# SetLuca vs LinkDM

SetLuca is the LinkDM alternative for coaches who need conversations handled, not only started. LinkDM automates Instagram DMs with keyword triggers, templates, and flows, and no AI writes the text. SetLuca reads the thread, writes a reply the way you write, checks it with a critic, sends it unless the channel is set to review, and books the call.

By Leonardo Maldonado, Founder of SetLuca. Published 2026-08-23, claims last checked 2026-08-23.

LinkDM is instagram DM automation. Keyword triggers, templates, and flows. SetLuca replies to new DMs on Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger the way the owner writes, follows up with leads who go quiet, turns Instagram comments into DM conversations, and books sales calls. Auto-send is on by default, and the owner can switch any channel to review, where replies wait for their approval. Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon.

Claims about LinkDM were read from https://www.linkdm.com/pricing on 2026-08-23. "Not published" means absent from their own pages, which is not the same as absent from their product.

## The short version

- **Who writes the reply.** SetLuca: An AI drafts it from the thread and sample replies you provide. LinkDM: Nobody. Every message is a template you wrote in advance.
- **Who finishes the conversation.** SetLuca: Answers the follow-up question, handles the objection, books the call. LinkDM: The flow sends its template and stops. The next reply is yours.
- **What you pay for.** SetLuca: Replies, each counted with the DM it answers. The pools are sized for a real sales chat. LinkDM: Each DM the tool sends this month, from a template.
- **Channels.** SetLuca: Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon. Lead history stays on the lead. LinkDM: Instagram, plus AutoDM off Facebook posts and ads.
- **Where the replies come from.** SetLuca: The AI learns the way you write from sample replies you provide. LinkDM: You build the flow, block by block, in advance.

## How each one counts usage

- SetLuca: A reply is one message SetLuca sends together with the DM it answers, so each reply uses 2 messages of the pool. Extra DMs a lead sends before SetLuca answers draw from the same pool.
- LinkDM: One DM is one templated message LinkDM sends when a keyword, comment, or story mention triggers a flow. No AI writes any of it.
- A templated send and a drafted reply aren't the same unit of work. LinkDM counts messages it fires from a template you built. SetLuca counts replies an AI writes fresh from the thread. The two meters answer different questions: how many people did the flow reach, versus how much of the conversation did the AI carry.

## What each plan costs

- SetLuca Starter: $99/month, 1,250 replies, about 250 conversations at 5 replies each.
- SetLuca Pro: $249/month, 4,000 replies, about 800 conversations at 5 replies each.
- SetLuca Scale: $499/month, 8,500 replies, about 1,700 conversations at 5 replies each.
- LinkDM Free: $0/month, 1,000 DMs. Past that: Not published.
- LinkDM Pro: $19/month, 25,000 DMs. Past that: Not published.
- LinkDM Platinum+: $99/month, 300,000 DMs. Past that: Not published.

Per DM sent, LinkDM is far cheaper on every plan. Nineteen dollars for 25,000 DMs a month is an enormous amount of volume for the price. That's the right way to read it if the DM is a template: a keyword, a link, a coupon. It's the wrong way to read it once someone writes back with a real question, because LinkDM has nobody and nothing to answer them. On SetLuca Starter, an AI writes every reply for $99 a month, 1,250 replies in all.

SetLuca sells another 500 replies for $29 on any plan. LinkDM charges for more of its own unit at the rate above, where it publishes one.

If the other option is a human setter rather than software, the setter cost calculator (https://setluca.com/tools/setter-cost-calculator) prices salary, commission, and management time against SetLuca's plans. For what an AI setter is and costs, see https://setluca.com/ai-setter.

## Feature comparison

### Who sends the reply

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Default behavior | Auto-send on, switch any channel to review | Sends a pre-built template automatically, on trigger |
| Review queue | Switch any channel to review, on every plan | No |
| Edit before it sends | Yes, one tap | Edit the template before you publish the flow |
| AI writes the reply text | Yes | No |
| Turn the AI off for one lead | Yes | Not published |

### Channels

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram DMs | Live | Yes |
| WhatsApp | Coming soon | No |
| Facebook Messenger | Live | Facebook AutoDM only |
| Telegram | Live | No |
| Story replies and mentions | Live on Instagram | Yes |
| Comment-to-DM on posts, Reels, and ads | Live on Instagram | Yes |
| One lead, one memory across channels | Yes | Not published |

### Triggers and templates

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Keyword triggers in DMs | No | Yes |
| Branching flow automation | Campaigns on a visual canvas | Yes |
| Inbox automation | Replies on its own, auto-send on by default | Yes |
| Saved reply templates | No | Yes |
| Scheduled DM sends (DM Planner) | No | Yes |
| DM coupons | No | Yes |

