6 Paid and Free AI Instagram Chatbot Builders [2026 Overview]

Many brands, no matter their industry, want a strong social media presence. Showing up where your customers already spend time makes it easier to stay top-of-mind and drive engagement. But as your Instagram audience grows, so does the volume of direct messages. For many users, DMs are the quickest and most convenient way to reach a brand, which can quickly overwhelm your team.

That’s where AI Instagram chatbot builders come into play. With the right tool, you can automate answers, handle routine inquiries, capture leads, and keep conversations flowing around the clock. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the benefits they offer and highlight several platforms that can help you build your own AI bot for Instagram.

TL;DR Best AI Instagram chatbot builders side by side

To help you compare the platforms at a glance, the table below summarizes all AI Instagram chatbot builders featured in this post, along with their core features and pricing.

What is an AI Instagram chatbot builder?

An AI Instagram chatbot builder is a tool that lets businesses create automated conversations inside Instagram Direct Messages. Instead of replying manually, you can use a simple, no-code interface to design message flows, set automated responses, and create personalized interactions that guide users through common questions or actions.

AI-powered builders use artificial intelligence and NLP to understand what users mean and respond in a more natural, human-like way. This makes conversations feel smoother, even though everything runs automatically in the background.

To get started, you need to connect the chatbot builder to your Instagram account, create conversation scenarios, and define triggers that activate your chatbot. Once set up, your bot can automatically handle user inquiries and reduce customer support response times. They’re especially useful for managing large volumes of messages, handling FAQs, and capturing leads.

How to choose an AI Instagram chatbot builder

Choosing the right AI Instagram chatbot builder is essential if you want to automate conversations effectively and keep your DMs organized. Below are the key factors to consider when evaluating any platform.

Official Instagram integration

Start by confirming that the tool is officially integrated with Instagram’s Messaging API and approved by Meta. This ensures your automations comply with Instagram’s rules, run reliably, and support the newest messaging features as they roll out.

No-code platform

If you’re not a developer, a no-code Instagram chatbot builder is a must. Look for a visual drag-and-drop interface, pre-made templates, and clear flow mapping. These features help you design conversations and responses quickly with no coding or technical maintenance required.

AI and NLP capabilities

Not all builders include strong AI features, but choosing one that does will significantly improve your results. AI and NLP let bots understand intent, respond to open-ended questions, and handle FAQs more naturally. Platforms that integrate with advanced AI models create smoother, more human-like DM interactions.

Instagram-specific automation features

Many chatbot builders are designed with Instagram’s unique ecosystem in mind. Look for features such as:

• comment-to-DM automation;
• Story mention replies;
• quick reply buttons;
• triggers from story actions.

These options are key for engaging users in real time, for instance, automatically sending a DM to anyone who comments “info” on a post. Without IG-specific automations, your bot will feel generic and won’t fully leverage Instagram’s engagement mechanisms.

Multi-channel integration

Decide whether you need a tool built solely for Instagram or a platform that supports additional channels such as TikTok, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or live chat. If your main goal is to create an AI chatbot for Instagram, a focused builder may be the simplest option. If your audience is spread across multiple platforms, a multi-channel tool helps centralize communication in one dashboard.

Integration and CRM sync

Your chatbot shouldn’t operate in isolation. Look for builders that connect with Shopify, Google Sheets, email marketing platforms, or your CRM system. These integrations keep your data organized and ensure leads, conversations, and sales updates seamlessly flow into the rest of your marketing system.

Pricing and scalability

Chatbot builders use different pricing models — some charge by contacts, others by conversations, features, or monthly tiers. When planning to build an AI bot for Instagram, consider both the starting cost and how pricing scales as message volume increases. A free plan or trial is a big advantage because it lets you test the platform before committing.

Analytics tools

Effective automation requires insights. Choose a platform that provides clear analytics on open rates, click-throughs, responses, and conversions. These metrics help you understand what resonates with your audience and refine your strategy over time.

AI Instagram chatbot builders to consider

It’s time to take a closer look at some of the most reputable Instagram chatbot builders and discuss their unique features and pricing models.

SendPulse

SendPulse is an all-in-one marketing automation platform that allows businesses to create an AI chatbot for Instagram and other messaging apps through an official Meta-approved integration. With SendPulse, you can automate key customer interactions, such as replying to comments, responding to Story mentions, and managing DMs, without writing a single line of code. The platform’s visual flow builder, built-in payment options, and targeted messaging tools make it easy to guide followers through personalized conversations.

One of SendPulse’s biggest strengths is its advanced AI support. Users can connect external AI models from OpenAI, DeepSeek, or Claude to generate context-aware replies, detect user intent, and personalize responses in real time. The platform also supports Whisper speech recognition, allowing the chatbot to transcribe voice messages and reply automatically, which is an especially useful feature for Instagram audiences who prefer sending audio notes.

