Prices read on each vendor’s site, 23 October 2026

ManyChat alternatives for Instagram comment-to-DM 10 tools compared on price, limits and what they charge for

All ten tools here send a DM when someone comments a keyword on your Instagram post. They differ in what they charge for: ManyChat and Inrō by contacts, LinkDM, CreatorFlow and ReplyRush by DMs sent, Chatfuel by AI credits, and InstantDM and DMdaddy at a flat price. Upload-Post includes comment-to-DM in every plan, next to publishing on 22 networks.

Quick picks

Upload-Post is our product. Every other row was read on the vendor’s own pricing page, linked below each entry.

ManyChat alternatives compared

Free plan, entry price, what the price scales on, other channels and Meta status, as each vendor states it.

ToolFree planPaid fromPrice scales onOther channelsMeta status
Upload-Post AutoDM Yes, AutoDM included, no card $24/mo ($16/mo annual) Flat plan; publishing to 22 networks included Public auto-replies on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky Meta’s official Private Replies API
ManyChat 25 active contacts a month, 4 live automations Essential $17/mo ($14/mo annual) Active contacts (250 included, then $0.10 each) Messenger, TikTok, Telegram; WhatsApp, SMS and email from Pro Official Meta Business Partner
Inrō 100 active contacts a month, 3 automations Pro from €12.99/mo Activated contacts (metered) Instagram only Meta Tech Provider
LinkDM 1,000 DMs a month, 1 account Pro $19/mo ($182/yr) DMs (25,000 a month on Pro) Facebook Meta Business Partner
InstantDM 500 DM automations a month, 1 account Legend Pro $12/mo ($9.99/mo yearly) Flat, “no per-contact fees” Facebook Page and Messenger Official Meta Business Partner
CreatorFlow 500 DMs a month, 1 account Pro $15/mo ($12/mo annual) DMs (5,000 a month on Pro) Not stated Meta Tech Provider
Chatfuel No; free trial Business $20/mo ($18/mo yearly) AI credits; contacts unlimited Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, website Official Meta Partner
SuperProfile AutoDM on posts and Reels, 1 keyword per automation Creator $29/mo ($4.99 first month) Accounts and features Messenger on paid plans Official Instagram and Facebook APIs
ReplyRush 1,500 DMs a month, 1 Instagram + 1 Facebook account Lite $10/mo DMs (7,500 a month on Lite) Facebook Official Meta Business Partner
DMdaddy 5 active automations, 1 account Premium $9/mo ($86.40/yr) Flat: unlimited automations and accounts Facebook and Messenger; WhatsApp on Premium Pro Official APIs (“100% Meta approved”)

All ten offer Instagram comment-to-DM with keyword triggers. Prices read on 23 October 2026 in the currency each vendor shows; some vary by country.

What ManyChat costs in 2026

ManyChat moved to pricing by active contacts on 2 March 2026. Older accounts are being moved over country by country.

PlanPriceIncluded
Free$025 active contacts a month, 4 live automations, 2 channels
Essential$17/mo ($14/mo annual)250 active contacts, then $0.10 per extra contact
Pro$39/mo ($29/mo annual)2,500 active contacts; adds WhatsApp, SMS and email
Business$99/mo ($69/mo annual)7,500 active contacts
Advanced$199/mo ($139/mo annual)25,000 active contacts

Billed monthly, Essential adds $0.10 for each active contact over 250, so at 470 contacts it costs $39, the price of Pro with 2,500 included. The price depends on your billing country, and the 14-day trial covers Essential and Pro. Sources: ManyChat pricing, Free plan and Essential plan help articles, read 23 October 2026.

Each alternative in one paragraph

What it is, who it suits and where we read the price.

1. Upload-Post AutoDM

Best for: Builders who also publish, and want comment-to-DM from the API or an AI agent

Our product, so weigh this entry accordingly. AutoDM watches a post, matches keywords (case and accent insensitive) and sends each commenter a DM with up to three link buttons. The same monitor answers publicly on five more networks, rotating up to five replies. It comes inside a publishing platform: the plan that runs your comment funnels also posts and schedules to 22 networks, and Claude or ChatGPT can set it up in one sentence.

Source: docs.upload-post.com/api/autodms/

2. ManyChat

Best for: Chat marketing across many channels, with AI

The tool everyone compares against. Since 2 March 2026 its plans are priced by active contacts, and the free plan dropped to 25 active contacts a month. It has the deepest flow builder on this list, broadcasts and the most channels.

Source: manychat.com/pricing

3. Inrō

Best for: Instagram-only brands that want a CRM, campaigns and an AI agent

An Instagram-only tool with a contact CRM, campaigns and an AI agent on top of comment-to-DM. Prices are in euros and the monthly Pro plan is metered by activated contacts.

Source: inro.social/pricing

4. LinkDM

Best for: A generous free DM allowance

Comment-to-DM with keywords or on every comment, on the free plan too. The public reply under the comment is a Pro feature.

Source: linkdm.com/pricing

5. InstantDM

Best for: Flat pricing for Instagram DM automation, with a post scheduler

Comment-to-DM on the free plan with up to three trigger words. Paid plans are flat and limited by hourly throughput rather than contacts.

