Are you looking for the best Instagram monitoring tools? Great, you’re in the right place! In this article, you’ll explore the curated list of the top 10 software solutions that help you keep an eye on engagement, brand mentions, competitor moves, and audience trends.
- Instagram monitoring tools track and analyze various aspects of Instagram presence, including engagement, sentiment, brand mentions, competitor benchmarking, and industry trends.
- The main goals of using Instagram monitoring tools are: improving engagement, managing brand reputation, optimizing marketing campaigns, adjusting content to the target audience’s expectations, and making more data-driven decisions.
- The best tools offer multi-purpose and AI-driven features, such as real-time keyword tracking, automatic sentiment detection, audience trends, influencer research, and competitive benchmarking dashboards.
The following list results from my +5 years of experience in marketing and media monitoring fields and was updated in September 2025.
Top 10 Instagram Monitoring Tools:
01 Brand24
Brand24 offers a unique approach to social media analytics.
The main focus in terms of Instagram analytics is on gathering mentions about your brand. Thus, it provides insights into your brand perception across various Instagram users.
How does it work?
Brand24 helps you track what people say about your brand on Instagram.
It detects positive and negative mentions, shows sentiment, and many more essential data that are hidden behind the content itself.
Its AI Events Detector feature spots sudden spikes in mentions, so you can identify trends or crises early. The tool also turns raw data into simple, ready-to-use reports, making insights easy to apply.
Anomaly identified with the Brand24’s AI Event Detector
Beyond Instagram, Brand24 monitors blogs, news, forums, and other social platforms, giving you a complete view of your brand’s online presence.
Key features:
Brand24 dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Real-time Instagram mentions tracking
- Detecting anomalies
- AI-powered sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification and analysis
- Hashtag monitoring and analysis
- Clean, exportable reports for teams and clients
👎 What could be better:
- Lacks of in-depth account analytics (follower growth, content performance)
- No content planner and post scheduling
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Brand24 is perfect for medium-to-large brands and enterprises focused on Instagram social listening and reputation management.
It works great for tracking and analyzing mentions, trends, competitors, hashtags, influencers, and crises quickly.
Also, its AI capabilities (like AI Brand Assistant, AI Insights, or detailed Emotion Analysis) are really impressive.
Try Brand24 – the best Instagram monitoring tool!
02 Meta Business Suite
Meta Business Suite is a free, native tool for managing Facebook and Instagram accounts in one place.
It provides an overview of your Instagram performance data without using third-party apps. Inside the dashboard, you can:
- Track key metrics such as reach, views, engagement, follower growth, and content interactions.
- Monitor content performance for posts, Stories, and Reels, with breakdowns by format and audience demographics.
- Access real-time insights, making it easier to spot which content resonates with your community.
- Schedule posts and Stories directly.
- Manage messages and comments across Instagram and Facebook from a single inbox, helping with community management.
The main advantages of Meta Business Suite are its integration with Instagram, its real-time data, and the fact that it’s completely free.
However, Meta Business Suite is basic and focuses on native analytics only. It doesn’t provide broader social listening or competitor analysis like dedicated Instagram monitoring tools do.
Meta Business Suite dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Free and easy to use
- Real-time, first-hand data due to direct integration with Instagram
- All-in-one dashboard for publishing, insights, and inbox management
👎 What could be better:
- Limited to your own accounts (no competitor tracking)
- No advanced analytics and features
- Reporting and customization options are basic
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Meta Business Suite is a great starting point if you want a free, reliable tool to track your Instagram performance and manage content in one place.
It’s perfect for small businesses or creators who just need the basics.
But if you’re looking for deeper insights, competitive benchmarking, or social listening, you’ll quickly realize that you need a dedicated Instagram monitoring tool.
03 Meltwater
Meltwater stands out in Instagram monitoring for its brand mentions, hashtags, and trends data directly related to Instagram.
It’s especially powerful in providing analytics that discern audience sentiment and engagement levels on your Instagram content.
This tool allows you to:
- Brand mentions tracking
- Analysis of Instagram-specific market trends
- Insight into the sentiments of the Instagram audience
- Instagram analytics
Meltwater is valuable for those seeking a thorough understanding of their Instagram impact and strategically enhancing their presence.
