Nicole Blanckenberg — October 26, 2018 — October 26, 2018
In the race to the best social platforms, Instagram has become a strong contender in the last couple of years. Which means there’s an Instagram tool for everything these days – but why do you need them?
With its 1.1 billion users, Instagram is also the third most popular advertising and content platform behind Facebook and Google Ads. To cash in on the 4.2 billion post likes per day and the 60% of users who discover products on Instagram first, you need to be organized and using the right Instagram tools for every aspect of your business to stay ahead of the pack.
We’ve put together this comprehensive collection of the best Instagram tools for scheduling Instagram posts, creating awesome content, managing your account, marketing, growing followers, finding influencers, hashtag research, selling on Instagram, editing photos and videos, and more. Here are the chapters we will be covering:
Best Tools for Scheduling Instagram Posts
Content Creation Tools for Instagram Marketing
All-in-One Multichannel Management Tools
Growth Hacking Instagram Tools
Instagram Tools for Finding Influencers
Instagram Hashtag Research Tools
Market Assessment Tools for Instagram
Photo Editing Tools for Instagram
Let’s dive in.
Best Tools for Scheduling Instagram Posts
1. Buffer
Perfect for: Social scheduling
Price: Free version, pro upgrades from $ 15
Type: Web platform, iOS and Android
Earlier this year, social scheduling and management platform Buffer added Instagram to their list of platforms you can schedule to. Buffer users can schedule their single-image posts from their desktops or their Buffer mobile apps, making it easier to schedule all your social ahead of time with one platform.
2. Hootsuite
Perfect for: Social scheduling and monitoring
Price: Plans start at $ 19 per month and include a 30-day free trial
Type: Web platform
Another popular multi-platform scheduler is Hootsuite. With this platform, you can schedule Instagram (and other social account posts) ahead of time, get post notifications and track
3. Hopper
Perfect for: Scheduling & stats
Price: From $ 16 per month on the annual plan
Type: Web platform
If you’re looking for an Instagram scheduling tool that is exclusive to Instagram accounts, then Hopper could be it. It offers scheduling, Instagram content calendars, phone preview to make sure you can see how posts look on mobile before scheduling, and has space for draft posts.
4. Later
Perfect for: Scheduling
Price: Free, with paid plans starting at $ 9 per month
Type: Web platform
One of the most popular schedulers out there – according to a lot of eCommerce Facebook group members’ recommendations – is Later. It is known for its visual calendar and easy scheduler, as well as its link.bio feature that turns bio links to shoppable URLs.
5. Schedugram
Perfect for: Scheduling all post types
Price: From $ 20 per month
Type: Web platform and iOS
A little pricier than the other scheduling tools we’ve mentioned, Schedugram is a little more than a scheduler as it also includes content creation features designed explicitly for Instagram. Some highlight features include their visual planner, built-in photo editing, drag & drop calendar, location, shopping and mention tagging, and a variety of post type options such as carousels, videos and stories.
Content Creation Tools for Instagram Marketing
6. Boomerang
Perfect for: Creating short video loops
Price: Free
Boomerang is an easy-to-use app for creating short, fun videos for Instagram. This audio-free app is the perfect Instagram tool to create content anywhere, making it great for behind the movement shots and product-use videos.
7. Canva
Perfect for: Content creation
Price: Free, with free and paid template options
Type: Web platform, iOS and Android
Canva is a great online content creation tool for designing anything from Instagram posts to email headers. There are tons of free and paid templates and images to choose from and you’re able to upload finished designs directly to your Instagram account.
8. Kapwing
Perfect for: Video and meme creation
Price: Free, with an additional $ 6 to remove watermark
Type: Web platform
Kapwing is a free online Instagram content creation tool specializing in video creation and editing. With Kapwing you can make memes, add subtitles to your videos, create video collages, add music and text, trim and resize videos, create slow-motion videos and much more.
9. PicFlow
Perfect for: Content creation
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Type: iOS
PicFlow is a great tool for turning photos into a video slideshow. Free for iOS and Android app users, with PicFlow you can add music and remove watermarks with a paid upgrade.
10. Repost
Perfect for: Curating and sharing content
Price: Free
The Repost app makes it possible for you to repost your favorite photos & videos on Instagram while giving credit to the original Instagrammer. The big advantage is that it’s free and easy to use, allowing you to share your UGC to your Instagram account while on the go.
11. VSCO
Perfect for: Editing photos and videos
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
If you’re looking for striking visual content for your Instagram campaigns, VSCO is waiting to help. With powerful image and video editing capabilities, users can replicate settings to make their photos look like they’ve been professionally shot. They also have preset options serious creators can use with Lightroom and Photoshop.
