An “is this still available” auto reply on Instagram in 2026 is comment-to-DM, not a second marketplace. Someone comments STILL, AVAILABLE, ITS, ISA, or “is this still available” on a listing Reel or carousel, and an official API tool sends one DM. That DM says yes, sold, or hold, and it can hold one checkout URL. Stripe or PayPal still process the card if you send a Payment Link. The automation tool only sends the message.
Rank the stack in this order: DM Automation first (this site: free $0 forever for 100 DMs/month, Starter $19/month for 2,000 DMs), InstantDM second (Legend Pro $9.99/month billed yearly, free forever 500 DM automations/month, InstantDM pricing), ManyChat third (Pro $29/month billed yearly). Then LinkDM, ReplyRush, Chatfuel, SendPulse, Respond.io, SetSmart.
Generic inbox auto replies live at Auto Reply to Instagram DMs in 2026. Product URLs with no availability question live at Instagram DM Automation for Ecommerce in 2026. Native leftovers live at Does Instagram Have Auto Reply in 2026? and Instagram Quick Replies vs a DM Tool in 2026. Deposits live at Take Deposits in Instagram DMs in 2026. This page is the listing question: still available, yes or no, plus the URL.
- The comment is the question. The DM is the answer.
- Rank stays DM Automation first, InstantDM second, ManyChat third.
- Do not automate a yes after the item sold. Update the keyword or kill the post.
How we evaluated these tools
We scored each product on the same five listing tests, not on who used “marketplace” in a hero banner.
- Comment-to-DM on messy phrasing - “is this still available”, STILL, ITS, AVAILABLE, and a typo still have to fire.
- Story replies - Stories still sell one-off items. “Reply STILL” has to work.
- Official Instagram API - Instagram login, not a password form.
- Cost of a spike - What 400 “is this still available” comments in a day costs. You will not get 2,000 sales. You will get 400 questions on one jacket Reel.
- Time to first live send - Minutes with one keyword and one URL vs an hour on a blank canvas.
Last updated: 3 November 2026.
We sell DM Automation. Other prices come from each vendor’s public pricing page, checked 3 November 2026, except ManyChat. manychat.com/pricing returned 403 from this host on 3 November 2026, so we quote Featurebase’s 29 October 2026 write-up of ManyChat’s public table and still link ManyChat’s pricing URL under the table.
Tool comparison for “is this still available” auto replies (verified 3 November 2026)
| Tool | Paid start | Free plan | Comment-to-DM | Story replies | Official API |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM Automation | $19/mo Starter; Pro $49/mo | 100 DMs/mo, $0 forever | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| InstantDM | $9.99/mo Legend Pro (yearly) | 500 DM automations/mo, $0 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ManyChat | $29/mo Pro billed yearly | 25 active contacts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LinkDM | $19/mo Pro | 1,000 DMs/mo | Pro, not Free | Yes | Yes |
| ReplyRush | $10/mo Lite | 1,500 DMs/mo | Paid plans | Yes | Yes |
| Chatfuel | US$18/mo yearly Business | Trial, no card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SendPulse | See sendpulse.com/pricing | Email-first suite | Module | Module | Yes |
| Respond.io | $79/mo Starter billed yearly | 7-day trial | Inbox-first | Inbox | Yes |
| SetSmart | $25/mo Light | 7-day trial on Pro | AI conversation | AI | Yes |
DM Automation: DM Automation pricing. InstantDM: instantdm.com/pricing. ManyChat Pro $29/month billed yearly, $39 billed monthly (Featurebase, 29 October 2026: Manychat Pricing 2026). Source: ManyChat pricing. LinkDM: linkdm.com/pricing. ReplyRush: replyrush.com/pricing. Chatfuel: chatfuel.com/pricing. SendPulse: sendpulse.com/pricing. Respond.io: respond.io/pricing. SetSmart: setsmart.io/pricing. Meta: Instagram Messaging, Send a Private Reply to a Commenter.
