Compare · 2026 roundup
The best Instagram DM automation tools, compared
15 tools that send DMs to people who comment, reply or message on Instagram, compared on how they charge, what's free, and who each one suits.
By HelloDM · Updated 10 November 2026
The short answer
HelloDM wrote this page, so weigh it accordingly. Competitor details were checked on 6 November 2026 on each vendor's own website and are linked below; prices change, so confirm on their site before you buy. How we compare · Report an error
How we chose and compared
- Tools whose main job is automated Instagram DMs: comment-to-DM, story replies, keyword replies.
- Facts from each vendor’s own pricing page, checked on the date above and linked below.
- Compared on what matters when you pay: how they charge, the free plan, accounts and channels.
- We list HelloDM first because it’s ours, and say plainly where others are the better pick.
At a glance
| Free plan | Paid plans | How it charges | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HelloDM | 1,500 DMs a month, unlimited automations, 1 Instagram account, every safety control, no HelloDM branding in your DMs. No card. | Starter $8.99/month ($4.99/month billed annually), ₹399 in India. Pro $14.99/month ($9.99 annually), ₹499 in India. | Flat monthly price. Paid plans have unlimited DMs and unlimited contacts. |
| ManyChat | Free plan with 25 active contacts a month, 2 channels, up to 4 live triggers and 1 user. | Essential $17/month ($14 billed annually) for 250 active contacts; Pro $39 ($29) for 2,500; Business $99 ($69) for 7,500; Advanced $199 ($139) for 25,000. | Billed by active contacts: the monthly price steps up as more people interact with your automations. |
| Chatfuel | No free-forever plan; a free trial with a starting balance. | Business S at $18/month billed yearly ($216/year), including $20 of AI credits a month and one bot. | Yearly plans that include a monthly AI-credit allowance; when credits run out, AI replies pause until you add credits or upgrade. |
| LinkDM | 1,000 DMs a month on one Instagram account. | Pro at $19/month ($182/year): 25,000 DMs a month, 3 Instagram accounts. Platinum+ at $99/month: 300,000 DMs, 10 accounts. | Plans metered by DMs per month. |
| CreatorFlow | 500 DMs a month on one Instagram account; follow gate not included. | Pro at $15/month ($12/month billed annually): 2 accounts, 5,000 DMs a month per account. Growth at $30/month ($24 annually): 5 accounts. | Plans metered by DMs per month per account, with DM add-on packs. |
| InstantDM | 500 DM automations a month on one account. | Legend Pro at $9.99/month billed yearly (up to 800 DMs an hour, 1 account). Multi plans from $4.44 per account per month for 3 accounts ($160/year). | Yearly-billed plans separated by hourly sending speed and account count; no per-contact fees. |
| Inro | 100 active contacts a month, 3 active automations, 50 AI Agent message credits. | Pro from €12.99/month; annual Pro €1,249/year (10,000+ active contacts a month). Managed accounts from €299/month. | Billed by active contacts per month; capped plans stop reaching new contacts at the limit. |
| SendPulse | Free chatbot plan (3 bots, 500 subscribers, 10,000 messages a month), but Instagram is listed on Pro, not on the free plan. | Pro chatbot plans, priced by subscriber tier (see their pricing page). | Chatbot plans priced by number of subscribers. |
| ReplyRush | 1,500 DMs a month, 1 Instagram and 1 Facebook account; comment auto-reply and follow-gated DMs not included. | Lite $10/month (₹900): 7,500 DMs, 1 account. Boost $25 (₹2,100): 40,000 DMs, 3 accounts. MAX $100 (₹8,400): 400,000 DMs, 5 accounts. | Plans metered by DMs per month. |
| LinkPlease | 1,000 DMs and 1,000 contacts a month, unlimited automations, with Ask for Follow and viral-spike protection. | Pro $14.99/month per account (in India shown as ₹399/month, ₹4,788 billed yearly): unlimited DMs and contacts. Super $34.99 and Max $39.99 add AI moderation, brand-deal detection and 10,000 AI credits a month. | Per Instagram account: a free plan capped by DMs and contacts, then paid plans with unlimited DMs; AI features on the upper tiers. |
| Zorcha | Unlimited automations, DMs and contacts, with Ask for Follow, a basic DM queue, 20 AI FAQs and link-in-bio pages. | Pro $14.99/month ($9.99 billed yearly), ₹1,199/month in India: re-run on older comments, DM variations, follow-ups, email and phone collection. Ultimate $39.99 ($24.99 yearly), ₹2,999 in India; Business $109.99 ($79.99 yearly), ₹8,999 in India. | Flat monthly, quarterly or yearly plans. Every plan, Free included, has unlimited automations, DMs and contacts; paid tiers add features. |
