The best respond.io alternative for Instagram-first brands
respond.io is an omnichannel team inbox for B2C sales and support teams, starting at $79 a month billed yearly, with no free plan. If Instagram comments and DMs drive your sales, Hypello automates them from $4.90 a month billed yearly, with public replies, Ask to Follow, AI agents, and a free plan with 1,000 DMs a month.
Updated
Hypello vs respond.io in short
Choose Hypello if Instagram is where your customers find you. It has a free plan, paid plans start at $4.90 a month billed yearly, and AI agents don't need a $159 plan. Hypello also posts public replies under comments, asks people to follow before the DM, and on paid plans can reply to comments from the past seven days. Choose respond.io if your team answers WhatsApp, email, calls, and other channels from one shared inbox.
Hypello vs respond.io at a glance
| Feature | Hypello | respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, 1,000 DMs a month | No, 7-day trial |
| Paid plans from | $4.90/mo billed yearly ($8 monthly) | $79/mo billed yearly ($99 monthly) |
| How the price grows | By connected accounts | By plan and users, plus contact tiers from Growth up |
| Contacts | Unlimited on every plan | Unlimited on Starter, from 1,000 a month on Growth and up, then $12 to $15 per 100 |
| Public replies to comments | Yes | No |
| Replies to comments from before you went live | Paid plans, past 7 days | New comments only |
| Ask to Follow before the DM | Included on Free | Not listed |
| AI agents | Every plan, AI credits from Creator | Growth plan and up, $159/mo billed yearly |
| Instagram accounts | 2 on Free, up to 15 on paid plans | One or more, no per-channel fee |
| Pay in INR with UPI | Yes | USD by card, bank transfer for high volume |
| Channels | Instagram and Facebook | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, email, and more |
Why Instagram businesses switch from respond.io to Hypello
- A much lower entry price
- respond.io has no free plan. After a 7-day trial, Starter costs $79 a month billed yearly or $99 monthly, with 5 users included. Hypello starts free with 1,000 DMs a month, and Creator is $4.90 a month billed yearly or $8 monthly for 2 accounts.
- AI agents without the Growth plan
- On respond.io, AI agents and workflows start on Growth at $159 a month billed yearly or $199 monthly. Hypello's Sales, Support, and Leads agents are available on every plan, with AI credits from Creator. Pro includes 3 agents and 4,000 AI credits a month for $14.90 billed yearly.
- Public replies under every comment
- respond.io's Auto Private Replies send a DM to commenters, and public replies sit on its roadmap as a request under review. Hypello sends the DM and posts a public reply chosen at random from the variations you write, so the comment section shows that you answered.
- Instagram growth tools built in
- Hypello adds tools respond.io's help center doesn't list: keyword triggers on comments, Ask to Follow, follow-up DMs based on link clicks, and Re-Trigger, which answers eligible comments from the past seven days that came in before your automation went live.
- Busy months don't raise the bill
- From Growth up, respond.io plans start at 1,000 Monthly Active Contacts, and contacts above your tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth or $15 on Advanced. Hypello's paid plans include unlimited DMs and contacts, and the price depends on connected accounts, not on how many people you message.
- INR pricing and UPI
- respond.io lists prices in USD and takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover, with bank transfer for high-volume customers. Hypello shows prices in INR and accepts UPI, so Creator is βΉ249 a month billed yearly, or βΉ399 monthly, for 2 accounts.
