So how can you elevate your Instagram marketing efforts and gain an edge over the competition, especially when 86.29% of the world’s population owns a smartphone?
That’s where you can trust powerful Instagram apps.
From creative content creation to scheduling and posting, from powerful analytics to engagement, you can use the best in the industry apps to streamline your Instagram marketing, save time, and drive more engagement and sales.
But which are the best mobile apps for your business?
How can you filter them?
Let’s find out.
Things to Consider While Selecting Instagram Apps
You can’t go gung-ho while integrating Instagram apps into your marketing strategy. You should consider several things to ensure that you choose the best apps for your business needs.
Have a look:
1. Purpose
Consider the app’s purpose and analyze whether it aligns with your Instagram marketing goals.
For example, if your goal is to optimize your marketing efforts and extract in-depth insights, look for Instagram analytics tools to analyze your Instagram accounts thoroughly.
2. Cost
Before investing in a mobile app, you must set up your investment budget.
Most of the top Instagram apps come with a price tag, so cost becomes a significant factor in whether the app fits your budget.
Also, don’t compromise on the value and features offered by the app while making the final investment decision. You can pay the premium if it’s vital for your business growth.
3. Reviews and ratings
Lastly, read reviews and ratings of the app to see what other users say about their experiences. Look for apps with high ratings and positive reviews to ensure you choose a reliable and reputable app.
Once you consider these factors, you strengthen your foundation for making an informed selection decision.
Instagram Apps for Scheduling and Posting
Using the Instagram scheduling and posting apps, you can save time and streamline your Instagram content creation process. You can also schedule and publish posts in advance.
Later has excellent Instagram posting and scheduling capabilities, so it is used by over 1 million app users worldwide. Whether you are an influencer, an agency, or a small business, the app can plan and organize your Instagram content, preview your posts before publishing, and track your post’s performance with detailed analytics.
You can download this Instagram post generator from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- Schedule and post your Facebook Reels with Later’s mobile app.
- Create content on the go for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, & Twitter.
Kat W.
The layout. The layout is clean and pleasing to the eye, making the platform enjoyable and easy to use.
Cons
- Cannot help you with your overall social media strategy.
- The analytics option available is fairly limited.
- Some scheduled Instagram posts are not always processed before posting.
Laura P.
I was using Later but ran into a bug with their Instagram-Facebook connection. Then I couldn’t schedule any posts.
Buffer is one of the famous multi-purpose social media management apps that helps you draft and schedule posts for sharing on Instagram and other social media channels. It also provides additional social media monitoring and reporting functionality.
You can choose and alter the posts’ time and date, which makes the app flexible compared to others in the industry.
You can download this Instagram posting app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- It offers basic analytics and link shortening.
- You can test their services using the free version.
- You can schedule and publish Instagram posts on a specific date and time.
Flavio M.
Buffer is a fantastic social media management platform. We use Buffer to create, publish, and schedule posts across multiple social media platforms. Buffer has great chrome plugins, and also I like how we can post directly into Instagram. Tracking scheduled posts using this platform is easy, and their pricing is fair.
Cons
- It costs extra to publish Instagram stories, access the hashtag manager, and create a shop grid.
- You require a third-party app called BulkBuffer for bulk uploads.
- You must upgrade to a different plan to analyze your social media accounts.
Duane
They raised their price for individual accounts from 10 to 15 a month. Go for the free plan, and then you lose posting abilities. The software has always had issues with it, as each “upgrade” can cause a loss of features. I hesitate to upgrade because of this.
Tailwind is a free Instagram planner for small businesses and offers an easy-to-use and simple-to-navigate interface. It also can assist you with bulk uploads and track your profile metrics, trend reporting, and engagement benchmarks.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- Simple and clear design.
- The ability to bulk upload Instagram posts.
- Can schedule the date and time of your posts.
Atulya B.
One of the best features of this Instagram post generator is that it allows you to schedule your Instagram posts. So, you can curate content for a whole week and upload it according to your schedule.
Cons
- Limited for Pinterest and Instagram.
- You can’t manage both social media accounts from one dashboard.
Jorge L.
The interface isn’t exactly what I would call stimulating. It’s basic and not very user-friendly if you look at it from an aesthetic perspective. Additionally, this was quite surprising considering how much users pay-dragging and dropping posts using the “smart shuffle” feature always had some sort of glitch. For a time, I used “Tailwind Create” for Pinterest Pins. The colors always looked dull, and the designs were dated.
Best Instagram Apps for Content Creation
Multiple mobile and web-based applications can be used to create and enhance visual content for Instagram. These apps for Instagram offer a variety of tools and features that can help users create high-quality images, videos, and graphics that stand out on the platform.
