WhoseDM and UnlockDM are both built with Indian creators in mind. Both send an Instagram DM when someone comments a keyword, and both connect through Meta rather than asking for your password. They charge for that in opposite ways. WhoseDM is a subscription: a free plan with unlimited DMs, then Pro at ₹199 a month. UnlockDM charges once per campaign, from ₹299, and is built around giveaways and launches.
The decision rule: if you want comment-to-DM running on every post, every month, at the lowest possible price, WhoseDM is cheaper and we would not argue you off it. If you run a few giveaways or drops a year and need the follow verified before the reward, entrants bringing friends, and a fair way to pick winners, UnlockDM does that job and WhoseDM does not. This is a researched comparison from WhoseDM's own pages, checked on 12 November 2026, not a hands-on test.
WhoseDM pricing in 2026
Earlier write-ups, including our WhoseDM review, described Pro as "commonly listed near ₹199" because the number was hard to pin down. It is now on WhoseDM's pricing page.
| WhoseDM plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ₹0, no card | Unlimited DM automation, unlimited contacts, comment to DM, Story reply, instant DM |
| Pro | ₹199 a month | Everything in Free, plus Follow Before DM, delay message, email collection, lead generation, WOOI AI, re-engage, priority support, multiple Instagram accounts |
| Promo | ₹49 first month | Pro at a launch discount |
Three details worth knowing. The page has a monthly/yearly toggle but shows no yearly price. Pro lists "Multiple Instagram" without saying how many. And the Flow Builder is marked "Soon", so it is not something to buy for today.
The free plan is unusually generous. Unlimited DMs with no hourly cap stated is more than most free tiers in India offer. The trade is that the follow gate and email capture are Pro only.
Billing side by side
| WhoseDM | UnlockDM | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Monthly subscription | Once per campaign |
| Free path | Free plan, unlimited DMs, every month | First Spark campaign free, 50 unlocks over 7 days |
| Paid entry | Pro, ₹199 a month (₹49 first month) | Spark ₹299, Drop ₹699, Viral ₹1,499 per campaign |
| What one payment covers | Every post on the account for the month | One campaign on one Reel |
| Follow gate | Pro only | Every plan |
| GST invoices | Yes, on paid plans | Rupee checkout through Razorpay |
| Quiet month | ₹199 if you stay subscribed | ₹0 |
UnlockDM's plans differ by length and capacity. Spark runs 7 days with room for 500 unlocks. Drop has no time limit, 2,000 unlocks, and adds fraud detection, a leaderboard, winner picker, CSV export, email capture, up to 3 reward links, and no UnlockDM branding in your DMs. Viral has no time limit and no unlock cap, and adds a swipeable reward carousel and priority support. Early adopters keep 50% off for good: ₹149, ₹349 and ₹749.
What a year actually costs: a worked example
The numbers below are illustrative, using list prices checked on 12 November 2026. They compare what you pay, not identical products: one WhoseDM subscription covers every post on the account, while one UnlockDM payment covers one campaign. The WhoseDM column ignores the ₹49 first-month promo, which would take ₹150 off year one.
| Your year | WhoseDM Pro, all year | UnlockDM (Spark) | UnlockDM (Drop) | UnlockDM (Drop, early adopter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 campaigns | ₹2,388 | ₹598 | ₹1,398 | ₹698 |
| 4 campaigns (one a quarter) | ₹2,388 | ₹1,196 | ₹2,796 | ₹1,396 |
| 6 campaigns (every other month) | ₹2,388 | ₹1,794 | ₹4,194 | ₹2,094 |
| 12 campaigns (one a month) | ₹2,388 | ₹3,588 | ₹8,388 | ₹4,188 |
What falls out of this is less flattering to us than our other comparisons, and it is worth saying plainly.
WhoseDM gets cheaper the more often you launch. A full year of Pro costs about the same as 8 Spark campaigns or 3 Drop campaigns. If you launch more often than that, WhoseDM wins on rupees, and it covers every other post on the account too.
If you subscribe only in launch months, WhoseDM wins every row. ₹199 for a month is less than any single UnlockDM campaign. A creator who remembers to cancel between launches will pay less on WhoseDM. The per-campaign pricing guide explains why paying per campaign helps against idle subscriptions, but at ₹199 the idle months cost very little.
If you do not need a follow gate, WhoseDM Free may cost nothing. For simple "comment LINK, get the link" automation, the free plan is hard to beat.
So the case for UnlockDM against WhoseDM is not price. It is what happens inside the campaign.
The follow gate: what we can and cannot confirm
WhoseDM lists "Follow Before DM" on Pro, and its comparison pages call it "Ask to Follow Before DM". Its public pages do not say how the follow is checked, what a non-follower sees, how many times they can retry, or what happens if Instagram does not answer. That does not mean the gate is weak. It means a buyer cannot tell from the outside, and some tools in this category take the person's word for it.
UnlockDM documents its choice. When a participant taps the confirm button, it checks Meta's is_user_follow_business field and delivers the reward only to verified followers. If Instagram cannot confirm the follow, the reward waits. The gate is on every plan, Spark included.
That matters most when the reward is something people compete for. Across 21 follow-gated UnlockDM campaigns between 11 July and 6 October 2026, 2,399 of 5,329 participants (45.0%) completed a verified follow, or 55.1% without one very large campaign. Roughly half the people who comment do not end up following, so whether the check is real decides who gets the prize. If you are on WhoseDM Pro and running a giveaway, test the gate with a non-following account before you announce the rules.
