Comparison4 min read
Saved replies, instant replies and FAQ buttons are free and useful. Here is what each one does well, what Mingly adds, and how to tell which one your inbox needs.
Before you pay for any Instagram DM automation, spend twenty minutes in Instagram’s own settings. Plenty of creators have never opened that screen, and some will find everything they need there.
Here is what’s in there, what each tool does well, and where Mingly adds something new.
That’s a real toolkit, and it’s free. If you answer ten DMs a day, it may be all you need.
Three things, in the order creators usually notice them.
Answers, beyond shortcuts. Saved replies speed up typing, and you still read every thread and pick a reply. Mingly reads the question and answers the everyday ones for you.
A reply for each question. An instant reply sends one sentence to everyone. Mingly answers what each person asked, like whether you ship to Ireland, from what you’ve told it.
Your business details. Instagram’s tools send the text you wrote in advance, and FAQ buttons cover the few questions you picked. Mingly knows your prices, shipping times, links and the line you always use about sizing up, because you told it.
A shortcut saves typing. An answer saves the whole conversation.
| The question | Instagram’s own tools | Mingly |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free with a professional account. | Basic: £0 / $0. Creator: £7.99 / $9.99 per month. Pro: £22.49 / $29.99 per month. Basic includes 50 AI replies a month. Creator and Pro start when paid plans launch. |
| Send a DM when someone comments a keyword | Yes, through Business Suite automations. | Yes, on the post or reel you choose, with your message, your link and one optional follow-up DM. |
| Answer a question you didn’t set up in advance | Instant replies send the same sentence to everyone. | Yes, from what you’ve told Mingly. Anything it can’t answer is saved in your Inbox for you. |
| Sounds like you | As much as each message you wrote yourself. | Guided by your tone settings, your phrases and replies you’ve written. |
| Knows your prices, dates and links | Only inside messages you wrote in advance. | Yes, from what you’ve told Mingly, which you can update any time. |
| Conversations that need you | Everything stays in your Instagram inbox. | Saved in your Inbox with the conversation, plus an alert in the app. You reply in Instagram. |
| Instagram accounts | The account you’re signed in to. | One Instagram account per Mingly account today. |
A fair comparison shows both sides, so here is exactly what Mingly does today.
Instead of an industry statistic, here’s a sum you can run on numbers you already have.
Count yesterday’s DMs. One ordinary day, not the whole week.
Mark each one: everyday question, one-off question, or not a question at all.
Time yourself on one everyday question, from opening the thread to sending. Read, decide, type, send. Most people land between thirty and sixty seconds.
Multiply. That’s how long the everyday questions take you each day, and it’s the only figure on this page that’s about you.
If that number is small, set up saved replies and enjoy the free tools. If it’s most of your evening, Mingly can answer those questions and save the rest in your Inbox for you.
Names and locations of Instagram’s own reply tools, checked in September 2026. Meta moves these regularly, so treat the menu paths as a starting point.
Everything under “What Mingly covers today” and in the Mingly column describes the product as it works today.
Comparison5 min read
ManyChat combines flows with AI replies. Mingly focuses on everyday Instagram questions in your voice. We tried ManyChat’s templates and reviewed its AI tools to help you choose.
Guides3 min read
A Reel can find its audience overnight. Here is how comment to DM automations and AI replies answer the everyday questions while you’re away, and what’s waiting for you in the morning.
Tell Mingly about your business, try a test reply, and switch it on when you’re happy.
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