As a passionate streamer who enjoys writing about cybersecurity, streaming trends, and helpful tech tips, I‘m excited to share my expert guide on the 23 best free hashtag generators for Instagram in 2024. Hashtags are crucial for growing your reach and engagement on Instagram, but finding the right ones can be tricky. A good hashtag generator saves you time and helps you identify relevant, high-performing hashtags to include in your Instagram posts and stories.
After extensive research and testing out numerous tools, I‘ve compiled this definitive list of the top 23 hashtag generators that are free to use in 2024. I‘ll provide an overview of each tool along with pros and cons so you can decide which one(s) are best suited for your needs. Let‘s dive in!
First Look at the Top 5
Before diving into the full list, here‘s a quick preview of my top 5 favorite free Instagram hashtag generators:
1. Best Overall: Flick
Flick offers a free 7-day trial of their hashtag generator and complete Instagram marketing platform. It provides hashtag suggestions based on your niche as well as metrics like average likes and engagement rate. The tool is very user-friendly and provides excellent customer support.
2. Runner Up: Analisa
Analisa is free and generates hashtags using AI based on a user profile or hashtag you input. It also provides analytics on geo and user trends. The tool excels at providing data-driven hashtag ideas.
3. Best for Beginners: MetaHashtags
MetaHashtags is simple and intuitive making it ideal for beginners. Just search a topic and it provides hundreds of relevant hashtag ideas that you can easily copy/paste.
4. Most Powerful: Inflact
Inflact offers the most robust free features including multi-language searches, banned hashtag detection, and analytics on each hashtag. It‘s the most powerful free option.
5. Best Supporting Tools: Kicksta
In addition to a solid hashtag generator, Kicksta provides a suite of free Instagram marketing tools like analytics, scheduler, and proxy service. The additional features make it a great all-in-one solution.
The 23 Best Free Instagram Hashtag Generators for 2024
Now let‘s dive into the full list of the top 23 hashtag generators to use this year along with an overview of each one:
1. Flick
As mentioned above, Flick tops my list for best overall hashtag generator. While they offer a paid service, you can access their powerful hashtag generator completely free for 7 days. Simply connect your Instagram account and Flick will assess your profile then generate hashtag suggestions tailored to your niche and target audience.
The tool provides excellent analytics on each hashtag like historical use, engagement rates, and estimated reach. You can also search and save hashtag lists by interest. Flick‘s generator is extremely intuitive and they offer stellar customer support via live chat or email.
2. Analisa
Analisa is a free Instagram analytics and hashtag generator tool. Simply input a username or hashtag and Analisa will provide an in-depth analysis along with related hashtag suggestions. The tool generates hashtags using artificial intelligence based on real-time data on trending topics and user interests.
You can view geographical hashtag performance and user demographics. For both analytics and smart hashtag ideas, Analisa is a top choice. The only downside is it requires providing your email address to access the tool.
3. MetaHashtags
MetaHashtags is my pick for the best free hashtag generator for beginners. The tool has an incredibly simple interface—just type in a keyword like "yoga" and MetaHashtags will instantly provide hundreds of relevant hashtag ideas. You can easily filter the results by popularity, relationships, languages, and more.
While MetaHashtags doesn‘t provide deep analytics, the sheer volume of on-topic hashtags makes it easy for beginners to find good options. You can also search the hashtags used by similar Instagram profiles to spy on what‘s working for competitors.
4. Inflact
Inflact offers the most powerful free features out of all the Instagram hashtag generators I tested. In addition to generating hashtag suggestions based on keywords or an image, Inflact allows you to search hashtags in 32 languages. You can also view in-depth performance stats on individual hashtags.
Helpful premium features offered for free include banned/blocked hashtag detection, image filters, saving hashtag lists, and Google Chrome extension. For robust functionality without paying, Inflact is hard to beat.
5. Kicksta
While Kicksta isn‘t purely a hashtag generator, it offers a solid free generator along with other helpful Instagram marketing tools. Once you connect your account, Kicksta will assess your profile and existing hashtags to make smart recommendations. The generator also identifies banned hashtags.
In addition to hashtags, Kicksta provides Instagram analytics, post scheduling, and auto DM tools for free. There‘s also a free proxy service to safely automate tasks. The variety of tools makes Kicksta a great free all-in-one solution.
6. All Hashtag
All Hashtag offers a simple hashtag generator that‘s free to use without even needing to create an account. You can choose to generate hashtags based on general popularity, your account‘s niche, or random keywords. All Hashtag also shows some banned hashtags to avoid.
