On Instagram and Messenger a bot usually starts from a comment, a story reply or a DM, and Meta allows automated replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. The useful tools turn a comment into a DM conversation and capture the contact before that window closes.
The deciding question is whether you run social marketing or social support. Marketing points to comment-to-DM flows and broadcasts. Support points to a shared inbox where the same team also answers the website.
Quick picks
- Comment-to-DM marketing: Manychat — free plan covers Instagram and Messenger; paid plans from US$17 a month.
- AI agent in DMs: Chatfuel — Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok and web on every paid plan.
- Social support: Tidio Lyro — Instagram and Messenger in the same inbox as website chat.
The ranking
Botpress
Support teams with a developer on hand that want agent building and a helpdesk in one tool8.0- Paid plans from
- US$150 per month
- Pricing model
- Plan plus usage meter
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, Email, Slack, Voice
Botpress is a cloud platform for building AI agents: a visual Studio, LLM-driven steps the docs call Autonomous Nodes, a code SDK and, since May 2026, its own helpdesk called Desk. It is built for support teams that have someone technical on hand. Workspaces created after May 14, 2026 pay a flat plan fee for a monthly conversation allowance, and extra conversations are bought automatically in packs of 100.
The catch: On paid plans you cannot switch off overage: at 95% of your allowance Botpress buys a pack of 100 conversations for you, and that pack stays on the bill every month until you remove it.
Tidio Lyro
Small online shops and support teams that want an AI agent, simple automations and a shared inbox from one vendor, with published self-serve prices7.5- Paid plans from
- US$29 per month
- Pricing model
- Mixed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Email
Tidio is a live-chat and help-desk suite for small and mid-sized online businesses, with two kinds of bot: Flows, a no-code rule-based builder, and Lyro, an AI agent that answers from your own support content. It is built mainly for e-commerce and support teams that want the bot and the human inbox in one tool. It charges flat monthly fees on three separate meters: human-answered conversations, Lyro AI conversations and unique visitors reached by Flows.
The catch: The US$29 Starter plan buys human-answered conversations, not a working AI agent: its 50 Lyro conversations are a one-off allowance that never resets, and a renewing Lyro quota is a separate purchase starting at US$39 a month.
Manychat
Creators and social-first shops that sell through Instagram, TikTok or Messenger DMs6.9- Paid plans from
- US$17 per month
- Pricing model
- By number of contacts
- Free plan
- Yes
- Channels
- Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok, SMS, Email
Manychat is a marketing bot: a visual flow builder that replies to comments and direct messages on Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram, with SMS and email as add-on channels. It is built for creators and social-first shops, not for website support, because it has no website chat widget. It charges a flat plan fee that includes a monthly allowance of Active Contacts, then a per-contact price above that allowance.
The catch: A broadcast makes every recipient an Active Contact for that month, so one send to a large list can use up the whole allowance and start per-contact overage unless you set a cap.
Chatfuel
Agencies and small sales teams that want an AI agent answering leads on WhatsApp and Instagram6.3- Paid plans from
- US$20 per month
- Pricing model
- Credits
- Free plan
- Partly
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok
Chatfuel is an AI agent that answers and qualifies leads on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok and a website widget. In 2026 the vendor rebuilt it around a language model called Fuely AI and aimed it at small sales teams and marketing agencies. It charges a flat subscription plus a wallet of US-dollar credits that pays for every AI reply and for Meta's WhatsApp fees.
The catch: Chatfuel does not publish what one AI reply costs, and when the wallet reaches zero the bot stops replying until you add money.