| LinktoDM | 2,000 DMs (its table lists 2,000 contacts), 3 creator accounts and up to 2 team members; Ask to Follow is on paid plans. | Pro ₹699/month, or ₹6,499/year (₹542/month): unlimited DMs, 3 accounts, 5 team members, follow-gated DMs, AI variations. Pro+ ₹1,290/month or ₹11,919/year: more accounts, 10 team members, API access. | A free plan capped by DMs, then paid plans with unlimited DMs, billed monthly or yearly in rupees. |
| SuperProfile | Starter: unlimited AutoDMs on reels and posts, Ask to Follow and email collection, up to 10 leads from lead magnets, and a link-in-bio store. | Creator $29/month after a $4.99 first month (in India ₹499/month after a ₹99 first month): AutoDMs on stories, DMs and Lives too, follow-ups, up to 5 Instagram accounts, products, courses and bookings. | One plan covers the whole creator store, with Auto-DM part of it: a free Starter plan, then a monthly Creator plan. |
| ChatPlace | 200 active contacts a month, 1 account or bot, with ChatPlace branding in automations. | Pro $20/month ($16 billed annually): unlimited contacts, 1 account (+$16 for each additional), no branding. Creator $45 ($36): adds AI content tools, an AI manager for DMs and comments, and 2,500 AI credits a month. Premium $250 ($200): unlimited accounts and 20,000 AI credits. | A free plan capped by active contacts; paid plans have unlimited contacts and are priced per social account, with AI features paid for in monthly AI credits on the upper tiers. |
| InstaChamp | VIP Edition, offered free as a "gift" when we checked: 250 contacts, 10 sends without Customers.ai branding, replies for up to 5 keywords and up to 5 story-mention replies. | Platinum, listed at $19/month and shown at $9.95/month as a "this week" offer when we checked: 1,000 contacts, 500 branding-free sends, unlimited keywords and story-mention replies, phone and email collection. Extra branding-free sends $5 per 1,000; extra contacts $10 per 500. | Plans capped by contacts and by how many messages go out without Customers.ai branding, with paid add-ons for more of each. |
See them at your volume: cost calculator.
1. HelloDM — best for Instagram-only automation at a flat price
Comment-to-DM, story replies, shares, DM keywords and Live comments, with a follow gate, message rotation and a public comment reply. On every plan: up to 600 sends an hour per account (Meta's ceiling is 750), at most 10 a minute, a 30-minute cooldown when a post spikes, one DM per person per post, and checks that block a link in the first message. Every plan also includes a free link-in-bio page, a brand-deal detector and brand campaigns. Rupee pricing for India, an invoice generator, and an MCP server so Claude or ChatGPT can set up automations for you (several tools here have one; see Instagram MCP servers compared). Watch for: Instagram only, no WhatsApp or Messenger, no integrations ecosystem, and rules rather than a visual flow builder.
2. ManyChat
A chatbot builder for Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram and WhatsApp, with a visual flow builder, templates, AI features and a large integrations ecosystem.
Best for: You need WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok or Telegram in the same tool. You want branching, multi-step flows built in a visual editor. You rely on integrations such as Shopify, HubSpot or Zapier.
Pricing: Free plan with 25 active contacts a month, 2 channels, up to 4 live triggers and 1 user. Essential $17/month ($14 billed annually) for 250 active contacts; Pro $39 ($29) for 2,500; Business $99 ($69) for 7,500; Advanced $199 ($139) for 25,000.
3. Chatfuel
An AI chatbot builder for Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and websites, priced around monthly AI credits.
Best for: You want AI-written replies to open-ended questions in DMs. You need WhatsApp or a website chatbot alongside Instagram. You run an agency and want a management dashboard for several companies.
Pricing: No free-forever plan; a free trial with a starting balance. Business S at $18/month billed yearly ($216/year), including $20 of AI credits a month and one bot.
4. LinkDM
An Instagram and Facebook DM automation tool for creators, metered by DMs per month.
Best for: You also automate Facebook DMs. You need very high DM volume on many accounts (Platinum+, 10 accounts).
Pricing: 1,000 DMs a month on one Instagram account. Pro at $19/month ($182/year): 25,000 DMs a month, 3 Instagram accounts. Platinum+ at $99/month: 300,000 DMs, 10 accounts.
5. CreatorFlow
An Instagram-only comment-to-DM and story-reply automation tool for creators.
