Best overall
Flick
Tracks how each hashtag performed on your own posts, not just how popular it is.
TOP LIST · INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS
The 5 best Instagram hashtag generators in 2026
Instagram now allows only five hashtags per post, so picking the right five matters more than ever. We compared nine hashtag tools on the quality of their suggestions, research features and price, and these are the five we'd actually use.
Our quick picks
How they compare
| # | Tool | Our score | Price from | Best for | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flick | 4.5/5 | £14/month | Serious hashtag research and tracking | Visit site of Flick |
| 2 | RiteTag | 3.5/5 | $49/year (annual only) | Quick hashtag suggestions from text or images | Visit site of RiteTag |
| 3 | Buffer | 4.5/5 | Free, paid from $6/month | Simple, low-cost scheduling and free hashtag ideas | Visit site of Buffer |
| 4 | Later | 4.5/5 | $25/month | Visual planning of Instagram posts and Reels | Visit site of Later |
| 5 | Predis.ai | 4/5 | $32/month (3-day free trial) | AI captions with hashtags, plus post design | Visit site of Predis.ai |
Stars show each tool's overall score. Later and Buffer are mainly schedulers with strong overall scores, so they rank below the specialist hashtag tools here even though their stars are high.
1. Flick: best for hashtag research
4.5/5Best for: Serious hashtag research and tracking
Flick is the one tool here that treats hashtags as something to measure. It tracks where your posts rank in each tag and shows which tags actually earned reach, so your five picks improve over time.
- Monthly price from
- £14
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Hashtag tracking
- All plans
- Banned tag checker
- Yes
Overview
Flick combines hashtag search, a hashtag manager for saving sets, a banned-hashtag checker and a hashtag tracker that follows your posts through each tag's top results. It also includes scheduling and analytics. The Solo plan costs £14 a month on monthly billing, with a seven-day free trial.
How Flick works
Search a topic to see related hashtags, save the ones that fit into collections, and post. Flick then uses Instagram's official connection to watch the tags you used and records how high and how long your post appeared in each one.
Who it is best for
Creators and brands who post often in a clear niche and want hard evidence about which hashtags bring reach.
What we liked
- Pro: Shows how each hashtag performed for your posts
- Pro: Hashtag search, manager and banned-tag checker
- Pro: Includes scheduling and analytics
What we didn't like
- Con: Priced in pounds
- Con: No free plan, only a 7-day trial
Price from £14/month
2. RiteTag: best for instant suggestions
3.5/5Best for: Quick hashtag suggestions from text or images
RiteTag is fast and unfussy. Type a word, paste a caption or open an image, and it suggests hashtags based on real-time engagement, inside your browser or on your phone.
- Price
- $49/year
- Billing
- Annual only
- Queries
- 1,000/month
- Works from
- Text and images
Overview
RiteTag is part of the RiteKit family of tools. For $49 a year you get hashtag suggestions for up to 1,000 queries a month through its browser extension and mobile apps. Detailed hashtag reports are charged separately, and there's a seven-day trial.
How RiteTag works
Install the extension or app, then select some text or an image anywhere you're writing. RiteTag returns a short list of tags with an indication of how they're performing right now, and you pick the ones that fit.
Who it is best for
People who want quick, decent suggestions while they write and don't need deep tracking.
What we liked
- Pro: Suggestions from a word, text or an image
- Pro: Based on real-time hashtag engagement
- Pro: Browser extension and mobile apps
What we didn't like
- Con: Sold yearly only
- Con: Hashtag reports cost extra
Price from $49/year (annual only)
3. Buffer: best for free hashtag ideas
4.5/5Best for: Simple, low-cost scheduling and free hashtag ideas
Buffer's free Instagram hashtag generator is the easiest starting point: describe your post in a few words and its AI suggests relevant tags in seconds, with nothing to install.
- Generator price
- Free
- Scheduler from
- Free or $6/channel
- Hashtag manager
- Paid plans
- Input
- A short description
Overview
Buffer is best known as a scheduler, but its free hashtag generator is genuinely useful for quick ideas. If you also schedule with Buffer, the hashtag manager on paid plans lets you save and reuse your best sets. For a closer look at the scheduler, see our ranking of Instagram scheduling tools.