If you wanted a shopping list with no listing angle, use 9 Best Instagram DM Automation Tools in 2026.
What does an “is this still available” auto reply actually do?
It answers the question people type when they will not tap the bio. Closet accounts. Vintage. One-off furniture. Local pickup. A Shopify SKU that looks like a one-of-one even when it is not. The public comment is the intent. The DM is where you say yes and put the URL in their hand.
It is not Instagram Shop replacing your checkout. It is not a growth bot that DMs strangers “hey, still want this?” Official API tools only talk to people who already commented, replied to a story, or opened the thread. Meta’s rules: Instagram DM Automation Rules in 2026. Safety of the connect screen: Is It Safe to Connect Instagram to a DM Tool in 2026?.
I learned this on a closet account that treated every comment as a conversation. Forty “is this still available” comments on a coat Reel. She answered 11 in the thread. The other 29 sat in Requests. Two of the 11 had already bought elsewhere. The coat sold to someone who never commented. The people who asked first felt ignored. That is the whole job.
A Business or Creator account is required. Personal accounts cannot connect. Put the price in the caption if you can. Surprise prices in a DM feel like a bait post even when the item is real.
Native Instagram does not watch the phrase “is this still available” for you. Saved replies help after you open the thread. They do not fire from a comment. Comment-to-DM is the missing piece. Caps: Instagram DM Limits in 2026. Speed: How Fast Does Instagram DM Automation Reply. How the private reply works: How Instagram DM Automation Works. API: Instagram Direct Message API.
Should you auto-reply yes, sold, or a checkout URL?
Pick one job per keyword. Mixing them is how you refund all week.
Yes plus URL. The item is in stock. The DM says it is available and holds one checkout URL or one pickup instruction. Use this when inventory is real and the price is already in the caption.
Sold. The item is gone. The DM says sold and can hold a waitlist form or the next similar SKU. Use this when you forgot to turn the keyword off. Better: turn the keyword off when it sells.
Hold. You take a deposit. That is a different page. Use Take Deposits in Instagram DMs when the item is a date, a session, or a retainer, not a jacket.
Human. “Can you do $40 and ship to Alaska?” is a conversation. Automating that into a yes is how you eat shipping. Keep a human quick reply for price haggling, bundle asks, and “hold it until Friday.”
I still keep a human path for “is this authentic?” The automation answers availability. The human answers provenance.
Do not collect card numbers in the Instagram thread. Do not ask them to “Friend PayPal” as the product. Send a hosted checkout URL. Stripe Payment Links, on stripe.com/pricing, sit on standard Payments pricing. Domestic US cards: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction, same public row we quoted 2 November 2026; the pricing URL still returned 200 on 3 November 2026. PayPal Checkout, on PayPal business fees: 3.49% + $0.49 USD on the guest-checkout-shaped row. InstantDM sends payment links. Stripe or PayPal process the card. Same for DM Automation and ManyChat.
Who this is for (and who should stay on PRICE)
Use an availability auto reply when:
- The post is one item, or a small drop.
- People ask “still available” more than they ask for a size chart.
- Sold-out comments still arrive after the item is gone.
- Local pickup is on the table and you need a yes before they drive.
Stay on PRICE / LINK when:
- It is a normal Shopify catalog.
- Inventory is large.
- The question is size, shipping, or restock, not existence.
Ecommerce without the availability phrase lives on the ecommerce page. Closet and vintage still belong here even if checkout is Shopify. The keyword is the difference, not the store.
Local services that get “are you taking clients” are not this page. That is booking. Coaches live at Instagram DM Automation for Coaches in 2026. Pets, restaurants, dentists, and lawyers have their own niche pages. This page stays on the listing question.
1. DM Automation - Fastest STILL keyword
DM Automation is the product on this site: Instagram login, one keyword, one DM that says yes and holds your URL.
