ManyChat gives you 25 free contacts. We give you all of them.
In March 2026, ManyChat cut its free plan from 1,000 contacts to 25. PeerSeek Auto DM is the free alternative for Instagram creators: unlimited comment-to-DM, story replies, and keyword triggers on Meta's official API. No subscription. No contact math. No USD bill.
Quick answer
ManyChat's free plan stops at 25 active contacts per month, after which Essential costs $17/month. The most generous free alternatives are Peerseek Auto DM, which has no DM cap and covers comments, reels and story replies with 20 keyword triggers, and SuperProfile, which is uncapped on Reels and Posts but limited to 3 keywords with story triggers behind $29/month. ReplyKaro and LinkDM each allow 1,000 free DMs per month and CreatorFlow allows 500.
6 best ManyChat alternatives for Instagram in 2026.
Ranked by how far each free plan gets you before it stops, because that is the question almost everyone leaving ManyChat is actually asking. Every price was read from the vendor's own pricing page on 8 October 2026.
Peerseek Auto DM
Unlimited Instagram comment-to-DM, story-reply and DM-trigger automation on Meta's official API, with follow-gating, public comment replies and selling built in.
- Free plan:
- Unlimited DMs across every post you publish, plus follow-gating and public comment replies. No contact cap, no monthly cap, no credit card.
- Paid:
- There is no paid Auto DM tier. Peerseek charges a flat 5% only when someone buys a paid consultation, webinar, or digital product through it.
- Best for:
- Creators who want uncapped DM automation that feeds a paid offer.
Source: Limits read directly from the Peerseek Auto DM service.
Auto-DM bundled into SuperProfile's wider India creator-commerce platform, with a link-in-bio store on the free plan.
- Free plan:
- Unlimited AutoDMs on Reels and Posts, with a link-in-bio store included.
- Paid:
- Creator is ₹99 for the first month, then ₹499/mo in India, plus a 5% + GST platform fee on every sale for Indian accounts. Outside India it is $4.99, then $29/mo with 0% commission. Adds Story, Live and DM triggers, 5 Instagram accounts and unlimited leads.
- Best for:
- Creators who want a free link-in-bio store alongside their auto-DM.
Source: superprofile.bio/in/pricing, /pricing, /auto-dm and SuperProfile's help centre, read 8 Oct 2026.
India-built Instagram automation with flat rupee pricing and a free forever tier.
- Free plan:
- Free forever, no credit card. Their site advertises 1,000 DMs a month on the free tier.
- Paid:
- Plans start from ₹99 a month. Creator is ₹149 a month with 350 AI reply credits, Growth is ₹399 a month with 1,000 credits, Pro Bundle is ₹399 a month for Instagram and Facebook together, and Agency Bundle is ₹1,299 a month for 10 accounts of each. Extra accounts are ₹149 each. All payments are final and non-refundable.
- Best for:
- Indian creators who want a cheap flat rupee rate and agency multi-account support.
Source: replykaro.com/pricing and its site navigation, read 8 Oct 2026.
Instagram-only DM automation aimed squarely at creators, with a generous free tier.
- Free plan:
- 1,000 DMs per month on 1 Instagram account.
- Paid:
- Pro $19/mo ($182/year, 20% off) for 3 accounts and 25,000 DMs/mo. Platinum+ $99/mo ($832/year) for 10 accounts and 300,000 DMs/mo.
- Best for:
- Creators who want a focused comment-to-DM tool and nothing else.
Source: linkdm.com/pricing, monthly and yearly toggles both read 8 Oct 2026.
Instagram comment and DM automation with flat monthly pricing and unlimited automation rules on every tier.
- Free plan:
- 500 DMs per month on 1 Instagram account, with unlimited keyword triggers.
- Paid:
- Pro $15/mo ($12/mo billed annually, $144/year) for 2 accounts and 5,000 DMs per workspace. Growth $30/mo ($24/mo annually, $288/year) for 5 accounts and 10,000 DMs per workspace. 14-day free trial.
- Best for:
- Creators who want unlimited automation rules even on the free plan.
Source: creatorflow.so/pricing, read 8 Oct 2026.
ManyChat
The category incumbent and an official Meta Business Partner, covering Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, SMS and email.
- Free plan:
- 25 active contacts per month, up to 2 channels, up to 4 live triggers.
- Paid:
- Essential $17/mo, Pro $39/mo, Business $99/mo, Advanced $199/mo billed monthly ($14/$29/$69/$139 billed annually). Exceeding your tier adds a per-contact overage fee from $0.10 down to $0.004. Billed in USD.
- Best for:
- Businesses and agencies running multi-channel chat marketing.
Source: manychat.com/pricing, monthly and annual toggles both read 8 Oct 2026.
Peerseek is listed first because it is the only free plan that is both uncapped on DM volume and covers every trigger type including story replies, which is the axis this list is ranked on. SuperProfile is uncapped too, but only on Reels and Posts. On other axes Peerseek would not lead: ManyChat covers far more channels, and if you need WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS and email in one dashboard, ManyChat is the better product. See the full comparison of every Instagram auto DM tool.
Going viral shouldn't come with an invoice.
On ManyChat, every person your automation touches is a billable "active contact". The free plan stops at 25, about one afternoon of comments on a decent reel. After that it's $17/month, then $39, then $99, then $199 as your audience grows, and every contact past your tier adds an overage fee on top. The better your content performs, the more you pay.
PeerSeek flips that model. Auto DM is free at any scale, and we earn a flat 5% only when your DMs turn into a paid booking or sale. Your win is our win, not your bill.
