Benchmarks
Instagram Ads Benchmarks 2026: CTR, CPC, CPM & Reels Data
Last updated: November 2026 · Data period: calendar year 2025 (B2B benchmarks) and Q3 2025–Q3 2026 (US trends)
Instagram has become the place where Meta budgets are growing fastest. Feed, Stories and especially Reels give brands a visual, mobile-first stage, and in the US, advertisers are shifting more money to Instagram than to Facebook. That makes it more important than ever to know what "good" performance looks like.
There's a catch, though. Instagram is sold through the same Meta ad system as Facebook, and most large benchmark datasets report Meta as a whole. For this guide, we compiled the most reliable 2025–2026 sources that do say something specific about Instagram: Metadata.io's B2B benchmarks, Tinuiti's US spend and Reels trends, placement-level CTR data and Meta's own reporting. Every number links to its source, with the region and period it covers.
You'll find the benchmarks that exist, an honest note on what doesn't, practical playbooks per vertical and the trends worth acting on. Looking for last year's numbers? See the 2025 edition.
Key takeaways
For B2B advertisers, Instagram ads averaged a 0.65% CTR, $2.82 CPC, $18.25 CPM, 4.0% click-to-lead rate and $138 cost per lead in calendar year 2025 (49 advertisers, spend-weighted, region not stated), according to Metadata.io.
Instagram is where Meta budgets are growing: US Instagram spend rose 17% year over year in Q2 2026, versus 7% for Facebook (Tinuiti, via Digital Applied).
Reels grew from 26% to 35% of Instagram ad impressions in the US between Q3 2025 and Q2 2026, according to Tinuiti, via Digital Applied.
In directional placement data from mid-2025, Instagram Stories had a 1.34% CTR, Instagram Feed 1.01% and Instagram Reels 0.76% (Focus Digital, via Rule1).
Data caveat: no large, methodology-disclosed dataset from 2025–2026 publishes Instagram-only benchmarks by industry; the best ecommerce proxy is Meta-wide data, with a 1.88 median ROAS for August 2025–July 2026 (Triple Whale, via MHI).
Why do Instagram Ads benchmarks matter in 2026?
Benchmarks help you diagnose your funnel before you change budgets. Use them to answer:
Am I overpaying for reach? A CPM well above peers can point to narrow audiences or a placement mix that's too limited.
Is my creative working for the placement? Stories, Feed and Reels behave differently, so compare CTR per placement.
Is the post-click experience the bottleneck? Good CTR with weak CVR usually means the landing page doesn't match the ad.
Is Instagram earning its growing share of budget? Spend is moving to Instagram fast, so check it pays off in your own data.
The most common mistake: blaming "Instagram" for a bad CPA without checking whether the cause is CPM, CTR or CVR.
What are the key Instagram Ads metrics (and how do they connect)?
CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions): spend ÷ impressions × 1,000
CTR (click-through rate): clicks ÷ impressions
CPC (cost per click): spend ÷ clicks (roughly CPM ÷ (CTR × 1,000))
CVR (conversion rate): conversions ÷ clicks (for B2B often "click-to-lead rate")
CPL / CPA: spend ÷ leads or conversions (roughly CPC ÷ CVR)
ROAS: attributed revenue ÷ spend, the core metric for ecommerce
Why placement changes what "good" looks like
A Story is full-screen and tappable, a Feed post competes with organic content, and a Reel is watched for entertainment first. The same creative will produce different CTRs and CPMs per placement, so always benchmark per placement and not only per campaign.
Instagram Ads benchmarks by industry (2026)
For B2B advertisers, Instagram ads had a 0.65% CTR, a $2.82 CPC and a $138 cost per lead in calendar year 2025, according to Metadata.io. Let's be upfront, though: no large, methodology-disclosed dataset from 2025–2026 publishes Instagram-only benchmarks by industry. Triple Whale, WordStream and most ecommerce datasets report Meta (Facebook and Instagram combined). The Instagram industry tables circulating on vendor blogs don't disclose how they were built, so we don't reproduce them as benchmarks.
What does exist is a solid B2B split, US trend data from Tinuiti and directional placement data. That's what we use below.
Table 1 - Instagram vs Facebook benchmarks for B2B advertisers (2025)
Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
CTR | 0.65% | 0.79% |
CPC | $2.82 | $1.95 |
CPM | $18.25 | $15.50 |
Click-to-lead rate | 4.0% | 2.6% |
Cost per lead | $138 | $145 |
Advertisers in sample | 49 | 71 |
Source: Metadata.io. B2B advertisers, calendar year 2025, spend-weighted, region not stated.