In this section, we will explore some of the best apps available for content creation on Instagram.
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design app that offers a wide range of templates and design elements for creating visually appealing Instagram posts, stories, and other types of content.
The interface is smooth; you can share and download your social graphic even in a free software version. You get 5GB of cloud storage and powerful collaboration features.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- It has a simple drag-and-drop interface.
- It also provides social media templates optimized for Instagram.
- Canva has a mobile app that allows you to create and edit designs on the go.
Cassandra C.
The great thing about Canva is that it offers a free platform for users, which means they don’t have to pay to access the app. In addition, the user interface is intuitive and easy to use, so you can start creating content immediately.
Cons
- Not suitable for more complex design projects
- Canva’s free version has limited features.
- Some users may find the range of options overwhelming or restrictive for their specific needs.
Jackie L.r
Some useful features, such as the ability to upload your fonts and better typography control, are only limited to the paid version of Canva. However, the free version is sufficient for an average user like me.
Another top content creation Instagram app is Adobe Lightroom. This powerful photo editing app allows you to enhance and manipulate your photos in various ways to create stunning visual content for Instagram.
It has various advanced editing features, including color grading, tone curve adjustment, and selective editing apps, which can help you create unique and professional-looking visuals.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- It allows you to edit photos and sync them with your desktop version.
- Lightroom integrates with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, allowing seamless workflow and design collaboration.
HARSHAL S.
Easy for editing, no issue for editing, and faster process to edit any photo. Enhance any photo quality by using adobe photoshop lightroom.
Cons
- It has a steep learning curve.
- It does not offer as many design templates and elements as Canva or other graphic design software.
James K.
The original application was not integrated with the cloud, and I did not need such functionality. Over time, however, Adobe began its rent-seeking ‘” subscription” model.
A top content creation app to elevate your Instagram marketing efforts, VSCO is a photo editor app on iOS and Android. The platform offers multiple embedded filters and apps to streamline your editing efforts.
The platform’s user-friendly interface makes it simple and easy to achieve your desired results. You can also share your edited content with your team and on social media.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- You get a variety of editing choices which makes the editing process efficient.
- It has a community called “Spaces” that allows members to create a collective gallery and share feedback.
- You can also view other posts once you follow other creators for more creative ideas.
Leo Cao
I’ve been using and enjoying the app and my VSCO membership for years.
Cons
- VSCO app doesn’t support the dark mode feature.
- You can only unlock the advanced filters and tool kits on a premium version.
- It is unavailable on the web or desktop versions.
MistyJadeYT
I’ve used this app for years and absolutely loved it. The only problem is in the last year or so when I edit a photo and save it, the picture quality gets worse and there’s no point in editing if the photo looks worse now. Unfortunately, I had to try other apps for editing that don’t sacrifice picture quality. It’s really unfortunate because I really loved the features.
Unfold is a top content creation app that can help your photos and videos with amazing filters and effects. You can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, shadows, highlights, warmth, and tint.
Its Reels templates can ensure you can keep up with the trendsetting videos for Instagram in minutes. Apart from Reel templates, you can choose from 400+ templates for creating beautiful content for social.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- Add effects and filters to your photos directly within the template.
- Sign in with Instagram and start planning your Instagram Feed.
- Make your Bio Site a hub for all your links to share in your social bios.
Chimmychangaa
I love this app so much, everything about it! Even after making purchases I’ve faced no problems and it’s so affordable for the amazing story templates you get! I highly recommend it’s so worth it! Even without extra purchases, it’s just great!
Cons
- The user interface is not intuitive.
- You might experience multiple lag issues with the app.
Remington Crawford
Nonsense. The customization options are nil, you’re limited to a handful of “styles”, none of which are what I want. The app prompts you to pay $20 for a year, then when you’re in the app it prompts you to pay $100 for a year! I’m not sure what you even get with either of the subscriptions. This feels like a way to milk people for minor utility.
Best Instagram Apps for Analytics and Insights
Analytics and insights apps are designed to help businesses and individuals better understand their Instagram audience and performance. Here are the top Instagram analytics tools.
One of the popular Instagram apps for analytics and insights is Hootsuite. The platform offers a range of features to help you optimize your Instagram strategy, such as scheduling posts and stories, tracking competitor activity, and collaborating with team members.
Hootsuite also offers customizable reports and analytics dashboards, making it easy to analyze and share data with stakeholders.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- You can monitor activities and analyze the results from a single dashboard.
- Connect with over 150 apps with effective collaboration capabilities.
Adam A.
Its analytics make weekly and monthly reports easy – no need to export data from each account. It’s easy to get a report and show it to management.
Cons
- The customer service team isn’t responsive.
- It’s a more enterprise-focused app.
