The best free auto-DM tools in India
Most creators start on a free plan, and most free plans quietly stop working on your best reel. The limit is the thing to compare: some count DMs, some count automations, some count contacts.
Here is what each free plan gives you, and what the first upgrade costs in rupees if you need it.
| # | Tool | Best for | Price (checked 16 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadlo AI | A free plan with no DM limit | Free forever; Creator ₹249 a month |
| 2 | ReplyKaro | A generous free plan with a cheap upgrade | Free (1,000 DMs/month); paid from ₹99 / $3 a month |
| 3 | ReplyRush | More free DMs | Free (1,500 DMs/month); paid from ₹900 / $10 a month |
| 4 | LinkDM | A simple free plan | Free (1,000 DMs/month); Pro $19 a month |
| 5 | CreatorFlow | A small free plan | Free (500 DMs/month); Pro $15 a month |
| 6 | InstantDM | AI replies for free | Free (500 DMs/month); paid from $9.99 a month billed yearly |
1. Tadlo AI
Our top pick
Best for: A free plan with no DM limit
Tadlo AI's free plan is free forever with no card: unlimited DMs and automations for one Instagram account, comment-to-DM, story replies, DM keywords, the follow gate, email capture and a link-in-bio page.
The catches, stated plainly: DMs carry a "via Tadlo" line, lead export stops at 100 leads, and it covers one account. The Creator plan at ₹249 a month removes the branding and export limit.
Price: Free forever plan with no card needed. Paid plans start at ₹249 a month in India or $5 a month elsewhere. Every plan, including Free, has unlimited automations and unlimited DMs (no monthly DM quota and no per-contact charge; sends are paced within Instagram's limits).
Strengths
- Unlimited DMs and automations on every plan, including Free, so a viral reel never raises your bill
- Verified follow gate: checks through Instagram's API whether the commenter really follows you before sending the link
- Comment-to-DM on any comment or chosen keywords, story reply automation and DM keyword flows in a visual flow builder
- Email capture, comment-to-product carousels and a link-in-bio page in the same tool
- Connects with Instagram Business Login on the official API, so no Facebook Page is needed
- AI reel analysis and analytics on paid plans
Limitations
- Facebook comment-to-DM and Messenger keyword replies are still being added
- Newer than ManyChat, so the template library and tutorial community are smaller
- The Free plan covers one Instagram account
- The Free plan adds a "via Tadlo" line to DMs and limits lead export to 100 leads
2. ReplyKaro
Best for: A generous free plan with a cheap upgrade
ReplyKaro's free plan covers 1 account, 3 active automations and 1,000 DMs a month, with the follow gate and story automation included. The first paid plan is ₹99 a month.
Price: Free Starter: 1 Instagram account, 3 active automations and 1,000 DMs a month, no card and no expiry. Paid Instagram plans: Starter ₹99 / $3, Pro ₹299 / $9, Scale ₹399 / $15, Growth ₹449 / $15, Agency ₹799 / $25 and Agency Pro ₹999 / $29 a month. Instagram plus Facebook bundles: Pro Bundle ₹399 and Agency Bundle (10 Instagram and 10 Facebook accounts) ₹1,299 a month.
Strengths
- Follow gate and stories on Free
- ₹99 upgrade
Limitations
- 1,000 DMs a month
- 3 active automations
3. ReplyRush
Best for: More free DMs
ReplyRush gives 1,500 DMs a month free, with post, reel and story automation and AI-suggested triggers. Comment auto-reply, follow-gated DMs and email collection start on Lite at ₹900 a month.
Price: Free: 1,500 DMs a month. Lite: ₹900 / $10 a month for 7,500 DMs. Boost: ₹2,100 / $25 a month for 40,000 DMs and 3 Instagram plus 3 Facebook accounts. MAX: ₹8,400 / $100 a month for 400,000 DMs and 5 Instagram plus 5 Facebook accounts.
Strengths
- 1,500 free DMs
- Story automation on Free
Limitations
- Key features start at ₹900
- Data kept 30 days on Free
4. LinkDM
Best for: A simple free plan
LinkDM's free plan covers 1,000 DMs a month with LinkDM branding. Pro is $19 a month.
