A unified social inbox puts comments and DMs from every network in one feed, so nothing goes unanswered. We compared 8 tools on what they actually cover, what AI replies cost, and the real price for a small team.
By the SocialDesk team · Prices checked on official pricing pages on October 26, 2026
Quick answer
Best for small businesses on a budget: SocialDesk: comments and DMs in one inbox plus AI auto-replies, from $19/month with no per-user pricing.
Best for comment moderation and ad comments: NapoleonCat: strong moderation rules and ad-comment coverage, inbox from $89/month (annual).
Best for agencies covering many networks: Agorapulse: the widest network list, from $79 per user/month (annual).
Best for WhatsApp and messaging-first support: respond.io: built for chats (WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs), not public comments.
Best free option: Meta Business Suite: free, but Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp only.
Disclosure: SocialDesk is our product, so we list it first. Every other tool is described from its own official pricing and help pages, including the things SocialDesk does not do.
Unified inbox tools at a glance
Entry price is the cheapest plan that includes the social inbox.
Tool
Comments
DMs
AI replies
Publishing
Inbox from
SocialDesk
IG, FB, LinkedIn, X, Threads
IG, FB
Auto-replies + drafts, all plans
$15.83/mo (5 accounts)
NapoleonCat
FB, IG, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube + ads
FB, IG, TikTok and more
Suggestions (beta), Pro+
$89/mo (2 users)
Agorapulse
10+ networks
10+ networks
Custom plan only
$79/user/mo
Vista Social
FB, IG, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads…
FB, IG, X, TikTok, Reddit
AI credits, all plans
~$79/mo
Hootsuite
FB, IG, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads
FB, IG, X, WhatsApp…
Professional plan+
$99/user/mo
Sprout Social
FB, IG, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads…
FB, IG, X, WhatsApp
Advanced plan only
$79/seat/mo
respond.io
WhatsApp, FB, IG, TikTok…
AI Agents, Growth plan
$79/mo
Meta Business Suite
FB, IG
FB, IG, WhatsApp
Instant replies only
FB + IG only
Free
Annual-billing prices in USD as shown on each vendor’s pricing page on October 26, 2026. "Per user" means the price is multiplied by each team member.
How we compared them
Network coverage: which networks’ comments and which networks’ DMs actually land in the inbox.
AI replies: whether AI drafts or sends replies, and which plan you need for it.
Real price for a small team: the cheapest plan that includes the inbox, and whether you pay per user.
Publishing: whether you can also schedule posts, or need a second tool.
Sources: each vendor’s own pricing and help pages, checked on October 26, 2026.
1. SocialDesk
Best for small businesses that want AI replies on a budget
SocialDesk combines a scheduler and a unified inbox. Comments from Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Threads and DMs from Instagram and Facebook arrive in one feed, and AI can answer them automatically or prepare drafts you approve first. It is priced per plan, not per user.
Strengths
AI auto-replies to comments and DMs included on every plan
AI reply drafts you can approve before they are sent
Scheduling for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X and Threads in the same tool
Flat pricing: Team plan includes unlimited members
Limits
DMs only from Instagram and Facebook for now
No TikTok comments, reviews or ad comments in the inbox yet
No free plan (7-day free trial, no card)
Pricing: Starter $19/month (5 accounts, 1 user), Team $39/month (20 accounts, unlimited members), Pro $59, Max $99. Yearly billing = 2 months free.
NapoleonCat is a moderation-focused social inbox. It pulls in organic and ad comments, DMs and reviews, and its auto-moderation can answer common questions or hide spam.
Strengths
Ad comments from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
Reviews from Facebook, Google and the app stores
Strong auto-moderation rules
Limits
The cheapest plan (Standard) has no inbox; you need Pro
AI reply suggestions are in beta; auto-moderation needs the Expert plan
Threads and WhatsApp are not listed
Pricing: Inbox from Pro: $89/month annual or $109 monthly (5 profiles, 2 users). Auto-moderation from Expert: $119/month annual. 14-day free trial.
Best for WhatsApp and messaging-first sales or support
respond.io is a conversation platform for chats: WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs, TikTok (beta), Telegram, email and more. It is built for messages, not public comments.
Strengths
Very wide messaging coverage, including WhatsApp, LINE, Telegram and SMS
AI agents that can answer conversations autonomously (Growth plan)
5 users included on the entry plan
Limits
No public comments in the inbox
No post scheduling
Priced by monthly active contacts
Pricing: Starter: $79/month annual or $99 monthly (5 users, from 1,000 active contacts). AI Agents from Growth: $159/month annual. 7-day free trial.
Start with where your conversations happen. If most messages are WhatsApp chats, a messaging platform like respond.io fits better than a social media tool. If most of the volume is public comments on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, pick a social inbox.
Then look at the real price for your team. Agorapulse, Hootsuite and Sprout Social charge per user, so a 3-person team pays three times the list price. SocialDesk, NapoleonCat and Vista Social price per plan.
Finally, check where AI replies are included. In several tools AI replies sit on the most expensive plan. If you want AI to answer routine comments and DMs from day one, make sure it is on the plan you can afford.
Frequently asked questions
What is a unified social media inbox?
A unified social media inbox is a single feed that collects comments, direct messages and sometimes reviews from several social networks, so a business can read and answer everything from one place instead of opening each app.
What is the cheapest unified social inbox?
Meta Business Suite is free but only covers Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Among multi-network tools, SocialDesk starts at $19/month ($15.83 billed yearly) with comments, DMs and AI auto-replies included.
Which unified inbox has AI auto-replies?
SocialDesk includes AI auto-replies to comments and DMs on every plan. respond.io offers AI agents from its Growth plan, Vista Social uses AI credits, and Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse reserve AI replies for higher plans.
Can one inbox handle Instagram DMs and comments together?
Yes. SocialDesk, NapoleonCat, Agorapulse, Vista Social, Hootsuite and Sprout Social all show Instagram comments and DMs in the same inbox. respond.io handles Instagram DMs but not comments.
Answer every comment and DM from one inbox
Try SocialDesk free for 7 days. No credit card required.