While the tool doesn‘t have many advanced features, the website is clean and easy to navigate. Since you don‘t need an account, it‘s useful for quickly generating some relevant hashtags to use.
7. Display Purposes
Display Purposes is a bare-bones yet effective free hashtag generator. You input a topic or niche word and get back a list of associated hashtags. The hashtags update based on current trends and relevancy. There aren‘t any advanced analytics, but the tool does exactly what it claims—provides solid hashtag suggestions.
8. Hashtracking
In addition to generating hashtag ideas, Hashtracking offers a historical analysis of any hashtag. Simply input your Instagram username and Hashtracking will show data on your top hashtags like post count, impressions, and engagement. You can also search individual hashtags to view historical usage and performance.
While Hashtracking doesn‘t have as many features as other generators, the historical data on your own hashtags can reveal which ones are working well. This allows you to refine your approach over time.
9. Autohash
Autohash is a free mobile app available for both iOS and Android. To use it, you simply upload a photo and Autohash will generate relevant hashtag ideas based on the visual content. The tool‘s computer vision technology identifies objects and themes in the image.
Helpful features include generating location-specific hashtags and translating hashtags into different languages. With its mobile convenience and intelligent photo analysis, Autohash makes it easy to find good hashtags on-the-go.
10. Ask Lisa
Ask Lisa takes the thinking out of choosing an optimal Instagram photo and hashtags. This free tool uses artificial intelligence to automatically pick your best photo from a series and suggest hashtags tailored to the image content.
In addition to hashtag and image recommendations, Ask Lisa provides feedback on improving captions and filters to boost engagement. The tool aims to help create cohesive, effective Instagram posts.
11. Photerloo
Photerloo is a free photo enhancer app that also functions as an Instagram hashtag generator. You upload a photo and Photerloo will suggest relevant hashtags to use based on the image content and keywords. Helpful premium features like multi-account posting are offered for free.
In addition to hashtags, Photerloo can recommend keywords to include in your caption. The image enhancement tools are also handy for editing and optimizing your visuals.
12. Preview App
Preview helps you create high-quality Instagram posts by providing an editing suite, hashtag generator, and analytics dashboard. Features like batch editing and scheduling instill professionalism, while the AI-powered hashtag generator ensures relevancy.
Preview App‘s robust free feature set makes it especially great for influencers and businesses looking for an all-in-one solution. The app is available on iOS, Android, and desktop.
13. Command
Command is a social media manager app with a built-in hashtag generator. After analyzing your brand and Instagram profile, Command will suggest hashtags aligned with your niche and target audience. You can also search and save hashtag lists.
On top of hashtag recommendations, Command offers AI-generated caption ideas, post scheduling, and Instagram Story templates. The variety of free tools makes it hugely valuable.
14. Hashme
Hashme is a free hashtag generator app available for iOS and Android. It focuses on helping you find relevant, trending hashtags that are actually being actively engaged with by your target audience. Hashme‘s algorithm avoids recommending oversaturated tags.
The app lets you save and organize hashtags as well as track performance. Helpful premium features like analytics are unlocked for free users. The emphasis on hashtags that boost visibility make Hashme a go-to.
15. Bigbangram
Bigbangram is designed specifically for bloggers and influencers promoting products. There are a few different ways to generate hashtag ideas—entering keywords, uploading image URLs, or auto-finding hashtags from a blog post URL.
Handy features include being able to search and save hashtags as well as discovering hashtags used by competitors. With Bigbangram you can promote yourself or affiliated products effectively.
16. Keyword Tool
Keyword Tool offers an advanced algorithm for generating the most relevant hashtags for your brand or industry. The free version lets you choose hashtag suggestions for multiple social networks including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Helpful filters allow you to sort hashtags by language, location, or keywords. There are also related keyword recommendations to incorporate into captions.
17. Tags Finder
Tags Finder provides a clean, ad-free interface for generating hashtag ideas. Helpful options include removing profanity, skipping overused tags, and filtering NSFW content. You can tailor the results to align with your brand safety preferences.
The tool is simple to use—just enter a keyword and Tags Finder will instantly provide related hashtags. A handy Chrome extension lets you easily access it while browsing Instagram.
18. Hashtagify
Hashtagify calls itself "the world‘s most advanced hashtag generator" and it‘s easy to see why. The tool provides hashtag suggestions along with comprehensive analytics including monthly searches, engagement rate, and geographic use. There are also related tags and content examples.
Helpful features like blacklist keywords, banned hashtag warnings, and My Hashtags lists make Hashtagify a robust option for researching and monitoring hashtag performance.
