Joren Wouters

Joren Wouters

I’m Joren Wouters, founder of Chatimize. With 6+ years of experience with chatbots, I have been featured by the world’s biggest chatbot platforms, including Manychat, Chatfuel, Botpress and Chatbot.com (to name a few).

I am also one of the 30 people on the planet, that can call himself a “Manychat Educator”. This has led me to work with almost any type of business, from small to large.

I’m here to help you create powerful chat funnels that generate leads, boost your revenue, and cut down on costs.

How to Add a Telegram Bot to a Telegram Channel

Want to add a bot to your Telegram channel? You’re in the right place.

Whether you’re using a custom bot or one you found online, adding it to your channel is super simple. In fact, it only takes a few clicks.

Here’s how to add a Telegram bot your channel in five easy steps:

  1. Open your Telegram channel
  2. Tap the channel name at the top
  3. Tap Subscribers → Add subscribers
  4. Search for your bot’s @username and select it
  5. Tap Make admin, grant permissions and click on Done

And now your bot is added to your Telegram channel!

If you prefer a full walkthrough with screenshots, keep reading 👇

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5 Best Chatbase Alternatives in 2026

Chatbase offers one of the fastest ways to create an AI chatbot. But while Chatbase is easy to use, it can feel limited.

It doesn’t include a flow builder, and there’s no built-in live chat. The $40/month starting price also makes it more expensive than some alternatives.

Over the past 7 years, I’ve used over 200 chatbot platforms and reviewed 50+ of them in depth.

In this post, I’ll show you the 5 best Chatbase alternatives and competitors. Each option offers different features, so you can find the one that fits your needs best.

For the 2026 update, I re-evaluated each platform based on:

  • AI capabilities: Knowledge bases, AI actions, and automation depth
  • Customization options: Flow builders, conditional logic, and integrations
  • Live chat support: Whether human handoff is built in
  • Channel support: Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and others
  • Pricing: What’s the cost, and how it grows as usage increases

Let’s get started!

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Auto DM Anyone Who Follows your Instagram Account

I’ll show you how to automatically send a DM to anyone who follows you on Instagram.

We will set it up in three simple steps:

  1. I’ll show you what tool you need (+ a free discount code!)
  2. How to set it up for your Instagram (+ a free template!)
  3. And the best strategy to use this without being spammy

I’ve been creating DM automations for six years and generated 150K leads and $50K in sales for my clients.

So by the end of this tutorial, you will know how to use this feature the right way and grow your business.

Let’s dive in!

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Janitor AI: What it is + How to use it in 2026

Looking for a way to create your own AI character, without coding or complex setup?

Meet Janitor AI: a chatbot platform that lets you build custom AI personalities.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what it is and how to create your first AI character in minutes. I’ll also share some of the best Janitor AI alternatives, especially if you’re looking to add chatbots to your website.

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5 Best Intercom Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Intercom is a great all-in-one customer support tool. It has everything a business needs to serve customers on multiple channels.

But it’s not the perfect fit for every business.

For many teams, the biggest issue is pricing. As your chat volume or team grows, Intercom’s cost can quickly get out of hand.

Others find it too complex for their needs, especially small to mid-sized businesses that don’t need enterprise-level tooling.

Over the past decade, I’ve tested over 200 chatbot platforms and reviewed more than 50 of them in depth.

So in this guide, I will break down the 5 best Intercom alternatives. I’ll cover who each platform is best for, the tradeoffs, and how to find your perfect fit.

For this 2026 update, I re-evaluated each platform based on:

  • Pricing – What’s the cost, and how is pricing structured?
  • AI capabilities – Knowledge bases, AI agents, and automation rules
  • Live chat & routing tools – Assignment rules, inbox management
  • Channel support – Can you build one bot for many platforms, or do you need separate flows?
  • Ease of setup – Beginner-friendly VS enterprise complexity

Let’s dive in!

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6 Best Chatfuel Alternatives in 2026

Chatfuel has been around for a long time as a chatbot platform for Facebook and Instagram automation. It was one of the first to make building chatbots accessible to everyone.

