Today, do you get a better engagement rate on Instagram or on Facebook?

This article has been written by our Instagram expert who will tell you what are the most efficient strategies in your niche

What's the average engagement rate on Instagram versus Facebook in 2025?

Instagram delivers 0.50% average engagement while Facebook sits at 0.15%, representing a dramatic shift from previous years.

Both platforms experienced significant declines from 2024, with Instagram dropping 16-28% and Facebook falling 36% year-over-year. These numbers reflect increased competition, algorithm changes prioritizing reach over engagement, and the shift toward private interactions through DMs and saves.

The engagement calculation includes likes, comments, shares, and saves divided by follower count, but this metric increasingly underrepresents true interaction as users engage privately. Instagram's higher rate stems from its visual-first format and younger user base, while Facebook's lower engagement reflects its older demographic's preference for meaningful interactions over quick likes.

Industry sources reporting higher averages (up to 3.5%) often include micro-influencers and brand partnerships, but large-scale studies consistently show these lower figures across organic content. The consensus among major analytics platforms confirms this downward trend will likely continue through 2026.

How does engagement vary by account size on each platform?

Smaller accounts consistently outperform larger ones on both platforms, with nano-influencers achieving the highest engagement rates per follower.

Account Size	Follower Range	Instagram Engagement	Facebook Engagement
Nano	1K-10K	3.45%-8%	0.15%-0.30%
Micro	10K-100K	2%-4%	0.15%-0.17%
Mid-tier	100K-500K	1.5%-3%	0.05%-0.08%
Macro	500K-1M	1%-2%	0.05%-0.08%
Mega	1M+	1%-2%	0.05%-0.08%
Celebrity	10M+	0.5%-1.5%	0.02%-0.05%
Brand Pages	Varies	0.3%-1%	0.08%-0.15%

What are the average likes and comments per post by niche on Instagram and Facebook?

Cross-platform content performance varies dramatically, with Instagram generating 395 average likes and 24 comments per post compared to Facebook's 155 likes and 17 comments.

These averages mask significant niche variations, where fashion accounts on Instagram can achieve 2.5x higher engagement than the platform average, while educational content performs better on Facebook. The comment-to-like ratio reveals user behavior differences: Instagram users tend to like quickly and comment selectively, while Facebook users engage in longer discussions when they do interact.

TikTok's superior performance (3,092 likes, 66 comments average) has pushed both Meta platforms to prioritize video content, but neither platform has matched TikTok's engagement levels. This disparity explains why many creators use Instagram and Facebook primarily for audience building and conversion rather than viral content creation.

If you're struggling to identify what content works in your niche, we can help you figure it out.

How do audience behaviors differ between Instagram and Facebook users?

Instagram users prioritize quick consumption and visual discovery, while Facebook users engage in deeper, more meaningful interactions within community contexts.

On Instagram, carousels achieve 0.55% engagement, Reels hit 0.50%, and static images generate 0.45%. Users increasingly save content for later consumption and share privately through DMs, making public metrics understate true engagement. The "send this to..." trend capitalizes on private sharing behaviors that don't appear in standard analytics.

Facebook users prefer albums and videos for entertainment, but status posts generate the most comments and discussions. The platform's strength lies in group interactions and meaningful conversations, with users more likely to engage with longer-form content and participate in comment threads. Facebook's older demographic values authentic discussions over quick social validation.

Both platforms show a shift toward private engagement channels, but Instagram's private interactions focus on content discovery and sharing, while Facebook's center around relationship building and community participation. This fundamental difference should guide your content strategy and engagement measurement approaches.

What is the average conversion rate when promoting products or services on Instagram versus Facebook?

Facebook dominates conversion performance with 8.95%-9.21% rates compared to Instagram's 1.08%-1.85%, making it the superior platform for direct sales campaigns.

Facebook's conversion advantage stems from its sophisticated targeting capabilities, older user base with higher purchasing power, and established e-commerce infrastructure. The platform excels in lead generation, B2B services, and local business promotion, where detailed demographic targeting and longer content formats support complex purchasing decisions.

Instagram's lower conversion rates don't tell the complete story, as the platform excels in product discovery and brand building that leads to later conversions. Sixty-one percent of users discover products on Instagram, and shoppable posts increase direct sales by 45% for brands implementing them effectively. The platform works best for visual products, lifestyle brands, and younger demographics who research extensively before purchasing.

