7 Best UpGrow Alternatives & Competitors in 2026 (Compared)
UpGrow is the strongest pick for most people: AI-targeted followers, no password, 30-day refills on Active and VIP, a 30-day money-back guarantee and one-click cancellation in your billing settings, from $2.99. The services below suit narrower cases.
What to check before you pick an Instagram growth service
Ten checks separate a service that grows your account from one that puts it at risk. Run any of the services below through them.
| What to check | A pass looks like | A red flag looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Password | Only your public @username is needed | The service asks for your password or for you to log in through its app |
| How growth happens | Real people who match your targeting choose to follow you | Follow, like and unfollow automation run from your own account |
| Who the followers are | Accounts with profile photos, posts and activity | Empty profiles with no photo, posts or followers |
| Delivery pace | Small orders over hours, large orders over one to three days | Thousands of followers within minutes |
| Refund promise | A written money-back guarantee with a stated window | Refunds at the company’s discretion, or none for work already performed |
| Refills | Automatic top-ups for 30 days if followers drop | No refill, or a refill only after a support ticket |
| Cancellation | Self-serve cancellation in your account settings | Cancelling only by email or support ticket |
| Price | The price you pay is shown before checkout, with a small first order to test | A headline price that differs from the plan table |
| Targeting | You choose accounts, hashtags, location, language, gender and interests | One generic audience you cannot steer |
| Trial terms | A trial or guarantee that works without your login | A trial that starts only after you share your login |
The 7 services at a glance
Each rival’s terms are taken from its own website.
| Service | Price | Password needed | Refill and guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpGrow | Growth plans from $49 for the first month; one-time followers from $2.99 for 100 | No | 30-day refills on Active and VIP followers and a 30-day money-back guarantee on every shop order; growth plans refund you if you see no net-positive growth after the first 7 days. You get one-click cancellation in your billing settings, and access runs to the end of the period you paid for. |
| Kicksta | $69/mo, or $39/mo billed yearly | Yes | No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “If you don’t see growth in your first 7 days, we extend your trial”. Trial: 7 days on monthly and quarterly plans (card required). |
| Path Social | $59/mo, or $29/mo billed yearly | No | No refill (ongoing growth). It promises a refund if there is no growth within 7 days. |
| Plixi | $59/mo, or $29/mo billed yearly | No | No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “Guaranteed growth within 7 days or we’ll give you a refund” (Pro and Experts plans). |
| Nitreo | $39/mo, or $19/mo billed yearly | Yes | No refill (ongoing growth). Refunds are at the company’s discretion. Trial: 7 days. |
| Ampfluence | $249/mo (Growth plan) | Yes | No refill (ongoing growth). Its terms: “We cannot provide refunds for work performed”. No trial is stated. |
| Sup Growth | $119/mo flat | Yes | No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “Money Back Guarantee”. Trial: 14 days (“Nothing is charged until day 15”). |
1. UpGrow
Most creators, small businesses and brands: AI-targeted growth plans by account, hashtag, location, language, gender and interest, plus a one-time shop for followers, likes and views.
- Price: Growth plans from $49 for the first month (Basic) on the pricing page; one-time followers from $2.99 for 100 on the buy Instagram followers page.
- Password: Not needed. UpGrow asks only for your public @username.
- Refill and guarantee: 30-day refills on Active and VIP followers and a 30-day money-back guarantee on every shop order; growth plans refund you if you see no net-positive growth after the first 7 days. You get one-click cancellation in your billing settings, and access runs to the end of the period you paid for.
- One con: High-Quality, the cheapest follower tier, has no refill; only Active and VIP do.
2. Kicksta
People who are comfortable sharing their login and want a free trial before paying.
- Price: $69/mo, or $39/mo billed yearly
- Password: Yes. Kicksta stores your password (encrypted) and engages from your account.
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “If you don’t see growth in your first 7 days, we extend your trial”. Trial: 7 days on monthly and quarterly plans (card required).
- One con: It needs your password, and its no-growth promise is a longer trial rather than a refund.
Full comparison: UpGrow vs Kicksta.
3. Path Social
Buyers who can pay a year up front and want promotion through influencer shout-outs and newsletter placements.
