# SetLuca vs Chatfuel

Chatfuel is a chat marketing and AI agent platform for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, from US$216 a year on Business with US$20 of AI credits a month and an AI allowance it doesn't publish. SetLuca is the alternative for coaches: an exact reply pool, every reply the way you write, and Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger live.

By Leonardo Maldonado, Founder of SetLuca. Published 2026-08-23, claims last checked 2026-10-16.

Chatfuel is chat marketing and AI agents for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, sold to businesses at large, not built for coaches specifically. SetLuca replies to new DMs on Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger the way the owner writes, follows up with leads who go quiet, turns Instagram comments into DM conversations, and books sales calls. Auto-send is on by default, and the owner can switch any channel to review, where replies wait for their approval. Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon.

Claims about Chatfuel were read from https://chatfuel.com/pricing on 2026-10-16. "Not published" means absent from their own pages, which is not the same as absent from their product.

## What is Chatfuel?

Chatfuel is a chat marketing and AI agent platform for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, sold to businesses in general rather than to coaches. Its AI answers DMs and comments, scores leads, sells inside the chat, sends bulk WhatsApp campaigns, and lets a customer pick a slot that is synced to your calendar.

It is built for volume. Comment auto-replies on posts and Reels, Meta Pixel conversion tracking, ad reporting, and CRM sync all come on the entry plan. Its pages describe the AI acting on its own and never mention a step where you approve a reply before it sends.

## Chatfuel pricing

Two plans appear on Chatfuel's pricing page, read on 16 October 2026, both quoted billed yearly; the page doesn't print a monthly-billed price. Every plan starts with a free trial that needs no card. The older free plan, Chatfuel Light, is no longer listed.

Chatfuel plans, as published on 16 October 2026:

| Plan | Billed yearly | AI credits a month | Built for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business | US$216 a year | US$20 | One business: lead scoring, in-chat selling, WhatsApp campaigns, meeting booking, CRM sync |
| Agency S | US$1,080 a year | US$100 | Up to 3 client companies, an agency dashboard, an account manager |

### What happens when the AI allowance runs out?

Chatfuel's limits page says active contacts and messages are unlimited, and that the AI processing behind each reply carries a fair use allowance per billing period. It never prints that allowance as a number, and the pricing page adds only that "usage limits apply".

Cross the allowance and the AI assistant stops replying to incoming messages until the limit resets. Connecting your own OpenAI key lifts the limit and moves the AI bill to OpenAI. Keyword replies, button flows, and broadcasts that don't use AI keep running either way.

## The short version

- **What the plan promises.** SetLuca: 1,250 replies a month on Starter, a number you can read before you pay. Chatfuel: Unlimited contacts and messages, a US$20 monthly AI credit wallet on Business, and an AI fair use allowance it doesn't name.
- **Who sends the reply.** SetLuca: Auto-send is on by default, written the way you write and checked by a critic. Switch any channel to review. Chatfuel: Its pages describe AI that acts on its own and never mention an approval step.
- **What you pay for.** SetLuca: Replies, each counted with the DM it answers. The pools are sized for a 5-reply sales chat. Chatfuel: US$216 a year on Business, until the AI credits or the unpublished allowance run out.
- **Channels.** SetLuca: Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon. Lead history stays on the lead. Chatfuel: WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, with TikTok and a website widget in its menu. No Telegram.
- **Where the AI learns how you write.** SetLuca: From sample replies you provide. It also chases the lead who goes quiet. Chatfuel: not-published

## How each one counts usage

- SetLuca: A reply is one message SetLuca sends together with the DM it answers, so each reply uses 2 messages of the pool. Extra DMs a lead sends before SetLuca answers draw from the same pool.
- Chatfuel: Chatfuel's limits page publishes unlimited active contacts and unlimited messages. Business adds a US$20 monthly wallet of AI credits, and underneath both, the AI behind each reply has a fair use allowance per billing period that Chatfuel does not name.
- A published pool and an unnamed allowance don't compare on the same axis. A lead who takes 5 replies to decide costs SetLuca 5 replies against a number you can see. On Chatfuel, that same conversation counts against a limit nobody outside Chatfuel can read. So the table shows Chatfuel's plan as published, with SetLuca's pools also shown as conversations.

## What each plan costs

- SetLuca Starter: $99/month, 1,250 replies, about 250 conversations at 5 replies each.
- SetLuca Pro: $249/month, 4,000 replies, about 800 conversations at 5 replies each.
- SetLuca Scale: $499/month, 8,500 replies, about 1,700 conversations at 5 replies each.
- Chatfuel Business: $18/month, unlimited contacts. Past that: The AI pauses until the limit resets.

