InboxLoop / Instagram workflows
Chatfuel alternatives for Instagram
Compare Chatfuel with 8 other Instagram DM automation tools and InboxLoop on free access, paid prices and workflows. Built from official provider pages and dated 2026-10-18.
Available free during Early Access. Messaging rules and technical limits apply.
Why people look beyond Chatfuel
No ongoing free plan: a 7-day trial, then a paid plan. Usage draws on included US-dollar credits.
Chatfuel charges a flat subscription per bot plus a credit wallet for AI replies and WhatsApp charges; static keyword replies are described as unlimited. It has no ongoing free plan, and its 7-day trial is a different kind of offer from InboxLoop's free Early Access, which is not a permanent price promise.
Chatfuel free option as published: No ongoing free plan; 7-day free trial with full access and $15 in credits. Source
Chatfuel and its alternatives, side by side
| Tool | Free option | Paid example | Worth considering for | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 InboxLoop | Unlimited automations, free during Early Access Automation count, not unrestricted sending. Not a lifetime price promise. | No paid plan during Early Access | Instagram comment, Story and DM workflows with product carousels and tracked links. | Launch offer |
| Chatfuel | No ongoing free plan; 7-day free trial with full access and $15 in credits The trial article says a card is needed to activate the trial and is charged after 7 days unless you cancel; the pricing page says no credit card is required. Confirm at signup. | $20/month Business, monthly · 1 bot; $20 in credits included each month | Teams that also want WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok handled in the same tool. | InboxLoop vs Chatfuel |
| Manychat | $0; 25 Active Contacts per month; up to 4 live automations The help center says Free accounts have moved to this plan. Verify the plan shown in your account. | $17/month monthly, or $14/month equivalent billed yearly Essential, new pricing · 250 Active Contacts / month | Teams comparing channels, inbox seats and active-contact usage. | InboxLoop vs Manychat |
| LinkDM | $0; 1 Instagram account; 1,000 DMs per month | $19 USD per month Pro, monthly · Up to 3 Instagram accounts; 25,000 DMs/month headline allowance | Creators comparing DM allowances and connected-account bundles. | InboxLoop vs LinkDM |
| InstantDM | $0; 500 DM automations/month; 5 post automations; 3 trigger words Ongoing Free is separate from the 7-day paid-plan trial. | $9.99/month equivalent, billed yearly Legend Pro, USD annual display · Single-account offer | Creators who also want post scheduling alongside replies. | InboxLoop vs InstantDM |
| ViralDM | ₹0; 1 Instagram account; unlimited DMs; 1 automation with 3 keywords The first 30 days run on Starter at no cost, one free month per Instagram account. Free adds ViralDM branding to the first DM each person receives. | ₹499/month Starter, monthly · 2 Instagram accounts; 3 automations; 5 keywords each | Indian creators who also want UPI payments and a store in the same tool. | InboxLoop vs ViralDM |
| Inrō | €0; 100 active contacts per month; 3 active automations; 3 campaigns per month No card required. Once the monthly cap is reached, automations stop reaching new contacts until it resets or you upgrade. | From €12.99/month, billed monthly Pro, monthly · Entry tier; price scales with active contacts | Brands that want CRM-style follow-ups, billed by active contacts. | InboxLoop vs Inrō |
| SuperProfile | $0; Auto-DMs on Reels and posts; 1 keyword per automation Free DMs end with a short "Sent via SuperProfile" line. The pricing page lists up to 10 leads through lead magnets on Free. | $4.99 for the first month, then $29/month Creator, monthly (USD display) · Up to 5 Instagram accounts | Creators who want Auto-DM, a store, courses and bookings in one subscription. | InboxLoop vs SuperProfile |
| LinkPlease | ₹0 forever; unlimited automations; 1,000 DMs and 1,000 contacts per month When the monthly limits are reached you can upgrade or wait for the reset. The pricing page defaults to INR and has a USD toggle. | ₹399/month equivalent, ₹4,788 billed yearly Pro, annual display · Per Instagram account; unlimited automations, DMs and contacts | Creators who want per-account pricing with Story and Live automation on the free plan. | InboxLoop vs LinkPlease |
| CreatorFlow | $0 forever; 1 Instagram account; 500 automated DMs per month When the monthly cap is reached, automations pause until the next billing cycle, per its pricing FAQ. | $15/month, or $12/month billed annually Pro · 2 Instagram accounts; 5,000 DMs per workspace per month | Creators who want flat published pricing, with link click tracking and geo analytics on Pro. | InboxLoop vs CreatorFlow |
Prices reviewed 2026-10-10 to 2026-10-18 from each provider's own pages. Currency, taxes, region and account offers may differ.
When Chatfuel is still the right choice
Consider Chatfuel when you want one tool across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. It is built around an AI chatbot rather than button flows.
Chatfuel covers channels InboxLoop does not yet, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and TikTok, and is built around an AI chatbot. InboxLoop is built around Instagram flows with buttons, carousels and click visibility. AI-assisted replies and Facebook Page support are on InboxLoop's roadmap, not available today and with no release date. This comparison does not assess AI answer quality or setup time.
Read the full comparisons
Questions about choosing an alternative
Does Chatfuel have a free plan?
Not an ongoing one. Its help center describes a 7-day free trial with full access, after which a paid plan starts unless you cancel. InboxLoop is currently free during Early Access, which is a different qualification.
Is Chatfuel's $18 price monthly?
The pricing page shows $18 per month billed yearly (US$216 a year). The plans article lists Business at $20 per month. Check the billing option at checkout.
Is InboxLoop a Chatfuel alternative?
For Instagram workflows, yes. InboxLoop covers comment-to-DM, Story replies, follow checks, product carousels and tracked links, free during Early Access with unlimited automations. See the full Chatfuel comparison for what differs.
How current is this information?
Prices and plan details come from each provider's official pages and were reviewed in October 2026. Plans change, so confirm on the provider's site before you decide.
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Free during Early Access, not a lifetime pricing commitment.