Price: Free: 1 Instagram account and 1,000 DMs a month with LinkDM branding. Pro: $19 a month ($182 a year), up to 3 accounts and 25,000 DMs a month. Platinum+: $99 a month ($832 a year), up to 10 accounts and 300,000 DMs a month. Enterprise is custom.
Strengths
- Story replies on Free
- Simple setup
Limitations
- 1,000 DMs a month
- Upgrade priced in dollars
5. CreatorFlow
Best for: A small free plan
CreatorFlow's free plan covers one account and 500 DMs a month, with story replies. Its gates are on paid plans priced in dollars.
Price: Free: 1 Instagram account and 500 DMs a month. Pro: $15 a month ($12 billed yearly), 2 accounts and 5,000 DMs. Growth: $30 a month ($24 billed yearly), 5 accounts and 10,000 DMs. Pro and Growth have a 14-day trial.
Strengths
- Story replies on Free
Limitations
- 500 DMs a month
- Gates on paid plans only
6. InstantDM
Best for: AI replies for free
InstantDM's free plan includes AI comment replies and 500 DM automations a month.
Price: Free forever: 1 account and 500 DM automations a month, no card. Billed yearly: Legend Pro $9.99 a month (unlimited, up to 800 an hour), Trendsetter $24.99 (up to 2,000 an hour) and Trendsetter Pro $49.99 (no hourly cap). Multi-account plans: Multi Starter $4.44 per account a month (3 accounts, $160 a year) and Multi Pro $8.25 per account a month (10 accounts, $990 a year). Paid plans have a 7-day trial.
Strengths
- AI comment replies on Free
Limitations
- 500 DM automations
- Story automation not on Free
Free plans side by side
| Tool | Monthly limit | Follow gate | Stories | First paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tadlo AI | Unlimited DMs | Yes | Yes | ₹249 |
| ReplyKaro | 1,000 DMs, 3 automations | Yes | Yes | ₹99 |
| ReplyRush | 1,500 DMs | No | Yes | ₹900 |
| LinkDM | 1,000 DMs | No | Yes | $19 |
| CreatorFlow | 500 DMs | No | Yes | $15 |
| InstantDM | 500 DM automations | Check plan | No | $9.99 billed yearly |
How fast free limits run out
A follow gate sends about two DMs per person: the follow request and the link. So a reel with 600 commenters uses about 1,200 DMs, already past a 1,000-DM free plan. If your reels regularly get a few hundred comments, a plan without a DM cap saves you from upgrading mid-month.
Free does not mean unsafe
These free plans run on Meta's official APIs, the same as the paid ones. Stay away from free tools that ask for your Instagram password; those are the ones that put accounts at risk.
When to upgrade
- You want your own name on DMs instead of the tool's branding.
- You need more than one account.
- You want to export a list of more than 100 leads (on Tadlo AI).
- You hit a monthly DM or automation limit on another tool.
Frequently asked questions
Which auto-DM tool is completely free in India?
Tadlo AI's free plan has unlimited DMs and automations for one account, with no card. ReplyKaro's free plan allows 1,000 DMs a month.
Is there a free follow-to-get-link tool?
Yes. Tadlo AI and ReplyKaro include a follow gate on their free plans; Tadlo's checks through Instagram's API.
What is the cheapest paid auto-DM plan in India?
ReplyKaro, from ₹99 a month. Tadlo AI's paid plan is ₹249 a month.
Do free auto-DM tools add branding?
Often, yes. Tadlo AI adds a "via Tadlo" line on Free, and LinkDM adds its branding on Free.
Sources
- tadlo.ai: Tadlo AI plans and features. Plans, follow gate, A/B testing, carousels and analytics checked 16 October 2026.
- ReplyKaro pricing,
replykaro.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - ReplyKaro fact sheet,
replykaro.com/ai-info. Last updated 12 October 2026. - LinkDM pricing,
linkdm.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - InstantDM pricing,
instantdm.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - CreatorFlow pricing,
creatorflow.so/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - ReplyRush pricing,
replyrush.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - manychat.com/pricing, checked 16 October 2026,
manychat.com/pricing.