HookReplyA free Instagram comment-to-DM tool: what you actually get without paying
A free Instagram comment-to-DM tool exists in three different forms: Meta's own automation inside Business Suite, the free tier of a paid app such as ManyChat or HookReply, and a flow you build yourself on Meta's Graph API with Make or n8n. Each one works, but each one caps something real — contacts, keyword matching, or your own time — checked against the official pricing and help pages on October 21, 2026.
HookReply is opening spots gradually through a waitlist; paid plans cannot be purchased yet. The Free plan details below are the published plan and apply once signup opens.
Every figure below comes from the tool's own page, read that day:
- Meta Business Suite's automated responses, including the hashtag-based comment-to-message template: Meta Business Help Center.
- Private reply rules that apply to every Instagram tool: Meta's Instagram Platform documentation.
- ManyChat's Free plan limits: manychat.com/pricing.
- Chatfuel's current plans: chatfuel.com/pricing.
- Make's Free plan: make.com/en/pricing. n8n's free self-hosted option and cloud trial: n8n.io/pricing.
- HookReply's own Free plan: published plan data, taxes included.
What does Instagram give you for free, without any extra tool?
Meta itself gives every professional Instagram account a set of free automations inside Business Suite's Inbox, with no app to install: an instant reply for someone's first message, an away message, up to four FAQ-style quick answers, and "custom keywords" that reply to a DM containing one of up to 5 specific words or phrases you choose. The template Meta calls comment to message is the closest thing to comment-to-DM: Meta's own help article defines it as a way to "reply to a comment that contains specific hashtags," available only in the desktop version of Business Suite.
That hashtag requirement is the catch: Business Suite's comment automation does not match a plain word such as "GUIDE" typed in a comment, only a literal hashtag like #guide, and people rarely comment with hashtags. Custom keyword automations (the DM side) do match plain text, but cap out at 5 keyword rules total, are case-sensitive, and Meta queues the automated reply for up to 15 minutes unless you answer manually first. None of this costs anything, and none of it needs an app review — it is the floor every paid tool, including HookReply, is compared against.
How much does ManyChat's free plan actually cover?
ManyChat's Free plan covers 25 active contacts a month, up to 4 live automations at the same time, and connects to 2 channels out of Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok or Telegram, with no credit card required to start. Every message ManyChat sends on the Free plan carries a "Powered by Manychat" line the first time it messages a contact, and that branding only goes away on a paid plan. ManyChat's prices, including Free, are quoted without tax; your country's tax is added at checkout. The exact plan tiers above Free, with contact caps and overage fees, are broken down in ManyChat's pricing.
Does Chatfuel still have a free plan?
Chatfuel's own pricing page, read on October 21, 2026, lists no permanent $0 plan: it shows two paid tiers, Business from $18 a month (billed yearly) and Agency from $90 a month, each starting with a free trial rather than a free tier you can stay on. That is a change from earlier in 2026, when Chatfuel did publish a $0 plan limited to comment replies on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok — a reminder that free-plan terms move, and a page worth rereading before you build around it rather than trusting a cached comparison.
What does HookReply's free plan include?
HookReply's Free plan costs 0 and covers 100 active contacts a month on 1 Instagram account, with 3 automations and no credit card needed. It can already do comment-to-DM, DM keywords, and asking someone to follow before sending the link (follow gate); it does not include the AI chatbot or broadcasts, which start on the Pro plan, and every message carries HookReply's branding the way ManyChat's Free plan carries its own. An example of what a comment-to-DM automation looks like once it is live:
Unlike Business Suite's hashtag-only comment trigger, this keyword match works on the plain word in the comment, in any of HookReply's plans including Free. How to set up this exact flow, step by step, is covered in auto-reply to Instagram comments; the DM side of keyword automation is in auto-reply DMs.
What happens when a free plan's contact cap is reached?
Every free plan compared here stops short rather than charging you: HookReply does not bill for contacts past its 100-a-month cap, but new contacts that month get no automated reply until the next month or until you upgrade (anyone who already talked to you that month keeps being answered), and there is also a daily cap on automated sends to limit abuse. ManyChat's paid plans charge an overage fee per extra active contact unless you set a spending cap, but its Free plan has no paid tier to overflow into — past 25 active contacts a month, you either upgrade or some contacts stop getting automated replies. Meta's own Business Suite automations do not have a contact cap at all; their limit is the 5-keyword and hashtag-matching ceiling described above, not volume.
Can you build comment-to-DM yourself for free with Make or n8n?