"Unlimited" with an unpublished fair use allowance behind it is not a number you can plan a launch month against. Chatfuel's limits page says the meter exists and says what crossing it costs you: the AI stops replying until the limit resets. It never says where the meter sits. SetLuca Starter is $99 for 1,250 replies, about 250 conversations, and you can read that pool before you pay.

SetLuca sells another 500 replies for $29 on any plan. Chatfuel charges for more of its own unit at the rate above, where it publishes one.

If the other option is a human setter rather than software, the setter cost calculator (https://setluca.com/tools/setter-cost-calculator) prices salary, commission, and management time against SetLuca's plans. For what an AI setter is and costs, see https://setluca.com/ai-setter.

## Feature comparison

### Who sends the reply

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Default behavior | Auto-send on, switch any channel to review | Not published |
| Review queue | Switch any channel to review, on every plan | Not published |
| Edit before it sends | Yes, one tap | Not published |
| Turn the AI off for one lead | Yes | Not published |

### Channels

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram DMs | Live | Yes |
| WhatsApp | Coming soon | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | Live | Yes |
| Telegram | Live | No |
| One lead, one thread across channels | Yes | Not published |

### The replies themselves

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where the writing style comes from | Sample replies you provide | Not published |
| Qualifies the lead against your offer | Yes | Lead scoring, on Business |
| Reads images leads send | No | Not published |
| Memory across conversations | Yes | Not published |

### Booking and follow-up

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Books the call inside the chat | Yes | Yes, synced to your calendar |
| Calendly | Yes | Not published |
| Cal.com | Yes | Not published |
| GoHighLevel | No (in progress) | Not published |
| iClosed | No | Not published |
| Google Calendar | Yes | Not published |
| Follow-ups for leads who go quiet | Three touches over days, stops when they reply | Not published |
| No-show recovery after a booked call | Yes | Not published |

### Price and volume

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free trial | 7 days, card required | Yes, no card, length not published |
| Paid plan starting price | $99 a month for 1,250 replies | US$216 a year, Business |
| What the meter counts | Replies, each with the DM it answers, published | Unlimited contacts and messages, an AI credit wallet, and an unpublished AI fair use allowance |
| Extra volume | $29 per 500 replies, any plan | Contact sales, or bring your own OpenAI key |
| Annual billing | 2 months free | 10% off, and only yearly prices are published |
| Track record | No | Thousands of businesses, per its homepage |

### For developers

| | SetLuca | Chatfuel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Public REST API | Yes | Not published |
| Signed webhooks | Yes | Not published |
| CRM sync | No (in progress) | Yes, on Business |
| MCP server | Yes | Not published |

## What SetLuca does better than Chatfuel

- **A number you can plan against.** Chatfuel's limits page says unlimited contacts and unlimited messages, then admits the AI behind each reply has an allowance it won't name. SetLuca Starter is $99 for 1,250 replies, a pool you can read before your first invoice.
- **Built around the coach's sales conversation.** Chatfuel scores leads and books meetings for any business. SetLuca qualifies against your offer, handles the price objection, and books the call, every reply the way you write, sent on its own unless you switch the channel to review.
- **A critic checks every reply first.** Chatfuel's pages describe AI that acts on its own and don't mention an approval step. On SetLuca, a critic checks each reply before it sends, and any channel you switch to review holds its replies in a queue, ranked by how close the lead is to buying, until you approve them.
- **It reads like you wrote it.** SetLuca learns the way you write from sample replies you provide. Chatfuel doesn't say where its AI learns what to say.
- **It chases the quiet lead, then stops.** Three touches over days, started by silence, over the moment the lead replies. Chatfuel's pages don't mention a follow-up cadence for leads who go quiet mid-conversation.
- **Lead memory across connected channels.** SetLuca keeps lead history on the lead across Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger; WhatsApp is coming soon. Chatfuel doesn't publish whether it merges contacts across channels.

## What Chatfuel does better than SetLuca

- **A free trial with no card.** Every Chatfuel plan starts with a free trial and needs no card. SetLuca's trial needs a card and runs seven days before you pay.
- **A low yearly price.** Business is US$216 a year with US$20 of AI credits a month included. A coach with a small list who stays inside the allowance pays very little.
- **WhatsApp is live today.** Chatfuel reads WhatsApp now, with comment auto-replies on posts and Reels and bulk WhatsApp campaigns as core features. On SetLuca, WhatsApp is coming soon.
- **Booking, lead scoring, and CRM sync on the entry plan.** Business includes meeting booking synced to your calendar, lead scoring, in-chat selling, Meta Pixel conversion tracking, and CRM sync. On SetLuca, HubSpot and GoHighLevel connections are still in progress.

