The best Instagram story reply automation tools
Stories are where your most engaged followers talk to you. When someone replies to a story, reacts or answers a sticker, they open a DM conversation, and that opens Instagram's 24-hour messaging window. A story reply automation answers in that window with a link, a code or a question.
The catch is that some tools reserve story triggers for paid plans. This ranking shows exactly which plan you need.
| # | Tool | Best for | Price (checked 16 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadlo AI | Story replies on the free plan | Free; paid from ₹249 / $5 a month |
| 2 | LinkDM | Story mentions as well as replies | Free (1,000 DMs/month); Pro $19 a month |
| 3 | ReplyKaro | Story automation on a free plan in India | Free (1,000 DMs/month); paid from ₹99 / $3 a month |
| 4 | CreatorFlow | Story replies across several accounts | Free (500 DMs/month); Pro $15 a month |
| 5 | ReplyRush | Stories, posts and reels on every plan | Free (1,500 DMs/month); paid from ₹900 / $10 a month |
| 6 | InstantDM | Story and Live automation together | Free (500 DMs/month); paid from $9.99 a month billed yearly |
1. Tadlo AI
Our top pick
Best for: Story replies on the free plan
Tadlo AI includes story reply automation on every plan, so a story that says "reply GUIDE for the free guide" works on Free with unlimited DMs. The same flow builder handles what happens next: ask for an email, send a product carousel, or check that the person follows you.
Because story replies open the 24-hour window, the flow can ask one follow-up question and act on the answer, which comment-triggered DMs cannot always do.
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. LinkDM
Best for: Story mentions as well as replies
LinkDM includes story reply and story mention auto-replies on every plan. Mentions are handy for brands: when a customer tags you in their story, they get a thank-you DM, perhaps with a discount for their next order.
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 and mentions on every plan
- Instagram and Facebook comments
Limitations
- 1,000 DMs a month on Free
- Monthly DM caps on paid plans
3. ReplyKaro
Best for: Story automation on a free plan in India
ReplyKaro includes story automation and its follow gate on every Instagram plan, Free included, with paid plans from ₹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
- Story automation on Free
- Follow gate on Free
Limitations
- 3 active automations on Free
- 1,000 DMs a month on Free
4. CreatorFlow
Best for: Story replies across several accounts
CreatorFlow includes story replies on every plan, and its paid plans cover two or five accounts.
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 every plan
- Up to 5 accounts on Growth
Limitations
- 500 DMs a month on Free
5. ReplyRush
Best for: Stories, posts and reels on every plan
ReplyRush lists post, reel and story automation on every plan, including Free with 1,500 DMs 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
- Story automation on Free
- AI-suggested triggers
Limitations
- Follow gate and email collector start on Lite
6. InstantDM
Best for: Story and Live automation together
InstantDM adds story, Live and next-post automation from Legend Pro, $9.99 a month billed yearly. Its free plan does not include story automation.
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
- Story and Live triggers on paid plans
- Unlimited monthly DMs on paid plans
Limitations
- Story automation not on Free
Which plan includes story replies
| Tool | On the free plan? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tadlo AI | Yes | Unlimited DMs on every plan |
| LinkDM | Yes | Story mentions too |
| ReplyKaro | Yes | Follow gate too |
| CreatorFlow | Yes | Gates on paid plans |
| ReplyRush | Yes | 1,500 DMs a month free |
| InstantDM | No | From Legend Pro |
Story ideas that get replies
- Question sticker plus keyword: "Reply PLAN and I'll send this week's plan."
- Poll follow-up: people who vote get a DM with the result and a related link.
- Limited drop: "Reply EARLY for first access", then send the link when it goes live.
- Thank-you for mentions: customers who tag you get a thank-you and a code.
Story replies and the 24-hour window
Instagram lets a business message someone freely for 24 hours after their last message (up to 7 days after a click-to-Direct ad), and a person on your team can reply within a separate 7-day human agent window. A story reply starts that window, so your automation can send the link, ask one question and react to the answer. After the window closes, wait for the person to message you again rather than sending promotions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I automate replies to Instagram stories?
Yes. Tadlo AI, LinkDM, ReplyKaro, CreatorFlow and ReplyRush include story reply automation on their free plans; InstantDM includes it on paid plans.
What is the best tool for Instagram story reply automation?
Tadlo AI is our top pick, with story replies on every plan and unlimited DMs, plus email capture and a follow gate in the same flow.
Do story reactions trigger automations?
Story replies, reactions and sticker responses open a DM conversation, which story automations use as their trigger. Check which events your tool lists, since tools differ in what they support.
Can I send a link in reply to a story?
Yes. The story reply opens the 24-hour messaging window, so the automation can send a link straight away.
Sources
- manychat.com/pricing, checked 16 October 2026,
manychat.com/pricing. - LinkDM pricing,
linkdm.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - LinkDM features,
linkdm.com/. Facebook comments, story replies, Meta Business Partner since 2021; 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. - ReplyRush pricing,
replyrush.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - CreatorFlow pricing,
creatorflow.so/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - InstantDM pricing,
instantdm.com/pricing. Checked 16 October 2026. - tadlo.ai: Tadlo AI plans and features. Plans, follow gate, A/B testing, carousels and analytics checked 16 October 2026.
- Instagram Messaging API (Meta),
developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/instagram-api-with-instagram-login/messaging-api. Messaging window and requests folder; updated 28 September 2026.