Calculator
Is a 3% engagement rate good?
Plug in your numbers and find out — with honest 2026 benchmark bands for Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn and Threads.
- Free
- No signup
- 2026 benchmarks
- 5 networks
The formula
There’s no single “right” denominator
Engagement rate is a ratio: total interactions divided by audience size. The catch is which audience size. The three common denominators:
- By followers — interactions ÷ follower count × 100. The most popular, easy to compute, but punishes accounts with reach beyond followers.
- By reach — interactions ÷ unique accounts reached × 100. Considered the most honest in 2026; rewards posts that escape your follower bubble.
- By impressions — interactions ÷ total impressions × 100. Lowest, because impressions count multiple views per person. Useful for paid.
This calculator computes all three and benchmarks by-followers against per-network 2026 bands. Industry numbers vary; treat the bands as ballpark.
Engagement rate by followers—
By reach—
By impressions—
Enter followers and at least one interaction to see your rate and benchmark band.
FAQ
Frequently asked
What is a good engagement rate in 2026?
It depends entirely on network and follower count. Rough averages: Instagram ~1.5 %, TikTok ~5 %, X ~0.7 %, LinkedIn ~2 %, Threads ~2.5 %. Smaller accounts (under 10 k followers) typically see 2–3× these rates; very large accounts (over 1 M) see fractions of them.
How is engagement rate calculated?
Interactions divided by audience size, times 100. The catch is which audience: by followers (most common, easy to compute), by reach (most honest), or by impressions (lowest, used for paid).
Which denominator should I use — followers, reach or impressions?
Use reach if you can — it rewards posts that escape your follower bubble. Use followers if you cannot pull reach (most public-facing comparisons use this). Use impressions only for paid campaigns where impressions are the billable unit.
Why is my engagement rate dropping as I grow?
Almost every network shows declining engagement rate as follower count grows — your audience widens faster than any individual post can engage them. A 3 % rate at 5 k followers becomes 0.8 % at 200 k. This is normal, not a sign of decline.
Do saves and shares count as engagement?
Yes — and on Instagram and TikTok specifically, saves and shares carry far more algorithmic weight than likes since 2024. Include them whenever you have access to those metrics.
Engagement rate vs reach rate — what is the difference?
Engagement rate measures how the audience that saw your post interacted with it. Reach rate measures what percent of your followers saw it at all. A low reach rate with a high engagement rate means the algorithm is not distributing your content but the people who do see it love it.
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