Catie W.
I wish the analytics had more customization or explanation to help beginners use them better. It is also frustrating that messages that have been dismissed in the inbox can resurface now and then.
Iconosquare offers robust analytics, which can assist you in diving deep into your Instagram marketing performance. You can also schedule content for Facebook and Instagram accounts, monitor engagement, and track real-time analytics.
It can analyze trends while keeping a steady flow of content flowing for your marketing campaign. For instance, you can look at your analytics in real-time to make informed decisions about what kind of content users want to see.
Iconosquare is available on App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- It also lists the demographic details of your content.
- The interface is quite intuitive and can be used by anyone.
- You can use this app to get Instagram story analytics.
Eirik V J
I love the simplicity of the interface and the comprehensive data set available for analysis, and the valuable insights and analytics provided. The platform allows me to explore the data in-depth, a great feature.
Cons
- They removed the free plan and now only offer a 14-day trial.
- You can experience glitchy UI if they upload too many posts to their Instagram or Facebook.
- Limited social media integration.
Verified Iconosquare User
Auto-posting carousels with multiple photos is impossible, as they require manual posting with a reminder notification sent to your device. The scheduler’s media libraries are not cross-platform, so you must upload the same photo to three separate media libraries to schedule it for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Sprout Social is an effective social media management platform that offers powerful analytics and reporting features in a single dashboard. You can extract detailed insights about your social media platforms, including Instagram, which can improve your decision-making.
Apart from reporting, you can also access its social media scheduling, publishing, and monitoring features. It also offers the Smart Inbox features, which provide a full view of social interactions.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- You can use the Optimal Times feature as a guide for scheduling posts.
- It allows you to create weekly reports and track your social goals.
- Its calendar is highly organized and user-friendly.
Faith L.
I love the reporting capabilities. I frequently get asked about overall social media performance and before Sprout, I spent a lot of time compiling analytics from each platform’s analytics database into a cumulative report. Now, I can easily send a weekly performance with one click!
Cons
- The lack of streamlined reporting makes the process time-consuming and overwhelming.
- It is a costly investment for many small and medium-scale businesses.
- The chat support feature of Sprout Social is unsatisfactory.
Merit K.
What I dislike is the lack of variety in the types of posts you can make through Sprout, and that you can’t tag accounts. We are testing a lot for Salesforce NL with polls and other forms of content to get engagement up. We are also working with agencies that should be able to do it for us. But it still comes down to manually making adjustments too often now. And afterward, which has a negative effect on reach and engagement. It would be great if these functionalities could be added.
Best Instagram Apps for Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has become a successful strategy for Instagram marketing. But finding the right influencer can be overwhelming for you.
So you require specific apps to find, connect with, and manage influencers.
Trend is an invite-only network of thousands of influencers that consistently create outstanding content. It’s helpful during the campaign and when you want to reuse the content.
You can save a post to your phone’s camera roll and upload it to your brand’s Instagram profile without the hassle of downloading the image on your desktop, sending it to your email, saving it to your camera roll, and then uploading it.
You can download the app from the App Store.
Pros
- Manage your entire influencer campaign from your phone
- Negotiate a contract with the selected influencers.
- The interface is straightforward and flexible.
Verified User
First: The software is simple and takes the guesswork out of pricing for influencers. This allows you to focus on quality of content/influencer and not be driven by how expensive or cheep each influencer is since prices are pre-negotiated by Trend. This is a win round. Second: The tracking feature for sending products is seamless. With most postal/shipping companies integrated and each step of the way is carefully documented, the process of knowing your product has arrived is a breeze. Trend also guarantees it and this is good for the mind and soul Third: The quality of influencers is carefully curated and the content delivered by influencers is top notch. Here you don’t risk having an influencer give you low-quality content as you can decline it and they can re-do the content.
Cons
- Limited communication between influencers and brands
- Only usable for Instagram.
Verified User
The creators on trend are hit or miss and I have been ghosted by 1 or 2 each time I finalize a campaign. When I turn to customer service to ask for a resolution, I am not given much of an answer. This is extremely upsetting as a small business owner as not only are you required to pre-fund campaigns but you have also already sent out products with monetary value to said creators just to be ghosted and ignored.
Intellifluence is a leading influencer marketing platform that serves as a marketplace connecting influencers with brands. One of the primary benefits of using Intellifluence is connecting with influencers in the same niche, which can help increase your exposure and reach a more targeted audience.