Smart marketers use both platforms in tandem: Instagram for awareness and discovery, Facebook for conversion and retention. This approach leverages each platform's strengths while maximizing overall campaign ROI through comprehensive funnel coverage.

Not sure why your posts aren't converting? Let us take a look for you.

Can you break down the conversion funnel for both platforms?

The conversion funnels reveal each platform's strengths at different stages, with Instagram excelling in awareness and Facebook in conversion optimization.

Funnel Stage	Instagram Performance	Facebook Performance
Reach	High via Reels and Explore; younger demographic focus	Broadest reach across all demographics; unmatched scale
Awareness	Superior for visual product discovery; 61% use for research	Strong for brand recall; better for service-based businesses
Click-through	1.35% average CTR; higher for lifestyle/fashion content	0.90%-2.5% CTR; varies significantly by industry
Lead Generation	Lower volume but higher quality for visual brands	Higher volume; excellent for B2B and local services
Conversion	1.08%-1.85%; improves with shoppable features	8.95%-9.21%; consistently outperforms all platforms
Retention	Strong through Stories and DM engagement	Superior for community building and repeat business
ROI Optimization	Requires longer attribution windows; multi-touch approach	Direct attribution; immediate ROI measurement possible

How does engagement rate differ across industries?

Industry performance varies dramatically between platforms, with visual sectors dominating Instagram while professional services thrive on Facebook.

Fashion achieves 0.99%-2.3% engagement on Instagram compared to 0.10%-0.20% on Facebook, reflecting the platform's strength in visual product showcase. Fitness and health content performs moderately well on Instagram (0.40%-1.2%) but struggles on Facebook due to the platform's community-focused nature rather than individual inspiration.

Education and coaching content performs exceptionally well on both platforms (4.2%-3.0% Instagram, 2.2%-3.0% Facebook), as these industries benefit from both visual storytelling and community discussion formats. Food content shows strong Instagram performance (0.63%-2.6%) leveraging visual appeal, while Facebook performance (0.15%-0.25%) reflects limited community engagement around food content.

Parenting content achieves solid Instagram engagement (1.2%-2.0%) through relatable visual content, but Facebook performance varies significantly based on community building versus individual posts. Nonprofits and sports teams consistently outperform across both platforms due to passionate community engagement and shareability factors.

Which platform shows higher ROI for sponsored content, product sales, and services?

Facebook delivers superior ROI for direct response campaigns with $2-$4 returns per $1 spent, while Instagram excels in brand building and long-term customer value creation.

Facebook's ROI advantage comes from precise targeting, established purchasing behaviors, and shorter conversion paths. The platform's older demographic has higher disposable income and less purchasing hesitation, leading to immediate returns that are easily measurable. Industries like real estate, professional services, and B2B consistently achieve 300-400% ROI through Facebook advertising.

Instagram's ROI requires different measurement approaches, as the platform excels in building brand awareness and customer lifetime value rather than immediate conversions. Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands often see 200-500% ROI when measuring long-term impact including influenced purchases, brand recognition, and customer acquisition cost reduction.

The highest ROI comes from integrated campaigns using both platforms strategically: Instagram for top-funnel awareness and product discovery, Facebook for mid and bottom-funnel conversion optimization. This approach can achieve combined ROI of 400-600% for e-commerce brands with proper attribution modeling.

How much fake traffic or bot activity affects engagement numbers?

Instagram faces up to 40% fake engagement according to internal Meta documents, while Facebook experiences lower but still significant bot activity affecting campaign measurement.

The fake engagement epidemic particularly impacts Instagram due to easier bot creation, influencer market pressures, and less sophisticated detection systems compared to Facebook. This artificial inflation makes organic engagement rates appear higher than reality and can significantly skew campaign performance metrics for brands relying on influencer partnerships.

Facebook's stricter account verification and anti-bot measures result in lower fake engagement percentages, but the platform still struggles with click farms and automated interactions. The impact is more pronounced in developing markets where bot networks operate more freely, affecting global campaign measurement and ROI calculations.

Advanced analytics tools can identify fake engagement through pattern recognition, engagement velocity analysis, and follower quality audits. Brands should implement regular auditing processes and focus on conversion metrics rather than vanity metrics to avoid making decisions based on inflated data.

If you feel like your content isn't getting enough engagement, we can help improve that.

What are the spending habits of users on each platform?

Instagram users favor direct in-app purchases and impulse buying, while Facebook users prefer researched purchases through Marketplace and retargeting campaigns.