SendPulse key advantages and features include:

• official Meta Business Partner;
• visual no-code chatbot builder;
• automated Instagram interactions;
• AI integration with OpenAI, Claude, and DeepSeek for context-aware replies;
• AI-powered responses tailored to conversation intent;
• voice recognition with Whisper;
• in-chat AI image generation;
• ready-made flows for various use cases;
• advanced audience segmentation based on language preferences, tags, variables, etc.;
• in-chat payments with Stripe, PayPal, and cryptocurrency;
• multi-channel support across Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, etc.;
• insights and analytics on chatbot flows and elements.

Pricing. SendPulse offers a free plan that includes up to 3 chatbots across different platforms, 10,000 total messages, and 500 subscribers. The paid plan starts at $8/month (billed annually) and unlocks unlimited chatbots and messages. Subscriber limits can be increased as your audience grows.

Jotform

Jotform is a well-established online form builder that also lets users create an AI chatbot for Instagram. With its Instagram agent, businesses can automate interactions across DMs, comments, and Story mentions. The platform connects with tools like Shopify, Calendly, and Google Sheets and supports automated workflows for lead collection, sales, and appointment scheduling.

The AI agent can be trained on your Instagram profile, posts, and past DMs, so its responses match your brand’s voice. It learns from real interactions, understands incoming inquiries, and generates personalized replies without manual effort.

Jotform also gives you full control over when your automation is active through Response Hours. For example, you can run your chatbot only during business hours or let it take over when your team is offline. With the platform’s Follower Count filters, you can target specific audience segments, such as influencers, loyal fans, or high-value customers, to prioritize the conversations that matter most.

Jotform key strengths and features include:

• official Instagram integration;
• visual AI agent builder;
• ready-made flows for small businesses, content creators, education, healthcare;
• automated replies to FAQs, comments, DMs, and Story mentions;
• lead generation and checkout capabilities;
• AI agent custom response timing;
• filters based on user follower size or priority segments;
• context-aware replies trained on your knowledge base, posts, DMs, and bio;
• multi-channel solution, including Messenger, WhatsApp, Shopify, WordPress, etc.;
• AI agents with voice and web-call interactions;
• integration with Shopify, Calendly, and Google Sheets.

Pricing. Jotform offers a free plan with 5 AI agents, 100 monthly conversations, and 10,000 monthly sessions. Paid plans start at $34/month (billed annually) and include 25 agents, 1,000 monthly conversations, and 100,000 sessions.

Manychat

Manychat is a popular option for businesses that want to build chatbots across multiple platforms. Its AI Instagram chatbot builder automates key interactions such as replying to DMs, responding to comments, greeting new followers, and sending links. It can also capture email addresses or phone numbers directly inside Instagram, helping teams organize conversations and manage engagement from a single dashboard.

Manychat includes several AI-powered tools designed to speed up automation. One of the most notable is the AI Flow Builder, which helps users create automation flows in minutes. The platform also offers AI Replies and Intention Recognition. AI Replies identifies questions in DMs and comments and answers them using information from your knowledge base. Intention Recognition takes this further by interpreting the meaning behind a message, even if it’s phrased differently or contains typos, so the bot can respond accurately without manual oversight.

Manychat key features include:

• AI Instagram chatbot builder;
• segmentation with customer tags;
• custom keyword triggers;
• automatic replies to Instagram comments and mentions;
• AI Goals that continue conversations to achieve defined outcomes;
• Instagram conversation starters;
• automated link delivery for resources, offers, or lead magnets;
• lead capture inside Instagram using email address and phone number collection;
• welcome messages for new followers;
• AI Text Improver that refines message tone, clarity, and grammar;
• AI Intention Recognition that triggers based on message meaning;
• AI Step that interprets user input and guides the flow;
• integration with eCommerce and payment tools.

Pricing. Manychat offers a free plan that supports Instagram DMs and allows you to engage with up to 25 contacts per month. The most affordable paid plan costs $14/month (billed annually) for 250 contacts and 2 chatbot channels. However, AI features come with a higher-tier plan starting at $29/month (billed annually) for 2,500 contacts and 3 chatbot channels.

Crisp

Crisp is a business messaging platform that helps brands manage customer communication across multiple channels. Its AI Instagram chatbot builder offers a no-code interface where you can create automated DM workflows using drag-and-drop blocks. You can build message flows, set conditions and triggers, and decide when a conversation should shift from automation to human support.