Best for: You manage 4–5 accounts and want them on one mid-priced plan (Growth). You want email capture (Email Gate) built into the DM flow.
Pricing: 500 DMs a month on one Instagram account; follow gate not included. Pro at $15/month ($12/month billed annually): 2 accounts, 5,000 DMs a month per account. Growth at $30/month ($24 annually): 5 accounts.
6. InstantDM
An Instagram and Facebook DM automation tool with low-priced yearly plans and hourly send tiers.
Best for: You want the lowest yearly price per account across 3–10 accounts. You also automate Facebook DMs.
Pricing: 500 DM automations a month on one account. Legend Pro at $9.99/month billed yearly (up to 800 DMs an hour, 1 account). Multi plans from $4.44 per account per month for 3 accounts ($160/year).
7. Inro
An Instagram DM automation tool built around an AI agent and a CRM, priced by active contacts.
Best for: You want an AI agent holding multi-turn conversations in your DMs. You want a built-in CRM of everyone who messaged you. You want a team of up to 10 on one Pro plan.
Pricing: 100 active contacts a month, 3 active automations, 50 AI Agent message credits. Pro from €12.99/month; annual Pro €1,249/year (10,000+ active contacts a month). Managed accounts from €299/month.
8. SendPulse
A multi-channel chatbot and marketing platform (email, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger) priced by subscribers.
Best for: You want email marketing and chatbots from one vendor.
Pricing: Free chatbot plan (3 bots, 500 subscribers, 10,000 messages a month), but Instagram is listed on Pro, not on the free plan. Pro chatbot plans, priced by subscriber tier (see their pricing page).
9. ReplyRush
An Instagram and Facebook DM automation tool metered by DMs per month, with an iOS app.
Best for: You also automate Facebook DMs. You want an iOS app to manage conversations from your phone. You want follow-up messages and email collection on the entry paid plan.
Pricing: 1,500 DMs a month, 1 Instagram and 1 Facebook account; comment auto-reply and follow-gated DMs not included. Lite $10/month (₹900): 7,500 DMs, 1 account. Boost $25 (₹2,100): 40,000 DMs, 3 accounts. MAX $100 (₹8,400): 400,000 DMs, 5 accounts.
10. LinkPlease
An Instagram DM automation tool for creators, priced per Instagram account, with AI comment moderation and brand-deal detection on its upper plans.
Best for: You want AI comment moderation that hides spam and abuse (Super and Max). You also automate Facebook and Messenger. You want to sell digital products inside DMs.
Pricing: 1,000 DMs and 1,000 contacts a month, unlimited automations, with Ask for Follow and viral-spike protection. Pro $14.99/month per account (in India shown as ₹399/month, ₹4,788 billed yearly): unlimited DMs and contacts. Super $34.99 and Max $39.99 add AI moderation, brand-deal detection and 10,000 AI credits a month.
11. Zorcha
An Instagram and Facebook DM automation platform that also bundles link-in-bio pages, forms and an AI FAQ.
Best for: You want unlimited DMs on a free plan, with Ask for Follow included. You want link-in-bio pages, forms and an AI FAQ in the same tool. You also automate Facebook DMs.
Pricing: Unlimited automations, DMs and contacts, with Ask for Follow, a basic DM queue, 20 AI FAQs and link-in-bio pages. Pro $14.99/month ($9.99 billed yearly), ₹1,199/month in India: re-run on older comments, DM variations, follow-ups, email and phone collection. Ultimate $39.99 ($24.99 yearly), ₹2,999 in India; Business $109.99 ($79.99 yearly), ₹8,999 in India.
12. LinktoDM
An Instagram and Facebook Messenger DM automation tool with a flow builder and team access, priced in rupees.
Best for: You want team members on your account (2 on Free, 5 on Pro, 10 on Pro+); HelloDM has no team seats. You want a visual flow builder with delays, conditions and follow-ups. You also automate Facebook Messenger. You want three Instagram accounts on a free plan.
Pricing: 2,000 DMs (its table lists 2,000 contacts), 3 creator accounts and up to 2 team members; Ask to Follow is on paid plans. Pro ₹699/month, or ₹6,499/year (₹542/month): unlimited DMs, 3 accounts, 5 team members, follow-gated DMs, AI variations. Pro+ ₹1,290/month or ₹11,919/year: more accounts, 10 team members, API access.
13. SuperProfile
A creator storefront (link-in-bio, digital products, courses, bookings) by Cosmofeed, with Instagram Auto-DM built in.
