Every social media manager gets asked whether the brand should be making Reels or carousels. The honest answer depends on your goal, but there is now decent public data on how each format performs. Here is what Socialinsider found and how to use it.
What the data shows
Socialinsider analyzed about 35 million Instagram posts from roughly 447,000 brand accounts worldwide between January and December 2025. Its engagement rate is likes plus comments divided by followers.
Average Instagram engagement rate by format
Socialinsider 2026 benchmarks, 35M posts from 2025
- Carousel
- 0.55%
- Reel
- 0.52%
- Image
- 0.37%
Engagement rate = (likes + comments) / followers. Overall average was 0.48%, down 24% year over year. Source: Socialinsider.
Carousels edge out Reels on engagement rate, and static images have dropped the most. The gap between carousels and Reels is small, though, so this is not a case for abandoning video.
Engagement is not the whole story
This metric counts likes and comments against your existing followers. Reels are usually shown to people who do not follow you, which makes them better for reach and discovery, while carousels tend to work for people already interested, where saves and shares matter. Pick the format for the job:
| Goal | Lean toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reach new people | Reels | Shown beyond your followers |
| Teach or explain | Carousels | Room for steps, and people save them |
| Show a product or process | Reels | Motion shows how it works |
| Build a library of useful content | Carousels | Evergreen and easy to revisit |
A simple mix to test
- Two carousels and one or two Reels a week is a reasonable starting point.
- Turn one idea into both formats instead of inventing twice.
- Track saves, shares and reach along with likes.
- Review after eight weeks and shift the mix toward what serves your goal.
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