Hypello vs respond.io features for Instagram
| Feature | Hypello | respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram automations | ||
| Auto-DM people who comment on posts and Reels | Yes | Yes |
| Keyword triggers for comments | Yes | Not listed |
| Public replies to comments | Random pick from your variations | No |
| Comments on adsNeeds a connected Facebook Page on Hypello | Yes | Yes |
| Instagram Live comments | Yes | Yes |
| Story replies and mentions | Automated DM replies | Open a conversation in the inbox |
| Reply to comments from before you went live | Re-Trigger, past 7 days, from Creator | New comments only |
| Set up a reply for your next post before publishing | Creator plan and up | One reply for all content, or per post once published |
| Growth and lead capture | ||
| Ask to Follow before sending the DM | Included on Free | Not listed |
| Follow-up messages | Follow-up DMs based on link clicks, from Creator | AI agent follow-up when a chat goes idle, Growth and up |
| Collect emails and phone numbers automatically | Creator plan and up | Growth plan and up |
| Mailchimp and Klaviyo | Creator plan and up | Not listed |
| HubSpot, Zapier, and Make | No | Growth plan and up |
| AI | ||
| AI agents trained on your website and documents | Yes | Growth plan and up |
| Hand the chat to your team | Yes | Yes |
| AI voice agents for phone calls | No | Advanced plan and up |
| Channels and team | ||
| Instagram and Facebook Messenger | Yes | Yes |
| Instagram Creator accounts | Yes | Business accounts only |
| No | Yes | |
| TikTok, Telegram, LINE, Viber, and WeChat | No | Yes |
| SMS, email, and website chat | No | Yes |
| Shared team inbox with user seats | No | 5 users on Starter, 10 on Growth |
| Safety and support | ||
| Meta status | Meta Tech Provider | Meta Premier Partner |
| Queue DMs when Instagram's hourly limit is reached | DM Safety Queue | Not listed |
| Support | WhatsApp and email, every plan | Live and AI support, plus email, every plan |
Hypello vs respond.io pricing
respond.io charges by plan and user seats, and from Growth up it also counts Monthly Active Contacts: the people you chat with in a billing month. Hypello's price depends only on how many Instagram and Facebook accounts you connect.
Hypello
FreeFree forever
Every core automation, with 1,000 DMs a month.
Creator$4.90/mo billed yearly, $8 monthly
Unlimited DMs and growth features for creators and small brands.
Pro$14.90/mo billed yearly, $18.90 monthly
AI agents that answer, qualify, and sell in your DMs.
Business$25/mo billed yearly, $35 monthly
Unlimited AI agents and the most AI credits for teams and agencies.
respond.io
Free trial$0 for 7 days
Growth features for 5 users and 1,000 contacts, without broadcasts. There's no free plan.
Starter$79/mo yearly, $99 monthly
5 users ($12 per extra user, $15 on monthly billing), unlimited contacts, team inbox, AI Assist, and 5,000 AI credits. No workflows or AI agents.
GrowthFrom $159/mo yearly, $199 monthly
10 users and 1,000 contacts a month, then $12 per 100 extra contacts. AI agents, workflows, broadcasts, and 10,000 AI credits.
AdvancedFrom $279/mo yearly, $349 monthly
10 users and 1,000 contacts a month, then $15 per 100 extra contacts. 20,000 AI credits, AI voice agents, multiple workspaces, and SSO.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, custom contact limits, and from 40,000 AI credits.
Source: respond.io pricing page, checked October 30, 2026.
What you would pay
| Feature | Hypello | respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan, billed monthlyMonthly billing | $8 on Creator, 2 accounts | $99 on Starter, 5 users |
| Cheapest paid plan, billed yearlyYearly billing, shown per month | $4.90 on Creator, 2 accounts | $79 on Starter, 5 users |
| AI agents answering your DMsMonthly billing | $18.90 on Pro, 3 agents and 4,000 AI credits | $199 on Growth, 10,000 AI credits and 1,000 contacts |
| A one-month spike to 2,500 contactsPlans with AI agents, monthly billing, respond.io extra contacts at $12 per 100 | $18.90 on Pro, contacts not billed | $379 on Growth ($199 + $180) |
Hypello or respond.io?
Choose Hypello if you
- Win most of your customers through Instagram comments, Stories, and DMs
- Want a free plan, or paid plans from $4.90 a month billed yearly
- Need keyword triggers, public replies, and Ask to Follow on comment DMs
- Want AI agents for sales, support, or leads without a $159 plan
- Want to reply to comments from the past seven days with Re-Trigger
- Use an Instagram Creator account, which respond.io doesn't connect
- Pay in INR with UPI, or in USD by card
Choose respond.io if you
- Answer customers on WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS, and email from one inbox
- Have a team of agents who need assignment, lifecycle stages, and performance reports
- Send WhatsApp broadcasts from Growth, or take calls, with AI voice agents on Advanced
- Sync contacts with HubSpot from Growth or Salesforce from Advanced, or connect Zapier, Make, and the API
- Handle chats yourselves and want unlimited contacts on Starter, with no fee per connected channel
How to switch from respond.io to Hypello
- 1
Copy your Private Replies setup
In respond.io, open Settings, then Channels, select your Instagram account, and open the Private Replies tab. Note each auto-reply message and the posts or Reels it covers, plus any workflows that start from Instagram conversations.
