Typical engagement rate by platform and tier
| Platform | Nano (under 10K) | Micro (10K–50K) | Mid (50K–2.5L) | Macro (2.5L–10L) | Mega (10L+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0% | 4.0% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 1.3% | |
| YouTube (on views) | 6.0% | 4.0% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| TikTok | 9.6% | 6.4% | 4.5% | 3.0% | 2.1% |
| ShareChat / Moj | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Snapchat | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.0% | 1.3% | 0.9% | |
| X | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| 3.0% | 2.0% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
YouTube is measured against views rather than subscribers, because a subscriber count has meant very little there for years. TikTok has been blocked in India since June 2020, so that row is for creators with audiences abroad. Download this table as CSV.
What counts as unusual on Instagram
A low rate is the classic sign of bought followers, because bought followers do not like anything. A rate far above the band is also worth a question. It is usually a viral month, an engagement pod or a giveaway, and only the first is worth paying for.
| Tier | Investigate below | Typical | Unusually high above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano (under 10K) | 2.5% | 6.0% | 14% |
| Micro (10K–50K) | 1.8% | 4.0% | 9% |
| Mid (50K–2.5L) | 1.2% | 2.8% | 6% |
| Macro (2.5L–10L) | 0.8% | 1.9% | 4% |
| Mega (10L+) | 0.5% | 1.3% | 3% |
To see where an account sits, use the engagement rate calculator. To test whether a follower count is believable, use the fake follower checker.
Three formulas, three different numbers
People quote engagement rates without saying which one they mean, which is why two tools can disagree about the same account.
- By followers: (likes + comments) ÷ followers × 100. Anyone can calculate it from public numbers, so it is the one for comparing accounts. These benchmarks use it.
- By reach: engagements ÷ accounts reached × 100. More honest, but only the account owner can see reach in Insights.
- By views: engagements ÷ views × 100. The fair measure for reels and YouTube, where most viewers do not follow the account.
A worked example: 500 likes and 30 comments on an account with 10,000 followers is (530 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 5.3%, which is between typical nano and typical micro.
How these benchmarks are made, and what they are not
They are market priors: ranges tuned for Indian accounts from general market observation, then scaled per platform. They are not measured from a sample of closed deals, and we would rather say so than put a false decimal of certainty on them. Use them to ask better questions, not to pass judgement on a person. Last reviewed on the date at the top of this page.
How to cite this data
The tables on this page are published under CC BY 4.0. Reuse them freely, including commercially, with attribution and a link:
Source: PRsathi, "Engagement rate benchmarks for India, by platform and follower tier" (2026), https://prsathi.com/learn/engagement-rate-benchmarks-india/