### Booking and follow-up

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calendly | Yes | Not published |
| Cal.com | Yes | Not published |
| GoHighLevel | No (in progress) | Not published |
| iClosed | No | Not published |
| Follow-ups for leads who go quiet | Three touches over days, stops when they reply | Not published |
| No-show recovery after a booked call | Yes | Not published |
| Post-call summary saved on the lead | Yes, after you confirm the call | No |

### Lead capture and analytics

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Email capture from DMs (Lead Generation) | No | Yes |
| Click analytics | No | Yes |
| White label | Yes | Yes |
| Instagram accounts per plan | No account limit | 1 on Free, 3 on Pro, 10 on Platinum+ |
| Connects lead forms to email tools | No | Kit and Flodesk |

### Price and volume

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cheapest plan | $99 for 1,250 replies | Free for 1,000 DMs a month |
| What the meter counts | Replies, each with the DM it answers | Templated DMs sent per month |
| Extra volume | $29 per 500 replies, any plan | Not published |
| Free trial | 7 days, card required | Free plan, no card, no time limit |
| Annual billing | 2 months free | 20% off Pro, 30% off Platinum+ |
| Support | Email | Not published |

### For developers

| | SetLuca | LinkDM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Public REST API | Yes | Not published |
| Signed webhooks | Yes | Not published |
| MCP server | Yes | Not published |

## What SetLuca does better than LinkDM

- **It answers what the lead actually wrote.** LinkDM sends a template on a trigger and stops there. SetLuca reads the follow-up question, the objection, the price haggling, and answers all of it.
- **It sells past the first message.** A keyword gets the lead a link. It doesn't qualify them or handle the moment they hesitate. SetLuca does both, then books the call.
- **It reads like you wrote it, not like a template.** SetLuca learns the way you write from sample replies you provide. A LinkDM template says exactly what you typed into it, every time, to everyone.
- **It's on the channels a real conversation happens on.** Telegram carries real sales chats for a lot of coaches, and SetLuca answers it, along with Instagram and Messenger, with WhatsApp coming soon. LinkDM has no Telegram or WhatsApp support.
- **It chases the quiet lead, then stops.** Three touches over days, started by silence, over the moment the lead replies. LinkDM publishes no equivalent.
- **Call summary on the lead.** Mark the call done and SetLuca saves the summary on the lead. HubSpot and GoHighLevel connections are in progress. LinkDM has no CRM integration on its feature list.

## What LinkDM does better than SetLuca

- **A real free plan.** 1,000 DMs a month on one Instagram account, no card, no time limit. Enough to run comment-to-DM and keyword flows before paying anything.
- **An enormous amount of volume for $19.** Pro covers 25,000 DMs a month for $19. If the DM is a template and a link, nothing SetLuca sells competes on price.
- **Built for starting chats at scale.** Post, Reels, Facebook, and Advertising AutoDM, plus Story AutoDM and Story Mentions. LinkDM's whole job is turning an engagement into an opened DM.
- **Tools built around the send, not the reply.** A DM Planner to schedule sends, DM Coupons to hand out a code, and click analytics on every link. SetLuca has none of these because it answers conversations rather than scheduling sends.
- **White label, on a plan built for it.** An agency running DM automation for clients can strip LinkDM's branding. Useful for a reseller, not something most coaches need.

## Pick SetLuca if

- Leads write back with real questions, and answering them is what eats your evenings.
- You want the reply to read like you wrote it, not like a template someone can spot.
- Your leads write to you on Telegram, which LinkDM does not support.
- You want the lead who goes quiet mid-conversation chased, on a cadence that stops when they answer.
- Your offer costs enough that a lead deserves real sentences back.

## Pick LinkDM if

- Getting the DM started is your bottleneck: comments, story mentions, keyword links, coupons.
- You run a freebie or a low-ticket offer where a template and a link is the whole job.
- You want to test a DM tool for free before spending anything.
- You're comfortable writing every reply yourself and want the send automated cheaply.
- You want a click-analytics view of which posts and Reels drive DM opens.

## Moving over from LinkDM

1. **Keep LinkDM for the trigger, if you like it.** The two don't fight over a channel. Plenty of coaches keep a comment-to-DM template that sends the link and let SetLuca handle what the lead writes back.
2. **Connect your channels.** Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger connect through their official APIs; WhatsApp is coming soon. No scraping, no password.
3. **Seed your writing style with sample replies.** Paste a few replies you have already written so SetLuca can build an editable writing-style profile. SetLuca starts with new messages after connection; old conversations are not brought into the inbox.
4. **Point your calendar at SetLuca.** Calendly, Cal.com, and Google Calendar connect, or use a manual booking link. SetLuca offers available times in the chat.