However, a heads-up for those starting out: Meltwater’s extensive features could be a bit complex initially. You need some knowledge of operating on data to make the tool useful.
Meltwater dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Advanced monitoring of brand mentions, hashtags, and trends
- Sentiment analysis
- Comprehensive coverage and analytics
👎 What could be better:
- Difficult onboarding process
- Overwhelming if you need basic-to-medium Instagram metrics
- Pricing is higher compared to simpler tools
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Meltwater is a powerful Instagram monitoring tool best suited for medium to large businesses.
If you’re serious about tracking brand reputation, audience sentiment, and market trends on Instagram, Meltwater has it all.
But if you’re just starting out or need something straightforward, it might be more than you need.
04 eClincher
eClincher is a comprehensive Instagram analytics tool. Social media managers value it for its effectiveness in Instagram analytics and, most importantly, social media management.
It offers a range of features tailored for businesses and professionals to streamline their Instagram marketing strategy.
Key features:
- Multiple accounts management
- Scheduling and publishing Instagram content
- Instagram analytics
- Engagement metrics
- Content Curation
- Messages and comments centralization
- Team Collaboration
eClincher dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Tracks Instagram hashtags and brand mentions in real time
- Sentiment analysis
- Solid analytics with customizable dashboards
- Unified inbox for comments/mentions across multiple accounts
👎 What could be better:
- Sentiment detection is not always accurate
- Advanced monitoring features are locked in higher plans
- Interface design is complex and quite outdated
⭐️ Overall verdict:
eClincher is a good choice for agencies and teams managing multiple Instagram accounts that need both monitoring and management in one place.
Solo users or small brands may find it pricey and overly complex.
05 Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a dynamic social media monitoring tool, highly regarded for its depth in market and audience insights.
It’s the tool of choice for social media managers who crave more than just data – they want a comprehensive toolkit for managing their digital presence.
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about shaping strategies.
Key features:
- Comparative analysis of follower and engagement stats across brands
- Detailed audience analytics
- Insight into competitors’ strategies
- Instagram audit
- Follower growth metrics
- Integration with multiple social media platforms
- Streamlined workflow and approval processes
- Instagram Analytics app
Sprout Social dashboard
Ok, but how do I know if this is the go-to out of so many social media analytics tools for me? It’s important to note that this is a very complex social media management platform.
And with its many features, it can present a learning curve for newcomers.
💪 Strengths:
- Detailed Instagram analytics
- Competitor tracking and benchmarking
- Strong hashtag & sentiment monitoring
- Customizable reports and insights
👎 What could be better:
- Expensive, pricing per user/profile adds up
- Steep learning curve for newcomers
- Overwhelming if you only need Instagram monitoring
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Sprout Social is best for larger teams and agencies that want deep Instagram insights alongside multi-platform management.
However, it can be too pricey and complex for small businesses or solo creators focused only on Instagram.
Try Brand24 – the best Instagram monitoring tool!
06 Hootsuite
Hootsuite is more than just basic analytics – it’s a complete command center. Marketers love it for its user-friendly dashboard with engagement and sales metrics.
The platform allows you to manage and analyze multiple social media accounts – including Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, and others – all from one place.
With Hootsuite, scheduling posts, tracking social conversations, and measuring performance are all in a day’s work.
Key features:
- Multi-platform management
- Post scheduling and calendar view
- Social media analytics and reporting
- Team collaboration tools
- Social media listening capabilities
Hootsuite dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Central dashboard to monitor multiple Instagram accounts
- Strong analytics with customizable reports
- Social listening for hashtags, keywords, and brand mentions
- Easy scheduling and bulk posting
👎 What could be better:
- Advanced listening and analytics are locked in higher plans
- It can get pricey for teams
- The interface can feel crowded with too many streams
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Hootsuite is a good option for teams and marketers who want an all-in-one hub for Instagram monitoring, scheduling, and reporting.
A solid choice for scaling brands, but a bit too complex if you just need simple analytics.
07 Sociality.io
Sociality.io shines as a versatile tool that simplifies Instagram monitoring and management. It’s a hit with marketers who value efficiency and work in teams.