One viral reel, two outcomes
ManyChat free plan
2,000 comments → cap hit at 25
1,975 leads never get your link (or you upgrade mid-spike)
PeerSeek Auto DM
2,000 comments → 2,000 DMs
Every commenter gets your booking or product link. Cost: ₹0
PeerSeek vs ManyChat for Instagram.
Every ManyChat figure below was read from manychat.com/pricing on 8 October 2026, with the monthly and annual billing toggles checked separately.
| PeerSeek Auto DM | ManyChat | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited, no contact or DM caps | 25 active contacts, 4 automations, 3 keyword triggers |
| What a viral reel costs you | Nothing. Replies keep going out | Blows the free cap in a day; overages or forced upgrade |
| Entry paid plan | There isn't one. Auto DM is free | Essential $17/mo ($14/mo billed annually) |
| Full paid ladder | No tiers to climb | Essential $17 · Pro $39 · Business $99 · Advanced $199, billed monthly |
| Going over your tier | Not possible. There is no tier | Per-contact overage, $0.10 down to $0.004 each |
| Billing currency | ₹ INR (and free is free everywhere) | USD only, forex markup for Indian creators |
| Comment-to-DM (posts & reels) | Yes | Yes |
| Story reply automation | Yes | Yes |
| Official Meta API (OAuth, no password) | Yes | Yes |
| Sell consultations, webinars & products from DMs | Built in, with Razorpay/UPI payouts | Needs external tools + integrations |
| Who it's built for | Creators who monetize their audience | Businesses running multi-channel chat marketing |
ManyChat is a capable product and an official Meta Business Partner. If you need WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, and email automation in one dashboard, it may fit you better. This page is for Instagram-first creators who'd rather not pay a growing monthly bill for DMs.
ManyChat has no INR pricing. We have no pricing.
ManyChat bills in USD on an international card, with no UPI and no INR plans. Here's what a year looks like for a growing Indian creator (at ~₹85/$, before forex markup and GST on import of services).
ManyChat Pro
$39 × 12
≈ ₹39,800/yr
Before any per-contact overage fees
ManyChat Essential
$17 × 12
≈ ₹17,300/yr
Overage kicks in at $0.10 per extra contact
PeerSeek Auto DM
₹0 × 12
₹0/yr
Unlimited contacts. 5% only when you sell
Move from ManyChat in under 15 minutes.
Create your free PeerSeek account
Sign up and connect Instagram with Meta's official secure login. No password sharing, no card required.
Recreate your triggers
Set up your comment keywords and story-reply templates. Most creators move their top 3–4 automations in under 15 minutes.
Switch off ManyChat
Disable your ManyChat Instagram connection so both tools don't reply at once. Cancel before your next billing date.
Or don't lift a finger. We'll migrate you, free.
Share your existing setup and PeerSeek's team will recreate your automations (keywords, comment-to-DM flows, story replies, templates) from ManyChat or any other platform, at no cost. Most migrations are done within a day.
Questions, answered
What is the best free ManyChat alternative for Instagram?
PeerSeek Auto DM is a completely free ManyChat alternative for Instagram: no contact limits, no monthly DM caps, and no subscription. It covers comment-to-DM on posts and reels, story reply automation, and keyword triggers, all on Meta's official Instagram API. Instead of charging you a subscription, PeerSeek earns a flat 5% only when you sell a paid product through it.
What happened to ManyChat's free plan?
In March 2026 ManyChat restructured its pricing and reduced the free plan from 1,000 contacts to 25 active contacts, with 4 automations and 3 keyword triggers. Once 25 people interact with your automations, you need Essential at $17/month. For a creator on Instagram, a single well-performing reel can use up the free plan in a day.
How much does ManyChat actually cost?
Verified on manychat.com/pricing on 8 October 2026: Essential $17/month, Pro $39/month, Business $99/month and Advanced $199/month when billed monthly, or $14, $29, $69 and $139 when billed annually. Note that most comparison articles quote the annual figures as if they were monthly rates. Exceeding your plan's active-contact allowance adds a per-contact overage fee, from $0.10 each on Essential down to $0.004 on Advanced. Everything is billed in USD, so Indian creators pay roughly ₹1,450 to ₹17,000 per month on an international card, before forex markup.
Is PeerSeek Auto DM really unlimited and free?
Yes. There are no contact tiers, DM caps, or feature locks on Auto DM, and there is no paid Auto DM plan to upsell you to. PeerSeek makes money only when you do: a flat 5% transaction charge when someone buys your paid consultation, webinar, or digital product.
Is switching from ManyChat safe for my Instagram account?
Yes. PeerSeek uses the same official Meta Instagram API approach. You connect through Instagram's secure OAuth login and PeerSeek never asks for your password. Just disable ManyChat's connection after connecting PeerSeek so two tools don't respond to the same triggers.
Will PeerSeek help me migrate my ManyChat automations?
Yes, for free. PeerSeek's team will recreate your existing automations (comment keywords, comment-to-DM flows, story replies, and message templates) from ManyChat or any other platform at no cost. Share your setup via the contact page and most migrations are completed within a day.
Who is ManyChat built for?
ManyChat is built for teams that run automation across WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS and email from one dashboard, and for agencies managing multi-channel flows for clients. PeerSeek Auto DM is built for one job: Instagram creators who want free DM automation that feeds the offers they sell.
Stop counting contacts.
Unlimited Instagram Auto DM, free forever, on Meta's official API. Setup takes 5 minutes, and your next viral reel costs you nothing.
Switch for freeNo subscription. No contact limits. 5% only when you earn.