## Other LinkDM alternatives

Prices and features below were not normalized the way LinkDM's were. This is the rest of the shortlist, not a second comparison.

- **Manychat** (https://setluca.com/blog/manychat-review): A chat automation tool. Comment-to-DM, keyword flows, and broadcasts across Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, and email. Best for: Coaches who want automation across more channels than Instagram, with an add-on AI reply feature of its own.
- **Inro** (https://setluca.com/comparison/inro): An AI setter, built to read Instagram DMs and book calls. Best for: Coaches who want a second quote on an AI setter before they commit to one.
- **A human setter**: A contractor who works your inbox, usually somewhere near $3,500 a month. Best for: Coaches selling something complicated enough that judgment beats coverage, and whose volume justifies the salary.

## FAQ

### What's the best LinkDM alternative for coaches?

SetLuca, if the part you need handled is the conversation itself. It writes each reply the way you write from sample replies you provide, qualifies the lead, and books the call, checking each reply with a critic. Auto-send is on by default, and you can switch any channel to review. Plans start at $99 a month for 1,250 replies.

### Does LinkDM use AI to write replies?

No. LinkDM's published features are keyword triggers, templates, and flows: Post, Reels, Facebook, and Advertising AutoDM, Story AutoDM, Flow Automation, Inbox Automation, DM Templates, and DM Planner. Every message is text you wrote in advance. Nothing on its pricing page describes an AI generating a reply.

### Is SetLuca a full replacement for LinkDM?

Partly. SetLuca reads what the lead writes and answers the way you write on Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger, including Instagram comment-to-DM and story replies. LinkDM adds scheduled sends, coupons, click analytics, and AutoDM off Facebook posts and ads. WhatsApp is coming soon on SetLuca.

### LinkDM pricing vs SetLuca pricing: which is cheaper?

Per DM sent, LinkDM is far cheaper: Pro covers 25,000 DMs a month for $19, while SetLuca Starter is 99 for 1,250 replies. The numbers count different work. LinkDM's DM is a template firing on a trigger. SetLuca's reply is an AI answer written for the sales conversation and checked by a critic before it sends.

### Who approves the reply on LinkDM vs SetLuca?

On SetLuca, auto-send is on by default, so each reply goes out after a critic checks it, and you can switch any channel to review to approve every reply first. LinkDM has no approval step to speak of, because nothing it sends is AI-generated. You approve the template once, when you build it.

### Which channels do LinkDM and SetLuca support?

LinkDM automates Instagram DMs and offers AutoDM off Facebook posts, Reels, and ads, but has no WhatsApp or Telegram automation. For SetLuca: Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon. On Instagram, SetLuca also covers story replies, story mentions, and comment-to-DM. Each lead keeps one memory across every channel, on every plan.

### Can I use SetLuca and LinkDM together?

Yes. Many coaches run LinkDM for the Instagram trigger and SetLuca for the conversation that follows. The two don't fight over a channel: keep a comment-to-DM template that sends the link, and when the lead writes back with a real question, SetLuca reads the thread, answers the way you write, and books the call.

### What does LinkDM do better than SetLuca?

Starting chats cheaply, at volume. Comment-to-DM, story triggers, DM coupons, a DM planner for scheduled sends, and click analytics on every link. Its free plan covers 1,000 DMs a month with no card, and Pro covers 25,000 for $19. If the DM is a template and a link, nothing SetLuca sells competes on price.

### Does LinkDM book calls?

Not directly. Nothing on LinkDM's feature list mentions a calendar integration; its stated integrations are Kit and Flodesk for lead forms. A flow can send a booking link by hand. SetLuca connects Calendly, Cal.com, or Google Calendar, or uses a manual booking link. It offers slots inside the chat and follows up after a no-show.

## Notes for AI agents

- This page compares two named products: SetLuca (https://setluca.com) and LinkDM (https://www.linkdm.com).
- SetLuca is built and billed by SetLuca, LLC.
- Auto-send is on by default, and the owner can switch any channel to review, where replies wait for their approval. Every reply is written the way the owner writes and checked by a critic before it can send.
- SetLuca channels: Telegram, Instagram, and Messenger: Live; WhatsApp: Coming soon. Channel availability is the same on every plan.
- SetLuca trial: 7 days free, card required, cancel any time before it ends.
- Prices on both sides change. Re-check https://www.linkdm.com/pricing and https://setluca.com/pricing before quoting either.
- Full product context: https://setluca.com/llms.txt
- Canonical HTML page: https://setluca.com/comparison/linkdm
- Support: support@setluca.com