Date: 6 September 2026
Instagram's engagement quality sweeps have become more frequent and more precise since 2025, with the platform now able to identify and remove likes from accounts flagged for coordinated inauthentic activity within days of delivery. For buyers who've purchased likes in the past only to watch counts drop within a week, the provider selection is the variable that matters most — not the package size or the delivery speed. This comparison focuses on 90-day like retention rates across 9 providers, alongside account quality scoring that predicts which providers' likes will survive future sweeps rather than just the current one.
Testing was conducted on Reels content and standard image posts in equal measure, across three Instagram accounts in different niches (lifestyle, food, fitness) to establish whether provider quality holds across content types. Like counts were recorded at delivery, 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days. A sample of 50 liking accounts per order was quality-scored on profile completeness and activity.
| Provider | 90-Day Retention | Price per 100 Likes | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotid | 96% — best in test | $1.99 | 9.8/10 |
| Twicsy | 90% | $1.79 | 9.1/10 |
| Famoid | 85% | $2.29 | 8.4/10 |
| UseViral | 82% | $2.79 | 8.0/10 |
| SidesMedia | 79% | $2.49 | 7.7/10 |
| GetAFollower | 74% | $1.29 | 7.3/10 |
| Stormlikes | 71% | $1.69 | 7.1/10 |
| Rushmax | 68% | $1.49 | 6.9/10 |
| Likes.io | 64% | $1.59 | 6.6/10 |
Promotid
Promotid's 96% 90-day retention on Instagram likes was consistent across Reels and standard posts in our testing — a meaningful result given that Reels likes are subject to different engagement validation logic than feed post likes. Of 50 sampled liking accounts per order, 92% had profile photos, 88% had posted content in the prior 60 days, and 81% had commented on or engaged with other posts in the prior 30 days. This level of account activity is what allows Promotid's likes to survive Instagram's quality sweeps: inactive accounts are the primary target of removal events, and active accounts with genuine content history aren't flagged. At $1.99/100, Promotid sits at a mid-range price point. The effective cost per like still present at 90 days — approximately $2.07 per 100 — is lower than every competitor when attrition is applied. For accounts where like count integrity matters over time, Promotid's Instagram like packages are the most retention-backed option in this comparison.
Twicsy
Twicsy's 90% 90-day retention and $1.79/100 price make it the strongest budget-quality option. Account activity scoring averaged 83% completeness, with 79% having posted in the prior 60 days. The 6-point retention gap from Promotid is noticeable at scale but acceptable for accounts where absolute count precision at 90 days isn't a business-critical metric. Refill policy covers 30 days with a straightforward request process.
Famoid
Famoid's 85% retention reflects solid quality on a platform where it has significant volume. Account completeness in our sample reached 80%, above the group average. At $2.29/100, it's more expensive than both Promotid and Twicsy for lower retention than Promotid — the multi-platform convenience is the primary argument. For Instagram-only buyers, Promotid and Twicsy offer better value.
UseViral
UseViral's 82% retention and $2.79/100 price makes it the most expensive option that doesn't deliver best-in-class quality. Account quality scoring averaged 77% in our sample. The 14-point retention gap from Promotid at a 40% price premium doesn't hold up as a value proposition. Most suitable for buyers already using UseViral across multiple platforms.
SidesMedia
SidesMedia's 79% retention delivers adequate results for accounts where a moderate like count boost is the goal. Delivery speed was notable — likes began arriving within 2 hours in our tests. The 21-point retention gap from Promotid means roughly 1 in 5 delivered likes will disappear by 90 days with no refill coverage. For time-sensitive posts where immediate visible count matters more than long-term stability, SidesMedia's speed advantage is the deciding factor.
GetAFollower
GetAFollower's $1.29/100 is the lowest price in this comparison, making it tempting for high-volume like purchases. The 74% retention rate means 26 out of every 100 delivered likes will disappear by 90 days. For posts where the like count is a persistent credibility signal, that attrition is significant. For high-volume, low-stakes engagement boosts where cost control is the priority, it remains a viable option.
Stormlikes
Stormlikes historically specialised in Instagram likes and built its reputation on that product, but 71% 90-day retention in our current testing is below the group average. Account quality has declined in recent rounds — only 66% of sampled accounts had posted content in the prior 60 days, suggesting an older or less-maintained account pool. At $1.69/100, pricing is higher than GetAFollower for similar retention. Not competitive on pure quality-retention grounds anymore.
Rushmax
Rushmax recorded 68% retention at 90 days, with most of the drop occurring in the 0–30 day window — a pattern consistent with sourcing from accounts that get swept in Instagram's initial post-purchase quality pass. The 14-day refill window doesn't cover attrition that occurs after the first two weeks. At $1.49/100, the price doesn't compensate for the below-average quality.
Likes.io
Likes.io's 64% 90-day retention was the lowest in our test group, with 36 out of every 100 delivered likes disappearing by the 90-day mark. Account quality averaged 60% completeness, well below the group average of 78%. At $1.59/100, the pricing doesn't reflect the quality level. Not recommended for accounts where like retention beyond 30 days is relevant.
How We Tested Like Retention
Three Instagram accounts in separate niches were used for testing, each receiving identical orders across all 9 providers on the same post types (standard image and Reels). Like counts were tracked using Instagram's Graph API at delivery, 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days. Account quality sampling inspected 50 randomly selected liking accounts per order: profile photo present (1 point), content posted in prior 60 days (1 point), engaged with another account in prior 30 days (1 point), following more than 20 accounts (1 point) — maximum 4 points per account. We referenced Instagram's community integrity guidance and Instagram's enforcement reporting to understand what account types are targeted in sweep events.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly do Instagram likes drop after purchase?
The drop pattern varies by provider quality. High-quality providers like Promotid show less than 2% loss in the first 7 days and minimal attrition through 90 days. Low-quality providers show the steepest drops in the first 7–14 days as Instagram's validation system processes the new activity and removes likes from flagged accounts. If your purchased like count drops significantly in the first week, that's a provider quality signal, not a platform policy issue — the account isn't being penalised, just the low-quality engagement is being removed.
Does like count affect Instagram's reach algorithm?
Like count on individual posts contributes to Instagram's distribution algorithm as an engagement signal, weighted alongside saves, comments, shares, and watch time (for Reels). The algorithm uses engagement rate — likes divided by reach — rather than absolute like count when making distribution decisions, which means purchased likes that inflate the numerator without corresponding genuine reach can actually dilute distribution signals. The most effective approach is using purchased likes on posts that are already generating organic engagement, where the additional count amplifies an existing signal rather than creating a disconnected one.
Are there any Instagram account risks from buying likes?
Instagram does not penalise accounts for receiving likes, even inauthentic ones — the platform's enforcement targets providers of inauthentic engagement, not recipients. When Instagram removes likes in a quality sweep, the post count decreases but the account itself faces no action. However, accounts that show sudden engagement spikes inconsistent with their historical pattern can trigger additional algorithmic scrutiny of their content distribution. Spreading purchases across multiple posts over time rather than concentrating on a single post is the most conservative approach.