Comparison table
| Product | Score | Type of tool | Paid plans from | Free plan | What the bill grows with | EU data hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botpress | 8.0 | Agent-building platform | US$150 per month | Yes | conversations | Partly | Support teams with a developer on hand that want agent building and a helpdesk in one tool |
| Tidio Lyro | 7.5 | AI agent for support | US$29 per month | Yes | conversations | Yes | Small online shops and support teams that want an AI agent, simple automations and a shared inbox from one vendor, with published self-serve prices |
| Manychat | 6.9 | Messaging-marketing bot | US$17 per month | Yes | contacts | Yes | Creators and social-first shops that sell through Instagram, TikTok or Messenger DMs |
| Chatfuel | 6.3 | AI agent for support | US$20 per month | Partly | credits | No | Agencies and small sales teams that want an AI agent answering leads on WhatsApp and Instagram |
What it costs at three volumes
| Product | What the bill grows with | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botpress | conversations | US$150 (Plus) | US$750 (Team) | Custom quote |
| Tidio Lyro | conversations | US$75 (Lyro AI Agent 100) | US$700 (Lyro AI Agent 1,000) | Custom quote |
| Manychat | contacts | US$17 (Essential) | US$39 (Pro) | US$99 (Business) |
| Chatfuel | credits | Not modelled | Not modelled | Not modelled |
How to choose
If you grow sales through Instagram comments, story replies and broadcasts, pick Manychat because these automations are its core feature and every plan price is public.
If you want an AI agent answering DMs rather than scripted flows, pick Chatfuel because its agent covers Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in one subscription. See Manychat vs Chatfuel.
If Instagram and Messenger are support channels next to your website, pick Tidio Lyro because one team answers all of them in one inbox.
If you need a custom agent on Messenger that calls your own systems, pick Botpress because it has an SDK and APIs. Expect to need a developer.
Verdict
Manychat is the default pick for Instagram and Messenger: it is built for comment-to-DM funnels, covers both channels on its free plan and publishes every plan price. It ranks below Botpress and Tidio Lyro on score because its reach stops at social channels, but that is the job here. Ignore it if you need a chat widget on your own website or an AI agent trained on a full help centre.
For buyers in the United Kingdom
Three rules matter most when a chatbot talks to UK customers. The CMA holds you responsible for what the bot says, exactly as it would for an employee. Under PECR, a chat widget should not set cookies before the visitor opens it unless they have consented, and marketing on WhatsApp, SMS or Instagram DMs needs consent or the soft opt-in. Chat transcripts are personal data under the UK GDPR, so set a retention period and sign a data processing agreement with the vendor.
Vendors publish prices in US dollars, a few in euros, and this site never converts them, so expect your card statement in pounds to move with the exchange rate. Before you buy, check whether the vendor documents UK or EU data hosting, offers a data processing agreement and, if it is a US company, how chat data gets there lawfully. These tools are built in English first, so the interface is rarely a problem. If you also serve customers in Welsh or another language, check which languages the vendor documents for AI answers.
Chatbots and the law in the United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions
What is the best chatbot for Instagram?
Manychat is our default pick for an Instagram chatbot, because comment-to-DM flows and broadcasts are its core feature and its prices are public. Chatfuel suits teams that want an AI agent answering DMs, and Tidio Lyro suits teams that answer Instagram next to website chat.
Is there a free Instagram chatbot?
Yes. Manychat's Free plan covers up to 2 channels chosen from Instagram, TikTok, Messenger and Telegram, with 25 Active Contacts a month and no AI. Chatfuel's Free tier replies to comments on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok but includes no credits, so its AI agent does not run.
How long can a chatbot reply to an Instagram or Messenger message?
Manychat's help centre explains that automated messages on Instagram and Messenger can go out only within 24 hours of the customer's last message, and manual replies within 7 days. This is Meta's rule, so it applies to every chatbot on this list.
Does Manychat work on a website?
No. Manychat has no chat widget for your own website; it works in Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram, with SMS and email as add-ons. If you also need website chat, Tidio Lyro and Chatfuel cover the web and Meta channels in one tool.
Keep reading
- Best chatbot buildersbest list
- Best chatbot builders for small businessbest list
- Best chatbots for ecommercebest list
- Best chatbots for customer supportbest list
- Best chatbot builders for lead generationbest list
- Best chatbot builders for WhatsAppbest list
- Best free chatbot buildersbest list
- Best open-source and developer chatbot platformsbest list
- What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI agent?guide
- How is chatbot software priced?guide
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Researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. We have not built or tested bots on these platforms yet. Method: How we review