Instagram Introduces Competitor Insights for Professional Accounts
Finally, Instagram is bringing in one of its most requested features by creators and marketers: Competitor Insights.
This forthcoming addition to the platform’s Professional Dashboard is designed to give business and creator accounts the ability to compare their performance directly against competitors — all within Instagram itself.
For years, marketers have had to use third-party tools to track the activity of competitors, but Instagram is looking to change all that. This feature, when it begins rolling out, will enable users to view how their account stacks up against other accounts, making it easier to analyze trends, spot opportunities, and plan more effective strategies — all within the app.
Here’s everything to know about the new update, how it works, and why it matters for professional accounts.
What Instagram Says About the New Feature
Instagram confirmed it’s testing “Competitor Insights” for professional accounts — also referred to as “Competitive Benchmarks.”
This feature will live inside the Professional Dashboard, the central hub where creators and business owners already check analytics, insights, and monetization options.
This new feature, according to Instagram, is called Competitor Insights, and will provide professionals with more perspective on their standing in the market by offering simple, side-by-side comparisons with other accounts in their same niche.
The rollout is still going on in phases, meaning not everyone has access yet. However, Meta says that the feature will soon reach all professional accounts across the globe.
How Competitor Insights Works
A new Competitor Insights tool allows a professional account to select up to 10 other public accounts it wants to track.
Once selected, Instagram will show you comparison data between your account and those competitors.
Available metrics include:
Follower Growth: Understand how your audience is growing against competitors.
Post Frequency: The posting frequency of other accounts.
Content Type Breakdown: The ratio of Reels, static posts, and carousel posts your competitors use.
Overview of Engagement: Early reports say that some engagement indicators, such as visibility trends or likes, may be included even if the competitor has hidden the like counts.
It’s not about exposing private data but providing marketers and creators with an understanding of how active or visible similar accounts are, directly from the Instagram application.
A Shift Toward Transparency
The move by Instagram to offer Competitor Insights is a major directional shift in the transparency of the platform.
For years, businesses were blind to what their competitors were doing unless they used external analytics tools or manual tracking.
Now, Instagram is making that process even simpler.
That means creators and brands will have to lean less on third-party platforms to measure activity in the industry; they can look directly at performance benchmarks.
But for small businesses and independent makers, that might be a big deal. In terms of leveling the playing field, it would grant everyone access to the same kind of information bigger brands already track using expensive software.
Why It Matters to Creators and Marketers
Not just about the numbers — the new feature Competitor Insights is all about context.
What does this update allow users to do in a flash?
Am I posting enough compared to others in my niche?
Are my followers growing faster or slower than similar accounts?
Should I post more Reels or change my content type?
These small pieces of information sometimes make a huge difference in content strategy.
Instead of guessing what others are doing right, professional accounts will be able to observe the general patterns and adjust accordingly.
For example:
If one notices that their competitors are gaining more followers with more Reels posts, this implies that the brand needs to strategize its posting schedule and emphasize short-form video content.
When a local café realizes that similar businesses post twice as frequently, it can decide to increase consistency.
In other words, Competitor Insights enables users to make decisions based on data, not assumptions.
Key Benefits of Competitor Insights
Built Directly into Instagram
It doesn’t require any external analytics tools or third-party dashboards. Everything happens within the Professional Dashboard.
Simple, Clear Metrics
Instagram is keeping the interface simple — focused on follower growth, post frequency, and content mix. It’s easy to understand for anyone managing a brand or creator account.
Benchmarking Without Guesswork
You’ll be able to benchmark your performance in seconds, since you can compare against up to 10 competitors.
Helps Identify Content Trends
By observing what type of content competitors are using more — such as Reels or carousels — you can understand where audience engagement might shift.
Free and Accessible
Since it’s part of the Professional Dashboard, the feature is expected to be free — making it accessible for small creators and startups that can’t afford premium analytics tools.
Limitations (So Far)
The new tool, as exciting as it may sound, has its limitations — at least in this first version:
It won’t show private engagement metrics like reach, saves, shares, or click-through data.
The data comparisons appear to be updated periodically, not in real-time.
Users can only select up to 10 competitor accounts at once.
Insights are mostly top-level — no deep analytics or campaign-level performance comparisons yet.
So, while it’s a step forward, it’s not a full analytics system. Still, the idea of having competitor comparison right inside Instagram is new — and that in itself is exciting.
How to Access It (When Available)
Once rolled out, you’ll be able to access Competitor Insights by:
Opening the Professional Dashboard on your Instagram profile.
Tapping either “Competitor Insights” or “Competitive Benchmarks.”
Selecting up to 10 competitor accounts for comparison with yours.
Viewing your dashboard to compare weekly and monthly performances.
It’s designed to be user-friendly, so you can check it quickly — similar to how you already view account insights or audience analytics.
What This Means for the Future of Instagram Marketing
Instagram introducing this kind of competitive transparency is a big signal about where the platform is heading.
It proves that Meta wants creators and brands to rely less on assumptions and more on measurable insights — keeping users inside Instagram’s ecosystem, not using outside tools.
For marketers, this can simplify how reports are built and how clients understand progress.
Instead of screenshots from third-party platforms, agencies will soon be able to use official data directly from Instagram to show benchmarks.
It could also lead to a healthier kind of competition — based more on growth and strategy and less on speculation.
Reactions from the Marketing Community
The announcement has already caught the attention of many social media forums and marketing news sites.
Marketers view it as one of the most practical updates Instagram has brought in recent years.
It could help smaller brands understand trends earlier — especially if they track fast-growing accounts in their category.
Others say it may push brands to post more frequently as they notice competitors being more active.
But there’s also a word of caution: comparisons can be useful, but they shouldn’t lead every decision.
Every brand’s audience is unique, and algorithms may favor different content types.
Competitor Insights should serve as a guide, not a rulebook.
What’s Next
Meta has hinted that more analytics tools are coming for professional accounts.
The Competitor Insights feature may be the first step toward a larger analytics ecosystem — where brands can track trends, benchmark performance, and even predict growth patterns, all within the Instagram app.
If the rollout is smooth, Instagram may extend the tool to include:
Engagement rate comparisons
Reach and impression averages
Hashtag performance
Ad benchmarks
Those additions would bring the analytics experience much closer to professional tools that marketers already use outside of Instagram.
Written by KNOX
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