The platform works with major social media networks like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, giving brands access to a vast pool of influencers across different channels.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- Good customer support
- It’s very easy to use
- A wide range of price options
Sarri Koziol
I downloaded the Intellifluence app when I first applied to the program. I like using the app vs the website because it is easy to navigate, and see everything I need. I think the app is super easy-to-use, versatile, and holds everything I need in one spot. There are times when I am out and about where my web pages will not load. However, apps always do. It makes it incredibly easy to check my messages, see new campaigns available, etc when I am out running errands, or in a waiting room.
Cons
- It might take time to get a reply from an influencer
Jonathan Black
The app is dated and basic. I guess that equates to easy to use as everyone seems to agree. The offers are few and very far between if we’re talking quality. Also the $25 threshold for cashing out is a little much considering what is offered and what is realistically feasible. Unless you’re looking to blindly push products on your client base/followers. Not impressed.
IndaHash is a global influencer marketing platform that helps brands connect with influencers around the world. With its extensive network of over 1,000,000 influencers and 500 companies across 80 countries, Indahash provides an excellent opportunity for businesses looking to collaborate with influencers in different regions.
The platform primarily focuses on three popular social media platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. By leveraging the influence of social media personalities, businesses can reach a wider audience, generate brand awareness, and increase sales. You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
Pros
- It has a content library where influencers can reuse content across various channels
- Less hassle as it is fully automated
- No hidden fees or commissions
A Google user
Just completed my first campaign with Indahash. A really good app with a really good team putting their effort being the success of this platform. 100% professionalism guaranteed. Totally recommended to all brands as well as influencers. Loved the overall experience!
Cons
- You have lesser control over your campaign as a brand.
A Google User
This app constantly freezes. I’m unable to upload images. Once I upload an image, it freezes. It also freezes when I open campaigns sometimes. Its really frustrating. It also doesn’t pick up my Facebook posts. I have to contact someone directly to approve my post and now I’m sitting on 3 yellow cards for a app that I’m unable to control.
Choose the Right Apps For Instagram Posting
Now that you know the top required Instagram apps that can help elevate your marketing strategy in 2023, it’s time to integrate a few into your operations.
From scheduling posts and stories to analyzing audience data and creating engaging content, each app offers unique features and benefits that can help businesses and individuals grow their Instagram presence.
But after comparing all the top 14 Instagram apps from different categories, prioritize picking SocialPilot. Along with Instagram-friendly features, the app has multi-platfrom scheduling features.
Access a 14-day free trial to boost your Instagram growth now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I promote my Instagram marketing?
To promote your Instagram marketing, you can try the following strategies:
- Post consistently and engage with your followers
- Use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience
- Collaborate with other influencers and brands in your niche
- Run Instagram ads to target specific audiences
- Use Instagram Stories, Reels, and IGTV to showcase your brand and reach new audiences
- Use a professional Instagram marketing tool.
Which app can boost my Instagram?
There are multiple Instragam marketing tools that can help you improve, namely:
- Instagram Posting Apps for Scheduling and Posting
- Instagram Apps for Influencer Marketing
- Instagram Apps for Analytics and Insights
- Instagram Apps for Content Creation
How do I grow my Instagram marketing page?
You can scale your Instagram marketing page by
- Using high-quality, visually appealing content that resonates with your target audience
- Engaging with your followers by responding to comments and DMs
- Using hashtags and geotags to increase your reach and attract new followers
- Partnering with other influencers and brands to reach new audiences
- Running Instagram ads to promote your brand to specific audiences
What apps are Instagram influencers using?
Instagram influencers use a range of apps to create and promote their content, including:
- Intellifluence for influencer marketing
- SocialPilot for advance scheduling and end-to-end campaign management
- VSCO for editing photos and videos
- Lightroom is an advanced photo editor app
- Hootsuite for analytics
How to get 1k followers on Instagram for free?
Building a loyal following takes time and effort. Focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience and engage with them regularly. With patience and persistence, you can gradually grow your Instagram following.
About the Author
SocialPilot
$30
per month
SocialPilot is an affordable yet reliable Instagram posting app. It enables direct Instagram scheduling to help you manage a solid Instagram presence on the fly.
It has adapted to the changing Instagram landscape and introduced Reels posting and analytics features. The simple-to-use interface makes it easier for non-tech-savvy professionals to schedule Instagram posts, reels, and stories.
Its capabilities are not limited to Instagram, and it also supports other major social media platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, Google Business Profile, Tumblr, YouTube, and VK.
You can download the app from the App Store and Play Store.
What People Say About Us
Adele v.
I have tried and researched a lot of websites that perform the services that SocialPilot does and I can say without question that SocialPilot is by far the BEST. I was looking for a website that would allow me to post to all my social media accounts, to bulk upload my posts, to have good reliable customer services, to be at a price I could afford and is reliable. SocialPilot does all of this fantastically. The competition all falls on one or more of these factors but SocialPilot shines!