Instagram's user base, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, shows higher propensity for spontaneous purchases driven by visual appeal and social proof. Sixty-one percent use the platform for product discovery, and shoppable posts drive 45% higher direct sales for implementing brands. The platform excels in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle purchases where visual presentation is crucial.

Facebook users demonstrate more deliberate purchasing behaviors, with higher average order values and longer consideration periods. The platform's older demographic has greater purchasing power and prefers detailed product information before buying. Facebook Marketplace and Shops cater to this preference for comprehensive product research and comparison shopping.

Cross-platform shopping behavior shows users often discover products on Instagram but complete purchases through Facebook or external websites, highlighting the importance of integrated marketing funnels rather than single-platform approaches for maximizing conversion potential.

How did engagement rates and conversion trends change in 2025 compared to 2024?

Both platforms experienced significant engagement declines, with Instagram dropping 16-28% and Facebook falling 36% year-over-year, while conversion rates remained relatively stable.

The engagement decline reflects algorithm changes prioritizing reach over engagement, increased competition for user attention, and the shift toward private interactions through DMs and saves. Instagram's decline was less severe due to successful Reels adoption and strong performance in younger demographics, while Facebook's steeper drop reflects user migration to other platforms and reduced posting frequency.

Conversion rates showed more stability, with Facebook maintaining 8.95%-9.21% (slight drop from 9.21%) and Instagram holding steady at 1.08%-1.85%. This stability suggests that while fewer people engage publicly, those who do convert at similar rates, indicating quality over quantity in audience engagement.

Content trends shifted toward authenticity and private engagement, with successful brands adapting by focusing on meaningful interactions, user-generated content, and direct message strategies rather than pursuing vanity metrics. The brands that thrived in 2025 prioritized conversion-focused content over engagement-focused content.

What can be expected in terms of engagement and monetization on both platforms heading into 2026?

Continued engagement rate decline is expected, but monetization opportunities will expand through enhanced social commerce features and AI-driven personalization.

Public engagement rates will likely drop another 10-20% as algorithms further prioritize private interactions and meaningful connections over broad reach. Instagram will strengthen its position in social commerce with improved shoppable features, while Facebook will focus on community commerce and local business integration.

AI-powered content optimization and automated ad management will become standard, reducing the technical barrier for effective advertising while improving ROI through better targeting and creative optimization. Both platforms will implement stricter anti-bot measures, leading to more accurate but potentially lower engagement metrics.

The most successful brands in 2026 will prioritize authenticity, community building, and conversion optimization over vanity metrics. Cross-platform strategies leveraging each platform's strengths will become essential, with Instagram driving discovery and Facebook optimizing conversions for maximum overall ROI.

Don't know which format works best for your audience? We can help you test and optimize.

Conclusion

Sources

1. Social Insider Instagram Benchmarks
2. PopularPays Instagram Engagement Rate 2025
3. Social Insider Social Media Benchmarks
4. Rainmaker Social Benchmarks 2025
5. Buffer Average Engagement Rate
6. Business Dasher Conversion Rate Benchmarks
7. Shopify Social Media Conversion Rate
8. Amra & Elma Facebook Ads Statistics
9. Influee Facebook Ads Conversion Rate
10. New York Post Meta Fake Engagement Report

Who is the author of this content?

NAPOLIFY

A team specialized in data-driven growth strategies for social media

We offer data-driven, battle-tested approach to growing online profiles, especially on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Unlike traditional agencies or consultants who often recycle generic advice,we go on the field and we keep analyzing real-world social content—breaking down hundreds of viral posts to identify what formats, hooks, and strategies actually drive engagement, conversions, and growth. If you'd like to learn more about us, you can check our website.

How this content was created 🔎📝

At Napolify, we analyze social media trends and viral content every day. Our team doesn't just observe from a distance—we're actively studying platform-specific patterns, breaking down viral posts, and maintaining a constantly updated database of trends, tactics, and strategies. This hands-on approach allows us to understand what actually drives engagement and growth.

These observations are originally based on what we've learned through analyzing hundreds of viral posts and real-world performance data. But it was not enough. To back them up, we also needed to rely on trusted resources and case studies from major brands.

We prioritize accuracy and authority. Trends lacking solid data or performance metrics were excluded.

Trustworthiness is central to our work. Every source and citation is clearly listed, ensuring transparency. A writing AI-powered tool was used solely to refine readability and engagement.

To make the information accessible, our team designed custom infographics that clarify key points. We hope you will like them! All illustrations and media were created in-house and added manually.