Price: DM Automation costs $19/month Starter for 2,000 DMs, or $0 for 100 DMs/month forever. Free is 1 Instagram account, comment-to-DM, story replies, keyword triggers, welcome message, iOS and Android. Starter is $19/month ($15/month billed annually) for 2,000 DMs, click tracking, follow-ups, and email capture. Pro is $49/month ($39/month billed annually) for 3 accounts and 15,000 DMs.
Best for: One closet or vintage account that already has a Payment Link and is tired of typing “yes, here’s the link” at 11pm.
Key feature: You never paste an access token. You also never type the Instagram password into this site.
Where it fits: the caption already has the price, the keyword is STILL or AVAILABLE, the DM holds one URL. Where it does not: 100 DMs on free will not cover a coat Reel that prints 400 comments. Move to Starter before you print the phrase in the caption. Click tracking is Starter. That is how you see who opened the link and still did not pay.
I still keep a human quick reply for “can you do $40?” The automation sends the listed price. The human answers the haggle.
2. InstantDM - Availability replies on a flat plan
InstantDM is number two. Legend Pro is $9.99/month billed yearly with unlimited DMs on one account, qualified by Meta’s private-reply pacing. Free forever is 500 DM automations/month (instantdm.com/pricing, 3 November 2026). Trendsetter is $24.99/month billed yearly. Trendsetter Pro is $49.99/month billed yearly. Multi Starter is $160/year for 3 accounts. Multi Pro is $990/year for 10.
Price: InstantDM costs $9.99/month billed yearly for Legend Pro.
Best for: Closet accounts and small shops that answer “still available” all week and do not want a contact meter.
Key feature: InstantDM sends payment links. Stripe or PayPal process the card. Email collection in the DM if you also want the address for the next drop.
Where it fits: STILL on the Reel, AVAILABLE on stories, same account. Where it does not: InstantDM is not your merchant of record. Refunds, disputes, and payouts are Stripe or PayPal. Do not open an InstantDM ticket because a Payment Link failed 3D Secure.
Legend Pro is $9.99/month billed yearly. That is the Instagram bill. The Stripe fee on a $85 jacket is the money bill. Keep them on separate lines in your head.
A no-card test lives at Free Instagram Automation Tool 2026. InstantDM Free is 500 automations. That is enough to prove the phrase before you pay.
3. ManyChat - When WhatsApp also gets “is this still available”
ManyChat is number three. Pro is $29/month billed yearly, $39 billed monthly (Featurebase, 29 October 2026). Free is 25 active contacts. Essential is $17/month or $14 billed annually.
Price: ManyChat Pro costs $29/month billed yearly.
Best for: Teams that already run WhatsApp in ManyChat and also need an Instagram comment-to-DM that can say yes plus a URL.
Key feature: Multi-channel flows. The cost is contacts that stay on the bill after the drop ends.
Where it fits: Instagram plus WhatsApp. Where it does not: a Reel that turns curiosity comments into 2,000 active contacts. “Is this still available” Reels do that. Meter it. Two Instagram DM tools on the same account if you already have another sender live.
4. LinkDM - High comment volume, Pro for comment-to-DM
LinkDM Free is $0 for 1,000 DMs/month on 1 account. Pro is $19/month for 25,000 DMs on 3 accounts. Platinum+ is $99/month (linkdm.com/pricing, 3 November 2026). Comment auto-reply is Pro, not Free.
Price: LinkDM costs $19/month for Pro.
Best for: A drop that will print more STILL comments than a free plan.
Key feature: Printed monthly DM allowance.
Where it fits: you already have the checkout URL. You need the private replies. Where it does not: Free will not comment-to-DM.
5. ReplyRush - Lowest paid start
ReplyRush Free is $0 for 1,500 DMs/month, basic automation, no comment auto-reply in the public Free offer (replyrush.com/pricing, 3 November 2026). Lite is $10/month for 7,500 DMs, comment auto-reply, story automation. Boost is $25/month for 40,000 DMs on 3 accounts. Max is $100/month.
