Pay $3.99 a campaign instead of $20 a month
Chatfuel bills every month whether you launch or not. UnlockDM bills per campaign — your first is $1.99 — so the months you post nothing cost nothing.
Chatfuel pricing last verified October 17, 2026
Chatfuel pricing vs UnlockDM pricing
Chatfuel bills flat monthly. UnlockDM bills per campaign, so a month with no launch costs nothing.
Chatfuel
Chatfuel is an AI chatbot platform for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook that answers, qualifies and follows up with customers in messaging apps.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $20/moUS$20 per month billed monthly; US$18 per month when billed yearly (US$216 per year). | US$20 AI credits per month; unlimited active contacts, AI processing under a fair use allowance |
| Agency S | $100/moUS$100 per month billed monthly; US$90 per month when billed yearly. Larger Agency tiers cost more. | 3 companies, US$100 AI credits per month, agency management dashboard |
UnlockDM
Pay per campaign, no subscription. Your first drop is free for the first 50 unlocks.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| spark | $3.99₹299 in India · per campaign | 500 unlocks |
| drop | $8.99₹699 in India · per campaign | 2,000 unlocks |
| viral | $18.99₹1499 in India · per campaign | Unlimited unlocks |
No monthly fee. A campaign is billed once, when you launch it.
Chatfuel vs UnlockDM, feature by feature
“Unclear” means the vendor does not state it publicly. We would rather say that than guess.
| Feature | Chatfuel | UnlockDM |
|---|---|---|
| Comment-to-DM | Yes | Yes |
| Follow gate | Unclear | Yes |
| Referral rewards | Unclear | Yes |
| Story replies | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple IG accounts | Partial | No |
| White label | Partial | No |
| Campaign analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Beyond Instagram | Yes | No |
| Official Meta API | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Website chat |
Which one should you actually pick?
Pick Chatfuelif…
- You sell or support customers on WhatsApp as well as Instagram and Facebook and want one inbox for all of them.
- You want an AI assistant that answers questions, qualifies leads and books meetings, not just keyword replies.
- You are an agency running chatbots for several client businesses.
- You need ad attribution and conversion tracking, such as sending conversions to Meta Pixel.
Pick UnlockDM if…
- You only need Instagram and want to pay once per campaign (from $3.99) instead of a monthly subscription.
- You want a verified follow gate that checks live that fans follow you before they get the reward.
- You want to try it at no cost: your first campaign (Spark, 50 unlocks, 7 days) is free.
Chatfuel strengths
- Covers WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, plus TikTok and website chat, from one dashboard with a shared team inbox and CRM.
- Describes itself as an official Meta Partner and WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, connecting through Meta’s official Instagram messaging API.
- Agency tiers manage several client businesses, and the developer SDK supports building a white-label agent platform.
Where it falls short
- There is no free plan; you get a free trial, then a subscription from US$20 per month billed monthly.
- AI replies run on monthly AI credits with a fair use allowance, and the bot pauses if that allowance is exceeded.
- Its Instagram page does not mention checking whether a user follows you before sending a reward.
Chatfuel vs UnlockDM: common questions
For Instagram campaigns, yes. UnlockDM charges once per campaign: Spark $3.99 (up to 500 unlocks, 7 days), Drop $8.99 (up to 2,000 unlocks) or Viral $18.99 (unlimited), and your first campaign is free. Chatfuel Business is US$20 per month billed monthly, or US$18 per month billed yearly. Chatfuel also covers WhatsApp, Facebook and AI support, which UnlockDM does not.
Yes. Chatfuel supports WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, and lists TikTok and website chat as channels. UnlockDM is Instagram only.
Yes. Chatfuel says it is an official Meta Partner connecting through Meta’s official Instagram messaging API. UnlockDM is a Meta Verified Tech Provider on the official API.
Your first drop is free
No monthly fee. Set a keyword, pick a reward, and pay only when you launch a campaign.