19. Growthoid
Growthoid focuses on helping Instagram accounts grow their reach and engagement through strategic hashtag use. The free generator provides hashtag ideas categorized as best matches, top, random, and banned.
Useful features include curated lists of top performers in various niches, mixer tool to combine hashtags, and the ability to remove inappropriate suggestions.
20. Sistrix
Sistrix is a serious analytics and SEO suite that offers a powerful hashtag generator accessible for free. The database includes over 15 billion hashtag ideas grouped into relevant categories. Useful filters allow you to sort suggestions by language, location, and platform.
The tool also provides monthly search volume data on individual hashtags. While the interface is rather technical, the breadth of Sistrix‘s hashtag database is enormously helpful.
21. Hashatit
Hashatit is a free web-based Instagram hashtag generator. Simply enter a keyword related to your post and Hashatit will provide a list of the top 30 trending hashtags to use. Helpful features include being able to sort hashtags by language and category.
Clicking on a hashtag shows you example posts using it as well as the engagement rate, which helps validate if the hashtag is a good fit for your content. Overall, Hashatit makes it easy to find proven, active hashtags.
22. Seek Metrics
Seek Metrics offers a straight-forward hashtag generator that provides up to 30 suggestion for any keyword or topic you enter. In addition to Instagram, it also generates hashtags suited for Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
The tool is simple to use and skipping overused tags is easy. Seek Metrics is ideal if you just need a list fast, hassle-free hashtag ideas tailored to your content.
23. Focalmark
Focalmark is a free hashtag generator app available for iOS and Android. You can find hashtags based on category, keyword search, or by uploading an image from your camera roll. Helpful features include curated lists of top performers by interest as well as recent and trending tags.
The app makes it quick and easy to access relevant hashtag suggestions on-the-go. Conveniently, you can also directly publish posts with Focalmark.
Key Benefits of Using Instagram Hashtag Generators
Here are some of the main reasons why taking advantage of hashtag generators is beneficial for your Instagram strategy:
- Save time – Manually brainstorming dozens of relevant hashtags takes ages. Generators provide great suggestions instantly.
- Increase reach – Targeted hashtags help connect your posts with people most likely to be interested.
- Stay on trends – Generators suggest current, popular hashtags so you can capitalize on what‘s hot.
- Avoid banned tags – Generators identify banned Instagram hashtags, helping you avoid blocks or deleted posts.
- Optimize engagement – They recommend tags actually generating likes and comments vs oversaturated ones.
- Enhance brand image – Curating hashtags aligned with your niche/aesthetic builds credibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why focus on Instagram hashtags?
Hashtags are essential on Instagram. Using relevant tags makes it easy for users to discover your posts and profile. Including a targeted mix of popular and niche hashtags is proven to increase reach and engagement.
What makes an effective hashtag?
The best Instagram hashtags are relevant to your post content, niche, and target audience. Aim for a blend of popular tags with highly specific ones tailored to your brand. Effective hashtags should be frequently searched and actively engaged with by users.
How many hashtags should you use?
Experts recommend using 9-12 hashtags per post—any more and engagement starts to drop. Mix up a few (2-3) very popular tags with mid-range (5-8) and several (3-5) niche hashtags for optimal results.
Are hashtag generators safe?
Using a hashtag generator is completely safe and allowed by Instagram. As long as the tools generate relevant hashtags, they simply help streamline your research process. That said, always vet any third-party app and use common sense when entering credentials.
How often are generators updated?
The best hashtag generators update their algorithm and databases daily to account for trends and banned tags. However, some free tools may only refresh monthly or weekly. Check reviews to confirm generators provide the most timely, relevant suggestions.
What hashtags should I use to grow my Instagram?
Focus on a mix of general hashtags around your topic/industry as well as very specific hashtags related to your brand, products, or location. Add a few currently trending or viral hashtags that align with your niche to capitalize on interest. Rotate through different related hashtags to keep growing your audience.
Final Takeaway
Including targeted, engaging hashtags in your Instagram posts is one of the best tactics for increasing discovery and engagement. Manually researching them takes ages, but hashtag generators provide countless relevant suggestions instantly and for free.
I highly recommend all Instagram marketers, influencers, and brands take advantage of these tools. They save you time while also boosting reach. Focus on generators providing the freshest data and hashtags aligned with both your niche and target audience.
With the right mix of popular and highly-specific tags generated from these tools, you‘ll be on the fast track to Instagram success! Let me know in the comments about your favorite generators or if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to chat more about optimizing your Instagram strategy.
