Top UpGrow substitute
Kicksta
Lifted our engagement to 5.5%, the highest we measured, with a 7-day free trial and no pressure tactics.
ALTERNATIVES · INSTAGRAM GROWTH
UpGrow alternatives: 4 tools we'd try instead
UpGrow guarantees authentic followers and sells hard with timers and 'seats left' counters. Our 30-day test found close to 12,000 followers who acted like bots. These four services cost less or the same and grew our accounts with real people, with Kicksta out in front.
Why people switch from UpGrow
Engagement fell to almost nothing
As 11,798 followers poured in, our engagement rate dropped from 3.1% to 0.3%. That's a tenth of where it started.
Reach shrank
Accounts reached went from 11,800 to 10,920. Thousands of new followers and fewer people seeing our posts is a clear sign they weren't real.
The guarantee didn't cover what mattered
UpGrow promises authentic followers and a growth refund. What we got were followers who didn't engage, and 377 of them left within two weeks of stopping.
Hard to know what you'll pay
The 60% sale applies to annual plans. On monthly billing, Basic costs $69, Pro $99 and Turbo $129.
Quick picks by reason
UpGrow vs the alternatives
| # | Tool | Our score | Price from | Best for | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The one you're leaving | UpGrow | 1.5/5 | $69/month | Nobody who wants an engaged audience | Read review of UpGrow |
| 1 | Kicksta | 5/5 | $69/month | Creators and small brands who want real growth | Read review of Kicksta |
| 2 | Nitreo | 4/5 | $39/month | Brands and creators who want managed growth | Read review of Nitreo |
| 3 | Upleap | 4.5/5 | $39/month | First-timers and local businesses | Read review of Upleap |
| 4 | SocialFollow | 5/5 | Free | New or quiet accounts on a budget | Read review of SocialFollow |
1. Kicksta: engaged followers at an honest monthly price
5/5Why pick it over UpGrow?
UpGrow and Kicksta both start at $69 a month. For that money, UpGrow gave us a huge count and a silent audience, while Kicksta gave us real followers who made our engagement rate climb. Same price, opposite results.
Best for: Creators and small brands who want real growth
Kicksta vs UpGrow, head to head
| UpGrow | Kicksta | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 1.5/5 | 5/5 |
| Price from | $69/month | $69/month |
| Best for | Nobody who wants an engaged audience | Creators and small brands who want real growth |
| New followers in 30 days | +11,798 | +248 |
| Lost in the 14 days after stopping | 377 | 6 |
| Engagement rate after 30 days | 0.3% (from 3.1%) | 5.5% (from 4.1%) |
| Accounts reached over the month | Down 7% | Up 66% |
| Free trial | 1 day (dashboard only) | 7 days on monthly plans |
How Kicksta compares to UpGrow
Same starting price. Growth, Kicksta's entry plan, costs $69 monthly, matching UpGrow's Basic, and you get a week's free trial rather than a one-day dashboard preview.
Engagement up, not down. Kicksta took our engagement rate from 4.1% to 5.5%. UpGrow took it from 3.1% to 0.3%.
Followers who stayed. Kicksta lost 6 followers in the fortnight after we cancelled. UpGrow lost 377.
You know where they come from. Kicksta reaches the followers of accounts and hashtags you pick, so you can see why each person found you.
Switch to Kicksta if
You want what UpGrow's guarantee promises, real followers, for the same monthly price.
Stay with UpGrow if
You'd rather see a big number than followers who interact. Our results suggest that number will shrink.
What we liked
- Pro: Most engaged followers in our test
- Pro: 98% still following two weeks later
- Pro: Ten-minute setup
What we didn't like
- Con: Growth starts slower in week one
- Con: Advanced plan needed for 30 sources
Price from $69/month
2. Nitreo: the most real followers with a team behind you
4/5Why pick it over UpGrow?
UpGrow's Turbo plan adds a dedicated manager for $129 a month. Nitreo gives you a success team from $39 a month, and it brought in 679 real followers while our engagement rate rose.
Best for: Brands and creators who want managed growth
Nitreo vs UpGrow, head to head
| UpGrow | Nitreo | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 1.5/5 | 4/5 |
| Price from | $69/month | $39/month |
| Best for | Nobody who wants an engaged audience | Brands and creators who want managed growth |
| New followers in 30 days | +11,798 | +679 |
| Lost in the 14 days after stopping | 377 | 17 |
| Engagement rate after 30 days | 0.3% | 4.1% |
| Accounts reached over the month | Down 7% | Up 95% |
| Account manager | Turbo plan only ($129/month) | Success team helps with targeting |
How Nitreo compares to UpGrow
Real growth, not bot growth. Nitreo added 679 followers, the most of any real service we tested, and engagement climbed from 2.6% to 4.1%.
Reach nearly doubled. Accounts reached rose from 10,826 to 21,070 with Nitreo. UpGrow's reach went down.
A team at a fraction of the price. Nitreo's specialists help pick and polish your targets, without paying for UpGrow's top tier.
A proper trial. Every Nitreo plan starts with a 7-day free trial, compared with UpGrow's one-day dashboard preview.
Switch to Nitreo if
You want help from real people and the biggest genuine follower gain.
Stay with UpGrow if
You want a service that never connects to your account.
What we liked
- Pro: Success team helps tune targeting
- Pro: Story viewing plus muted follows
- Pro: 7-day free trial on every plan
What we didn't like
- Con: Targeting starts on the $69 plan
- Con: Cancelling goes through support
Price from $39/month
3. Upleap: managed growth for little more than half the price
4.5/5
Why pick it over UpGrow?
UpGrow's cheapest plan costs $69 a month. Upleap starts at $39, includes a free week, and its account managers brought us 448 real followers while our reach almost doubled.