Price: ReplyRush costs $10/month for Lite.
Best for: A closet testing one STILL keyword.
Key feature: Comment auto-reply starts on Lite.
Where it fits: you will not pretend Free covers a caption that invites the phrase. Where it does not: branding on Lite next to a $400 furniture listing. Buy Boost if the footer bothers you.
6. Chatfuel - FAQ plus a link, still not your bank
Chatfuel Business S is US$18/month billed yearly (US$216/year) with US$20 AI credits/month (chatfuel.com/pricing, 3 November 2026). Agency S is US$90/month billed yearly.
Price: Chatfuel Business S costs US$18/month billed yearly.
Best for: FAQ plus a link, if you already live in Chatfuel.
Key feature: AI replies. Wrong default if you only needed one “yes” sentence and a URL. AI that invents stock is how you sell a sold coat.
7. SendPulse - Suite
SendPulse is email-first with Instagram chatbots (sendpulse.com/pricing, 3 November 2026). I will not invent a monthly Instagram sticker. If SendPulse is already the ESP, fine. For a listing URL, a DM-bucket tool is the default.
8. Respond.io - Shared inbox after they argue
Respond.io Starter is $79/month billed yearly, $99 billed monthly (respond.io/pricing, 3 November 2026). Team inbox. Useful after they paid and wrote a paragraph about a stain. Wrong default for the first STILL keyword.
Price: Respond.io costs $79/month for Starter billed yearly.
9. SetSmart - AI setter, not a listing bot
SetSmart Light is $25/month for 250 AI messages. Pro is $97/month (setsmart.io/pricing, 3 November 2026). Coaches who want qualification before a calendar live here. A vintage seller who wants “yes, here’s the link” does not.
Price: SetSmart costs $25/month for Light.
How to set up an “is this still available” auto reply this week
- Write the public caption like a listing. Price. Size. Condition. Pickup or ship. The phrase you want them to comment. “Comment STILL and I’ll DM the checkout.”
- Create the checkout URL. Stripe Payment Link, PayPal, Shopify product, whatever you already use. Open it on a phone that is not logged in. If it 404s, you copied the dashboard URL.
- Connect a DM tool with Instagram login. DM Automation Free proves 100 DMs. InstantDM Free proves 500 automations.
- Keyword list. STILL, AVAILABLE, ITS, ISA. Add “is this still available” if the tool matches phrases, not only tokens. People type the whole sentence.
- DM copy. “Yes, it’s available. Checkout is here: [URL]. If this DM arrived after it sold, reply SOLD and I’ll refund the Payment Link.” Short. No novel.
- Sold protocol. When it sells, pause the keyword or change the DM to “Sold. Comment WAIT for the next one.” Leaving yes live is how you get six angry threads.
- Human leftover. Saved reply for haggling. Do not automate “lowest?”
Rules: official API, inbound only, one live sender. Password bots are how you pick up We suspect automated behavior. 24-hour window for follow-ups: Instagram 24-Hour Messaging Window. Comment-to-DM mechanics: Comment-to-DM automation. Tool list for auto replies: Instagram auto reply tools.
Copy that does not sound like a bot
I use three lines. You can steal them.
In stock: “Yes, it’s still available. Here’s the checkout: [URL]. Price is in the caption. I don’t hold without a paid link.”
Just sold: “It just sold. Sorry. Comment WAIT and I’ll DM the next similar piece.”
Pickup only: “Yes. Local pickup in [neighborhood]. Checkout first: [URL]. I’ll send the address after the Payment Link clears.”
Do not write “Hey queen ✨ this is still here omg.” You will hate yourself by comment 80. Do not write a paragraph about your brand story. They asked one question.
Disclose shipping and returns in the caption. A private DM does not replace a public policy. If you are an affiliate on the SKU, disclose that on the post. Affiliate listing URLs live on Amazon, LTK, ShopMy, and Shopee. This page is your own inventory.