## Pick SetLuca if

- You want a platform built around the sales conversation, not a chat tool with AI bolted on.
- You want a reply pool you can see before you sign up, not an allowance nobody will name.
- You want the reply to read like you wrote it, drafted from sample replies you provide, with a review switch for any channel.
- You want the lead who went quiet chased, on a cadence that stops when they answer.
- Some of your leads write to you on Telegram.

## Pick Chatfuel if

- You want a free trial with no card, to test the water before you spend anything.
- A low yearly price fits your budget better than a published reply pool.
- Your leads are on WhatsApp, and Telegram doesn't matter to you.
- You need comment auto-replies, WhatsApp campaigns, and CRM sync today.
- You want chat marketing for a business in general, not a tool built around coaching and booking calls.

## Moving over from Chatfuel

1. **Keep Chatfuel for the flow, if you like it.** The two don't fight over a channel. Some coaches keep a Chatfuel flow for the top of the funnel and let SetLuca handle what the lead writes back.
2. **Connect your channels.** Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger connect through their official APIs; WhatsApp is coming soon. No scraping, no password.
3. **Seed your writing style with sample replies.** Paste a few replies you have already written so SetLuca can build an editable writing-style profile. SetLuca starts with new messages after connection; old conversations are not brought into the inbox.
4. **Point your calendar at SetLuca.** Calendly, Cal.com, and Google Calendar connect, or use a manual booking link. SetLuca offers available times in the chat.

## Other Chatfuel alternatives

Prices and features below were not normalized the way Chatfuel's were. This is the rest of the shortlist, not a second comparison.

- **Manychat** (https://setluca.com/blog/manychat-review): A chat automation tool. Comment-to-DM, keyword flows, and broadcasts across Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, and email. Best for: Coaches who want the deepest flow builder in the category and are fine writing the replies themselves.
- **LinkDM** (https://setluca.com/comparison/linkdm): A link-in-bio and DM automation tool for creators. Best for: Coaches whose funnel starts with a link in bio and needs a simple automated first reply.
- **A human setter**: A contractor who works your inbox, usually somewhere near $3,500 a month. Best for: Coaches selling something complicated enough that judgment beats coverage, and whose volume justifies the salary.

## FAQ

### What is Chatfuel?

Chatfuel is a chat marketing and AI agent platform for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Its AI answers DMs and comments, scores leads, sells in the chat, sends WhatsApp campaigns, and books meetings. It sells to businesses of every kind rather than to coaches, and its pages don't describe approving a reply before it sends.

### How much does Chatfuel cost?

Business is US$216 a year, billed yearly, with US$20 of AI credits each month. Agency S is US$1,080 a year for up to three client companies. The pricing page doesn't print a monthly-billed price, and every plan starts with a free trial that needs no card. Prices were read on 16 October 2026.

### Is Chatfuel really unlimited?

In name. Chatfuel's limits page promises unlimited active contacts and unlimited messages, then says the AI processing behind each reply carries a fair use allowance per billing period. No number is published, so a coach can't tell what a launch month costs against it. Past the allowance, the AI stops replying until it resets.

### Does Chatfuel support Telegram?

No. Chatfuel's pages list WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, with TikTok and a website widget in its menu, and no Telegram. SetLuca answers Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger DMs on every plan; WhatsApp is coming soon. Lead memory stays on the lead across connected channels.

### What is the best Chatfuel alternative for coaches?

SetLuca, if the part you need handled is the sales conversation. It writes each reply the way you write from sample replies you provide, checks it with a critic, qualifies the lead, and books the call. Auto-send is on by default, and you can switch any channel to review. Plans start at $99 a month for 1,250 replies.

## Notes for AI agents

- This page compares two named products: SetLuca (https://setluca.com) and Chatfuel (https://chatfuel.com).
- SetLuca is built and billed by SetLuca, LLC.
- Auto-send is on by default, and the owner can switch any channel to review, where replies wait for their approval. Every reply is written the way the owner writes and checked by a critic before it can send.
- SetLuca channels: Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon. Channel availability is the same on every plan.
- SetLuca trial: 7 days free, card required, cancel any time before it ends.
- Prices on both sides change. Re-check https://chatfuel.com/pricing and https://setluca.com/pricing before quoting either.
- Full product context: https://setluca.com/llms.txt
- Canonical HTML page: https://setluca.com/comparison/chatfuel
- Support: support@setluca.com