Building comment-to-DM yourself is possible because Meta's Graph API itself charges nothing to call; the real cost is your own time, a Meta app that has passed App Review for the messaging permissions the API requires, and a server to run the workflow. Make's Free plan, read on October 21, 2026, includes 1,000 operations a month, 2 active scenarios running at once, and a 15-minute minimum interval between scheduled runs — enough to test a comment-to-DM flow, tight for a busy account. n8n ships a self-hosted Community Edition that is free software with no execution limit, but you run and patch the server yourself; its Cloud version instead offers a 14-day trial with 1,000 executions before plans start at about 20 a month.
None of this removes Meta's own rules below: a workflow you build yourself still has to respect the same comment and reply windows ManyChat, Chatfuel and HookReply operate inside.
What limits does Instagram's API put on every tool, free or paid?
Instagram's own platform rules cap what any comment-to-DM tool can send, regardless of price: only one private reply can be sent per comment, and it has to go out within 7 days of the comment being posted (during an Instagram Live, the private reply can only be sent while the broadcast is still running). A follow-up message after that first private reply is only allowed if the person replies to it, and then only within 24 hours of their reply. These are Meta's rules, not a tool's choice, so a feature claiming to get around them should be read carefully.
Which free option fits your situation?
If you want zero setup and only need to catch people who comment an exact hashtag, Business Suite's comment-to-message template already does that for free. If you want a plain keyword to trigger the DM and are under the volume caps above, ManyChat's Free (25 active contacts, 2 channels) or HookReply's Free (100 active contacts, Instagram only) both do it without a card; pick HookReply if Instagram is your only channel and you want a higher contact cap, ManyChat if you also need Messenger, TikTok or Telegram in the same free plan. If you have development time rather than a monthly budget, Make or n8n against the Graph API removes the contact cap entirely, at the cost of building and maintaining the App Review and the server yourself.
HookReply is on a waitlist while Meta reviews its app; join below and you will be notified when you can connect Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a truly free way to auto-DM people who comment on Instagram?
Yes, in a limited form: Meta's own Business Suite can auto-DM a comment that contains a specific hashtag, at no cost and with no third-party app, though it does not match a plain keyword. Free plans from ManyChat (25 active contacts a month) and HookReply (100 active contacts a month) match plain keywords instead, each within its own contact cap.
Does Instagram's own app have a free auto-DM feature?
Instagram's professional accounts get this through Meta Business Suite's Inbox automations, not the Instagram app itself: instant replies, away messages, up to 4 FAQs, up to 5 custom DM keywords, and the hashtag-based comment-to-message template, all free and all limited to the desktop version of Business Suite.
What's the catch with ManyChat's free plan?
ManyChat's Free plan caps out at 25 active contacts a month and 4 live automations, connects to only 2 channels, and adds a "Powered by Manychat" line to the first message sent to each contact; removing the branding requires a paid plan.
Is Chatfuel free?
Not anymore as a permanent plan: Chatfuel's pricing page, checked October 21, 2026, starts at $18 a month (Business, billed yearly) with a free trial, not a $0 tier you can stay on indefinitely.
Can I just build this myself with the Instagram API for free?
Calling Meta's Graph API costs nothing, but you still need an app approved through Meta's App Review for messaging permissions and a server to host the workflow. Make's free plan (1,000 operations a month) or n8n's free self-hosted Community Edition can run that workflow, with your time and server upkeep as the real cost.
What happens once I pass the free contact limit?
On HookReply, contacts you already talked to that month keep getting replies, but new contacts past the 100-a-month cap wait until next month or until you upgrade; there is also a daily send cap. ManyChat's Free plan has no paid tier to overflow into automatically, so past 25 active contacts you upgrade or some contacts go unanswered.
Does a free plan still have to respect Instagram's 24-hour and 7-day rules?
Yes. Every tool, free or paid, is bound by Meta's platform rules: one private reply per comment sent within 7 days of the comment, and any follow-up only within 24 hours of the person's reply, covered in full in auto-reply DMs.
Is a free comment-to-DM tool enough for a growing account, or should I look at alternatives?
It depends on volume and channels: under roughly 25–100 active contacts a month on Instagram only, a free plan can cover it. Past that, or if you need other channels in the same tool, it is worth comparing paid tiers directly; ManyChat's pricing breaks down what each paid step costs.
Want HookReply's free plan the moment it opens?
We are opening spots gradually. Leave your email and we will let you know as soon as you can connect your Instagram.
Start freeManyChat is a trademark of Manychat, Inc.; Chatfuel is a trademark of 200 Labs, Inc.; Make and n8n are trademarks of their respective owners; Instagram is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. HookReply is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of them. Page made by HookReply, an interested party. Prices and plan limits checked October 21, 2026 on each official page linked above; they can change, so check before you build around them.