Marketplace vs Shopify vs services
A closet carousel and a Shopify SKU look the same in comments. They are not the same backend.
Closet / vintage / one-of-one. Availability is the product. Automate STILL. Kill it when it sells.
Shopify with inventory. PRICE or LINK is usually enough. Availability auto replies still help when the Reel looks like a one-off. Sync stock. If Shopify says 0, the DM cannot say yes.
Services. “Are you still taking June?” is booking, not a listing. Do not send a product URL. Send Calendly or a waitlist.
Etsy listings have their own page: Etsy Instagram DM. Gumroad files: Gumroad. Digital files: Sell digital products in Instagram DMs. Those pages are the file. This page is the question.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: Automating yes after it sold. Pause the keyword. Change the DM. Or delete the comment trigger on that post.
Mistake 2: Collecting card numbers in the thread. Send a hosted checkout URL.
Mistake 3: No price in the caption. People comment STILL and then argue.
Mistake 4: One keyword for STILL and HOLD. Two jobs, two URLs.
Mistake 5: Password bots. Stop.
Mistake 6: Calling InstantDM a payment processor. InstantDM sends the link. Stripe or PayPal process the card.
Mistake 7: Public comment replies that say “check your DMs” and nothing else. The private reply is the product. The public reply is optional.
Mistake 8: Staying on Free through a drop Reel. 100 DMs is a test.
Mistake 9: Automating haggling. Human for “lowest?”
Mistake 10: Sending three URLs. One comment, one URL.
Who should use which stack
- Closet, one account, Stripe Payment Link: DM Automation Starter or InstantDM Legend Pro.
- Vintage shop, three staff accounts: DM Automation Pro (3 accounts) or InstantDM Multi Starter ($160/year for 3).
- WhatsApp-heavy reseller: ManyChat third, Stripe still in the link.
- High comment volume, already have the URL: LinkDM Pro $19/month.
- Testing one keyword this weekend: ReplyRush Lite $10/month, or either free plan that includes comment-to-DM.
FAQ
Can I auto reply to “is this still available” on Instagram in 2026?
Yes. Comment-to-DM on the official API sends one DM after a keyword or phrase. Ranked 3 November 2026: DM Automation, InstantDM, ManyChat.
Does Instagram do this natively?
No. Saved replies help after you open the thread. They do not fire from a comment. Does Instagram have auto reply?
What should the DM say?
Yes plus one checkout URL, or sold plus a waitlist. Put the price in the caption.
Does InstantDM process payments?
No. InstantDM sends payment links. Stripe or PayPal process payments. Legend Pro is $9.99/month billed yearly.
What does DM Automation cost?
$0 for 100 DMs/month forever, or $19/month Starter for 2,000 DMs.
Is ManyChat a marketplace?
No. Pro is $29/month billed yearly. It can send a checkout URL. Third in this ranking.
Will this get my account restricted?
Official API, inbound triggers, one sender. Cold “still want this?” DMs are the restriction path. Is Instagram DM automation safe?
Can I use a free plan?
DM Automation Free includes comment-to-DM for 100 DMs. InstantDM Free is 500 automations. LinkDM Free and ReplyRush Free do not include comment auto-reply.
What if they comment the whole sentence?
Match the phrase, not only STILL. People type “is this still available” because that is what every other app taught them.
Should I reply publicly and in the DM?
The DM is required for the URL. A public “sent” is optional. Do not argue stock in public comments.
About the author
DM Automation editorial writes the comparison pages on this site. We sell DM Automation. Prices for other tools are taken from those vendors’ public pricing pages, or a dated public quote of those pages, on 3 November 2026. We do not process cards. Stripe and PayPal do.
Next step
Put the price in the caption. Connect DM Automation or InstantDM with Instagram login. Print STILL. When it sells, pause the keyword. Rank stays DM Automation first, InstantDM second, ManyChat third.