Quick answer: on our own marketplace, counted on 12 October 2026, the median Instagram Reel is listed at ₹2,500, with half of the 91 live Reel packages between ₹1,000 and ₹6,000. Size matters: creators with a connected Instagram account list Reels at a median of ₹2,000 under 10,000 followers and ₹4,750 at 10,000 to 50,000. A Story runs a median of ₹1,300 and a feed post ₹2,500. These are prices creators list, not invoices that settled.
Free rate card template (Excel). A price for every deliverable, usage rights and exclusivity as add-ons, and a quote builder that adds 18% GST only if you are registered. Every percentage in it is sourced.
Download the templateThe most common question new creators ask, and the one brands hope you never learn the answer to. Undercharge and you leave money on the table; overcharge with no justification and you lose the deal. Here is what creators actually list on our own marketplace in 2026, and how to move your own number up. To turn these rates into a monthly figure, see how much Instagram influencers earn in India.
What creators actually list per format (October 2026)
| Format | Live packages | Creators | Median listed price | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reel | 91 | 63 | ₹2,500 | ₹1,000 to ₹6,000 |
| Instagram Story | 13 | 12 | ₹1,300 | ₹699 to ₹2,000 |
| Instagram feed post | 11 | 11 | ₹2,500 | ₹900 to ₹12,500 |
| All Instagram formats | 120 | 67 | ₹2,250 | ₹1,000 to ₹5,250 |
Counted on 12 October 2026 from published listings on InfluencerMetric: 173 packages in total from 72 creators, of which 120 are Instagram. Median means half the packages list below the number and half above, and the middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. Story and feed post counts are small, so read those two rows as indicative. These are prices creators list, not invoices that settled.
The Reel median has fallen since our first count. On 22 September 2026 it was ₹4,200 across 42 packages. The market grew rather than got cheaper: Reels on listings created by then still have a median of ₹4,200, while the 34 Reel packages on listings created since have a median of ₹2,000, and 24 of those 34 come from accounts under 10,000 followers.
Reel rates by follower count (verified accounts only)
A follower split is only worth publishing if the follower count is real. So this table counts only creators who connected their Instagram account, which means the follower number comes from Instagram itself, not from what the creator typed.
| Followers (from Instagram) | Reel packages | Median listed price |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10,000 | 47 | ₹2,000 |
| 10,000 to 50,000 | 8 | ₹4,750 |
| 50,000 and above | 2 | Too few to publish a median |
Counted on 12 October 2026. The 10,000 to 50,000 row rests on 8 packages, so treat it as a direction rather than a rate card. Rates do rise with audience size, and they rise faster with engagement, niche and usage rights than with followers alone. For your own number, the free creator pricing calculator works from your reach and engagement.
These are the market medians. What's YOUR number? The calculator adjusts for your engagement and niche in 30 seconds.
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Paid promotion on Instagram: price in India
"Paid promotion" is what many Indian brands and creators call a sponsored Reel, Story or feed post. The price is the table above: a Reel is listed at a median of ₹2,500, a Story at ₹1,300 and a feed post at ₹2,500, counted on 12 October 2026. Creators who connected Instagram and have under 10,000 followers list Reels at a median of ₹2,000; at 10,000 to 50,000 followers the median is ₹4,750.
If you are a creator asking "how much should I charge for a paid promotion", start from the median for your format and follower band, then move it with the factors in the next section. If you are a brand asking "how much does paid promotion on Instagram cost", budget the median per deliverable plus any usage rights you need, and check a quote against the free creator pricing calculator.
What moves your price up (or down)
- Engagement rate: the biggest lever. Above your bracket's median? Quote the top of the range and mention the number. Check yours here, free.
- Niche: advertisers pay more to reach people deciding about money, gadgets and courses. Our pricing calculator adds 20 to 40% for finance, tech and education creators and takes about 10% off for entertainment. That is our own model, not a market rule.
- Usage rights: if the brand wants to run your video as their own ad, that's not included. Published creator-pricing guides put it at about 25 to 50% on top of the base for a 30 to 90 day ad window, and around 100% for 12 months. Always ask, and put the window in writing. The full menu is in how to price usage rights.
- Exclusivity: "don't work with competing brands for 60 days" is worth money. Charge for it.
How professionals quote (and why gigs anchor your price)
The strongest negotiating position is a published price. On InfluencerMetric, your gigs list packages with fixed prices, "1 Reel + 3 Stories: ₹8,000". That price does three jobs: it filters out lowball brands before they waste your time, it anchors every negotiation at YOUR number, and it lets serious brands book instantly without haggling at all.
When a brand wants something custom: a store visit, a 3 video series, usage rights, they can request a custom quote in your private chat. You reply with a price, they accept, and the amount locks into an escrow protected order. No screenshots of WhatsApp negotiations, no "we agreed ₹10K, right?", the offer card in the chat IS the agreement.
Three quoting mistakes to stop making
- "Whatever your budget is": you just told the brand you'll take their lowest number.
- Quoting per follower: brands buy outcomes, not followers. Quote per deliverable, justify with engagement.
- Not charging for revisions beyond the agreed round: state "includes one revision round" in your package description.
FAQ
How much should I charge for a paid promotion on Instagram in India?
Start at the listed median for your format and follower band: ₹2,500 for a Reel, ₹1,300 for a Story, ₹2,000 for a Reel under 10,000 verified followers and ₹4,750 at 10,000 to 50,000. Quote above it when your engagement rate or niche justifies it, and always quote per deliverable, not per month.
Do brands in India actually pay these rates?
Yes, but mostly to creators who present verified numbers and clear packages. Amateur presentation gets amateur offers.
Should my barter collabs count in pricing?
Value the product honestly. A ₹1,500 product for a Reel you'd charge ₹4,000 for is a bad trade, unless the portfolio value or long term relationship justifies it.
How do I raise my rates with an existing brand?
At the start of a new campaign, not mid deal: "My engagement has grown 40% since our last collab, my updated rate for Reels is ₹X." Verified stats make this conversation easy.
Sources
- InfluencerMetric marketplace: published Instagram packages counted 12 October 2026 (the first count, 22 September 2026, is quoted for comparison).
- Sideshift: UGC usage rights (paid media 25 to 50% of base for 30 to 90 days)
- Elev8or: UGC rate card (30% for 30 days, 50% for 90 days, 100% for 12 months)