Instagram sales · Lead tracking · AI reply assistant
EKO Instagram CRM review: free tracking or paid AI replies?
EKO is a Chrome extension for tracking Instagram DM leads, identifying follow-ups and preparing replies. Its free plan covers up to 60 active leads; conversation summaries and AI reply suggestions require a paid plan. The buying decision is whether you need help managing the pipeline, writing the next reply, or both.
What is EKO, and what does its Instagram CRM actually do?
EKO adds a lead-management layer to Instagram Web. According to its documentation, the Chrome extension reads the interface displayed in your browser rather than connecting through Meta’s API. It helps surface conversations and organize a pipeline; paid AI features help summarize context and suggest the next response.
| Question | Documented answer |
|---|---|
| Which EKO is this? | The Instagram sales assistant at ekohq.io, not another product with the same name. |
| Where does it run? | Chrome on a computer, alongside Instagram Web. |
| What is free? | Tracking, pipeline, follow-up board and dashboard for up to 60 active leads. |
| What needs a paid plan? | Ghostwriter reply suggestions and AI Notes. |
| Who sends the message? | The user. EKO does not document autonomous message sending. |
| How much is Pro? | €79.99 per month, or €799.90 billed annually, for one user. |
| What about language? | French product and support positioning; verify your English workflow requirements. |
Sources: EKO’s product presentation, pricing page and official Chrome Web Store listing. The sources section identifies the material reviewed; this is a documentation-based assessment.
Tracking, drafting and sending are different capabilities
A follow-up board helps you see who needs attention. An AI draft gives you suggested words. An automation tool can send a message or trigger a flow. EKO’s documented role combines tracking with optional AI drafting, while you retain the send action. Do not buy it expecting every silent lead to receive an automatic message overnight.
Is EKO free, and when is Pro worth considering?
EKO’s free plan includes up to 60 active leads, with no credit card advertised. It covers the tracking extension, pipeline, follow-up board and dashboard. Ghostwriter and AI Notes are paid features. A permanent lead-limited plan and a time-limited trial are different offers; the reviewed EKO pricing describes the former.
- Stay on free for organization
- If your main problem is forgetting which conversation needs attention, start with the follow-up board and pipeline. Do not assume AI is required to organize the leads covered by the free allowance.
- Consider Pro for context and writing
- If you repeatedly reread long threads or struggle to prepare a relevant response, evaluate AI Notes and Ghostwriter. Their value depends on whether the output correctly reflects the prospect’s situation and your offer.
- Check the meaning of an active lead
- Before reaching the allowance, confirm how EKO counts archived, closed and reopened leads. The public free-plan limit does not answer every counting scenario.
Our recommendation: separate the reason to install from the reason to pay. Free tracking can establish whether the workflow suits you. Paid AI should solve an additional problem, rather than simply make an already adequate free setup more expensive.
EKO pricing: monthly cost, annual total and included users
EKO publishes prices in euros. The table preserves that currency instead of presenting a changing dollar conversion as a US subscription price. Annual equivalents describe the advertised annual plan; they are not monthly payment instalments.
| Plan | Price and scope |
|---|---|
| Free | €0. One user, up to 60 active leads, tracking without Ghostwriter or AI Notes. |
| Pro | €79.99/month. Annual option: €799.90 paid per year, shown as €66.66/month equivalent. One user. |
| Team | €149.99/month. Annual option: €1,499.90 paid per year, shown as €124.99/month equivalent. Up to four members. |
| Agency | From €2,000/year, annual billing and a custom quote, for five or more members. |
The monthly subscription is advertised without a long-term commitment. The pricing page states that VAT is not applicable under French article 293 B. Use the checkout to confirm the actual amount and terms for your purchase; a published euro price is not evidence of a separate dollar-denominated offer.
Does Team include one shared Instagram pipeline?
Team is described as an owner plus three setters, with separate pipelines and follow-up views per member. It also includes a team dashboard and pooled AI usage. That description does not establish a fully shared inbox with thread assignment, collision detection or synchronized ownership of every lead.
If several people sell from the same Instagram account, confirm who can read each note, move each lead and take over a conversation. Four seats alone do not answer those operational questions.
How EKO fits a desktop Instagram sales workflow
The product is aimed at people conducting conversations themselves: coaches, appointment setters, closers and small sales teams. An appointment setter develops the conversation toward a qualified call; a closer handles the sales decision. Neither job is replaced merely because a tool drafts a message.
