Best Instagram DM automation for ecommerce customer support in 2026: SendPulse, Gorgias, Tidio, Zendesk and 3 more compared
Updated:
For a small online store that answers its own Instagram messages, SendPulse covers both sides of support at $22 a month for 1,000 subscribers: automated answers to comments and DMs, a shared inbox, and a hand-over to a person. A support team on Shopify that works in tickets is better served by Gorgias, which shows each customer’s orders next to the conversation and starts at $10 a month for 50 tickets.
Helpdesk or automation tool
Two kinds of tools answer Instagram for a store, and they cover different halves of the job.
Helpdesks such as Gorgias and Zendesk turn messages into tickets for your agents. They show the order history next to the chat, and their AI agents answer common questions like “where is my order”. None of them sends an automated DM when someone comments. Gorgias agents can still reply to a comment by DM one at a time, and Zendesk does not import Instagram comments at all.
DM automation tools such as SendPulse, ManyChat and SleekFlow answer comments automatically, with a public reply and a private DM, and run flows for returns, sizing and order status. Their inboxes are simpler than a helpdesk, but they also reach people who never opened a ticket.
A store with a large support team often runs both: an automation tool for comments and first answers, and a helpdesk behind it for the cases that need an agent.
Side by side
All 7 tools here use Meta's official API, according to their own pages, and 4 of them say they are Meta Business Partners.
| Tool | Comment-to-DM | Team inbox | AI agent | Hand-over to a person | Shopify | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SendPulse |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rated 4.4 out of 52,870 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 Gorgias |
No | Yes | Paid add-on | Yes | Yes | Rated 2.1 out of 5152 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 Tidio |
No | Yes | Paid add-on | Yes | Yes | Rated 3.6 out of 5226 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 Zendesk |
No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rated 1.8 out of 5738 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 respond.io |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rated 2.5 out of 517 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
 SleekFlow |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No score |
 ManyChat |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Rated 2.1 out of 5305 reviews (opens in a new tab) |
1. SendPulse
Best for: a small store that handles comments and DMs itself
- Comment-to-DM
- Yes
- AI agent
- Yes
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Capterra 4.6 G2 4.6 Trustpilot 4.4
Why it fits. SendPulse answers comments with a public reply and a DM, runs AI replies in DMs, and hands the chat to a person in a shared inbox. WooCommerce orders and contacts sync with its CRM, and Shopify contacts can be imported.
What to check. The inbox is simpler than a helpdesk, with no ticket queues or service-level targets. The bill counts every stored subscriber.
Full profile of SendPulse SendPulse pricing (opens in a new tab)
2. Gorgias
Best for: Shopify support teams that work in tickets
- Comment-to-DM
- No
- AI agent
- Paid add-on
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Trustpilot 2.1
Why it fits. Gorgias turns Instagram DMs, story replies, mentions and comments, ad comments included, into tickets next to the customer’s Shopify orders. It is priced by ticket volume, never per agent, from $10 a month for 50 tickets.
What to check. Nothing replies to comments automatically. The AI Agent answers Instagram DMs only, is in open beta, needs a connected Shopify store, and costs $1 per automated answer on top of the ticket.
Full profile of Gorgias Gorgias pricing (opens in a new tab)
3. Tidio
Best for: a store that already uses live chat on its website
- Comment-to-DM
- No
- AI agent
- Paid add-on
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Capterra 4.7 G2 4.6 Trustpilot 3.6
Why it fits. Tidio puts Instagram DMs and comments in the same inbox as its website chat. It has native Shopify and WooCommerce integrations and a free plan.
What to check. Comments become tickets you answer by hand, with no comment-to-DM. Automated flows and the Lyro AI agent are paid add-ons, from $39 a month for the AI.
4. Zendesk
Best for: a store that already runs support on Zendesk
- Comment-to-DM
- No
- AI agent
- Yes
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Trustpilot 1.8
Why it fits. Zendesk adds Instagram DMs and story replies to the same ticket system as email and phone, with an auto-responder and AI agents. Its Shopify app shows orders and handles refunds and cancellations from the ticket.
What to check. Instagram comments are not imported. Pricing is per agent, and Instagram needs Suite Team at $69 per agent a month.
Full profile of Zendesk Zendesk pricing (opens in a new tab)
5. respond.io
Best for: a support team on many messaging channels
- Comment-to-DM
- Yes
- AI agent
- Yes
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Capterra 4.6 G2 4.8 Trustpilot 2.5
Why it fits. respond.io routes Instagram, WhatsApp and eight more channels into one inbox with AI agents and assignment rules, and it automates comment-to-DM on Growth.
What to check. Growth starts at $199 a month for 1,000 contacts. Its Shopify integration is a website chat widget, not an order view.
Full profile of respond.io respond.io pricing (opens in a new tab)
6. SleekFlow
Best for: support and sales in one team
- Comment-to-DM
- Yes
- AI agent
- Yes
- Shopify
- Yes
- Reviews
- Capterra 4.5 G2 4.6
Why it fits. SleekFlow pairs a shared inbox and AI agents with a built-in CRM. It also automates comments and sends payment links. Shopify is included from the Pro plan.
What to check. Comment automation starts on Pro, so 1,000 contacts cost $189 a month. The published tiers stop at 8,000 contacts.
Full profile of SleekFlow SleekFlow pricing (opens in a new tab)
7. ManyChat
Best for: high comment volume with AI replies
- Comment-to-DM
- Yes
- AI agent
- Yes
- Shopify
- No
- Reviews
- Capterra 4.6 G2 4.5 Trustpilot 2.1
Why it fits. ManyChat documents every Instagram trigger we track, and its AI replies answer DMs and comments from the Pro plan. Active-contact billing means past customers cost nothing.
What to check. A multi-user inbox needs Business at $99 a month, and ManyChat lists no Shopify integration.
Full profile of ManyChat ManyChat pricing (opens in a new tab)
Which one to pick
You answer messages yourself or with one or two people. Pick SendPulse.
Your support team works in tickets on Shopify. Pick Gorgias, and add an automation tool if comments matter.
You already use Zendesk or Tidio for email and chat. Add Instagram there, and know that neither automates comments.
You support customers on WhatsApp too. Look at respond.io.
Questions people ask
Can Gorgias or Zendesk reply to Instagram comments automatically?
No. Gorgias turns comments into tickets that an agent answers, publicly or with one private DM. Zendesk does not import Instagram comments at all. Automated comment replies need a DM automation tool such as SendPulse or ManyChat.
What is the best Instagram support tool for a Shopify store?
For a support team that works in tickets, Gorgias shows each customer’s Shopify orders next to the Instagram conversation. For a small store that wants comments answered automatically, SendPulse costs $22 a month for 1,000 subscribers.
Can an AI agent answer Instagram DMs about orders?
Yes. Gorgias’s AI Agent answers Instagram DMs using Shopify order data, at $1 per automated answer. Zendesk includes a few AI resolutions per agent each month. SendPulse and ManyChat include AI replies in their paid plans, and so does SleekFlow.