If you only need Instagram comment-to-DM and keyword replies, the closest ManyChat alternatives are focused tools like Noolu, LinkDM, CreatorFlow and SuperProfile, which charge a flat monthly price or cap DMs instead of counting contacts. If you need WhatsApp, Messenger and an AI support bot as well, ManyChat or Chatfuel are still the better fit.
Below is what each one costs at the time of writing (October 2026), how they bill, and who each one suits. We make Noolu, so read our section with that in mind. Prices come from each company's own pricing page, and they change often, so check before you buy.
How ManyChat charges for Instagram today
ManyChat now bills by active contacts: each person you exchange a message with in a billing month counts once. According to ManyChat's pricing page, billed annually:
- Free: 25 active contacts a month, up to 4 live triggers, and "Powered by Manychat" branding on the first message.
- Essential: $14/mo for 250 active contacts.
- Pro: $29/mo for 2,500 active contacts, with AI replies and broadcasts.
- Business ($69/mo, 7,500 contacts) and Advanced ($139/mo, 25,000 contacts).
If you go over your allowance, automations keep running and you pay a per-contact overage fee. That is fair if your audience is steady. It gets expensive when a single reel goes viral: if 3,000 different people comment your keyword in one month, every one of them is an active contact.
Where ManyChat is strong: it covers Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram and TikTok, it has a large template library, and it has years of documentation and community answers. If you use several of those channels, switching to an Instagram-only tool means losing that.
The alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans from | What limits you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noolu | 1 account, up to 10 active automations | $19/mo, or $15/mo billed yearly | Number of automations (Pro is unlimited) |
| LinkDM | 1 account, 1,000 DMs/month | $19/mo | DMs per month and accounts |
| CreatorFlow | 1 account, 500 DMs/month | $15/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly | DMs per month and accounts |
| SuperProfile | Yes (Starter) | $4.99 first month, then $29/mo | Plan features |
| Chatfuel | Free trial only | $18/mo billed yearly | Plan usage limits |
The best free ManyChat alternative
If you don't want to pay at all, the free plans are what matter. ManyChat's free plan stops at 25 active contacts a month, which one busy post can use up in an hour. The free plans below each limit something different:
- Noolu Starter: up to 10 active automations, an email gate for up to 10 addresses a month, and no monthly cap on how many people get the DM. Best if a single post or reel can bring hundreds of comments.
- LinkDM Free: 1,000 DMs a month. Best if you post often but each post gets a modest number of comments.
- CreatorFlow Free: 500 DMs a month, plus story reply automation.
- SuperProfile Starter: free, bundled with a link-in-bio page and store.
- Chatfuel: no free plan, only a trial.
A simple way to pick: count how many people commented your keyword on your best post last month. If it's more than a few hundred, a plan that caps DMs will run out, so choose one that caps automations instead. If you're in India, Noolu also takes UPI AutoPay, which most of these tools don't.
Noolu: flat price, Instagram only
Noolu does comment-to-DM, DM keyword replies, a follow gate, an email gate and delayed follow-up messages for Instagram Creator and Business accounts. It connects through Instagram's official login, and comment replies go out as private replies, so people who have never messaged you still get the DM. The email gate asks people to reply with their email address before they get the link, and saves each address on an Emails page you can export as a CSV.
A typical setup: a bakery posts its weekend menu and gets dozens of "price?" comments. With an automation on that post, everyone who comments PRICE gets the price list in their inbox within seconds, and Noolu can also reply publicly under the comment, picking from a few reply variations you write so the thread does not repeat one line.
The free Starter plan covers one account, up to 10 active automations and up to 10 collected emails a month, with no cap on automated DMs beyond Meta's own messaging rules and rate limits. Pro is $19/mo ($15/mo billed yearly) and adds the full flow builder with branches and delays, automations across all posts, unlimited email collection and link click tracking. Details are on the pricing page.
What Noolu does not do: WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, email broadcasts or a storefront. If you need those, look elsewhere on this list.
LinkDM: generous free DM allowance
LinkDM is an Instagram DM automation tool that sends DMs for post and reel comments, and describes itself as a certified Meta Business Partner using the official Instagram APIs. According to LinkDM's pricing page, the free plan includes 1 account and 1,000 DMs a month. Pro is $19/mo for 3 accounts and 25,000 DMs a month, and adds branding removal, comment auto-replies and a follower growth tool. Platinum+ is $99/mo for 10 accounts.
Good fit if you run two or three accounts and want a known DM ceiling rather than a contact count.
CreatorFlow: cheapest paid follow gate
CreatorFlow also focuses on Instagram. Per CreatorFlow's pricing page, the free plan gives 1 account and 500 automated DMs a month with comment-to-DM and story reply automation. Pro is $15/mo ($12/mo billed yearly) for 2 accounts and 5,000 DMs a month, and adds an email gate, a follow gate, link click tracking and CSV export. A Growth plan at $30/mo raises that to 5 accounts and team seats.
Good fit if you want to collect email addresses before sending a link and are comfortable with a monthly DM cap.
SuperProfile: DMs bundled with a creator store
SuperProfile is a link-in-bio and creator storefront that also does Instagram AutoDMs. Its pricing page lists a free Starter plan and a Creator plan at $4.99 for the first month, then $29/mo. Features listed include post and reel automation, story and DM auto-replies, a follower growth tool, email collection, and tools to sell digital products, courses, coaching and webinars.
Good fit for a coach who wants the free guide, the paid course and the DM automation in one place. If you already sell through another platform, you would be paying for parts you do not use.
Chatfuel: AI support bot across channels
Chatfuel positions itself as an AI chatbot platform for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, with a shared team inbox, CRM and integrations such as Google Sheets and Zapier. On Chatfuel's pricing page, the Business plan is $18/mo billed yearly, every plan starts with a free trial, and usage limits apply. It can reply to post and reel comments automatically.
Good fit for a shop that answers order and product questions across WhatsApp and Instagram with a small support team. It is more than a creator sending a lead magnet needs.
How to choose
- You only use Instagram and want comment-to-DM: Noolu, LinkDM or CreatorFlow. Compare how many automations, DMs and accounts you actually need.
- Your posts sometimes spike: avoid per-contact billing, or set an overage limit if you stay on ManyChat.
- You sell courses or digital products: SuperProfile bundles the store with the DMs.
- You need WhatsApp or Messenger too: stay with ManyChat or try Chatfuel.
Whichever tool you pick, pick a keyword people can spell on a phone keyboard and write the first DM so it delivers what you promised in the caption. Our free lists of comment keyword ideas and DM templates work with any of these tools.
FAQ
Is there a free ManyChat alternative for Instagram?
Yes. Noolu, LinkDM, CreatorFlow and SuperProfile all have free plans that include comment-to-DM. The limits differ: Noolu limits active automations, LinkDM and CreatorFlow limit DMs per month.
Will switching tools affect my Instagram account?
Not if the new tool connects through Instagram's official login. Disconnect the old tool first so two apps do not answer the same comment, then recreate your keywords in the new one.
Do these tools need a Business account?
You need an Instagram Creator or Business account. Personal accounts cannot use Instagram's messaging API, and switching is free in Instagram's settings.