Table 2 - Instagram ad trends in the US (year over year, Tinuiti)
Metric | Q3 2025 | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
Instagram spend | +21% | +17% | n/a |
Instagram impressions | +9% | n/a | +17% |
Instagram CPM | +11% | Flat | n/a |
Reels share of Instagram ad impressions | 26% | 35% | n/a |
Facebook spend (for comparison) | +9% | +7% | n/a |
Sources: Tinuiti Q3 2025; Q2 2026 via Digital Applied; Q3 2026 impressions via MediaPost. US, Tinuiti clients. "n/a" = not reported in our source set.
Table 3 - CTR by Meta placement (directional only, mid-2025)
Placement | CTR |
|---|---|
Instagram Stories | 1.34% |
Facebook Feed | 1.11% |
Instagram Feed | 1.01% |
Facebook Reels | 0.94% |
Facebook Stories | 0.83% |
Instagram Reels | 0.76% |
Audience Network | 0.58% |
Right column | 0.41% |
Source: Focus Digital, via Rule1. Mid-2025, region not stated, methodology unclear. Use these to compare placements with each other, not as targets.
What about ecommerce and other industries?
For ecommerce, the best available proxy is Meta-wide data, which includes Instagram placements. Triple Whale reports Meta ecommerce medians of a $15.06 CPM, 2.39% CTR, 1.53% CVR, $38.99 CPA and 1.88 ROAS for August 2025 to July 2026 (40,000+ brands, region not stated), per MHI. For the full Meta tables by industry (US lead-gen and ecommerce), see our Facebook Ads benchmarks 2026.
Some blog roundups claim food & beverage is the cheapest Instagram vertical and finance & insurance the most expensive, with beauty earning the highest CTR (Top Growth Marketing, benchmarketing.org). Their methodology is unclear, so read that as a directional pattern only.
What is this data really telling you?
Instagram is where Meta growth is happening. In Tinuiti's US data, Instagram spend grew +21% vs Facebook's +9% in Q3 2025, and +17% vs +7% in Q2 2026.
Reels is now a major share of inventory. Reels rose from 26% to 35% of Instagram ad impressions in the US between Q3 2025 and Q2 2026 (Tinuiti, via Digital Applied). If you don't have vertical video, you're missing a growing part of the auction.
Reels trades CTR for cheaper reach. Instagram Reels has the lowest Instagram CTR in the placement data, but every source we checked reports lower CPMs for Reels than for Feed (Karola Karlson, Top Growth Marketing; directional). Judge Reels on CPA, not on CTR alone.
For B2B, Instagram costs more per click but converts better. In Metadata.io's data, Instagram has a higher CPC than Facebook ($2.82 vs $1.95) but a higher click-to-lead rate (4.0% vs 2.6%), ending with a slightly lower CPL ($138 vs $145).
Stories still earns clicks. Instagram Stories leads the placement CTR list at 1.34% (directional), which makes it a strong placement for direct-response offers.
Europe and the Netherlands: what should you know?
There is no reliable Instagram-only benchmark for Europe or the Netherlands. These Meta-wide and market signals do apply to Instagram placements:
Meta prices in Europe are rising. According to Meta's earnings, the average price per ad in Europe rose +19%, +10% and +10% year over year in Q1, Q2 and Q3 2026 (Meta, via Relevant Audience). This covers Facebook and Instagram together.
Social video is driving European growth. IAB Europe reports social video up 25.7% to about €18.6B in 2025, now 52% of social spend (IAB Europe AdEx, via PPC Land). That's a strong case for Reels.
Meta is gaining share among European advertisers. In a matched cohort, Meta's share of spend rose from 19.7% (H1 2025) to 20.6% (H1 2026) (Billy Grace, via PPC Land).
Netherlands: social advertising grew 14% within a €4.4B Dutch digital ad market in 2025 (VIA/Deloitte, via Emerce).
Which Instagram trends and new features matter in 2025–2026?
Trend: Meta prices keep climbing
Meta's worldwide average price per ad rose +14% year over year in Q3 2026, and +23% in US & Canada, according to Meta's Q3 2026 results. Instagram CPM growth in the US has been more moderate: +11% in Q3 2025 and flat in Q2 2026 per Tinuiti.
Trend: Instagram is a mainstream ad channel
HubSpot's 2026 data shows Instagram is used for advertising by 70% of marketers, just ahead of Facebook at 69.6% (HubSpot). Competition for attention is high, so creative quality matters more than ever.
Advantage+ campaigns and placements
Since 2025, Advantage+ is Meta's default AI-driven setup for sales, app and lead campaigns, and it distributes budget across Facebook and Instagram placements automatically. Meta claims a 22% improvement in returns for advertisers using it, reported with its Q2 2025 earnings (PPC Land). That is Meta's own figure, described elsewhere as "up to", and not Instagram-specific.
GEM ad-ranking model
According to Meta, its GEM ranking model drove a more than 1% gain in Instagram conversions in Q4 2025 (Meta Investor Relations). A modest, platform-reported lift, but it shows Meta is tuning delivery on Instagram too.