But over the years, new tools have caught up. They offer better AI, smoother interfaces, and more advanced automation options.

In this post, I’ll show you the 6 best Chatfuel alternatives and competitors in . Each platform offers a different strength, so you can find the one that fits your goals best.

And these recommendations don’t serve to promote certain platforms. My choices are based on my experience testing over 200 chatbot platforms, and reviewing 50 of them in-depth.

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7 Best Botpress Alternatives & Competitors (Free & Paid)

Botpress is a powerful AI chatbot platform. It offers advanced features like knowledge base training, conversation summarization, and automatic translation.

But, it’s also quite technical, which can make it challenging for beginners. That’s why many people start looking for some of the best Botpress alternatives. 

Over the past 7 years, I’ve tested more than 200 chatbot platforms and reviewed 50+ of them in depth.

In this guide, I’ll break down the 7 best Botpress alternatives. I’ll include who each one is best for and when it makes more sense than Botpress itself.

For this 2026 update, I evaluated each alternative based on:

  • Ease of use: How quickly can you launch a chatbot without coding?
  • AI capabilities: Does it use AI or is it just rule-based?
  • Channel support: Can you deploy across websites, WhatsApp, Instagram, or multiple platforms?
  • Marketing features: Does it support broadcasts, automation flows, and lead generation?
  • Live chat & team tools: Can you easily hand conversations over to human agents?
  • Pricing: What’s the cost?

Let’s dive in!

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6 Best Tidio Alternatives & Competitors (Free & Paid)

Tidio is a solid choice for website live chat and chatbot automation. But it’s not a great fit for everyone.

For many teams, the biggest limitation is channel support. Tidio isn’t suited for businesses that want stronger automation on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp.

Others outgrow it when they need deeper omnichannel support or stronger tools for larger customer support teams. Plus, Tidio can be expensive for small businesses.

Over the past decade, I’ve tested over 200 chatbot platforms and reviewed more than 50 of them in depth.

So in this guide, I’ll break down the 6 best Tidio alternatives. I’ll cover who each platform is best for, the tradeoffs, and how to choose the right one for your needs.

For this 2026 update, I re-evaluated every platform based on:

  • AI capabilities: Knowledge bases, AI agents, and automation depth
  • Live chat & support tools: Inbox management, handoff, and routing features
  • Channel support: Website, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms
  • Marketing automation: Broadcasts, sequences, comment replies, and other growth features
  • Ease of use: Beginner-friendly setup vs more advanced platforms
  • Pricing: What it costs, and how pricing changes as you scale

Let’s get into it!

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6 Best Manychat Alternatives in 2026

Manychat is one of the most popular chatbot platforms. This is especially true for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. It has great marketing features, as I covered in my Manychat review.

But it’s not the perfect fit for everyone.

Maybe you find it too limiting, want more channels or are looking for more advanced AI features. Regardless, there are plenty of powerful alternatives.

Over the past 7 years, I’ve tested more than 200 chatbot platforms and reviewed 50+ of them in depth.

I’ll break down the 6 best Manychat alternatives. I’ll cover who each one is best for, the tradeoffs, and how to pick the best one for your situation.

For this 2026 update, I re-evaluated each platform on these:

  • AI capabilities – Do they use AI or is it rule-based only?
  • Marketing automation features – Can you send broadcasts, build sequences, and automate comment replies?
  • Channel support – Can you build one bot for multiple platforms, or do you need separate flows?
  • Ease of use – Is it beginner-friendly or developer-heavy?
  • Pricing – How expensive is it?

Let’s get started!

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What Is Instagram Business Chat and How Does It Work?

Ever wish you could DM a brand on Instagram and get a fast, helpful response? That’s exactly what Instagram Business Chat is for.

If you’re chatting with a business, you’ll see a “Business Chat” label at the top. So, you know you’re talking to a company.

Instagram built Business Chat to streamline conversations for both brands and customers:

  • Customers can ask questions, place orders and get quick support without switching apps
  • Business can manage chats faster, stay organized and keep conversations flowing
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