ManyChat for Instagram DM automation
Updated:
Chat automation platform for Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS and email, priced by monthly Active Contacts with a 25-contact free plan. Comment-to-DM costs $39 a month for 1,000 contacts and $162 for 10,000 on monthly billing.
- 1K contacts
- $39
- 10K contacts
- $162
- Free plan
- Yes
- Billing
- Plan plus usage
- Meta status
- Business Partner
- Type
- Chatbot platform
Our take
ManyChat is the tool to pick when Instagram engagement is the whole job. Its help center documents every Instagram trigger we compare, from story replies and live comments to the follow-to-DM beta that Meta still opens account by account. An account with 1,000 active contacts pays $39 a month on the Pro plan.
The billing model is its best argument. ManyChat charges only for active contacts, the people who interacted with you that month. Followers collected in a giveaway who never write again cost nothing. SendPulse works the other way and counts every stored subscriber, so an account with a big but quiet audience can pay less on ManyChat.
The plan ladder is where it gets expensive. The free plan stops at 25 active contacts, which makes it a trial rather than a plan. A team inbox for several people needs Business at $99 a month, and 10,000 active contacts cost $162. SendPulse charges $74 at that size.
Selling in the chat runs through the Buy Button, which takes Stripe or PayPal for items up to $100. ManyChat’s pages describe CRM only as an integration, so deals and orders live in a second tool. If you sell through DMs, the comparison with SendPulse and the ManyChat alternatives cover options with a CRM built in.
Instagram features
| Feature | ManyChat |
|---|---|
| Send a DM when someone comments | Yes |
| Keyword triggers | Yes |
| Public reply under the comment | Yes |
| Auto-reply to incoming DMs | Yes |
| Trigger on replies to your stories | Yes |
| Trigger on story mentions | Yes |
| Trigger on live video comments | Yes |
| Message new followers | Yes |
| Multi-step flow builder | Yes |
| Broadcast messages | Yes |
| AI agent that replies on its own | Yes |
| Hand the chat to a person | Yes |
| Shared team inbox | Yes |
Pricing
| Plan | Per month | Contacts included | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 | Yes |
| Essential | $17 | 250 | Yes |
| Pro | $39 | 2,500 | Yes |
| Business | $99 | 7,500 | Yes |
| Advanced | $199 | 25,000 | Yes |
Free plan. 25 Active Contacts per month. 2 channels chosen from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Telegram (no WhatsApp, SMS or Email). Up to 4 live automations. 1 user. 1 Inbox seat. 'Powered by ManyChat' branding on first message. No credit card required.
Trial. 14-day free trial on Essential and Pro (credit card required for paid plans). No trial on Business or Advanced. Free plan needs no card. Refund if cancelled within 30 days.
The 1,000 and 10,000 contact figures use the cheapest plan that includes comment-to-DM, on monthly billing. The method is on how we compare.
ManyChat pricing in detail, with yearly prices and the price at every audience size.
Meta status
- Uses the official Instagram API
- Yes
- Claims Meta Business Partner status
- Yes
- Listing confirmed in Meta's partner directory
- No
CRM and payments
- Built-in CRM
- No
- Payment links
- No
- Take payment inside the chat
- Yes
Payment providers. Stripe, PayPal.
Channels and AI
Channels. Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, Email.
- AI agent
- Yes
ManyChat AI (AI replies in DMs and comments, FAQ answering) is listed as included from the Pro plan ($39/mo monthly) upward. It is not listed on Free or Essential. Underlying model provider is not stated on the pricing page.
Reviews elsewhere
We do not publish our own star ratings. These are the public scores we could read in October 2026.
| Site | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Capterra (opens in a new tab) | Rated 4.6 out of 5 | 72 |
| G2 (opens in a new tab) | Rated 4.5 out of 5 | 165 |
| Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) | Rated 2.1 out of 5 | 305 |
Strengths and limits
Where it is strong
- Covers every Instagram entry point documented in its help center: post/reel comments with keyword filters and rotating public replies, story replies, story mentions, live comments, DM keywords and the Meta-gated follow-to-DM beta.
- Free plan includes Instagram and comment-to-DM automation at $0 (25 Active Contacts, 4 live automations), and Essential/Pro have 14-day trials.
- Billing is by Active Contacts (people who interact in the month), so dormant followers do not add cost. Overage is automatic rather than cutting automations off.
- Vendor-stated Meta Business Partner with help-center guidance on staying within Meta policies.
Where it falls short
- Free plan is capped at 25 Active Contacts and 4 live automations with 'Powered by ManyChat' branding. A 1,000-contact Instagram account effectively needs Pro at $39/mo (Essential + overage costs more).
- WhatsApp, SMS and Email channels, ManyChat AI, Broadcasts and API access start at Pro ($39/mo monthly). Multi-user Inbox starts at Business ($99/mo).
- Inbox seats are limited per plan (1/1/2/3/5) and extra seats cost $25 each. Pricing page lists Broadcasts for WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger, not Instagram.
- Trustpilot score is 2.1 from 305 reviews, far below its 4.5 on G2 (165 reviews) and 4.6 on Capterra (72 reviews).
Skip it if you need a free tier for more than 25 engaged contacts per month. Or if you want a built-in CRM pipeline or native e-commerce checkout beyond a Stripe/PayPal Buy Button (max item price 100 USD). Or if you need a team inbox for several agents on a low budget (multi-user Inbox requires the $99/mo Business plan).