- 2
Turn off Private Replies in respond.io
Stop the Instagram private replies you plan to move, so one comment doesn't trigger a DM from both tools.
- 3
Create a Hypello account and connect Instagram
Sign up free with Google or an email code, then connect your Instagram professional account through Meta. Connect your Facebook Page as well if you want DMs from ad comments.
- 4
Rebuild each automation from a template
Pick DM from Comments, choose one post or Any post or reel, add your keywords, public reply variations, and DM with link buttons, and turn on Ask to Follow if you want new followers.
- 5
Add an AI agent and test
Train a Sales, Support, or Leads agent on your website and documents, go live, and comment from a second account to check the flow. On a paid plan, Re-Trigger can answer comments from the past seven days.
The verdict
respond.io is the stronger choice for teams that handle WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, email, and calls in one shared inbox, with assignment, reporting, and CRM sync. Its Starter plan also includes unlimited contacts for a 5-person team.
If your business mostly sells through Instagram, Hypello covers that job for a fraction of the price. You get comment DMs with public replies, Ask to Follow, ad and Live comment automation, and AI agents for sales, support, and leads, starting on a free plan, with Re-Trigger on paid plans. Compare the Hypello plans to see what your accounts would cost.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Questions people ask before moving their Instagram DMs from respond.io to Hypello.
Yes, for Instagram and Facebook automation. Hypello has a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.90 a month billed yearly or $8 billed monthly. respond.io has no free plan and starts at $79 a month billed yearly or $99 monthly, and its AI agents start on the Growth plan at $159 a month billed yearly or $199 monthly.
respond.io lists four plans. Starter is $79 a month billed yearly or $99 monthly, with 5 users and unlimited contacts. Growth is $159 or $199 and Advanced is $279 or $349 at 1,000 Monthly Active Contacts, each with 10 users. Contacts above your tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced. Enterprise is custom, and WhatsApp fees from Meta are billed separately.
respond.io doesn't have a free plan, only a 7-day trial with Growth features for 5 users and 1,000 contacts. Hypello's free plan has no time limit and covers 2 Instagram or Facebook accounts, 1,000 DMs a month, unlimited automations and contacts, and Ask to Follow. Support on WhatsApp and email is included too.
Its help center only describes Auto Private Replies, which send one DM per comment on your posts, Reels, ads, and Live sessions. Public replies to Instagram comments are a feature request on respond.io's roadmap, marked as under review. Hypello sends the DM and also posts a public reply, picked at random from the variations you write.
There's no direct import, but most Instagram comment and DM automations take a few minutes to rebuild from Hypello's templates. Turn off the matching Private Replies in respond.io first so commenters don't get two DMs. WhatsApp, email, and other channels can stay in respond.io, because Hypello only covers Instagram and Facebook.
No. Hypello automates Instagram and Facebook only. respond.io connects WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, LINE, Viber, WeChat, SMS, email, website chat, and voice calls to one inbox, so it's the better fit if your customers reach you on all of those.
Yes, Hypello has Sales, Support, and Leads agents for Instagram and Facebook DMs, trained on your website, documents, and FAQs. They can collect contact details, offer a discount code, send a welcome message, and transfer the chat to your team. AI credits start on Creator, and Pro includes 3 agents and 4,000 credits a month. respond.io includes AI agents from its Growth plan.
Hypello is a Meta Tech Provider, connects only through Meta's official API, and never stores your Instagram password. respond.io describes itself as a Meta Premier Partner. Since no tool can guarantee account safety, Hypello also spaces out sending with reply delays, a DM Safety Queue, and Slow-Down Mode.
Keep reading
Guides
Bring your Instagram DMs to Hypello
Rebuild your comment and DM automations on a flat price, and start on the free plan.