- Price: $59/mo, or $29/mo billed yearly
- Password: Not needed. It says it works “without asking for your password”.
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). It promises a refund if there is no growth within 7 days.
- One con: The $29 price needs a yearly payment, and no free trial is stated.
Full comparison: UpGrow vs Path Social.
4. Plixi
Buyers who want targeting by gender, location, language and age and can pay a year up front.
- Price: $59/mo, or $29/mo billed yearly
- Password: Not needed (“no passwords”).
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “Guaranteed growth within 7 days or we’ll give you a refund” (Pro and Experts plans).
- One con: The refund promise covers only the Pro and Experts plans.
Full comparison: UpGrow vs Plixi.
5. Nitreo
People who want to tune hashtags and locations themselves and are comfortable linking their login to automation software.
- Price: $39/mo, or $19/mo billed yearly
- Password: Yes. Its terms require your username and password.
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). Refunds are at the company’s discretion. Trial: 7 days.
- One con: It runs follow and unfollow automation from your own login, and its Trustpilot page shows a 2.2 score from 149 reviews.
Full comparison: UpGrow vs Nitreo.
6. Ampfluence
Brands with a large budget that want staff to follow, like and comment for them by hand.
- Price: $249/mo (Growth plan)
- Password: Yes (“Access to your account is required”).
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). Its terms: “We cannot provide refunds for work performed”. No trial is stated.
- One con: It is the most expensive service here, and work already performed is not refunded.
Full comparison: UpGrow vs Ampfluence.
7. Sup Growth
Local businesses that want a human team engaging people in their city and niche.
- Price: $119/mo flat
- Password: It asks you to add your Instagram account details, and its team works from inside your account.
- Refill and guarantee: No refill (ongoing growth). Its guarantee: “Money Back Guarantee”. Trial: 14 days (“Nothing is charged until day 15”).
- One con: There is one flat price with no smaller plan, and the team acts from your account.
Frequently asked questions
For most people UpGrow is still the strongest pick, because it needs no password and pairs refills with a money-back guarantee. Among the rest, Plixi and Path Social also skip the password and cost $29 a month billed yearly, Sup Growth suits local businesses at $119 a month, Ampfluence suits big budgets from $249 a month, and Kicksta or Nitreo suit people who are happy to share their login for a free trial.
Yes. You get one-click cancellation in your billing settings, and access runs to the end of the period you paid for. There is no support ticket, email or cancellation fee.
UpGrow, Path Social and Plixi work from your public @username alone. Kicksta stores your password, Nitreo’s terms require your username and password, Ampfluence says access to your account is required, and Sup Growth asks you to add your Instagram account details.
UpGrow Basic is $49 for the first month. Kicksta lists $69 a month ($39 billed yearly) and Path Social $59 a month ($29 billed yearly). For a one-time boost with no subscription, UpGrow’s shop starts at 100 followers for $2.99.
Sup Growth offers 14 days (nothing is charged until day 15), Kicksta 7 days on monthly and quarterly plans, and Nitreo 7 days, but all three need access to your Instagram account. Path Social, Plixi and Ampfluence state no trial. UpGrow gives new accounts a 1-day free trial and refunds growth plans if you see no net-positive growth after the first 7 days.
Some do. UpGrow refunds growth plans if you see no net-positive growth after the first 7 days and backs every shop order with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plixi refunds if there is no growth within 7 days on its Pro and Experts plans, and Path Social promises one if there is no growth within 7 days. Kicksta extends your trial instead, Nitreo refunds at its discretion, and Ampfluence does not refund work already performed.
The growth subscriptions here (Kicksta, Path Social, Plixi, Nitreo, Ampfluence and Sup Growth) bring ongoing growth rather than a fixed order, so none of them offers a refill. UpGrow’s shop refills Active and VIP followers automatically for 30 days if your count drops.
It is the biggest risk you control. Instagram’s 2018 crackdown removed activity from accounts using third-party apps that act through the account’s own login and asked those accounts to change their password. A service that needs only your public @username, as UpGrow, Path Social and Plixi do, never signs in as you.
Instant