How Buffer works
Type a short description such as "pour-over coffee at home" and the AI returns a list of matching hashtags. Choose the most specific five rather than copying the whole list.
Who it is best for
Beginners and casual posters who want free, sensible suggestions without learning a research tool.
What we liked
- Pro: Free plan for up to 3 channels
- Pro: Very easy to learn
- Pro: Free AI hashtag generator
What we didn't like
- Con: Paid plans are priced per channel
- Con: Analytics are basic on lower plans
Price from Free, paid from $6/month
4. Later: best for saving hashtag sets
4.5/5
Best for: Visual planning of Instagram posts and Reels
Later doesn't try to be a research tool. Its strength is keeping your captions and hashtag sets organised next to your content calendar, so the right tags go out with every scheduled post.
- Starter plan
- $25 a month
- Trial
- 14 days free
- Saved captions
- All plans
- AI caption credits
- Included
Overview
Later lets you plan and save captions together with their hashtags, then reuse them when you schedule. Its AI Caption Writer uses monthly credits, where one credit writes one caption. Monthly billing starts at $25 for Starter.
How Later works
Write a caption, add your chosen hashtags and save the combination. When you schedule a new post, pull in a saved set and adjust it so the five tags fit that specific post.
Who it is best for
People who already use Later for scheduling and want their hashtag sets in the same place.
What we liked
- Pro: Drag-and-drop visual grid planner
- Pro: Best-time-to-post suggestions
- Pro: Built-in AI caption writer
What we didn't like
- Con: No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- Con: Extra social sets cost more
Price from $25/month
5. Predis.ai: best for captions with hashtags
4/5
Best for: AI captions with hashtags, plus post design
Predis.ai writes captions that come with hashtags and emojis already included. It's handy when you want a complete first draft rather than a list of tags to sort through.
- Caption tool
- Free, no login
- Paid plans
- $32 a month
- Trial
- 3 days free
- Also makes
- Images and videos
Overview
Predis.ai's free caption generator works without logging in and adds relevant hashtags and emojis to each caption. Paid plans begin at $32 per month on monthly billing, each opening with three free days, and add post design, scheduling and competitor analysis.
How Predis.ai works
Give Predis.ai a one-line description and it returns a caption that already includes hashtags. Trim the hashtags down to Instagram's limit of five before you post.
Who it is best for
Creators who want caption and hashtags drafted together, and are happy to edit the result.
What we liked
- Pro: Free caption generator, no login needed
- Pro: Adds hashtags and emojis to captions
- Pro: Paid plans also design images and videos
What we didn't like
- Con: Every paid generation uses credits
- Con: Paid plans start after a 3-day trial
Price from $32/month (3-day free trial)
Tools we looked at that didn't make the list
We also looked at these. Here is why they are not on the list.
Inflact
2/5Inflact offers a hashtag generator among its Instagram research tools, and it shows up in many hashtag tool roundups.
Why it didn't make the list
We don't recommend Inflact. When we tested it on a real account, followers jumped from 948 to 5,082, but engagement dropped to 0.3% from 2.5%, and within a fortnight of stopping 585 followers were gone, the pattern of bot followers. Read our Inflact review for the details.
Who might still like it: Nobody, in our view. Any tool on this list is a safer choice.
Price from $34/month · Tested October 2026
Read our Inflact reviewInstagram's five-hashtag limit
For years the rule was up to 30 hashtags per post, and many tools and guides still say so. That's out of date.
Instagram's limit is five hashtags per post. Add a sixth to a photo or video and the comment containing them won't post.
Source: Instagram help: hashtag limits · checked October 15, 2026
That changes how you should use a hashtag generator. Its job is no longer to fill thirty slots; it's to help you choose the five most relevant tags for that specific post.
What hashtags still do in 2026
Hashtags help Instagram understand what a post is about and let people who follow or search a tag find it. Keywords in your caption and profile now do much of the same job, so think of hashtags as labels, not as a growth trick.