Crisp allows teams to create AI chatbots for Instagram using ChatGPT. The bot can be trained on a wide range of content, such as PDFs, CSV files, Word documents, website pages, knowledge base articles, and even past inbox messages. Within the Automation menu, tools like MagicReply generate AI-powered responses and handle fallback scenarios when no matching answer is found. Crisp also includes small but useful features that make automated chats feel more natural, such as a Show Compose action that simulates typing and keeps tone and style consistent.

Crisp key features include:

• no-code builder with a drag-and-drop interface;
• pre-built templates for various chatbot use cases;
• AI-powered Instagram DM automation;
• AI knowledge training;
• multilingual AI;
• AI Writing Assistant;
• AI Inbox Spam filter;
• voice-to-text transcription;
• advanced customization, such as conditional logic, multi-language support, and dynamic content;
• human takeover capability;
• flexible triggers based on language, time, or conditions;
• eCommerce integrations;
• comprehensive analytics, including CSAT and conversation metrics.

Pricing. Crisp offers a free plan that supports several channels; however, building an AI chatbot for Instagram is only possible on the higher-tier plan. It costs €95/month and includes 10 agents, unlimited conversations, and 50,000 customer profiles.

BotPenguin

BotPenguin is a no-code chatbot builder that lets businesses create AI chatbots for Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and other platforms. When you create an AI chatbot for Instagram, you can build message flows, set up FAQs, and automate replies to DMs and comments. The builder also supports broadcasts, drip campaigns, product catalogs, and visual message components. On top of that, BotPenguin includes lead-generation workflows, form capture and event-based triggers that react to user actions in real time.

The software incorporates generative AI to enhance chatbot behavior with more context-aware and natural responses. The system includes AI-assisted training, self-learning, and automatic language translation for multilingual interactions. It can also automate FAQs, personalize responses for sales or support, and adapt message content based on customer intent.

BotPenguin key features include:

• drag-and-drop chatbot builder;
• multiple smart flows;
• integration with AI models like GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, etc.;
• LLM integration;
• AI chatbot personality configuration;
• chatbot training on files, web pages, FAQs, YouTube, etc.;
• natural language processing and understanding;
• AI voice agents;
• if/else conditions for chat flow triggers;
• broadcast Instagram messages;
• auto-reply on comments, reels, posts, and Stories;
• human and bot handover;
• custom tags and attributes;
• appointment booking;
• detailed reports over different time periods.

Pricing. BotPenguin offers a free Instagram chatbot builder plan that includes 1 chatbot on a single platform (Instagram included) and 1,000 messages per month, with no subscriber limit. The cheapest paid plan costs $29/month (billed annually at $290). It supports up to 5 chatbots and 3,000 messages and unlocks additional features such as DM automations.

Chatfuel

Chatfuel is another option for businesses looking for a no-code Instagram chatbot builder. It includes an Instagram Flow Builder and a set of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create automated DM experiences without technical skills. With Chatfuel, users can capture leads through ads or direct messages, then segment, qualify, and nurture them inside the platform. The builder also supports features like abandoned cart recovery, sales follow-ups, and re-engagement flows to help brands maintain consistent customer interaction.

The platform is powered by Fuely AI, which automates conversations across comments, posts, reels, ads, and DMs. Fuely AI can generate personalized replies, adapt responses based on user input or custom rules, detect keywords, deliver links or offers, and handle FAQs. This allows businesses to create more context-aware experiences that feel smooth and conversational.

Chatfuel key features include:

• intuitive chatbot builder;
• automated conversation scenarios;
• 30+ templates for the most popular chatbot scenarios;
• lead generation and management tools;
• built-in CRM feature;
• Fuely AI integration;
• automated replies to comments, posts, reels, ads, and DMs;
• personalization with customer names and context-aware responses;
• AI responses that adapt based on user input;
• keyword-based actions;
• custom instructions for AI, including tone, style, and response rules;
• integration with ChatGPT, Google Sheets, Calendly, and Zapier.

Pricing. Chatfuel doesn’t offer a free Instagram chatbot builder plan, but it provides a 7-day free trial. The paid plan for Instagram and WhatsApp starts at $39/month, with exact pricing confirmed upon registration. Users can also request a custom, one-off bot built for a specific use case, with the most affordable option starting at $100.

The bottom line

Staying connected with your Instagram followers doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. With the right tools, you can automate routine conversations and focus on the work that matters most. Thanks to AI chatbots, it’s now easier than ever to manage Instagram interactions, with no coding or technical background required.

SendPulse is a comprehensive platform that lets you create an AI Instagram chatbot for free and automate customer communication across Meta and many other messaging platforms. Beyond chatbots, it also offers email and SMS marketing, live chats, web push notifications, online store tools, and a built-in CRM system, so you can manage your customer communication from one place. With its free plan, you can start right away and see whether it’s the right fit for your business.

Give it a try and explore what you can automate today!