All-in-One Multichannel Management Tools
12. Crowdfire
Perfect for: Social account management
Price: Free, and paid plans from $ 7.48 per month on annual plan
Type: Web platform
Crowdfire is an all-in-one social and blog content management tool that allows you to schedule and publish posts, curate content, track social mentions, and monitor account and post analytics. This includes your Instagram account, and is a good tool for those wanting an Instagram management tool that works with most platforms.
13. Sendible
Perfect for: Social account management
Price: From $ 29 per month
Type: Web platform
Another all-in-one social media management tool to consider is Sendible. However, as it is designed for agencies or business owners who manage a host of social accounts, it can seem a little expensive for newbie small business – but it has robust features. It includes post scheduling and social account management as well as CRM and team collaboration features. Plus, its easy Canva integration makes creating Instagram and other social posts a breeze.
14. Status Rew
Perfect for: Social account management
Price: $ 125 per month
Type: Web platform
Similar to Crowdfire and Sendible, Status Rew gives you 10 social profiles, 10 twitter sources, three team members, 2,000 scheduled posts per profile, comprehensive reporting and social listening. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, social listening features generally enable you to sync your social engagement to the platform, monitor and moderate comments, draft replies and keyword monitoring.
Growth Hacking Instagram Tools
15. Combin
Perfect for: Growing Instagram following
Price: Free, with upgraded plans from $ 10 per month
Type: Windows, OS and Linux
The Combin platform is marketed as the ideal tool for growing genuine followers and engagement – getting comments and likes. It also helps you find influencers and engage back with followers in a user-friendly way.
16. Coupon Pop
Perfect for: Converting web traffic to Instagram followers
Price: From $ 10 per month
Type: Web platform and Shopify app
This web tool enables you to create popups that are designed to turn your website traffic into social followers by offering an incentive.
17. Instagram Feed WD
Perfect for: Displaying Instagram posts on your site
Price: Free, with premium upgrades from $ 75 (once-off)
Type: WP plugin
Another way to turn your site traffic into Instagram followers is to integrate your Instagram content into your store. If you’re using WordPress, then 10Web Instagram Feed is a good solution. From displaying hashtag feeds to highlighting specific posts, this tool is an excellent way to introduce your web traffic to your Instagram content.
18. Juicer
Perfect for: Site integration and feed management
Price: Free, with upgraded plans from $ 19 per month
Type: Online platform and WP plugin
Juicer lets you display your Instagram posts onto your website to help you turn your web traffic into engaged Instagram followers. Their only dashboard also allows you to view and delete your posts.
19. SocialDrift
Perfect for: Increasing followers though auto-engagement
Price: $ 13 per week
Type: Web platform
If you’re looking for automated likes, comments and follows to help you engage with Instagram users, then SocialDrift’s algorithm can help. Based on specific parameters you set, it then learns the best times for engagement and acts accordingly.
Cautionary Tip: If you decide that this kind of tool is the way to go, use it strategically. There is nothing more annoying to an Instagram user than an engagement that one can clearly see is a bot. Instead, make sure you use more segmented hashtags/permissions (to keep the chance of relevancy higher) and be extra cautious with your comment text.
20. Upleap
Perfect for: Increasing followers
Price: From $ 39 per month with a free trial
Type: Web platform agency
Upleap takes over your Instagram engagement management to grow your Instagram following. Marketed as a tool to save you a ton of time by managing your search for engaged followers for you while helping your brand gain more social influence.
Instagram Tools for Finding Influencers
21. UserGems
Perfect for: Finding influencers and micro-influencers among your own customers
Price: Free for up to 100 customers, then $ 19 per month
Type: Shopify app
If you’re looking for the best influencers for your brand, then the UserGems Shopify app is here to help. Using real-time customer intelligence, this tool uses social media data from your customers to help you find influencers with over 10k followers and bloggers who are popular in your niche.
Instagram Hashtag Research Tools
22. Autohash
Perfect for: Finding hashtags
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Type: Android app
Autohash is an Android app that helps you find relevant Instagram hashtags more easily. It uses AI to review your images and the objects in them, to suggest the most relevant hashtags for your Instagram content. It will also add your popular hashtags to your clipboard for future use.
23. Display Purposes
Perfect for: Finding hashtags
Price: Free
Type: Web platform
Display Purposes is a web-based platform that helps you research popular and relevant hashtags for your Instagram posts. You start by inputting a hashtag or keyword, and it will suggest more hashtags you can choose from (in manual mode) or give you a list of hashtags to use (in automatic mode.)
24. Focalmark
Perfect for: Finding hashtags
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Focalmark is an Android/iPhone app that helps you choose hashtags for your Instagram image posts. Its algorithm takes the photo subject, location and the camera used, to help you find the most popular hashtags that are relevant to your image.