Source: instantdm.com/pricing

6. CreatorFlow

Best for: Solo creators who want plain comment-to-DM

A focused comment-to-DM tool with unlimited keyword triggers on the free plan.

Source: creatorflow.so/pricing

7. Chatfuel

Best for: An AI agent across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook

A chatbot platform built around AI replies. Keyword flows are unlimited and contacts are not counted; the AI allowance is what runs out.

Source: chatfuel.com/pricing

8. SuperProfile

Best for: Creators who also sell courses, bookings or products from a link in bio

A creator storefront with AutoDM built in. Prices differ by country.

Source: superprofile.bio/pricing

9. ReplyRush

Best for: Instagram and Facebook automation priced by DM volume

Keyword triggers on post and Reel comments, priced by the number of DMs sent.

Source: replyrush.com/pricing

10. DMdaddy

Best for: A flat price with unlimited accounts

Flat pricing with unlimited automations and accounts on the paid plan, and a one-time lifetime deal.

Source: dmdaddy.com/pricing

How to choose: what are you paying for?

Headline prices hide the real difference. Look at what the bill grows with.

By contacts

ManyChat, Inrō

You pay for the people who interact. A Reel that goes viral can push you into the next tier in a week.

By DMs sent

LinkDM, CreatorFlow, ReplyRush

Predictable if you know your volume; check the monthly DM allowance against your best-performing post.

Flat

InstantDM, DMdaddy, Upload-Post

Same price whatever the volume, within each plan’s limits. Upload-Post’s flat plan also covers publishing to 22 networks.

By AI credits

Chatfuel

Contacts are unlimited; the AI reply allowance is what you buy.

Then check the second question: do you need anything beyond the DM? Multi-step flows and broadcasts point to ManyChat or Chatfuel; a CRM to Inrō; publishing, scheduling and an API to Upload-Post.

How comment-to-DM works in Upload-Post

From the dashboard, the API or an AI assistant.

Step 1

Pick the post

Choose a Reel or post from the AutoDMs screen in the dashboard, or pass its URL to the API.

Step 2

Set the keywords

Answer only comments that contain a word such as GUIDE, or everyone. Matching ignores case and accents.

Step 3

Write the DM

Your message plus up to three link buttons: the guide, the product page, the booking link.

Step 4

Leave it running

The monitor keeps checking the post for new comments and DMs each person who matches, around the clock.

start-autodm.sh 
curl -X POST https://api.upload-post.com/api/uploadposts/autodms/start \
  -H "Authorization: Apikey YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "post_url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/ABC123/",
    "profile_username": "my-brand",
    "trigger_keywords": ["guide", "link"],
    "reply_message": "Here is your free guide!",
    "buttons": [
      { "title": "Get the guide", "url": "https://example.com/guide" }
    ]
  }'
prompt for Claude or ChatGPT 
When someone comments GUIDE on my latest Reel,
DM them "Here is your free guide!" with a button
"Get the guide" linking to https://example.com/guide

Reference: AutoDM API docs. Setting it up from Claude: Instagram with Claude.

ManyChat alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best ManyChat alternative for Instagram comment-to-DM?

It depends on what else you need. Inrō adds an Instagram CRM and AI agent, Chatfuel focuses on AI replies across WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, InstantDM and DMdaddy are flat-priced, LinkDM and ReplyRush have large free DM allowances, and Upload-Post includes comment-to-DM in plans that also publish to 22 networks.

Is there a free ManyChat alternative?

Yes, most of them have a free plan with comment-to-DM: ReplyRush (1,500 DMs a month), LinkDM (1,000 DMs a month), InstantDM and CreatorFlow (500 a month), Inrō (100 active contacts), DMdaddy (5 automations), SuperProfile, and Upload-Post’s Free plan. Chatfuel offers a free trial instead.

How much does ManyChat cost in 2026?

Since 2 March 2026 ManyChat prices by active contacts: Free covers 25 active contacts a month; Essential is $17 a month ($14 billed annually) with 250 contacts and $0.10 per extra contact; Pro is $39 ($29) with 2,500; Business $99 ($69) with 7,500; Advanced $199 ($139) with 25,000. Prices depend on your billing country.

Which ManyChat alternatives do not charge per contact?

InstantDM, DMdaddy and Upload-Post are flat-priced. LinkDM, CreatorFlow and ReplyRush charge by DMs sent, and Chatfuel by AI credits with unlimited contacts.

Is comment-to-DM allowed by Instagram?

Yes, when it goes through Meta’s official APIs. Upload-Post uses Meta’s Private Replies API, built so a business can answer a person who commented on its post with a private message, and most tools here state that they are Meta Business Partners or Tech Providers.

Do I need a Facebook Page?

Not with Upload-Post: a Business or Creator Instagram account connected with Instagram Login is enough. Check each other tool’s requirements before you switch.

Can an AI assistant set up comment-to-DM for me?

With Upload-Post, yes. Through the Upload-Post connector in Claude or the Upload-Post app in ChatGPT, describe the funnel in a sentence and the assistant creates the monitor.

Turn your next Reel into a lead magnet

Free plan, no card. Connect Instagram, pick a post and start the first AutoDM in a minute.

Start free Instagram API guide