Tool · Cost calculator
What will automation cost you?
Enter how many people you message a month and how many Instagram accounts you run. See the cheapest plan that covers it, tool by tool.
By HelloDM · Updated 6 November 2026
The short answer
It depends on how a tool counts. DM-metered tools (LinkDM, CreatorFlow, InstantDM) charge by messages; contact-priced tools (ManyChat) step up as more people interact; HelloDM is free to 1,500 DMs a month and flat after that, with unlimited DMs on paid plans. The gap widens as your audience grows.
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
| Tool | Cheapest plan that fits | Per month (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| HelloDMpriced by DMs | Starter | $8.99 |
| InstantDMpriced by DMs | Legend Probilled yearly onlyPaid plans shown as billed yearly; monthly-billing prices weren't listed on the page we checked. | $9.99 |
| CreatorFlowpriced by DMs | Pro | $15.00 |
| LinkDMpriced by DMs | Pro | $19.00 |
| ManyChatpriced by active contacts | ProPriced by active contacts (people you interact with per month); Instagram account limits per plan aren't listed, so they aren't applied here. | $39.00 |
How the calculator works
- For each tool it picks the cheapest listed plan whose limits cover your volume and account count, assuming people are spread evenly across accounts.
- “People messaged” maps to DMs for DM-metered tools and to active contacts for contact-priced ones. HelloDM sends one DM per person per post, so for a typical campaign the two are close.
- Prices are list prices in US dollars from each vendor’s own pricing page. Taxes, add-ons, AI credits and discounts aren’t included.
- Not included: Chatfuel (priced by AI credits) and Inro (metered contacts), because their pricing doesn’t map to volume like this. See HelloDM vs Chatfuel and HelloDM vs Inro.
Sources
- ManyChat pricing — manychat.com/pricing
- LinkDM pricing — linkdm.com/pricing
- CreatorFlow pricing — creatorflow.so/pricing
- InstantDM pricing — instantdm.com/pricing
- HelloDM pricing — hellodm.io/pricing
Try HelloDM free
1,500 DMs a month, unlimited automations and every safety control, free. No card. Set up your first comment-to-DM in about five minutes.