It offers detailed reporting, competitive analysis, and streamlined post scheduling.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive social media reporting
- Competitor analysis and benchmarking
- Efficient posts scheduling and publishing
- Social media engagement tools
Sociality.io dashboard
💪 Strengths:
- Strong competitor analysis and benchmarking
- Detailed Instagram reporting with exportable insights
- Unified inbox for comments and mentions monitoring
- Good for teams needing collaborative monitoring
👎 What could be better:
- Interface can feel outdated
- Reporting tools have a learning curve for new users
⭐️ Overall verdict:
While Sociality.io offers a breadth of features, some users find the user interface a bit clunky and the reporting tools can be initially complex to navigate.
Nevertheless, for in-depth social media insights, it’s a robust option.
08 Keyhole
Keyhole is an efficient Instagram analytics tool known for its real-time tracking and easy-to-use hashtag analytics.
It’s kind of like having a backstage pass to the Instagram show, giving you insights into audience engagement and competitive trends.
The tool is straightforward and perfect for both beginners and experienced marketers alike.
Key features:
- Real-Time hashtag tracking
- Audience engagement metrics
- Competitive analysis
- Influencer identification and monitoring
Keyhole dashboard
While Keyhole is great for immediate insights, especially with hashtags and engagement, it may lack the depth in long-term data analytics that some more comprehensive tools provide.
💪 Strengths:
- Real-time hashtag and keyword tracking
- Clear, user-friendly dashboards and reports
- Audience engagement metrics
- Influencer identification and campaign tracking
👎 What could be better:
- Limited historical data depth
- Advanced features are locked in higher plans
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Keyhole is perfect for quick, real-time Instagram insights, hashtag campaigns, and influencer monitoring. Great for marketers who need fast data, but less suited for deep, long-term analytics.
09 Iconosquare
Iconosquare specializes in providing detailed analytics and management tools specifically for Instagram and Facebook.
It’s a hit with social media marketers looking to dive deep into data and optimize their content. Plus, it is ideal for agencies or brands with multiple accounts.
Key features:
- In-depth analytics for Instagram and Facebook
- Customizable reporting
- Competitor analysis and benchmarking
- Instagram posts scheduling and calendar
Iconosquare dashboard
Iconosquare’s focus on specific platforms might be a limitation for those managing a broader online presence. Also, its in-depth analytics features require a bit of a learning curve.
However, for Instagram-centric analytics and management, it’s a powerhouse.
💪 Strengths:
- Deep Instagram analytics with 100+ tracked metrics
- Customizable, exportable reports (PDF/CSV)
- Competitor analysis and benchmarking tools
- Best time to post suggestions for higher engagement
👎 What could be better:
- Limited to Instagram and Facebook (narrow scope)
- Steeper learning curve for new users
- It can be pricey for smaller teams
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Iconosquare is a powerhouse for Instagram-focused brands and agencies needing in-depth analytics and competitor insights. It is excellent for data-driven teams, but too narrow and complex for those managing many platforms.
10 Vista Social
Vista Social is an all-in-one social media management and monitoring platform that brings publishing, engagement, and analytics into a single dashboard.
It’s designed for brands and agencies that want both Instagram monitoring and execution without juggling multiple tools.
Vista Social dashboard
Key features:
- Post scheduling and publishing (including Reels and Stories)
- Unified inbox for comments, mentions, and DMs
- Instagram analytics and automated reporting
- Social listening with keyword and sentiment tracking
💪 Strengths:
- Combines monitoring, publishing, and engagement in one platform
- Strong reporting and analytics, with customizable reports
- Collaboration features for teams and agencies
- More affordable than most other tools
👎 What could be better:
- Learning curve for new users
- Social listening is less advanced than specialized tools
⭐️ Overall verdict:
Vista Social is a smart choice if you want to track Instagram mentions and engagement while also managing posting and community interactions. It’s ideal for teams who want everything in one place.
However, if you need a deeper influencer tracking or advanced listening, Vista Social might be slightly underperforming.
Try Brand24 – the best Instagram monitoring tool!
Top features of a great Instagram monitoring tool
When hunting for the perfect Instagram monitoring tool, think of it as finding your social media strategy’s new best friend.
