Instagram Reels vs Carousels vs Images: A Data-Driven Study of 10,000 Posts

Understanding which content formats perform best on Instagram is crucial for creators and brands who want to grow reach and engagement. This analysis of 10,000 Instagram posts published between January and June 2025 provides a clear picture of how Reels, carousels, and single images compare.

Reach: Reels Dominate

Reels proved to be the strongest format for reach. On average:

• Reels delivered 2.25× the reach of single images

• Reels achieved 1.36× the reach of carousels

Shorter Reels (under 90 seconds) performed particularly well, confirming Instagram's algorithmic preference for short-form video. For smaller accounts, Reels were the single biggest driver of visibility.

Engagement Rates: Carousels Edge Ahead

Engagement tells a different story. While Reels win on impressions, carousels generated the highest engagement rates overall.

• Carousels: 1.38%

• Reels: 1.23%

• Single images: 0.72%

Mixed-format carousels (a combination of images and videos) produced the best engagement, averaging 2.33%, compared to video-only (1.86%) or image-only (1.80%) carousels.

Interaction Depth: Carousels Keep Users Engaged

When measuring interactions (likes, comments, saves, shares), carousels stood out:

• Carousels generated 12% more interactions than Reels

• Carousels drove 2.1× more interactions than single images

This highlights the format's ability to keep users swiping, prolonging attention and deepening interaction.

Account Size Matters

The study found clear differences based on follower count:

Smaller accounts (< 50K followers): Reels brought the highest reach and visibility, helping accounts break out of their niche.

Larger accounts (>50K followers): Carousels outperformed in terms of engagement and depth of interaction.

This suggests that newer or smaller creators should prioritize Reels to grow, while established accounts benefit more from carousels.

Single Images: Still Relevant

Despite underperforming in both reach and engagement compared to Reels and carousels, single images remain the most frequently posted format. Their simplicity and low production effort make them reliable for brand consistency, quick updates, and shareable content.

Content Quality Over Production Value

An unexpected finding was that unpolished, authentic Reels consistently outperformed heavily produced ones. Audiences favored relatable, spontaneous content over staged or highly edited posts. This lowers the barrier to entry, allowing creators with limited resources to compete effectively.

Strategic Implications

From the dataset, four key insights emerge:

1. Reach vs. Engagement Trade-off

• Use Reels when the goal is growth and reach

• Use carousels when the goal is deeper interaction and storytelling

2. Account-Specific Strategy

• Smaller accounts benefit most from Reels

• Larger accounts should rely more on carousels

3. Mixed Carousels Win

Posts combining images and videos achieve the highest engagement.

4. Authenticity Over Polish

Quick, genuine content outperforms heavily produced material.

Methodology

• Dataset: 10,000 posts published between January and June 2025

• Accounts: Included small (< 10K), medium (10K–50K), and large (>50K) accounts across industries such as fashion, fitness, food, beauty, and lifestyle

• Formats Analyzed: Single images, carousels, and Reels. Stories, Lives, and ads were excluded

Metrics:

• Reach = unique accounts reached

• Engagement rate = (likes + comments + saves + shares) ÷ impressions

• Interactions = total user actions (likes, comments, saves, shares)

Normalization: Metrics were adjusted for follower count brackets to ensure comparability between small and large accounts.

Conclusion

The study confirms that there is no universal "best" format on Instagram. Instead, success comes from aligning content type with goals and audience size:

• Reels are unmatched for reach and audience growth

• Carousels excel at driving engagement and storytelling

• Single images remain a quick, accessible format for consistency and simple communication

A balanced strategy that leverages all three, prioritizing Reels for visibility, carousels for depth, and images for simplicity, will yield the strongest results.