As marketers, creators, and everyday people on the internet, we can all agree that an Instagram like has value, right? IRL, it takes less than a second to double-tap a post or hit the ❤️in the bottom left corner, but that moment means something for the account on the other end.
We rarely talk about why likes are valuable and what their exact value is, though. And…why not?
Likes clearly contribute to content being boosted in the algorithm, which means more views for the accounts that get them. They’re also part of how creators prove there’s an audience for their content (and that it's engaged), which helps them earn money through platform monetization and brand deals.
And speaking of brands, many are struggling to get any likes at all, so when a post does go viral, everyone wants to be part of the experience, like earlier this year, when the McDonald's CEO posted a video of himself awkwardly (not) eating the new “Big Arch” burger for lunch.
That video got 300k+ likes, and Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, A&W, Jack in the Box, and Carl's Jr. all made videos referencing it. It peaked when the Costco CEO made his own version, eating the store’s famous $1.50 hot dog combo.
This is all a perfect example of why Instagram likes are still relevant in 2026. They do have value because they convey that the content has captured people’s attention. And that attention often translates into more attention — or better yet, money.
What is the Financial Value of An Instagram Like in 2026?
On the topic of money, how much would a like be worth if you could convert it into cash? I’ll be honest, there’s no way to do that. But what if we tried? (We did.)
In 2026, Meta reported on an earnings call that Instagram’s daily active user base (DAU) reached 2 billion people. If you combined business and creator profiles into a single category (what Meta calls Professional Instagram accounts), they would make up roughly 15% of those 2 billion people. Remember that percentage, because we’re going to use it in a few scrolls when we think about how much of the content on Instagram is monetizable.
Now, the likes: Meta doesn’t publicly publish data on users’ actions on the app (including likes), but data suggests that the average active Instagram user likes between 10 and 20 posts per day.
We know that Instagram has 2 billion daily active users, and each of them is doling out up to 20 likes per day (we’ll go with 15, though, since that’s right in the middle of the range).
2 billion DAU × 15 likes = 30 billion likes per day
If Instagram’s roughly 2 billion daily users each liked an average of 15 posts per day, that would lead to an estimated 30 billion likes per day, or 900 billion per month.
That’s a lot of double-taps.
Now, let’s focus on monetizable content. Assuming about 15% of those likes are on posts from business or creator accounts, that means there are 135 billion monetizable likes per month on Instagram, or 1.62 trillion monetizable likes per year.
Now, let’s talk about the annual revenue generated from Instagram. Crucially, Meta does not publicly report Instagram’s revenue as a standalone figure. It reports Instagram combined with Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc., under its “Family of Apps” business segment. Any number you see for “Instagram annual revenue” is an estimate, including the figure we use below. (You knew what you signed up for.)
Meta reported $196.2 billion in advertising revenue from its apps in 2025. Meta also says almost all of its revenue comes from advertising on Facebook and Instagram. EMARKETER projects Meta will generate $243.46 billion in worldwide advertising revenue in 2026.
Instagram accounted for an estimated 50.3% of Meta's U.S. ad revenue in 2025, so for our extremely accurate experiment, let's assume Instagram represents roughly half of Meta's worldwide ad business, too. That would put Instagram's estimated 2026 advertising revenue at around $121.7 billion.
Earlier, we estimated there are about 1.62 trillion monetizable likes per year. So:
$121.7 billion ÷ 1.62 trillion Likes = $0.075 per like
Our final, completely official answer is that one Instagram like is worth about 7.5 cents.
Of course, Instagram isn’t going to give you 7.5 cents every time someone double-taps your posts. A like isn't a unit of revenue; its real value depends on who's doing the liking, what they're liking, and what happens next. But as a way of putting the sheer scale of Instagram's attention economy into perspective, it kind of works. (Right, guys?)
The Truth: The Value of an Instagram Like Isn't Fixed
The idea that an Instagram like is worth 7.5 cents is just that: an idea. That figure is an estimate based on Instagram’s predicted share of Meta’s advertising revenue in 2026 and the number of estimated likes that land on monetizable content each year. Instagram doesn’t pay creators per like. In other words, there’s no actual monetary value attached to a double-tap (sorry to disappoint 💔).
In reality, the value of a like depends on who it comes from and what happens next. Someone who likes your post and then buys something from you or joins your email list could be worth a lot more to your business than 7.5 cents. But a like from a bot? Maybe one that you bought? 🫣 That’s losing you money. (Don’t do that.)
TL;DR: While an Instagram like has no actual monetary value, it does have value of some sort, because it helps your content reach more people, and it can also lead to something else. Ideally, something that ends with more money in your bank account.
Need help making that last part happen? Our social media manager, Sarah Gavilla, tried five different ways to make money on social media and shared which ones worked on the Manychat YouTube channel:
Frequently asked questions
There’s no fixed monetary value for an Instagram like because Instagram doesn’t pay creators per like. That said, our methodology (using Instagram’s estimated annual advertising revenue and the number of likes on monetizable content each year) yielded an estimate that an Instagram like is worth around 7.5 cents. In reality, the value of a like depends on who it comes from and what that person does next.
No. Instagram does not pay creators a set amount for each like they receive. Likes can still have indirect financial value, though. Strong engagement can help your content reach more people, demonstrate audience interest, and ultimately contribute to things that do make money, like product sales, leads, brand partnerships, or other monetization opportunities.
Instagram likes can help you make money indirectly. Likes are a signal that people are engaging with your content, and that engagement can contribute to more reach and visibility. The real business value comes when that attention leads to higher-intent actions, such as clicking a link, sending a DM, joining an email list, booking a service, or making a purchase.
There’s no minimum number of Instagram likes you need to start making money. If you’re trying to monetize, you can do so with a small but engaged audience. Instead of focusing only on likes, track metrics tied to your goals, such as DMs, link clicks, leads, conversions, sales, and revenue.
Originally published: Sep 21, 2026
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