Social Upgrade Review: Should You Beware?

If you’ve been exploring ways to grow your Instagram like I have, you’ve probably come across Social Upgrade. It pops up on Google, in Reddit threads, and even in some influencer circles. I’m always on the hunt for tools that can help grow my brand the right way, so naturally, I decided to give Social Upgrade a try.

Spoiler alert: I wish I hadn’t.

In this review, I’m going to walk you through my experience with Social Upgrade—from their services and pricing to the actual results I got (or didn’t get). I’ll also share the red flags I spotted and why I honestly don’t recommend it if you care about your account long-term.

What Is Social Upgrade?

Social Upgrade is a service that claims to offer “organic Instagram growth” by targeting followers who are likely to be interested in your content. Sounds great, right? That’s what drew me in. Their homepage says they use real engagement strategies—nothing fake, no bots, just real people.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for me.

Who Should Use Social Upgrade?

In theory, Social Upgrade is designed for influencers, small business owners, content creators, and anyone else looking to grow a presence on Instagram. But based on my experience, I honestly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. There are better, safer, and more transparent tools out there.

What Instagram Services Does Social Upgrade Offer?

Let’s break it down. Social Upgrade offers:

• Instagram Followers

• Instagram Likes

• Instagram Views

• Instagram Story Views

They market everything as “real and organic,” but from what I saw, it’s anything but.

Is Social Upgrade Worth the Cost?

No. That’s the short answer. I paid for 1,000 followers and 1,000 likes, and the results were incredibly underwhelming. 

The followers looked fake (generic usernames, no profile pics, zero posts), and the likes came in too fast to be natural. Plus, about 200 followers dropped off after just a few days. They have a lot of common with Instanobel.

There was zero engagement beyond those inflated numbers. No DMs, no new comments, and definitely no new reach.

Are Social Upgrade’s Instagram Services Effective?

Let’s break this down point-by-point based on what I tried:

Buying Instagram Followers: Does It Work?

Technically, yes—they did deliver the followers. But they weren’t high quality. These were either bots or ghost accounts. Definitely not the “real, interested people” they advertise. Maybe for the real engagement you should try tools like Aimfox. 

Do Their Likes Translate to Real Engagement?

Nope. I bought 1,000 likes and got them within 10 minutes. That’s a major red flag. It looks fishy and can hurt your engagement rate in the long run.

Are the Followers and Likes Real or Fake?

From what I could tell? 100% fake. The accounts following me had usernames like “john51233” and “happygrl_008” with no bios, no content, and no profile pictures.

Free Instagram Followers from Social Upgrade: Real or Fake?

I didn’t actually try the “free” offer because you need to sign up and input sensitive info. Plus, zero reviews confirmed whether it was legit or just a lead magnet for upsells. Personally, it felt sketchy.

Is Social Upgrade Safe to Use?

I didn’t feel super safe using it, to be honest. Here’s why:

Do You Have to Share Your Instagram Password?

Yes. And that was a huge red flag. Any “organic” growth service asking for your password should make you pause. There’s no need for it unless they’re using automation or doing something behind the scenes you don’t know about.

Are There Risks of Getting Shadowbanned or Banned?

Absolutely. Instagram has made it clear that using bots or spammy growth services violates their Terms of Service. I didn’t get banned, but I definitely saw a dip in reach right after using Social Upgrade—classic shadowban symptoms.

Can Buying Followers Hurt Your Account?

Yes, and it did. My engagement rate tanked after I added fake followers. It took me weeks to clean up my account, manually remove fake profiles, and rebuild trust with the algorithm.

Is Social Upgrade a Legitimate Service?

This is a tough one.

Do They Deliver What They Promise?

Only partially. They did deliver numbers, but not real, engaged users. They claim “real growth,” but there’s nothing organic about mass-delivered followers with no activity.

Refunds and Customer Support: What to Expect

There’s no clear refund policy. I reached out to support when half my followers dropped off after a week. I got a canned reply saying, “This is normal and part of how Instagram works.” Not helpful. And no refund.

Scam or Trusted Service?

Honestly, it felt closer to a scam. There’s no transparency, no follow-up, and the product doesn’t live up to the pitch. Buyer beware.

How Fast Is Social Upgrade’s Delivery?

Typical Delivery Timeframes

Very fast. Too fast. I got 1,000 likes within 10 minutes. Not exactly believable or helpful when you’re trying to build trust with a real audience.

What If Delivery Is Late?

Mine wasn’t late—but if it had been, I doubt I’d get any support.

Is Quick Delivery a Sign of Low Quality?

Yes, in this case. Real engagement builds over time. When things show up all at once, Instagram’s algorithm takes notice—and not in a good way.

Pros and Cons of Social Upgrade

Let’s be fair—here’s what I liked and didn’t like:

✅ Pros

• Easy to navigate website

• Quick delivery (if that’s what you’re into)

❌ Cons

• Fake followers and likes

• Zero real engagement

• Poor customer support

• No refund option

• Risk of shadowban

• Requires Instagram password

• Misleading marketing

What Do Users Think of Social Upgrade?

I did some digging on Reddit and Trustpilot, and the reviews are all over the place. Some say they saw results (probably very short-term), while others echoed my experience.

Real User Reviews and Testimonials

Most positive reviews felt too polished or suspiciously vague. Meanwhile, honest users shared the same issues I had—poor retention, fake followers, and support that doesn’t respond.

Common Complaints and Drawbacks

• Followers drop quickly

• Likes don’t lead to engagement

• Account reach tanks

• No one replies to refund requests

Are the Reviews Authentic?

I’d say many of the glowing reviews are probably not. It’s common for these sites to flood themselves with 5-star feedback to mask the negatives.

Final Verdict: Should You Choose Social Upgrade for Instagram Growth?

If you’ve made it this far, you probably already know my answer: nope!

Social Upgrade may sound promising, but it’s just not worth it. Between the fake engagement, lack of real results, and customer service that goes MIA, I can’t recommend this platform to anyone serious about growing on Instagram.

Top Alternatives to Social Upgrade

If you’re still looking for help with your growth, try safer options like:

• Kicksta – A legit growth tool that doesn’t use bots

• Flock Social– Great for content scheduling and analytics

• Upleap – Mixed reviews, but a better option than Social Upgrade

Is Social Upgrade a Good Investment for Instagram Growth?

Honestly? No. It might give you a quick numbers boost, but that’s all it is—vanity metrics. If you’re trying to build a community, land brand deals, or just grow with intention, this isn’t the way.

Save your money. Invest in content, community, and platforms that play by Instagram’s rules. You’ll thank yourself later.