Hashtags also can't rescue weak or copied content. Instagram's recommendation guidelines say unoriginal content repurposed from elsewhere may not be recommended, whatever tags it carries.
| Type | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Niche | #pourovercoffee | Reaching people already into your topic |
| Community | #homebaristas | Joining an active group of fans |
| Branded | #yourbrandname | Collecting your own and customers' posts |
| Location | #londoncoffee | Local businesses and events |
| Broad | #coffee | Rarely worth one of your five slots |
How to pick your five hashtags
- Start with the topic of this specific post, not your account in general.
- Run it through a generator and shortlist ten tags that clearly match.
- Drop anything enormous or vague, and anything flagged as banned.
- Keep a mix: two niche, one community, one branded or location, one slightly broader.
- After a few weeks, check which tags brought reach and swap out the weak ones.
Hashtags are one small part of growing an audience. Our guide to growing followers naturally covers the bigger levers, like Reels and daily engagement.
Where hashtag generators go wrong
Generators are fast, but they don't know your account. Most of the problems we saw in our research came from people trusting the output without checking it.
- Copying the whole list. A generator might return twenty tags; Instagram will only accept five, so you still have to choose.
- Tags that only match the words. A tool reading "apple" can't tell whether your post is about fruit, phones or a pie recipe.
- The same set on every post. Repeating identical tags makes every post compete in the same narrow place and teaches you nothing.
- Ignoring size. A tag with hundreds of millions of posts refreshes too quickly for a small account to stay visible in it.
- Forgetting the caption. Instagram also reads your caption and profile, so clear wording does part of the work hashtags used to do.
Treat any generator as a shortlist, not an answer. Five minutes of judgement per post is what turns its suggestions into reach.
When hashtags aren't enough
Even perfect hashtags mostly reach people who already search or follow those tags. If you want more of the right people to discover your profile every day, a growth service that engages with your target audience for you will do far more than any tag.
We tested those services on real accounts for 30 days. Our ranking of the best growth services shows which ones brought real, engaged followers.
How to choose an Instagram hashtag generator
Plan for five, not thirty
With a five-tag limit, a tool that gives you fifty suggestions isn't more useful than one that gives you ten good ones. Look for relevance and niche fit, not volume.
Prefer specific over popular
Huge tags move too fast for a small account's post to be seen. Tools that show how competitive a tag is help you choose tags where you can actually appear.
Measure, then adjust
If you post often, a tool that tracks how each tag performed for you, like Flick, will beat guesswork within a month.
Check for banned tags
Some tags are restricted because of misuse. Using one can limit a post's reach, so a banned-tag check is worth having.
Don't pay twice
If your scheduler already saves hashtag sets, you may only need a free generator for fresh ideas.
How we ranked these tools
We started wide. We listed the tools people use most for this job, then dropped any that have shut down or no longer do what they claim.
We checked each tool's own site. Features, limits and monthly prices come straight from the company, on the date shown at the top.
We read what users say. App store and review-site feedback helped us spot problems the sales pages leave out.
We scored and ranked them. Each score reflects how well the tool does the job, how safe it is for your account, and what it costs.
FAQ
How many hashtags should I use on Instagram?
Up to five. Instagram's help pages now say you can use up to 5 hashtags on a post, and a comment with more won't post. Pick the five most relevant tags for each post.
What is the best Instagram hashtag generator?
Flick is the best overall because it tracks how each hashtag performed for your posts. For a free option, Buffer's hashtag generator gives sensible suggestions from a short description.
Are free hashtag generators good enough?
For most people, yes. With only five tags per post, a free generator plus a little judgement covers the basics. Paid tools earn their price when you post often and want to measure results.
Do hashtags still help on Instagram?
They help Instagram understand your post and let people who follow a tag find it, but their effect is smaller than it used to be. Good content, Reels and engagement matter far more.
What are banned hashtags?
Tags Instagram has restricted because they were misused. Posts using them may get less reach, which is why tools like Flick include a banned-hashtag checker.
Should I put hashtags in the caption or a comment?
Either works. Instagram accepts hashtags in both places, and the five-tag limit applies to each.
