How we compared them
Every tool here connects through Meta’s official login and automates some mix of:
- Comment-to-DM: a keyword comment on a post or Reel triggers a private message
- Keyword auto-replies to DMs and Story replies
- Lead capture (email or phone) inside the conversation
- AI-written replies for open-ended questions
For each we list what it is best for, how it charges (per DM sent or per active contact, which matters when a post takes off), the free plan, the channels, and where it falls short.
The short version
All prices are monthly at monthly billing, as of September 2026:
Komently
- Best for
- Instagram and Facebook comment-to-DM at a flat price
- Free plan
- 1,000 DMs a month
- Paid from
- $29 a month
- Channels
- Instagram, Facebook
ManyChat
- Best for
- Multi-channel marketing and long flows
- Free plan
- 25 active contacts a month
- Paid from
- $17 a month
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, email
Chatfuel
- Best for
- WhatsApp-first AI lead qualification
- Free plan
- Trial only
- Paid from
- $20 a month
- Channels
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
ReplyRush
- Best for
- Largest free tier
- Free plan
- 1,500 DMs a month
- Paid from
- $10 a month
- Channels
- Instagram, Facebook
LinkDM
- Best for
- Instagram-first creators
- Free plan
- 1,000 DMs a month
- Paid from
- $19 a month
- Channels
- Instagram, some Facebook
InstantDM
- Best for
- Cheapest paid entry
- Free plan
- 7-day trial
- Paid from
- $9.99 a month
- Channels
- Instagram, Facebook
Inrō
- Best for
- Instagram-only with an AI agent and CRM
- Free plan
- 100 active contacts a month
- Paid from
- €12.99 a month
- Channels
Meta Business Suite
- Best for
- Basic instant replies at no cost
- Free plan
- Free
- Paid from
- Free
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Komently | Instagram and Facebook comment-to-DM at a flat price | 1,000 DMs a month | $29 a month | Instagram, Facebook |
| ManyChat | Multi-channel marketing and long flows | 25 active contacts a month | $17 a month | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, email |
| Chatfuel | WhatsApp-first AI lead qualification | Trial only | $20 a month | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger |
| ReplyRush | Largest free tier | 1,500 DMs a month | $10 a month | Instagram, Facebook |
| LinkDM | Instagram-first creators | 1,000 DMs a month | $19 a month | Instagram, some Facebook |
| InstantDM | Cheapest paid entry | 7-day trial | $9.99 a month | Instagram, Facebook |
| Inrō | Instagram-only with an AI agent and CRM | 100 active contacts a month | €12.99 a month | |
| Meta Business Suite | Basic instant replies at no cost | Free | Free | Instagram, Messenger |
The tools
In no particular order.
- 1
Komently
Best for: Instagram and Facebook comment-to-DM with lead capture, at a flat price
Komently does one job: turn Instagram and Facebook engagement into DMs and leads. A guided form sets up a comment-to-DM automation in a few minutes, with a public reply, an optional email ask or follow check, tracked links, button cards and media. AI replies handle follow-up questions from a one-line instruction. Plans are flat, so a post that draws 5,000 comments costs the same as one that draws 50. It is our product, so weigh this entry accordingly.
- Pricing
- Free, then Pro at $29 a month or $19 billed yearly with unlimited DMs and 5 accounts; Enterprise for unlimited accounts
- Free plan
- 1,000 DMs a month, 5 automations, 1 account
- Channels
- Instagram professional accounts, Facebook Pages
Where it falls short: No WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok or SMS, and no visual flow canvas; lead capture, AI, follow gating and Rewind are Pro-only.
- 2
ManyChat
Best for: Businesses that need several channels and long, branching flows
The best-known name in the category and still the broadest: Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS and email from one visual flow builder, with a large template library and agency ecosystem. Since March 2026 it is priced per active contact with overage fees, and the free plan covers 25 active contacts a month, so a single popular post moves you into a paid tier.
- Pricing
- Essential $17 a month for 250 active contacts, Pro $39 for 2,500, Business $99 for 7,500, Advanced $199 for 25,000; lower billed yearly; overage per extra contact
- Free plan
- 25 active contacts a month
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, email
Where it falls short: Contact-based pricing gets expensive exactly when a post goes viral, and the flow canvas is more than a comment-to-DM campaign needs.
- 3
Chatfuel
Best for: WhatsApp-first businesses that want AI to qualify leads
Chatfuel has moved from a Messenger bot builder to an AI agent that qualifies leads, mainly on WhatsApp, with Instagram and Messenger alongside. AI credits are included in every plan. There is no free plan any more, only a trial.
- Pricing
- Business $20 a month ($18 billed yearly) with $20 of AI credits; Agency S $90 a month for three companies
- Free plan
- None, free trial
- Channels
- WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
Where it falls short: No free tier, and Instagram comment-to-DM is not its centre of gravity.