- Open the workspace. Create an EKO account, install its Chrome extension and open Instagram Web on a computer.
- Review the pipeline. EKO documents stages such as Cold, Warm, Call Booked and Closed. Use the stage as context, not as proof that the prospect has committed.
- Identify the next action. Review the follow-up board and the actual conversation before deciding whether a reply is appropriate.
- Ask for help where needed. Paid AI Notes summarize the thread; Ghostwriter proposes three response options, with eleven advertised writing angles.
- Check and send. Review names, offer details, prices, dates and promises. Edit the draft and send the message yourself.
The extension’s ability to read displayed conversations does not prove that it imports your entire historical inbox. If recovering years of old leads is the main objective, ask what history it can actually access and under which conditions.
For a practical daily queue, use our Instagram DM follow-up tracker and free template. It separates unanswered questions, agreed check-ins and booking checks, with six worked examples.
Which EKO plan fits your situation?
These are buying scenarios, not reported outcomes from a sales campaign.
Scenario 1: a solo coach with 40 active prospects
You already write your own messages comfortably, but some conversations disappear under newer replies. Your immediate problem is keeping the sales process visible.
Start with free tracking. Forty active prospects fall below the published 60-lead allowance, subject to how EKO counts active contacts. Judge the board and pipeline before treating Pro as necessary. If your entire workflow happens in the Instagram phone app, resolve the desktop limitation first.
Scenario 2: a setter handling long objection-heavy threads
A prospect has explained their goals, availability and reservations across many messages. You keep rereading the thread before preparing a response.
Pro is the relevant offer to evaluate. Look for a faithful summary and drafts that address the actual objection. A response about discounts is not useful if the prospect’s real problem is their start date. The tool should not invent a payment plan, a testimonial or a deadline.
Illustrative exchange: “I want the coaching, but I cannot start until January.” A useful response checks timing and availability; it does not assume the buyer needs a lower price. This example illustrates our evaluation criterion, not an observed EKO output.
Scenario 3: an owner and three setters
You want consistent tracking and a view of team activity. The four-member allowance makes Team the published plan to examine.
Verify the collaboration model before choosing. Separate pipelines may suit setters with separate portfolios. A team handing the same prospect between shifts needs clear answers about notes, ownership and duplicate replies. Ask how pooled AI usage is shared when one member handles most of the volume.
The limitations that matter before paying for EKO
English-language suitability is not established by an English review
EKO presents its interface and support in French, and its Chrome listing names French. That does not prove that English drafts are impossible, but it also does not prove an English-ready product. Ask for a demonstration using an English conversation and the exact tone you need. Browser translation is not evidence of supported product localization.
It is a desktop Chrome workflow
The official comparison page states that EKO does not have a mobile app. Choose it for its documented Instagram Web use, not for an assumed integration inside the Instagram iPhone or Android app. A desktop-only workflow may fit a setter at a workstation and fail a coach replying between sessions on a phone.
“150 DMs/day” is not a guaranteed AI-generation allowance
EKO uses wording about AI capacity calibrated for 150 DMs per day. Do not translate that into 150 AI replies per day, unlimited drafts, or a guaranteed throughput. Tracked messages, summaries and generated suggestions can be different units. Confirm which actions consume the quota, when it resets and what happens when it is exhausted.
Browser access does not mean every part of processing stays local
EKO says the relevant conversation content is sent to OpenAI when you request a summary or suggestion. Its FAQ also describes server-side storage of summaries, validated notes and conversation elements needed for Ghostwriter. “Reads the local interface” describes how the extension accesses Instagram; it is not a statement that AI processing is entirely offline.
Review the privacy policy and available controls before using the AI features on client conversations. Data access, AI processing and storage are separate questions.
No Meta API does not mean no account risk
EKO describes a read-only browser overlay with manual sending rather than a Meta API connection. That is a technical design choice, not proof of Meta approval or immunity from restrictions. The company’s own FAQ acknowledges that no third party can guarantee immunity. Instagram interface changes can also affect an extension built around that interface.
Calibration figures are not adoption figures
The company explains that its “10,000+ conversations” figure refers to the founder’s calibration corpus. It is not evidence of 10,000 customers. Its reduction in forgotten follow-ups comes from self-reported beta feedback on a small sample. We do not use either figure to predict conversion rates or savings for your business.