Best for: First-timers and local businesses
Upleap vs UpGrow, head to head
| UpGrow | Upleap | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 1.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Price from | $69/month | $39/month |
| Best for | Nobody who wants an engaged audience | First-timers and local businesses |
| New followers in 30 days | +11,798 | +448 |
| Lost in the 14 days after stopping | 377 | 16 |
| Engagement rate after 30 days | 0.3% | 4.3% |
| Accounts reached over the month | Down 7% | Up 98% |
| Free trial | 1 day (dashboard only) | 7 days |
How Upleap compares to UpGrow
Lower cost, better result. Upleap's Basic plan is $39 a month. UpGrow's Basic is $69 and delivered followers who didn't engage.
Engagement that held up. With Upleap our engagement rate went from 3.0% to 4.3%. With UpGrow it fell to 0.3%.
A person on your side. Upleap's account managers help with targeting by hashtag, account and location, and you can tell them when you want a different direction.
Fewer losses. 16 Upleap followers left after we stopped, against 377 for UpGrow.
Switch to Upleap if
You want a cheaper plan with real people helping you grow.
Stay with UpGrow if
You want to avoid connecting any tool to your Instagram account.
What we liked
- Pro: Account managers guide your targeting
- Pro: Target by hashtag, account or location
- Pro: Free week to try it before paying
What we didn't like
- Con: Basic plan leaves out targeting
- Con: Cancelling goes through support
Price from $39/month
4. SocialFollow: the free way to keep your password private
5/5Why pick it over UpGrow?
One reason people pick UpGrow is that it skips the password. So does SocialFollow, which is free and sends real members rather than followers that vanish.
Best for: New or quiet accounts on a budget
SocialFollow vs UpGrow, head to head
| UpGrow | SocialFollow | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 1.5/5 | 5/5 |
| Price from | $69/month | Free |
| Best for | Nobody who wants an engaged audience | New or quiet accounts on a budget |
| New followers in 30 days | +11,798 | +349 |
| Lost in the 14 days after stopping | 377 | 2 |
| Engagement rate after 30 days | 0.3% | 3.4% |
| Asks for your password | No | No |
| What you pay | From $69/month | Free |
How SocialFollow compares to UpGrow
Password-free and free. Give it your username, follow ten members from your phone, and a hundred follow back. Nothing to buy.
Followers you can check. Every follower is a member with posts of their own; of the 349 we picked up, 2 had left after our final round.
No sales pressure. There are no timers, discounts or upsells. SocialFollow simply has nothing to sell.
Clear about what it does. SocialFollow says outright that it adds social proof, not reach. That honesty is the opposite of UpGrow's guarantees.
Switch to SocialFollow if
You want a bigger, real follower count without paying or sharing your login.
Stay with UpGrow if
You don't want to follow ten accounts yourself every day.
What we liked
- Pro: 100 free followers every day
- Pro: No password, card or survey
- Pro: Real members you can check
What we didn't like
- Con: Won't lift reach or engagement
- Con: You follow 10 members each round
Price from Free
Should you switch from UpGrow?
Yes. UpGrow's dashboard showed thousands of new followers, but our engagement rate fell to 0.3% and our reach dropped, which is what bot followers do to an account. Within two weeks of stopping, 377 had already gone.
Kicksta is the obvious move: same starting price, real people, and the highest engagement we measured. If you want the largest genuine gain with help from a team, choose Nitreo; for managed growth on a smaller budget, Upleap; and for a free, password-free option, SocialFollow. Our UpGrow review covers the full test.
Red flags we saw at UpGrow, and what to look for instead
Countdown timers and 'seats left'
Real growth services don't need to rush you. If a page pushes a deadline, compare its monthly price on monthly billing before you decide, as we do in our best growth services list.
Guarantees about numbers
UpGrow advertises thousands of followers a month. A promised number is easy to hit with fake accounts. Look for evidence of engagement instead: real followers make your likes and comments go up.
Ratings that don't match
UpGrow's site shows a near-perfect rating, while Trustpilot showed no rating for it when we checked. Prefer services whose results you can see in a free trial.
Moving from UpGrow without hurting your account
Cancel UpGrow first, then give your account a week to settle. Expect the follower count to drop; ours lost 377 in two weeks.
When you connect a new service, protect your login with two-factor account security.
Keep posting regularly so the real followers who arrive have something to engage with. Our guide to building engaged followers explains the routine.
Instagram's service terms page is worth reading before paying any company to grow your account.
How we picked these alternatives
We paid for every tool. We bought each plan with our own card, just like you would.
We ran each one for 30 days. On real accounts we actually run, one tool at a time.
We measured the results. New followers, how many stayed, safety, support and real cost.
We scored and ranked them. The order follows our score out of 5, nothing else.
FAQ
What's the best UpGrow alternative?
Kicksta. It costs the same per month as UpGrow, yet its followers were genuine: engagement hit 5.5% and a mere six unfollowed after the test.
Does UpGrow deliver bot followers?
That's what our results suggest. Almost 12,000 followers arrived in 30 days while engagement dropped from 3.1% to 0.3% and reach fell, and 377 vanished within two weeks.
Is there a cheaper alternative to UpGrow?
Yes. Upleap and Nitreo start at $39 a month, both with 7-day free trials, and SocialFollow is free. If you want guidance as well, Upleap's account managers set up your targeting.
Which UpGrow alternative doesn't need my password?
SocialFollow. Every follow is done by you, on your phone, so no service ever logs in to your account.
Will UpGrow's guarantee give me my money back?
UpGrow advertises a 7-day growth refund guarantee. Growth was the one thing it did deliver in our test, through followers who didn't engage, so a guarantee tied to growth doesn't help much.