- 4
ReplyRush
Best for: Anyone who wants the biggest free tier
ReplyRush meters DMs sent and gives away 1,500 a month on one Instagram account and one Facebook Page, more than any other tool here. Paid tiers scale the DM allowance and account count, and include comment auto-replies, follow-gated DMs, Story automation and an email collector.
- Pricing
- Lite $10 a month for 7,500 DMs; Boost $25 for 40,000 DMs and 3+3 accounts; Max $100 for 400,000 DMs
- Free plan
- 1,500 DMs a month, 1 Instagram + 1 Facebook
- Channels
- Instagram, Facebook
Where it falls short: Priority support and removal of its branding are not in the Free or Lite plans.
- 5
LinkDM
Best for: Instagram-first creators sending links from comments and Stories
LinkDM is built around Instagram: auto-replies for posts, Reels and Stories, a DM planner and lead generation on the Pro plan, with a free tier of 1,000 DMs a month on one account. Facebook and Instagram Live automations exist, but Instagram is the core.
- Pricing
- Pro $19 a month (about $182 a year) for 25,000 DMs and 3 accounts; Platinum+ $99 a month for 300,000 DMs and 10 accounts
- Free plan
- 1,000 DMs a month, 1 Instagram account
- Channels
- Instagram, some Facebook
Where it falls short: Lead capture is Pro-only, and Facebook support is secondary.
- 6
InstantDM
Best for: The cheapest paid entry point
InstantDM skips a free plan in favour of a seven-day trial and a low first tier. Legend Pro covers comment-to-DM, DM automation and email or phone collection on Instagram and Facebook Pages; Trendsetter adds Story reply automation, AI replies, webhooks and a safety mode.
- Pricing
- Legend Pro $9.99 a month; Trendsetter $24.99 a month; two months free on yearly billing
- Free plan
- None, 7-day trial without a card
- Channels
- Instagram, Facebook; WhatsApp on the top tier
Where it falls short: No ongoing free plan, and Story replies and AI sit on the higher tier.
- 7
Inrō
Best for: Instagram-only accounts that want an AI agent and a built-in CRM
Inrō is Instagram-only and pairs comment-to-DM and Story replies with an AI agent and a contact CRM. It meters active contacts like ManyChat, but its free plan is 100 a month rather than 25, with 3 campaigns and 50 AI credits.
- Pricing
- Pro €12.99 a month for 500+ active contacts; yearly plan €1,249 a year for 10,000+; managed accounts from €299 a month
- Free plan
- 100 active contacts a month, 3 campaigns
- Channels
Where it falls short: No Facebook Pages, and contact-based metering still climbs with reach.
- 8
Meta Business Suite
Best for: Instant replies and away messages at no cost
Meta’s own inbox can send an instant reply when someone messages first, answer saved FAQs and set away messages, on Instagram and Messenger, for free. It cannot trigger a DM from a keyword in a post comment, reply publicly under the comment, capture an email inside the conversation or write AI replies, which is what the other tools on this list add.
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Everything it does is free
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger
Where it falls short: No comment-to-DM, no lead capture, no AI; the Facebook auto responder guide has the full comparison.
How to choose
Five questions decide it:
- How does it meter? Per DM sent means a busy month costs what you sent. Per active contact means every person counts once, and a viral post can push you into overage. Flat means neither.
- Which channels do you actually use? If your conversations start on Instagram and Facebook, paying for WhatsApp, TikTok or SMS is waste. If they start on WhatsApp, only ManyChat and Chatfuel qualify.
- Form or canvas? A canvas wins for long branching flows. A form wins for comment-to-DM campaigns a teammate sets up in minutes.
- Does it use Meta’s official API? Every tool here does. Anything that asks for your Instagram password does not, and risks the account.
- What does your busiest month cost? Price each tool at your best month of the last year, not your average.
What to avoid
Three kinds of tool are not on this list on purpose:
- Anything that logs in with your Instagram password or runs in a browser extension: it breaks Meta’s terms and gets accounts restricted
- Follow/unfollow, auto-like and mass-comment bots, whatever they call themselves
- Tools that send unsolicited DMs to people who never interacted with you; Meta’s messaging rules require the person to act first
The account safety guide explains the rules the official API enforces and how paced sending works.
Our picks by situation
Reading the same facts, this is where each tool wins:
- Instagram and Facebook comment-to-DM with lead capture at a flat price: Komently
- Several channels and long branching flows: ManyChat
- WhatsApp-first with AI qualifying leads: Chatfuel
- Largest free tier: ReplyRush
- Instagram-only with an AI agent and CRM: Inrō
- Cheapest paid entry: InstantDM
Whichever you pick, start with a real post, one keyword and a week of data before committing to a yearly plan.
All figures are from each tool’s public pricing page and were last checked in September 2026. They will change. Komently is made by the company that publishes this page.