EKO alternatives: compare the task, not just the label “Instagram CRM”
Keeping the send button under human control is not exclusive to EKO. Other products document manual-send assistance or a pipeline inside Instagram. The relevant question is whether you need tracking, drafting, automations or collaboration in the same workflow.
| Your main requirement | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Free tracking, then optional AI summaries and drafts | EKO: test the documented free scope, language fit and usefulness of paid AI. |
| Pipeline stages, notes and reminders inside Instagram | Settr: its official page describes a desktop inbox overlay, reminders and CSV export. Compare the precise tracking workflow. |
| AI reply drafts while you press Send | ShadowDM: its official description focuses on drafting in the open thread. Check whether you also need a separate pipeline. |
| Team sales operations on Instagram | Mochi: compare inbox organization, responsibility for leads, reporting and the plan needed for each function. |
| Comment-triggered DMs or automated messaging flows | Manychat: assess the documented triggers and messaging rules. EKO’s manual send workflow does not replace that job. |
For a documented competitor snapshot, Settr describes custom stages and follow-up reminders, while ShadowDM describes reading the open conversation to prepare a draft. Those differences show why “no automatic sending” alone is not a complete buying criterion.
If your main requirement is agents and a shared inbox across several channels, read our Heyy.io review. That is a different decision from choosing a lightweight assistant for Instagram Web.
EKO Instagram CRM FAQ
Is EKO an Instagram CRM with a free plan?
Yes. Its published free plan includes tracking, a pipeline, a follow-up board and a dashboard for up to 60 active leads. AI Notes and Ghostwriter require a paid plan. Confirm how your contacts count toward the active-lead limit.
How much does EKO Pro cost in US dollars?
The official price reviewed is €79.99 per month, or €799.90 billed annually. We did not verify a separate USD price. A card issuer’s conversion, if applicable, does not establish a dollar-denominated EKO plan.
Can EKO suggest replies without automatically sending them?
Yes, according to its paid-feature documentation. Ghostwriter proposes responses; you choose, edit and send the message yourself. This does not establish an automatic follow-up sequence.
Does EKO work in the Instagram mobile app?
The documented workflow uses Chrome on a computer and Instagram Web. The official comparison says there is no EKO mobile app. Do not assume the extension runs inside Instagram’s phone app.
Does EKO support English?
The reviewed product material and support positioning are French. We have not verified full English interface, support or output quality. Confirm your exact language needs with the provider rather than inferring compatibility from this English article.
Does EKO connect Instagram DMs directly to ChatGPT or Claude?
The reviewed documentation describes AI features inside EKO, not a confirmed public ChatGPT connector or MCP server. Using OpenAI to generate text behind the scenes is different from connecting your inbox to your own ChatGPT or Claude workspace.
Is EKO Team a shared inbox for four people?
It allows up to four members and describes separate pipelines with a team dashboard and pooled AI usage. That does not by itself confirm shared thread ownership or all the collaboration features of a team inbox.
Can EKO import all my old Instagram conversations?
Its browser-reading description does not establish a complete historical import. Confirm the age, scope and access conditions of conversations it can recover if old-lead reactivation is your primary use case.
Final verdict: a tracking-first shortlist, with paid AI to evaluate
EKO is most coherent for a desktop Instagram seller who wants a visible pipeline and optional help reading and answering conversations. Start with the free workflow; move to Pro only when the AI adds enough practical value for your needs. For an English-speaking buyer, language suitability belongs in that decision from the start.
Choose another category when the essential requirement is mobile-first work, autonomous responses or a fully shared multichannel inbox. That keeps the decision grounded in the job you actually need done.
Research method and official sources
Documentation reviewed on October 16, 2026. We compared published capabilities and plan conditions; we did not run a sales campaign or measure EKO conversion rates. Scenarios and the example exchange are illustrative. Product claims and unresolved questions are identified separately.
- EKO official website: product presentation and FAQ. We also checked the official “Tarifs EKO” pricing page and “Alternative à Mochi” comparison for billing, users and desktop limitations.
- Official EKO Chrome Web Store listing: extension description, free allowance and AI data handling.
- Settr official website: desktop pipeline, reminders, notes and export.
- ShadowDM official website: context-based drafts and manual sending.
- Mochi official website: Instagram sales-team positioning and functions.
- Manychat documentation on messaging windows: constraints affecting manual and automated messages within its system.
For the corresponding French analysis, see notre avis EKO pour Instagram.