Using the right hashtags can help you gain more reach and visibility online quickly. It’s a smart tactic to make the most out of your social media marketing strategy.

But using random hashtags isn’t going to fetch you any of these results. You need to use the most relevant hashtags that are frequently used by your target audience.

It is pointless to waste your time searching for top trending hashtags in the IG app. You cannot copy and paste or see all the semantically related hashtag ideas.

On the contrary, a hashtag generator is what you need for professional and effective hashtag tracking.

That brings us to the question:

How do you choose the best hashtag tracking tools for your business?

Disclosure: This content may contain a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).

Hashtag Research Tool: Which One Is the Best in 2024?

The best hashtag research tool for you will depend on the specifications that you require as well as the budget you have. In this section, let’s take a look at the most popular hashtag tracking tools and hashtag analytics tools.

Hashtag Tracking Tool #1: Inflact

Next on our list of top hashtag analytics tools, this hashtag finder is special because it allows you to enter several keywords that the system will analyze to include semantically close variants.

Also, you can find related hashtags suggested by Instagram (ones that often appear together in posts) and copy them in several clicks.

If you register on Inflact, you can use multiple tools like Posting, Direct Desktop, User Search, and Profile Analyzer to take your social media marketing efforts to the next level.

Features

  • AI-based pickup: Find tags by uploading images or via a link to any post.
  • Detailed hashtag analytics: Click on a hashtag to estimate the competition, view top, and recent posts, and see the number of daily uploads.
  • Multilingual research: You can find many tag ideas for all of the locations you are targeting.
  • Advanced search: This feature enables you to find relevant hashtags containing a keyword not only at the beginning of a tag but in the middle and end. This helps you get more diverse results.
  • Free hashtag trends for niches: Copy the most popular tags in many sections, like travel, Christmas, nature, etc.

Cost

Hashtag Generator Module:

  • $14 per account for two weeks
  • $22 per account for one month
  • $42 per account for three months
  • For pricing on other services and toolkits, check out Inflact’s website.

 Pros

  • Advanced hashtag research with 5 keywords and language support to include many synonyms
  • Copyable hashtag suggestions
  • Up-to-date database
  • Multiple tutorials
  • 24/7 customer support

Cons

  • Long time to scroll in the mobile version

Tool Level

  • Intermediate

ingramer
Image via Inflact

Hashtag Tracking Tool #2: HashTagsForLikes 

Next on our list of hashtag analytics tools, HashTagsForLikes is one of the rare hashtag research tools that work not just for Instagram hashtag marketing but also for TikTok. You can copy trending hashtags for campaigns across various social media networks.

Additionally, a new feature has become available with this hashtag analytics tool – user analytics. If you buy the Premium mode, you can see in-depth data about public Instagram profiles.

Features

  • Targeted hashtag suggestions: This hashtag generator will show you relevant tags based on the analysis of your social media profile and the social media profiles of your competitors.
  • Success tracking: Users can track and indicate social media posts with greater reach and save the thriving sets.
  • Live stats: One of the top hashtag analytics tools, it lets you view the data about tags in real-time.
  • Accounts tracking: Users can examine up to 5 social media profiles to get some inspiration.
  • Hashtags for TikTok: See how many views and likes a particular hashtag can bring you.

Cost

  • Regular Plan: $19.99 per week (now $7 weekly)
  • Pro Plan: $25 per week

Pros

  • Dedicated support
  • Hashtags are integrated with monitoring and success reporting
  • Integration of Instagram hashtags with TikTok hashtags for convenient cross-channel campaigns

Cons

  • Some tags are not relevant to the search criteria.

Tool Level

Beginner

hashtagsforlikes
Image via HashTagsForLikes

Hashtag Tracking Tool #3: Kicksta

This service is a set of social media tools for social media marketing. It has different tools for Instagram growth, one of which is a hashtag generator tool for Instagram hashtags. The best part is that this social media tool is free.

Features

  • Preview: Check the top social media posts for a particular hashtag.
  • Grouping lists: It's possible to save hashtags in a customized group so that you can save lists for different types of social media posts.
  • Suggestions: The generator will select tags that will go well with the hashtag you indicated.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • User-friendly
  • Offers the ability to save drafts of tag lists
  • It is free

Cons

  • Doesn’t show volume next to Instagram hashtags.
  • You need to click on arrows to see all the hashtags. They don't appear on one screen together.
  • No hashtags analytics for each hashtag.

Tool Level

  • Beginner

kicksta
Image via Kicksta

Hashtag Tracking Tool #4: Hashtagify

Next on our list of hashtag analytics tools, Hashtagify is an all-in-one tool for Twitter and Instagram hashtags. Marketers can organize social media campaigns for both these channels using just a single tool.