Referral links: WhoseDM's affiliate program is a different thing
Search WhoseDM for "referral" and you will find its affiliate program: 30% commission when someone you refer buys a WhoseDM subscription, paid monthly to your bank account. That is a way to earn by recommending WhoseDM. It is not a feature for your audience.
UnlockDM's referral link is for your entrants. Every participant gets their own link or code, and you can set a bonus reward for bringing a set number of friends. That gives every entrant something of their own to share with friends. We found no equivalent participant referral feature on WhoseDM's pricing, home or comparison pages.
Drop and Viral then close the giveaway in one place: a leaderboard of top referrers, a winner picker, fraud detection to filter duplicate and junk entries, and CSV export.
Where WhoseDM does more
WhoseDM is the cheaper and broader always-on tool, and it is fair to say where.
- Price. ₹199 a month for unlimited DMs, and a free plan with unlimited DMs. At regular prices, every paid UnlockDM campaign costs more than a month of WhoseDM Pro.
- GST invoices. WhoseDM says it provides GST invoices for all paid plans, requested from account settings or support. For a GST-registered business claiming input credit, that is a real advantage.
- Meta verification badge. WhoseDM says Meta has certified it as a Verified Tech Provider. UnlockDM also runs on Meta's official API, so this is parity on compliance, but WhoseDM puts it front and centre.
- White label. WhoseDM lets you remove its branding and present the tool under your own name to clients. UnlockDM has no white-label or agency product.
- AI and lead tools. Pro includes the WOOI AI assistant, lead generation and re-engage. UnlockDM has no AI chatbot.
- Multiple accounts. Pro lists multiple Instagram accounts on one plan.
Who should pick WhoseDM
Pick WhoseDM if you:
- Automate comment-to-DM on most posts, every month
- Want the lowest monthly bill in the category, or the free plan
- Need GST invoices for a registered business
- Run client accounts and want white label
- Do not need a verified follow or referral links for entrants
For that creator, WhoseDM is excellent value. The India roundup in Instagram DM automation in India 2026 puts it next to the other rupee-priced tools if you want a wider view.
Who should pick UnlockDM
Pick UnlockDM if you:
- Run giveaways, Diwali drops or launches and want the campaign to be one purchase, with nothing to cancel afterwards
- Need the follow verified before the reward goes out, on every plan
- Want entrants to bring friends through personal referral links
- Want a leaderboard, winner picker and fraud detection for the same campaign
- Want to try it with no card: the first Spark campaign is free for 50 unlocks over 7 days
If you are also weighing the ₹399 option, UnlockDM vs QuickDM runs the same comparison against QuickDM's monthly plan. For a plan-by-plan view of this one, see the UnlockDM vs WhoseDM comparison page.
FAQ
How much does WhoseDM cost in 2026?
WhoseDM has a free plan with unlimited DMs and automations for comment-to-DM and Story replies. Pro is ₹199 a month and adds Follow Before DM, email collection, lead generation, the WOOI AI assistant and multiple Instagram accounts. A promo makes the first month ₹49. WhoseDM shows a yearly toggle but no yearly price, and says GST invoices come with paid plans.
Is WhoseDM cheaper than UnlockDM?
Usually, yes. WhoseDM Pro is ₹2,388 a year if you stay subscribed, and its free plan costs nothing. UnlockDM charges per campaign: Spark ₹299, Drop ₹699, Viral ₹1,499. A full year of WhoseDM Pro costs about the same as 8 Spark or 3 Drop campaigns. UnlockDM costs less only if you launch a few times a year.
Does WhoseDM have a follow gate?
Yes, on Pro only. WhoseDM lists Follow Before DM as a Pro feature, but its public pages do not explain how the follow is checked or what a non-follower sees. UnlockDM includes the follow gate on every plan and delivers the reward only after Meta's API confirms the follow.
What is the best WhoseDM alternative for Instagram giveaways in India?
For giveaways and launches, UnlockDM fits better. You pay once per campaign in rupees, the follow is verified before the reward goes out, every entrant gets a personal referral link, and Drop and Viral add a leaderboard, winner picker, fraud detection and CSV export. WhoseDM is the better pick for cheap always-on automation.
Sources checked
Checked on 2026-11-12. Vendors revise pricing pages without notice.
- WhoseDM pricing (Free ₹0 with unlimited DMs; Pro ₹199 a month; ₹49 first-month promo; Pro-only Follow Before DM, email collection, lead generation, WOOI AI, multiple Instagram; Flow Builder marked "Soon"; no yearly price shown)
- WhoseDM home page (Verified Tech Provider claim, OAuth login, GST invoices for all paid plans, white label, Story reply and Reels comment automation)
- WhoseDM affiliate program (30% commission on referred subscriptions, paid to a bank account)
- WhoseDM vs Zorcha ("Ask to Follow Before DM", "Meta Tech Partner", ₹199 unlimited DM)
- Meta for Developers: Instagram messaging User Profile API (
is_user_follow_business) - UnlockDM production data: 5,329 participants in 21 follow-gated campaigns, 11 July to 6 October 2026, internal and test accounts excluded
UnlockDM charges once per campaign in rupees, verifies the follow before the reward, and gives every participant a referral link. Your first Spark campaign is free.
