Compare two Instagram accounts
Follower counts are the least useful way to compare two accounts, and the one most people use. Put both handles in and see engagement, cadence and format side by side.
Why the follower count is the wrong number
An account with 200,000 followers and 0.4% engagement collects about 800 likes and comments a post; one with 30,000 followers at 4% collects about 1,200. If you are choosing who to work with, who to learn from, or who to watch, that response per post says more than the follower count on its own.
What to look at in the comparison
- Engagement rate, remembering that the smaller account is expected to score higher. If the bigger one has the higher rate as well, that is worth noticing.
- Cadence. An account posting daily and one posting monthly need completely different comparisons, and the effort behind them is not the same.
- Format mix. If one is winning with video and the other with photos, that is usually the most useful thing on the page.
- Likes per comment. The account with more conversation per like generally has the more committed audience.
Where to look next
Once you have the two side by side, the full audit of either account shows more: cadence, format mix, best and weakest post. If the gap is in engagement, check whether both audiences behave the same way before drawing conclusions.
Questions
Can I compare a private account?
No. Its posts are not public, so there is nothing to measure.
Is this fair when the two accounts are very different sizes?
The rates are shown next to the usual range for each account's own size, so you can see how each does against accounts like it, not just which one is bigger.