What should this BFF be able to do? Here’s a list of key Instagram analytics features to look for:
- Real-time mention monitoring (including Reels)
The tool should track your brand mentions and performance on Instagram Reels. The platform promotes short video formats, so monitoring this type of content is crucial.
- Engagement and reach metrics
It should help you measure reach and engagement for a thorough understanding of your audience interaction.
Identify positive and negative mentions, helping you gauge audience mood.
- Hashtag tracking and analysis
Monitor and analyze hashtags relevant to your brand, uncovering trending topics.
- Influencer identification
Find influencers with a high relevance for your brand. An ‘Influencer Score’ feature can make looking for people who align with your brand values so much easier.
- Trending hashtag suggestions
Suggest hashtags that are currently trending and relevant to your brand.
- Emoji and emotion analysis
Delve into the emotional tone of posts and comments.
Identify unusual spikes in mentions or engagement, alerting you to potential opportunities or crises.
Provide not just data, but actionable insights and conclusions to inform your strategy.
The ability to schedule posts is a valuable addition in a comprehensive Instagram tool.
After all, it’s about finding a tool that doesn’t just throw data at you but also helps you make sense of it, turning insights into actionable strategies.
Enjoy all the Instagram monitoring features!
How to choose a right Instagram monitoring tool?
As you can see, there are many social media monitoring tools that can help you track and analyze your Instagram performance. How to choose the right one?
Consider the following factors:
- Assess your needs
Determine what you need most from a monitoring tool – is it analytics, competitor analysis, or user engagement?
- Do your research
Look at different tools, compare their features, and read user reviews.
- Test for the best
Many tools offer free trials. Take advantage of this to see if the tool fits your needs. Start with Brand24 free trial to check how such tools can improve your Instagram marketing..
- Check integrations
Ensure the tool integrates well with other platforms you use.
- Consider ease of use
A tool can have all the bells and whistles, but it’s useless if it’s too complex for you.
Comparison of the best Instagram monitoring tools
To make your choice easier, I prepared a quick comparison of how consumers perceive different social media monitoring tools presented in this article.
The results show that:
- Brand24 enjoys the most positive sentiment among its rivals (12% of positive mentions)
- Hootsuite is the most recognizable tool in the industry (over 25,000 mentions)
- Sprout Social and Meltwater generate a strong community activity (a high share of user-generated content).
- Keyhole has almost no traction, with only 25 mentions and minimal positive sentiment, it struggles with visibility and brand recognition in this group.
The comparison of Instagram monitoring tools
Try Brand24 – the most positively-rated Instagram monitoring tool!
Conclusion
Diving into the Instagram ocean with over 2 billion users, it’s clear that just swimming with the current is the easy way to sink.
Meta Business Suite is a great starting block. And yes, it does offer valuable analytics right within the app.
It’s handy for keeping tabs on your growing audience and checking up on specific posts or Instagram stories.
But let’s face it: to truly ride the waves of Instagram marketing, this tool won’t cut it.
Moreover, to truly understand your audience, you need more.
You need the power of external tool that can track mentions or hashtags, analyze your competitors, or dive deep into other key metrics that can elevate your marketing strategy.
And which should you pick from the patchwork of possibilities?
Here are three types of Instagram analytics tools you should consider:
- Social media monitoring tools: Brand24, for instance, is a lifesaver for monitoring what your Instagram audience thinks about your brand.
It helps in understanding sentiment, addressing concerns, identifying pain points, and reacting to potential crises.
Plus, it tracks hashtags, campaigns, and mentions, and offers a peek into your competitors’ strategies.
- Social media management tools: Tools like Sprout Social are vital when your brand dances across various social platforms.
They support a holistic marketing strategy, crucial in today’s diverse content landscape.
- Conversion tracking tools: Understand the role of Instagram in your business funnel.
Tools that help track the conversion impact of your Instagram efforts, like Google Analytics, are indispensable.
So, what are you waiting for? Start exploring these Instagram analytics tools now. Unleash their potential to supercharge your Instagram marketing campaigns.
Ready to take the plunge? Start with a Brand24 14-day free trial!