Features

  • In-depth data for tags: You can see trending hashtags by locations and even misspelled hashtag versions related to your search.
  • Monitoring: You can analyze influencers who use specific hashtags or get data about your own performance. You can also track new posts with Twitter hashtags.
  • Exclusive tags suggestions: With this hashtag generator, you can get hashtag suggestions based on your niche.
  • Bookmarks: You can bookmark the best tags on Hashtagify to find them quickly.
  • Plugin for browser: Keep tabs constantly on hashtags using Hashtagify’s plugins.

Cost

  • Personal Plan: $29/month
  • Business Plan: $86/month
  • Enterprise Plan: $311/month

Pros

  • Offers deep analytics.
  • You can analyze hashtag performance.
  • You can track social media trends.

Cons

Tool Level

  • Expert

hashtagify
Image via Hashtagify

Hashtag Tracking Tool #5: Tailwind

Tailwind is a toolset for IG and Pinterest curation. It includes scheduled posting, a bio service, a planner, and a hashtag generator.

You can quickly sign up with your Insta and try this service free of charge.

Features

  • Exclusive recommendations: You can generate hashtags for every new post.
  • Post automatically: The hashtags you pick will be automatically posted as a comment.
  • Make your own hashtag lists: You can keep the sets as hashtag lists and paste them quickly.
  • Detailed analytics: Monitor the analytics and analyze hashtags from various groups – niche, best, competitive, and other criteria.

Cost

  • $9.99/month per account

Pros

  • User-friendly
  • Offers a free trial
  • Has an extension for Chrome

Cons

  • Some hashtags may not be relevant

Tool Level

  • Beginner

tailwind
Image via Tailwind

Hashtag Tracking Tool #6: Sistrix

Sistrix offers software solutions for content marketing, including free services like a hashtag generator. On it, you can perform up to 25 inquiries daily without registration.

Features

  • You can see the popularity of each hashtag.
  • Gives you a set of 30 copyable hashtags.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • Has an extensive database of 7.7 million hashtags
  • User-friendly interface

Cons

  • Doesn’t have advanced features for hashtag analytics.

Tool Level

  • Beginner

sistrix
Image via Sistrix

Hashtag Tracking Tool #7: Display Purposes

Display Purposes offers two modes for hashtag research – manual and automated, and this makes it a perfect fit for newbies and pro marketers. On their site, they also have educational resources to help you polish your hashtag strategies and level up your overall social media marketing performance.

Features

  • Search results based on multiple hashtags: You will get related hashtags to all the hashtags you type in the search field.
  • Has two modes: Auto mode will choose the related hashtags for you, or you can pick them manually by checking the boxes.
  • Check popularity: The tool shows the percentage of relevance and popularity which helps you narrow down the manual hashtag research.
  • Deep stats for free: In their report, you can see relevant hashtags with details about the top locations it was used in, the total number of posts, and more.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • Offers advanced hashtag analytics for free.
  • You can estimate hashtag usage in various locations.

Cons

  • You may find some irrelevant hashtags in the results.

display purposes
Image via Display Purposes

Hashtag Tracking Tool #8: TagsFinder

TagsFinder allows you to discover trending hashtags when you type in search criteria. What’s more, users can exclude particular words they want to avoid among the hashtag suggestions.

This hashtag research tool also shows you the best suggestions in various countries. So if you work in a certain region, it can be a helpful hashtag research tool to find hashtags popular in that area.

Features

  • Three options for hashtag results: You can choose if you want similar or related hashtag ideas or both in your set. Similar will include your exact keyword.
  • Easy option for copying hashtags: You can remove hashtags from it and copy them to the clipboard.
  • Search hashtags by location: The tool has an option that makes it possible to choose a country and find local hashtags.
  • Get hashtags stats by location: Pick a county on the map and go to the Statistics section to generate hashtags that are hot in certain cities.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • Location-specific hashtags can help you gain more visibility locally
  • Set a language for searching hashtags
  • The tool is free
  • Rich functionality

Cons

  • Can’t see hashtag volume
  • Some suggestions are irrelevant

Tool Level 

  • Intermediate

tagsfinder
Image via TagsFinder

Hashtag Tracking Tool #9: Photerloo

Photerloo is primarily a service for selling images online across different channels. It also offers a free hashtag generator, which can help marketers boost organic impressions on Instagram. This tool uses machine learning algorithms to find the best hashtags for you.

Features

  • Photo-based hashtag suggestions: It will find the best hashtags according to your photo.
  • Set the level of popularity: You can adjust with the slider how popular tags should be in the set.
  • Exclude irrelevant keywords: You can exclude any keywords that don’t seem relevant to your search results.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • Free tool

Cons

  • Does not show hashtag analytics

Tool Level

  • Beginner

photerloo
Image via Photerloo

Hashtag Tracking Tool #10: Toolzu

Toolzu is an AI-based hashtag finder with a huge database. They have over 12 million hashtags that are frequently updated.

