Free Instagram DM automation tool

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbVq4mwz38L/?igsh=Mzh4MmdjMHducmFq

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Summary

A 17 year old built OpenReply, a free open source alternative to ManyChat that auto-DMs Instagram commenters who type a keyword. It replaces a tool that normally costs $15 to $69 a month, with users only covering a few dollars in hosting.

Core ideas

One context card plus 11 ideas

The problem with ManyChat: It charges $15 to $69 a month, and the price scales with how many people trigger your automation, so a viral reel actually increases your bill.
OpenReply's core function: Set a keyword on a post and anyone who comments it instantly gets a DM with your link, no manual work needed.
Free by design: The repo itself costs nothing. You only pay for hosting since a background worker and a couple of databases need to run continuously.
Tracked links built in: Swap in a tracked link and you can see exactly who clicked, giving you real data on engagement.
Multi-account support: You can run several Instagram accounts from one dashboard, useful for teams managing multiple pages.
Setup is one-time: It takes some technical skill and about an afternoon to configure, then it runs itself for free indefinitely.
Guided setup included: The repo comes with a prompt you drop into Claude Code (referred to as "cloud code") that walks you through the technical setup.
If you're paying for ManyChat, check OpenReply as a free alternative before your next billing cycle.
Budget a few dollars a month for hosting even though the tool itself is free.
Set aside one afternoon for setup and use the included Claude Code prompt to handle the technical parts.
Use tracked links from the start so you can measure click data, not just DM delivery.

Quotes

“this 17 year old fixed many chats biggest problem he made it free”
@heystevetan

“a reel that pops off actually raises your bill”
@heystevetan

“the repo itself is free you just cover hosting”
@heystevetan

“setup does take some technical work but it's a one -time afternoon and then it runs itself for free forever”
@heystevetan

Resources

Links to the tools, products, repos or reading this entry mentions. Found by a web search of what the entry names, so you can go and use them.

OpenReply (diwenne/openreply)
github.com
The free open-source ManyChat alternative itself: comment-to-DM automation with tracked links, built on Meta's official API.
ManyChat
manychat.com
The paid tool OpenReply replaces, pricing scales with contact volume so viral posts raise your bill.
Claude Code
claude.com
Anthropic's terminal coding agent, the tool the repo's guided setup prompt is built to run in.
Meta Graph API (Instagram Private Replies)
developers.facebook.com
Official Meta API OpenReply uses to send private replies, no scraping or password sharing involved.

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