Data-backed guide
Best time to post on Instagram in 2026 (by day)
The best times to post on Instagram, by day of the week, from Buffer's study of 9.6 million posts and Sprout Social's analysis of nearly 2 billion engagements, plus how to find the hours your own followers are online.
By ClipSnitch · Reviewed
Quick answer
The best times to post on Instagram are Thursday at 9 a.m., Wednesday at 12 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m., according to Buffer's study of 9.6 million posts. Sprout Social's data points the same way: Tuesday 1–7 p.m. and Wednesday 12–9 p.m.
All times are in the local time of the audience you're posting for: 9 a.m. means 9 a.m. where your followers are.
Best time to post on Instagram by day
| Day | Best time | Also strong | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7 p.m. | 6 p.m.8 p.m. | 2 p.m.–4 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 7 p.m. | 3 p.m.5 p.m. | 1 p.m.–7 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 12 p.m. | 6 p.m.8 a.m. | 12 p.m.–9 p.m., 11 p.m. |
| Thursday | 9 a.m. | 8 a.m.7 a.m. | 12 p.m.–2 p.m. |
| Friday | 10 p.m. | 9 p.m.6 a.m. | – |
| Saturday | 9 p.m. | 10 p.m.8 p.m. | – |
| Sunday | 9 p.m. | 10 p.m.8 p.m. | – |
Top three slots of the week (Buffer). Times are in your audience's local time.
Best and worst days
Wednesday is the strongest day, followed by Thursday and Tuesday; Friday and Saturday are the weakest (Buffer). Sprout Social also finds Monday to Thursday strongest and weekends weakest. From Friday to Sunday, Buffer's best slots move to the late evening, 9–10 p.m.
What a second study found
Sprout Social analyzed nearly 2 billion engagements across about 307,000 profiles, from November 2025 to February 2026. Its best Instagram windows are Monday 2–4 p.m., Tuesday 1–7 p.m., Wednesday 12–9 p.m. and Thursday 12–2 p.m., with weekends and early mornings the weakest. Both studies agree on midweek; Sprout's windows are wider because it reports ranges rather than single hours.
How to find your own best time
Studies average millions of accounts, and your followers may keep different hours. Instagram shows you when yours are online:
- In the Instagram app, open your professional dashboard and tap Total followers.
- Scroll to Most active times and switch between Hours and Days.
- Schedule your next posts a little before those peaks for a few weeks, then compare reach and engagement with the times above.
Schedule posts for those times
ClipSnitch schedules your Instagram post for the exact day and time you pick, up to 90 days ahead, and can send the same video to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn at once. AI writes the caption, and you see a preview before it goes out.
Schedule Instagram ReelsCommon questions
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
Thursday at 9 a.m., Wednesday at 12 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m. are the top slots in Buffer's 9.6 million posts. Sprout Social's best windows are Tuesday 1–7 p.m. and Wednesday 12–9 p.m., in your audience's local time.
What is the best day to post on Instagram?
Wednesday, according to Buffer's 9.6 million posts, followed by Thursday and Tuesday. Sprout Social's data also favors Monday to Thursday.
What is the worst time to post on Instagram?
Friday and Saturday are the weakest days in Buffer's data, and Sprout Social finds weekends and early mornings weakest. If you post at the weekend, Buffer's data favors the late evening, around 9–10 p.m.
Which time zone should I use?
Your audience's. Both studies report local time, so if most of your followers are in New York, 9 a.m. means 9 a.m. in New York. ClipSnitch's scheduler uses your browser's time zone; if your audience lives elsewhere, convert the time before you schedule.
Does posting time still matter?
Less than what you post. A good time helps a post get its first views and reactions, which platforms use to decide who else sees it, but a strong video at an average time beats a weak one at the perfect time. Posting on a steady schedule matters more than the exact minute.
Sources
- Buffer: 9.6M posts analyzed, published September 2026
- Sprout Social: nearly 2 billion engagements from about 307,000 profiles, November 2025 to February 2026
Buffer ranks hours by median engagement rate and normalizes them to local time. Sprout Social ranks windows by engagement, also in local time. Both are averages over many accounts; your own audience may differ.