Features

  • Photo-based suggestions: This AI-based tool suggests hashtags automatically by just uploading your photo.
  • Insert several words in the search bar: You can list up to 5 keywords or synonyms to get more targeted results.
  • URL-based suggestions: The tool also generates hashtags based on any URL that you enter.
  • Grouping of hashtags: All the hashtag versions are classified as Difficult, Medium, and Low so that users can understand the level of competition.
  • Hashtag analytics: Each hashtag is supplied with stats like top posts, recent posts, difficulty, and others.

Cost

  • Free trial
  • Contact their sales team for further details

Pros

  • Clean and easy-to-use interface
  • Shadow-banned hashtags are automatically excluded
  • Offers three different modes for getting hashtag suggestions

Cons

  • You need to register on the platform to get access to advanced features.

Tool Level

  • Intermediate

toolzu
Image via Toolzu

Hashtag Tracking Tool #11: BigBangram

BigBangram aims to take the pain out of the process of hashtag research. All you need to do is enter a keyword on the platform. In a matter of seconds, you can see 30 hashtags that you can use for your post.

Features

  • Multiple ways to generate hashtags: You can find the best hashtags by entering keywords, URLs, or photos.
  • Find related hashtags: The tool gives you a list of similar and organic hashtags related to your search.
  • Analyze hashtag popularity: You can analyze the number of posts for each hashtag and analyze its popularity level.

Cost

  • Free

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • Real-time hashtag analytics
  • Option to check trending hashtags
  • Doesn’t show hashtags that can get you shadowbanned
  • Free

Cons

  • Can show limited results for some keywords

Tool Level

  • Beginner

bigbangram
Image via BigBangram

FAQs

Q1. How does a hashtag generator work?

A. A hashtag generator is a tool that has an online database of hashtags for social media. They may include hashtags for Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

They detect hashtag ideas based on your search criteria (keywords) or based on what is depicted in a photo.

Once the search is complete, you can get a list of hashtags that you can use on Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. Hashtag generators can help you boost your visibility while saving time on hashtag research.

Q2. How can I hide hashtags on Instagram?

A. You don't need to hide hashtags from your caption, but if you want a cleaner look, you can add spacing and dots to divide them from the primary copy. Also, you can publish hashtags as a comment. This way, you can still increase your reach.

Q3. How do I create a branded hashtag?

A. Any hashtag that is related to your brand, tagline, or a specific campaign can be called a branded hashtag.

Such hashtags can help you boost your brand awareness easily. Additionally, they can help you organize giveaways and contests more effectively.

Before using such a branded hashtag, make sure no one else uses it. After you’ve created it, mention it in your bio or highlight it to get maximum visibility.

Q4. How do you follow hashtags on Instagram?

A. Instagram allows users to follow any hashtag to see content related to it. For this, all you need to do is to tap on any hashtag that you see on the platform. Next, click on the “Follow” option.

It's a good idea to keep an eye on the hashtags that your target audience follows. Through this, you can find keyword ideas for further research.

Q5. Do hashtags work in the comments section?

A. Yes, you can use up to 30 hashtags in post captions and comments. With the latter option, Instagram may not show the reach you get via hashtags. If you want this data in the Insights, you should include hashtags in the caption.

Q6. Do hashtags work in Stories?

A. Yes, you can use hashtags in Instagram Stories. Here are the steps you should follow to add them in Stories:

  • Tap the Sticker icon while publishing your Instagram Story.
  • Choose the hashtag Sticker.
  • Type the hashtag that you want to add.
  • Resize, move, or rotate the hashtag as you want.

Alternatively, you can also add hashtags as simple text in your Instagram Stories. For this, you can add the hashtag after tapping on the text icon on the screen.

Q7. What happens to Instagram pictures when you hashtag later?

A. When you add hashtags later to a photo after it was already posted, Instagram doesn’t seem to respond to the change. Your photo will appear on the results page according to the hashtags that you had posted originally.

Which Hashtag Research Tools are Best?

While choosing the best hashtag research tool for your business, you need to figure out what your promotion goals are.

If you run a business, focus on all-in-one toolkits that also include an advanced hashtag searcher. On the other hand, if you only need hashtags for personal usage, you can choose a free tool for beginners based on image scanning.

In either case, don't delay using hashtags in your social media marketing. It can take your Instagram marketing strategy to the next level.

Do you have any questions related to picking the right hashtag research tools? Please feel free to ask them in the comments section.

2 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for sharing such an informative article.

    1. Shane Barker says:

      Hi Pooja, the pleasure is all mine!

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