Generative AI creative tools
Meta says more than 8 million advertisers used at least one gen-AI creative tool in Q1 2026 (PPC Land). Handy for resizing assets into 9:16 for Stories and Reels.
Industry playbooks: what should you do differently by vertical?
Ecommerce and DTC
Build creative for Reels first (9:16, hook in the first second), then adapt for Feed.
Use catalog ads with a clean product feed for retargeting.
Measure on blended revenue, since Meta-attributed ROAS rarely tells the full story.
Beauty and fashion
Creator-style content and try-ons fit Instagram's visual culture.
Use Stories for limited-time offers, where the swipe-up action is natural.
Refresh creative frequently. Visual categories fatigue fast.
B2B and SaaS
Instagram can deliver competitive cost per lead, so don't limit B2B spend to LinkedIn by default.
Use short explainer Reels and founder or customer stories rather than polished banner ads.
Judge leads on pipeline quality in your CRM, not on platform-reported leads.
Hospitality, travel and food
Show the experience: atmosphere, dishes, destinations, in vertical video.
Pair awareness Reels with retargeting toward bookings or reservations.
Health, wellness and finance
Trust is the bottleneck. Use reviews, credentials and transparent claims.
Keep compliance tight (Meta's policies for health and financial products apply).
Use educational content as a first touch, then retarget to sign-up.
Actionable recommendations
1) Diagnose with the CPM → CTR → CVR → CPA ladder
High CPM: audience too narrow or placements limited → broaden targeting and include Reels.
Low CTR: hook or format mismatch → rebuild creative per placement, not one size for all.
Weak CVR: post-click friction → mobile-fast pages that match the ad's look and promise.
High CPA: check which placement drives it in Meta's breakdown before cutting budget.
2) Run a 30-day Instagram testing plan
Week 1: baseline. Fix tracking (pixel plus Conversions API) and break results down by placement.
Week 2: placement test. Advantage+ placements vs Instagram-only (Feed, Stories, Reels).
Week 3: creative matrix. Four to six angles in native 9:16 and 4:5 formats.
Week 4: retargeting and scaling. Move budget to the placement and angle with the best CPA.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good CTR for Instagram ads in 2026?
In directional placement data from mid-2025, Instagram Stories averaged a 1.34% CTR, Feed 1.01% and Reels 0.76% (Focus Digital, via Rule1, region not stated). For B2B advertisers, Metadata.io reports a 0.65% Instagram CTR for calendar year 2025.
How much do Instagram ads cost?
For B2B advertisers, Instagram cost $18.25 per 1,000 impressions and $2.82 per click in calendar year 2025, according to Metadata.io. For ecommerce, the closest proxy is the Meta-wide median CPM of $15.06 for August 2025–July 2026 (Triple Whale, via MHI, region not stated).
Are Instagram ads cheaper than Facebook ads?
Per click, no: B2B advertisers paid $2.82 on Instagram versus $1.95 on Facebook in 2025, but Instagram's higher click-to-lead rate (4.0% vs 2.6%) resulted in a slightly lower cost per lead ($138 vs $145), according to Metadata.io.
Is Instagram advertising worth it for B2B?
It can be: in Metadata.io's 2025 data, Instagram delivered a $138 cost per lead for B2B advertisers, slightly below Facebook's $145. Judge it on pipeline quality in your CRM rather than on platform-reported leads.
What is a good ROAS for Instagram ads?
No reliable Instagram-only ROAS benchmark exists, because large ecommerce datasets report Facebook and Instagram together. The best proxy is the Meta-wide median ROAS of 1.88 for August 2025–July 2026 across 40,000+ brands (Triple Whale, via MHI, region not stated).
How much do Instagram ads cost in Europe or the Netherlands?
There is no reliable Instagram-only benchmark for Europe or the Netherlands. Meta reports that its average price per ad in Europe (Facebook and Instagram combined) rose 10% year over year in Q3 2026 (Meta, via Relevant Audience), and Dutch social advertising grew 14% in 2025 (VIA/Deloitte, via Emerce), so use your own account data as the baseline.
Conclusion: what does good Instagram Ads performance look like in 2026?
Instagram is gaining budget, Reels is taking a bigger share of impressions and Meta's prices keep rising. Without a clean industry benchmark, the smartest approach is to benchmark per placement, compare against the best available data and judge results on CPA and revenue, not clicks alone:
Are you paying a fair price for reach (CPM) in each placement?
Does your creative fit Stories, Feed and Reels (CTR)?
Does your landing page convert mobile visitors (CVR)?
Does Instagram's growing share of budget show up in your results?
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More 2026 ad benchmarks
Comparing channels? See all headline numbers side by side on our Ad Benchmarks 2026 hub, or jump to another guide in the series:
