Cheapest Instagram DM automation tools (2026)

SendPulse is the cheapest tool that also includes a CRM and payment buttons in the chat, at $22 a month for 1,000 contacts. If you only need comment-to-DM, InstantDM charges a flat $12 a month whatever your contact count. ReplyKaro is cheaper still, from $3 a month, but it launched in 2026 and publishes little about who runs it.

How we priced them

Every price is the monthly price on monthly billing for the cheapest plan that includes Instagram comment-to-DM. Where a free plan already covers 1,000 contacts, the table shows “Free”.

Some tools charge by contacts and others by DMs sent. For DM-based plans we assume about one DM per contact a month. The order weighs what a plan includes against its price for a small business, so the cheapest sticker price is not always first.

Brazilian apps billed in reais, such as Instamagic and Instaninja, cost about the same as InstantDM. They are listed in the directory.

Side by side

Tool	Paid plans from	1K contacts	10K contacts	Built-in CRM	Payments in chat	AI agent	Rating
ManyChat for reference	$17	$39	$162	No	Yes	Yes	Rated 2.1 out of 5305 reviews (opens in a new tab)
SendPulse	$12	$22	$74	Yes	Yes	Yes	Rated 4.4 out of 52,870 reviews (opens in a new tab)
Chatfuel	$20	Free	Free	Yes	No	Yes	Rated 3.2 out of 514 reviews (opens in a new tab)
InstantDM	$12	$12	$12	Yes	No	Yes	Rated 4.3 out of 528 reviews (opens in a new tab)
CreatorFlow	$15	$15	$30	Yes	No	No	Rated 4.0 out of 513 reviews (opens in a new tab)
LinkDM	$19	Free	$19	No	No	No	No score
ReplyRush	$10	Free	$25	No	No	No	Rated 4.5 out of 524 reviews (opens in a new tab)
ReplyKaro	$3	Free	$3	Yes	No	Yes	Rated 4.2 out of 59 reviews (opens in a new tab)

1. SendPulse

Best for: the lowest price that still includes a CRM and payments

Paid plans from: $12
1K contacts: $22
10K contacts: $74
Rating: Rated 4.4 out of 5

What you pay. $22 a month at 1,000 subscribers, because there is no 1,000 tier and the 2,000 tier applies. At 10,000 it is $74. That price includes flows, a CRM, payment buttons in the chat and AI replies.

What the price leaves out. It rises with every subscriber stored, including people who stopped writing. Tools that charge a flat price get cheaper by comparison as your list grows.

Full profile of SendPulse SendPulse pricing (opens in a new tab)

2. Chatfuel

Best for: a full platform at a flat price

Paid plans from: $20
1K contacts: Free
10K contacts: Free
Rating: Rated 3.2 out of 5

What you pay. Comment-to-DM is free. The full platform is $20 a month with unlimited contacts and teammates, so 1,000 and 10,000 contacts cost the same.

What the price leaves out. There are no payments in the chat. AI replies are paid from a credit wallet included in the plan, and the bot pauses when it runs out.

Full profile of Chatfuel Chatfuel pricing (opens in a new tab)

3. InstantDM

Best for: a flat Instagram-only price

Paid plans from: $12
1K contacts: $12
10K contacts: $12
Rating: Rated 4.3 out of 5

What you pay. $12 a month on Legend Pro, at any contact count. It documents every Instagram trigger we track except broadcasts.

What the price leaves out. The AI agent needs Trendsetter at $30. Only Instagram and Facebook are covered.

Full profile of InstantDM InstantDM pricing (opens in a new tab)

4. CreatorFlow

Best for: a solo creator who wants little setup

Paid plans from: $15
1K contacts: $15
10K contacts: $30
Rating: Rated 4.0 out of 5

What you pay. $15 a month for 5,000 DMs, or $30 for 10,000 DMs with five team seats.

What the price leaves out. Its pages describe neither story mentions nor public comment replies, and they do not mention a multi-step flow builder. It covers Instagram only.

Full profile of CreatorFlow CreatorFlow pricing (opens in a new tab)

5. LinkDM

Best for: high DM volume on a small budget

Paid plans from: $19
1K contacts: Free
10K contacts: $19
Rating: No score

What you pay. Nothing up to 1,000 DMs a month. Pro is $19 for 25,000 DMs across three accounts.

What the price leaves out. There is no AI agent and no shared inbox. LinkDM’s site has no about page.

Full profile of LinkDM LinkDM pricing (opens in a new tab)

6. ReplyRush

Best for: a free start with low-cost upgrades

Paid plans from: $10
1K contacts: Free
10K contacts: $25
Rating: Rated 4.5 out of 5

What you pay. Nothing up to 1,500 DMs a month. Lite is $10 for 7,500 DMs and Boost is $25 for 40,000.

What the price leaves out. There is no AI agent and no shared inbox. Billing is monthly only.

Full profile of ReplyRush ReplyRush pricing (opens in a new tab)

7. ReplyKaro

Best for: the lowest price, if you accept a new vendor

Paid plans from: $3
1K contacts: Free
10K contacts: $3
Rating: Rated 4.2 out of 5

What you pay. Starter is $3 a month for 30,000 DMs, and the free plan sends 1,000. An AI agent is included, metered by credits.

What the price leaves out. ReplyKaro launched in 2026 and is run by one person. The user counts on its own site contradict each other, and it does not give refunds.

Full profile of ReplyKaro ReplyKaro pricing (opens in a new tab)

Which one to pick

You sell through DMs. SendPulse is the cheapest option with payments and a CRM.

You want one price that never grows. Choose Chatfuel for a full platform, or InstantDM for Instagram only.

You need the most DMs for the least money. LinkDM and ReplyRush both start free.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest Instagram DM automation tool?

On sticker price, ReplyKaro at $3 a month, but it is a very new vendor. Among the other tools, InstantDM charges a flat $12, and Chatfuel’s comment-to-DM is free.

What is the cheapest alternative to ManyChat?

For the same job at 1,000 contacts, SendPulse costs $22 a month against $39 on ManyChat. The ManyChat alternatives page compares eight options.

Are cheap Instagram automation tools safe for my account?

Every tool on this page says it uses Meta’s official API and a Meta login. Avoid any tool that asks for your Instagram password, whatever it costs.