Every creator wants to know one thing: Why is my competitor growing faster than me? Instagram’s new Competitor Insights feature finally answers that question. Launched in November 2025 and tucked inside the Professional Dashboard. It gives creators, brands and marketers a rare look into how they compare. Instead of guessing what’s working for others, creators can now measure themselves against the ones that actually matter.

How the Feature Works

Competitor Insights is found inside the Professional Dashboard, where creators can add up to 10 accounts they want to track. Once added, Instagram displays posting frequency, follower growth and post level performance data, even for accounts that hide their like counts. A customizable time range, like a 90 day window, shows whether you’re pacing behind or outperforming your niche. It’s quick, visual and instantly exposes content momentum gaps.

Who Gets Access

The feature is limited to Business and Creator accounts, making it accessible to anyone taking Instagram seriously. But Instagram is rolling it out gradually, meaning you might qualify and still not see it yet. It doesn’t depend on verification, follower size or payment, just the rollout schedule. Those who already have it gain a quiet advantage, seeing insights others will only get once the feature fully expands across regions.

Why It Matters

This is the first time creators can benchmark inside Instagram without third party tools. Users can get a clear insight on whether their strategy is competitive or not by comparing growth charts side by side. It reveals patterns you can’t observe manually, like consistency gaps or sudden growth hikes among rivals. For creators and marketers, it becomes an instant internal compass showing exactly where their pace lags in real time.

Where It Falls Short

Competitor Insights isn’t a complete analytics system. It doesn’t include engagement rate, reach, impressions, saves, shares or conversion data. The comparisons are one-to-one instead of multi-account group analysis and the metrics are surface level. If creators depend on it blindly, they risk optimizing for volume rather than impact. It’s a useful signal tool, but not a strategy defining source on its own.

Conclusion

Instagram’s Competitor Insights finally gives creators a window into their competition instead of leaving them blind. It’s sharp for quick benchmarking but too limited for deep strategy, so it should guide decisions, not dictate them. Still, those who adopt it early gain a real edge, because in the world of content, the creator who understands their competitors first is usually the one who outruns them fastest.