25. Toptager
Perfect for: Hashtag research
Price: Free
Type: Web platform
Toptager is an online tool that not only displays the most popular hashtags in real-time but helps you find the best hashtags for your keywords. Its copy-and-paste function offers a simple way for you to cut and paste these popular hashtags into your posts.
26. Websta
Perfect for: Hashtag ideas
Price: Free
Type: Web platform
Linking Tools for Instagram
27. Linktree
Perfect for: Bio link strategies
Price: Free, or $ 6 per month for pro version
Type: Web platform
Linktree is a tool that manages your Instagram bio link for you. As you know, you are only able to put one link in your Instagram bio, and changing it regularly depending on specials, blog posts, or product promotions can be tedious. Linktree fixes that by providing you a link to use that leads clickers to a landing page with different sections they can click.
28. Soldsie
Perfect for: Bio link strategies
Price: From free to $ 300, depending on the number of clicks your link receives
Type: Web platform
Another bio link optimizing tool is Soldsie, catering to online stores and publications. Utilizing the link “have2have.it/brand,” it’s a favorite bio link tool for some of the biggest brands including OPI, Dailylook and Lulu Frost.
Market Assessment Tools for Instagram
29. Ink361
Perfect for: Competitor analysis and account management
Price: Free, with a pro version in the works
Type: Web platform
Ink361 is an all-in-one Instagram account management tool, but with one key feature difference: its competitor analysis tool. With Ink361 you can monitor and compare your competitors, analyze the competition in general and see how you compare to your biggest competition.
Photo Editing Tools for Instagram
30. Afterlight 2
Perfect for: Photo editing
Price: $ 2.99
Type: iOS (and Android for previous version)
Afterlight 2 is another favorite all-in-one photo editing tool. It includes a variety of frames, filters, typography options and textures to help you visually optimize your Instagram images. Additionally, there is an option to create your own filters. Its previous version, Afterlight, is available for Android.
31. Enlight
Perfect for: Photo editing
Price: $ 3.99
Type: iOS App
Another iOS photo editing tool is Enlight. Enlight is super creative and helps turn your images into original works of art.
32. Facetune
Perfect for: Retouching images
Price: Free, with in-app purchases
Type: iOS app
Facetune is a retouching app that helps you do things like whiten teeth, widen eyes, cover blemishes, etc. without the need for fancy editing programs such as Photoshop. Good for images of people or apparel product photos with models on lower budgets.
32. Photoshop Express
Perfect for: Image editing
Price: Free
Type: Windows, Android and iOS app
Photoshop has brought out a free photo editing app called Photoshop Express. It offers a host of photo editing features including cropping, blemish removal, text tools, contrast and exposure corrections, filters, perspective corrections and border additions.
33. Snapseed
Perfect for: Photo editing
Price: Free
Another free, popular photo editing app is Snapseed, which has comprehensive editing tools and allows you to upload images directly to certain platforms. Its ‘Stacks’ feature allows you to group filters you have used to create a template that you can use for future Instagram images.
Selling Tools for Instagram
34. Foursixty
Perfect for: Selling with Instagram posts
Price: From $ 50 per month
Type: Web integration and Shopify app
Foursixty is a comprehensive Instagram selling tool that allows you to display UGC in your checkout pages, use powerful customization tools, get rights to photos and videos, and schedule your posts. Its most important feature, though, is its shoppable gallery tool, which turns your UGC and content into shoppable galleries for your site, blog, emails and ad campaigns.
35. Shopping on Instagram
Perfect for: Selling with Instagram
Price: Free
Type: Shopify app
Shopping for Instagram is a Shopify store feature that helps you link to Instagram shopping, to create shoppable Instagram posts. You need to be located in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain or Italy to use the feature; make sure you’ve got an approved Facebook Shop and Instagram Business account.
36. Instagram Shoppable Feed
Perfect for: Adding shoppable Instagram feeds to your site
Price: $ 4.95 per month
Type: Shopify app
Like the previous Instagram post display apps we discussed, the Instagram Shoppable Feed Shopify app allows you to display your posts on your site. However, unlike previously-mentioned tools, this app enables to make those Instagram images shoppable, designed to help push online sales.
37. Woobox
Perfect for: Running Instagram contests
Price: Free, with paid plans from $ 37 per month
Type: Web platform
If you’re looking for an app to help run Instagram (and Facebook) contests, then Woobox is a handy Instagram marketing tool to have. Used by big brands such as Spotify and Fossil, Woobox helps you create posts, landing pages, forms. Collect hashtag submissions, etc. to launch Instagram competitions to drive sales and grow followers.
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There you have it – all the Instagram tools you need for anything from scheduling to marketing and selling. Before investing in a new Instagram tool, I suggest that you make use of their free trials, plans and versions first. This will ensure you’re not throwing away unnecessary budget on tools, apps and plugins that don’t work for your brand, niche or marketing objectives.
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