The only thing harder than succeeding in the digital realm is maintaining that success. It’s a dog eat dog situation out there.
Besides competition, Instagram growth services have other things to worry about. For instance, the platform’s ever-changing rules to which they have to adapt.
Naturally, some companies get swept away by the currents.
This is what happened to Archie, a once-famous growth tool.
Was it forced to close? What did it do wrong?
I’ll explore these topics in my Archie Instagram review. Read and learn from Archie’s mistakes!
What is Archie?
Archie.co was, and kind of still is, a social media growth tool. What do I mean by this?
According to its website, the company doesn’t accept new clients. They say Instagram requested them not to. However, the login form is still active, so I assume that old customers can use it. Maybe. Don’t take my word for it.
So, why was Archie shut down by Instagram?
It appears that it was violating the platform’s policy. Despite what Archie might have claimed to be, it was just another bot. It worked fine for a while, but then Instagram decided to pull the plug on botting technology.
But, Archie refused to go down without a fight. The company got closed down, then reopened after a year only to close again recently.
You’ve got to appreciate the persistence, right?
This service shared the same fate as Instagress and Massplanner. Despite being competitors, the two tools were often used alongside Archie.
Top Archie Alternatives
| Service | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Flock Social | 4.8 | Check Price |
| Upleap.com | 4.6 | Check Price |
| Nitreo.com | 4.3 | Check Price |
| SocialFollow | 4.2 | Check Price |
| KENJI.AI | 4 | Check Price |
| Stim Social | 3.9 | Check Price |
How Does Archie Work?
Archie doesn’t work anymore, at least not for new customers. So, I’m going to talk about what it looked like when it did.
Archie provided automated engagement services for Instagram and Twitter. You specified your target audience and then let the app interact with the accounts. It was a simple tool that included basic features. I’ll discuss this in detail later.
Depending on what a user’s needed, the simplicity may have been a hindrance or a benefit. It’s important to point out employing just Archie probably wasn’t enough to grow a profile. Many folks used it in combination with other tools.
The company offered a free trial, so you could test it out before committing. Their prices were on the low end of the spectrum, but definitely not the cheapest out there.
Popular reviews you should also read:
- Nitreo Review: Is It Really One Of The Best Instagram Growth Services?
- Upleap Review: Is It Safe To Grow Your Instagram Faster?
- Kenji Instagram Review – Is It Legit? All You Need to Know
Archie Features
I already mentioned that Archie was a straightforward Instagram bot. It didn’t have a lot of features, and it stuck to the basics. I believe it did this to try and remain low-key. Unfortunately, the plan didn’t work.
OK, enough yapping. Let’s take a look at those features.
Instagram Likes
Archie could perform only one type of engagement for Instagram – likes. It liked people’s posts automatically for you. The app did this in an effort to catch the others’ attention and make them visit your profile.
Of course, it didn’t go around liking random photos and videos. The tool had a target, which I’ll talk about in the upcoming sections.
Did this operation yield results?
It might have, but it had to do a lot of liking. According to Archie’s statistics, making 31 likes may earn you a single follower. Do the math. The tool had to make thousands of likes per day to get you somewhere.
If Instagram detected such activity coming from your profile, it would undoubtedly action block you. It might even ban you. I guess that’s what started happening to Archie’s users.
Targeting
The app’s main targeting tool were hashtags. You entered as many as you wanted to try and target your optimal audience.
But this wasn’t all.
Archie also included geo-tags, and it could go after a user’s followers. It enabled you to block users or hashtags too.
Such options could have narrowed down one’s target audience pretty well.
Activity Log
Archie included an activity and progress log. It had a list that showed who and what you liked. There was also a graph that displayed the increase or decrease in followers over time.
Such transparency is excellent, as many growth tools tend to be shady with their activities. It’s also a good way to check whether your targeting is working. If it wasn’t, you could keep adjusting it until you were satisfied with the results.
Twitter Likes
Same as with Instagram, the service liked tweets from accounts you targeted. I’m not sure whether Twitter explicitly bans these operations, but I don’t think it’s fond of them.
Archie Pricing
There isn’t much information to be found about Archie’s pricing anymore. Their costs ranged from $19 to $209, and that’s all that I was able to get my hands on. Apparently, the service didn’t have visible pricing lists. You got access to those only if you signed up.
Is Archie Legit?
To answer this question, I have to go back a few years.
Before 2017, Archie had a decent reputation and a large user base. Then, in 2017, the service announced that it would be stopping its services. Instagram forced it to do this. Along with Instagress, it was one of the first victims of the platform’s bot crackdown.
It resurrected a year later and somehow stayed afloat despite the direct violation of Instagram’s rules. Finally, the imminent shutdown happened.
That was a long rant.
I guess my answer is – Archie used to be legit, and then later it wasn’t. This happened through no fault of its own. It was because Instagram changed its terms.
During its second run, Archie’s services became pretty bad. According to reviews on Trustpilot.com, they scammed customers by not delivering what they’d paid for.
Another issue was the lack of visible pricing or user reviews on their website. It looked as if the company had been trying to remain secretive.
Is Archie Safe?
At some point, Archie was safe to use. However, that wasn’t the case in its last years of operation.
It got users banned, but still persisted in providing ‘services.’ Also, there was no way to prove that their payment gateways were secure.
PROS and CONS
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| It was simple to use | It got people banned |
| A free trial was available | Instagram shut the service down twice |
| It could only like posts | |
| No visible pricing | |
| Couldn’t provide significant growth | |
| Negative reviews on Trustpilot.com |
Archie Review: Final Verdict
Was Archie a useful tool for growing Instagram accounts?
It might have been an OK service at best. I’m talking about their prime before Instagram started closing them down. After that, using Archie would have guaranteed you an action block or ban.
Even if it had remained safe, this tool wouldn’t have been enough to achieve significant growth. As I said, it could only like posts, which is a limited approach. Boosting an Instagram profile requires you to go all-in, covering all aspects of engagement.
Since bots aren’t an option anymore, it’s best to opt for organic growth agencies. Their strategies can produce long-term results. If you’re interested, you can check out a few of those in the table below.
Top 10 Instagram Bots
If you’re looking for a bot that can replace Archie, look no further! The table below ranks some of the best growth tools you can find on the Internet.
Trust us – we’ve tested them all before coming to a conclusion!
| Service | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Flock Social | 4.8 | Check Price |
| Upleap.com | 4.6 | Check Price |
| Nitreo.com | 4.3 | Check Price |
| SocialFollow | 4.2 | Check Price |
| KENJI.AI | 4 | Check Price |
| Stim Social | 3.9 | Check Price |