replies above a $500 floor. Our [Chatty vs Rep AI](https://chatty.net/blog/chatty-vs-rep-ai/) guide runs the session math, and our list of [Rep AI alternatives](https://chatty.net/blog/rep-ai-alternatives/) covers both.

### Is yearly billing cheaper on Chatty and Manifest AI?

Yes, in different ways. Manifest's yearly agreement fixes one price from your current volume, with unlimited AI replies for 12 months even if volume doubles. Chatty takes 14% to 15% off for yearly billing: Pro is $707.88 a year, close to $58.99 a month.

Do the floor test before you sign either one. Twelve months is a long time to pay for the wrong model.