The Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2024 [For Every Scenario]

Does it matter what time you post on Instagram?

It sure does and here’s why.

While social media feeds aren’t strictly chronological, the platforms do want to share fresh content. If you post around the time your audience is most likely scrolling, you’ll have a better chance of catching their likes, shares, and comments.

Even better is the kickstart that early engagement can give your post with the Instagram algorithm. Instagram loves to show popular posts, so if you can nab a few interactions right in the first hour, there’s a much better chance your post will show up on feeds throughout the day.

Of course, you need to create good content that’s a match for your audience. Quality and relevance beat even the best posting schedule on social media

The best time to post on Instagram by day

Even if Wednesdays or Fridays are the days you get the most post engagement, you’ll still post on other days. So it’s good to know what time each day is best to start experimenting.

Since there’s so much variation in the data, we’ve condensed and listed the best option from each study per day. Seeing them all side-by-side really helped us digest the information.

The best time to post on Instagram on Monday

Later: 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Sprout Social: 11 a.m.

Hootsuite: 11 a.m.

HubSpot: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On Mondays, you may want to try a post later in the morning. It’s possible this is catching people as they break for lunch.

The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday

Later: 12 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Hootsuite: 8 a.m.

HubSpot: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Notice how three sources nearly overlap in the morning? Seems like 8:30 a.m might be a good time to post on Instagram.

The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday

Later: 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Sprout Social: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hootsuite: 11 a.m.

HubSpot: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Wednesday is a bit of a wildcard since there’s very little overlap in each recommendation. If you don’t post every day, maybe skip Wednesday. Or try at 11 a.m. since that’s one of the few times suggested by more than one source.

The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday

Later: 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Hootsuite: 11 a.m.

HubSpot: 9 p.m.

HubSpot narrows down their evening window on Thursday, which suggests they’ve found a sweet spot for posting on Instagram on this day.

The best time to post on Instagram on Friday

Later: 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Hootsuite: 2 p.m.

HubSpot: 9 p.m.

There’s absolutely no consensus among the four studies about when to post on Friday. Shoot your shot at a few different times and see what sticks.

The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday

Later: 3 a.m.

Sprout Social: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Hootsuite: 8 a.m.

HubSpot: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Weekends are a dead zone for Instagram engagement according to most of the data. If you have a weekend deal or one-day menu, post it early in the day.

The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday

Later: 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Sprout Social: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Hootsuite: 6 p.m.

HubSpot: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday is similar to Saturday for its general lack of social media engagement. There’s less at stake if you want to test a few different posting schedules.