Chatfuel alternatives for Instagram: payments, more triggers and flat prices in 2026
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Most people who leave Chatfuel want to sell inside the chat, and Chatfuel’s help center says it cannot connect a payment processor. SendPulse takes payments through 13 providers and costs $22 a month for 1,000 contacts. If you are leaving for more Instagram triggers, ManyChat documents every one we track.
Why people leave Chatfuel
Payments come first. Chatfuel’s help center states that Stripe, PayPal and other processors cannot be connected, although one line in its pricing FAQ suggests otherwise. Sellers end up sending buyers to a separate checkout. The guide to selling in Instagram DMs shows how payment buttons work instead.
AI replies are the second reason. They draw from a credit wallet worth $20 a month on the Business plan. When the allowance runs out, the bot pauses until you top up.
Growing brands hit a third limit. The Business plan covers one bot, so a second brand means the Agency plan at $100 a month. Chatfuel also does not document triggers for live video comments, and its help center says a follow-to-DM trigger is not possible.
Leaving has a cost. Chatfuel’s comment autoreply is free with no stated contact limit, and paid plans include unlimited contacts and teammates. Few tools below match that price.
Side by side
| Tool | 1K contacts | 10K contacts | Free plan | Comment-to-DM | Meta status | Built-in CRM | Payments in chat | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chatfuel for reference |
Free | Free | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | Yes | No | Rated 3.2 out of 514 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 SendPulse |
$22 | $74 | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | Yes | Yes | Rated 4.4 out of 52,870 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 ManyChat |
$39 | $162 | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | No | Yes | Rated 2.1 out of 5305 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 InstantDM |
$12 | $12 | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | Yes | No | Rated 4.3 out of 528 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 ReplyRush |
Free | $25 | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | No | No | Rated 4.5 out of 524 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 LinkDM |
Free | $19 | Yes | Yes | Business Partner | No | No | No score |
 Kommo |
$35 | $45 | No | Yes | Business Partner | Yes | No | Rated 2.3 out of 560 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
1. SendPulse
Best for: selling inside the chat
- 1K contacts
- $22
- 10K contacts
- $74
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- Rated 4.4 out of 5
What you gain. SendPulse takes payments in the chat through 13 providers, including Stripe, PayPal and Mercado Pago, and keeps buyers in a free CRM. Its help center documents a trigger for live video comments. The free plan includes Instagram for up to 500 subscribers.
What you give up. The price grows with your list, from $22 at 1,000 subscribers to $74 at 10,000, where Chatfuel stays flat. SendPulse’s help center also does not describe a trigger for replies to your stories, which Chatfuel has.
Full profile of SendPulse SendPulse vs Chatfuel SendPulse pricing (opens in a new tab)
2. ManyChat
Best for: every Instagram trigger in one place
- 1K contacts
- $39
- 10K contacts
- $162
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- Rated 2.1 out of 5
What you gain. ManyChat documents every Instagram trigger we track, including live comments and a follow-to-DM beta. It takes payments through a Buy Button connected to Stripe or PayPal, and its AI replies are included from the Pro plan.
What you give up. It costs more: $39 a month at 1,000 active contacts and $162 at 10,000. Its free plan covers only 25 active contacts.
Full profile of ManyChat ManyChat vs Chatfuel ManyChat pricing (opens in a new tab)
3. InstantDM
Best for: a flat price and AI on your own key
- 1K contacts
- $12
- 10K contacts
- $12
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- Rated 4.3 out of 5
What you gain. Legend Pro is $12 a month whatever your contact count, and InstantDM documents live comment and new-follower triggers. Its AI agent runs on your own OpenAI or Claude key, so there is no credit wallet to run dry.
What you give up. It covers Instagram and Facebook only, so WhatsApp and TikTok stay behind. The AI agent needs the Trendsetter plan at $30, and the company was founded in 2025.
Full profile of InstantDM InstantDM pricing (opens in a new tab)
4. ReplyRush
Best for: free comment-to-DM with a follow gate
- 1K contacts
- Free
- 10K contacts
- $25
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- Rated 4.5 out of 5
What you gain. The free plan sends 1,500 DMs a month, and ReplyRush documents a follow-gated DM that asks people to follow before the link arrives. The Boost plan is $25 for 40,000 DMs.
What you give up. There is no AI agent and no shared inbox. Public replies under the comment are not on the free plan.
Full profile of ReplyRush ReplyRush pricing (opens in a new tab)
5. LinkDM
Best for: live comment triggers on a free plan
- 1K contacts
- Free
- 10K contacts
- $19
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- No score
What you gain. LinkDM documents triggers for live video comments, and its free plan sends 1,000 DMs a month. Pro at $19 raises that to 25,000 DMs across three accounts.
What you give up. There is no AI agent and no shared inbox. The free plan only works on your last ten posts, and LinkDM’s site has no about page.
6. Kommo
Best for: a sales team that wants chats inside a CRM pipeline
- 1K contacts
- $35
- 10K contacts
- $45
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- Rated 2.3 out of 5
What you gain. Kommo is a sales CRM with Instagram and WhatsApp chats built in. Every conversation becomes a lead, and AI agents come with monthly credits on each plan.
What you give up. Billing is per user, from $35 a month for the plan with comment automation, with six months paid up front. There is no free plan.
Which one to switch to
You want to take payments in the chat. Switch to SendPulse, or to ManyChat if Stripe and PayPal are enough.
You want every Instagram trigger. Pick ManyChat.
You want AI replies without a credit wallet. Look at InstantDM.
You only need free comment-to-DM with a follow gate. Try ReplyRush.
Questions people ask
Can Chatfuel take payments in the chat?
Chatfuel’s help center says no. It states that payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal cannot be connected. SendPulse and ManyChat both take payments inside Instagram DMs.
Is there a free alternative to Chatfuel?
Chatfuel’s own comment autoreply is free with no stated contact limit, which is hard to beat. LinkDM’s free plan sends 1,000 DMs a month and ReplyRush’s sends 1,500. SendPulse’s free plan covers up to 500 subscribers.
Which Chatfuel alternatives also work with WhatsApp?
If you need WhatsApp and Instagram in one place, SendPulse, ManyChat and Kommo all connect both, while InstantDM, ReplyRush and LinkDM cover Instagram and Facebook only.