Best for: You want to sell digital products, courses, webinars or bookings from the same platform. You want unlimited comment-to-DM on reels and posts on a free plan. You want up to 5 Instagram accounts on one plan.
Pricing: Starter: unlimited AutoDMs on reels and posts, Ask to Follow and email collection, up to 10 leads from lead magnets, and a link-in-bio store. Creator $29/month after a $4.99 first month (in India ₹499/month after a ₹99 first month): AutoDMs on stories, DMs and Lives too, follow-ups, up to 5 Instagram accounts, products, courses and bookings.
14. ChatPlace
A chatbot and AI content platform for Instagram, TikTok and Telegram: automations and broadcasts, AI tools that create carousels and videos, and an AI manager that answers DMs and comments.
Best for: You want AI tools that create carousels and videos and analyse Reels and competitors (Creator and Premium). You want an AI manager replying to DMs and comments for you. You also run TikTok or Telegram.
Pricing: 200 active contacts a month, 1 account or bot, with ChatPlace branding in automations. Pro $20/month ($16 billed annually): unlimited contacts, 1 account (+$16 for each additional), no branding. Creator $45 ($36): adds AI content tools, an AI manager for DMs and comments, and 2,500 AI credits a month. Premium $250 ($200): unlimited accounts and 20,000 AI credits.
15. InstaChamp
Customers.ai's Instagram and Facebook Messenger DM automation: story-mention replies, keyword replies and DM autoresponders.
Best for: You also want Facebook Messenger automation. You already use Customers.ai for other marketing. You want replies that branch on what people answer (conversation paths, on Platinum).
Pricing: VIP Edition, offered free as a "gift" when we checked: 250 contacts, 10 sends without Customers.ai branding, replies for up to 5 keywords and up to 5 story-mention replies. Platinum, listed at $19/month and shown at $9.95/month as a "this week" offer when we checked: 1,000 contacts, 500 branding-free sends, unlimited keywords and story-mention replies, phone and email collection. Extra branding-free sends $5 per 1,000; extra contacts $10 per 500.
Questions
What is the best Instagram DM automation tool?
It depends on the job. For Instagram-only comment-to-DM at a low flat price, HelloDM. For the biggest free plan, Zorcha. For selling products and courses alongside Auto-DM, SuperProfile. For several channels and visual flows, ManyChat. For AI conversations across channels, Chatfuel or Inro. For AI content tools alongside DMs, ChatPlace. For Facebook DMs too, LinkDM, InstantDM, ReplyRush, LinkPlease, LinktoDM or InstaChamp.
Which Instagram DM automation tools are free?
Zorcha (unlimited DMs, contacts and automations) and SuperProfile (unlimited AutoDMs on reels and posts) have the largest free plans we found. Then LinktoDM (2,000 DMs, 3 accounts), HelloDM (1,500 DMs a month, every trigger), ReplyRush (1,500 DMs, without comment auto-reply), LinkDM and LinkPlease (1,000 DMs), CreatorFlow and InstantDM (500 DMs), InstaChamp (250 contacts), ChatPlace (200 active contacts), Inro (100 active contacts) and ManyChat (25 active contacts). Chatfuel offers a trial; SendPulse lists Instagram on its paid Pro plan.
Are these tools safe for my Instagram account?
Tools built on Meta's official API that connect through Meta's login are a permitted way to reply to comments and messages. Avoid any tool that asks for your Instagram password. See our guide, Is Instagram DM automation safe?
Sources
- ManyChat pricing — manychat.com/pricing
- Chatfuel pricing — chatfuel.com/pricing
- LinkDM pricing — linkdm.com/pricing
- CreatorFlow pricing — creatorflow.so/pricing
- InstantDM pricing — instantdm.com/pricing
- Inro pricing — inro.social/pricing
- SendPulse chatbot pricing — sendpulse.com/pricing/messengers
- ReplyRush pricing — replyrush.com/pricing
- LinkPlease pricing — linkplease.co/pricing
- LinkPlease features — linkplease.co/
- Zorcha pricing — zorcha.com/pricing/
- Zorcha pricing (India) — zorcha.com/in/pricing/
- LinktoDM pricing — linktodm.com/pricing
- SuperProfile pricing — superprofile.bio/pricing
- SuperProfile pricing (India) — superprofile.bio/in/pricing
- ChatPlace pricing — chatplace.io/pricing
- InstaChamp pricing (Customers.ai) — customers.ai/instachamp#pricing-section
- HelloDM pricing — hellodm.io/pricing
All product names are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify the products. None is affiliated with HelloDM.
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