10 Tools to Discover Niche Hashtags for Instagram
Compare 10 AI-driven and analytics tools to find niche Instagram hashtags, track trends, avoid banned tags, and boost reach with targeted hashtag strategies.
If you’re struggling to find the right hashtags for Instagram, niche hashtags can help you reach a more targeted audience. This article introduces 10 tools that simplify hashtag research by using AI, analytics, and real-time trends. These tools save time, boost engagement, and help you avoid banned or ineffective tags. Here’s a quick look at what each tool offers:
- UpGrow: AI-powered hashtag suggestions tailored to your niche and location, with advanced analytics.
- Hashtagify: Tracks trends, analyzes competitors, and suggests related hashtags.
- RiteTag: Real-time hashtag suggestions with a color-coded performance system.
- Keyhole: Social listening to discover hashtags used by influencers and competitors.
- BuzzSumo: Analyzes top-performing posts to identify effective hashtags.
- Later: AI-driven hashtag discovery with tools for scheduling and analytics.
- Flick: Personalized hashtag suggestions based on your Instagram account and post history.
- Ahrefs AI Generator: Free tool for generating tailored hashtags based on your content.
- SISTRIX Generator: Free database-driven tool for finding niche hashtags.
- All-Hashtag: Free tools for generating, analyzing, and managing hashtags.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Key Features | Free Option | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpGrow | AI suggestions, analytics, trends | No | $39/month |
| Hashtagify | Trends, competitor analysis | Yes | Paid plans vary |
| RiteTag | Real-time suggestions, analytics | No | Pricing varies |
| Keyhole | Social listening, influencer data | Free trial | Paid plans vary |
| BuzzSumo | Content research, trends | Free trial | $199/month |
| Later | AI tools, hashtag scheduling | Free trial | $18.75/month |
| Flick | Personalized suggestions, metrics | Free trial | Paid plans vary |
| Ahrefs AI | Free hashtag generator | Yes | Free |
| SISTRIX | Free niche hashtag generator | Yes | Free |
| All-Hashtag | Image-to-hashtag, analytics | Yes | Free |
Each tool offers unique features to suit different needs, from free options for beginners to advanced analytics for professionals. Use these tools to refine your Instagram strategy and connect with the right audience.
10 Instagram Hashtag Tools Comparison: Features, Pricing & Free Options
How To Find NICHE HASHTAGS For Instagram (Best Instagram Hashtag Strategy 2020)
1. UpGrow
UpGrow is an Instagram growth platform that uses advanced AI to help you find the right hashtags for your content. Whether you're sharing a static image or a Reel, UpGrow tailors its hashtag suggestions to fit your specific post type.
Tailored hashtag suggestions for your niche
UpGrow's AI Hashtag Generator analyzes the category of your content to recommend hashtags that fit your niche. Plus, its Smart AI-Targeting system takes things further by filtering suggestions based on factors like location, age, gender, language, and interests. With access to a massive database of over 300 million verified creators spanning more than 50 niches and 195 countries, UpGrow helps you discover what resonates in different markets.
Stay on top of trending hashtags
The platform’s Trending Instagram Hashtags by Country Tool is a standout feature. It tracks trending hashtags in real time, using over 50 different metrics to optimize and forecast hashtag performance for specific regions.
Insights and analytics at your fingertips
UpGrow offers a live dashboard that breaks down which hashtags are driving the most growth and engagement. You can track your follower count in real time and use their engagement rate calculator to see how various hashtag sets perform on both posts and Reels. Their AI-assisted Boost™ feature has even been shown to increase monthly followers by 275%.
Pricing and features
UpGrow provides 23 free AI-powered tools, with paid plans starting at $39 per month. As of January 2026, they’re also offering a limited-time 60% discount. The service comes with a 100% growth guarantee or your money back and boasts an impressive 4.98/5 rating from over 58,000 reviews.
Looking for more tools to refine your hashtag strategy? Keep reading to discover other options.
2. Hashtagify
Hashtagify is an online tool designed to help you dig deep into hashtag data and find those niche-specific tags that can boost your content. One of its most notable features is the correlation view, which uses statistical data to show related hashtags. This gives you a clear picture of which hashtags work well together, making it a great complement to broader strategy tools.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
The platform also lets you monitor hashtag trends and analyze competitors, giving you a better understanding of what works in your niche. These insights can help you fine-tune your hashtag strategy and stay ahead of the curve.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
Hashtagify doesn't just stop at trends - it helps you identify the top influencers who are shaping conversations in your niche. If you opt for one of the paid plans, you'll also get keyword suggestions tailored to your Instagram captions, ensuring the hashtags you use are perfectly aligned with your content.
Pricing and Accessibility
For those just getting started, Hashtagify offers a free tier that includes basic hashtag searches, trend tracking, and even a free trial of premium features. However, if you're looking for advanced tools like automated reporting and caption-based keyword recommendations, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
3. RiteTag
RiteTag is a handy tool that evaluates your content in real time to recommend the best hashtags for your posts. With browser extensions and mobile apps, it simplifies the process by generating suggestions based on the text or images you're about to share. This makes it an excellent choice for creators who need quick solutions while on the move.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
One standout feature of RiteTag is its color-coded analytics system, which makes understanding hashtag performance straightforward. Here's how it works:
- Green: Indicates "hot" hashtags that can boost immediate visibility.
- Blue: Marks "evergreen" hashtags that are great for long-term discovery.
- Red: Warns that a hashtag is overused, meaning your content might get lost in the crowd.
- Gray: Signals hashtags with low engagement potential, making them less effective.
This visual approach helps users quickly identify which hashtags align best with their goals.
Real-Time Trending Hashtag Tracking
RiteTag doesn’t rely on outdated data - it uses live engagement metrics to keep you updated on trending topics. The green "Hot Now" tags are ideal for jumping into trending conversations, while the blue "Long-life" tags ensure your content remains discoverable over time. This combination of real-time tracking and actionable insights makes it a powerful tool for staying relevant in the fast-paced world of social media.
4. Keyhole
Keyhole is a social listening tool trusted by over 100,000 agencies and global brands. With a perfect 5/5 rating on G2, it’s a go-to platform for uncovering niche hashtags through monitoring conversations and analyzing competitor performance.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
Keyhole leverages social listening to help you find hashtags that truly connect with your target audience. By entering relevant keywords, you can identify influencers in your niche and analyze their posts to uncover the hashtags they’re using. Additionally, the platform allows you to compare your performance against competitors to see which hashtags are boosting their engagement. The QuickTrends feature provides an at-a-glance view of emerging trends, making it easier to spot and adopt niche keywords early.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
Keyhole doesn’t just identify hashtags - it tracks detailed metrics like likes, comments, shares, and even Instagram Stories data, including reach, impressions, taps forward/back, and exits. Its NLP-based sentiment analysis evaluates not only how often hashtags are used but also the audience’s reaction to them.
One standout example is the US Open (USTA), which used Keyhole’s analytics to achieve a 700% year-over-year increase in interactions and video views across major social platforms.
"On the US Open channels, we had a 700% year-over-year increase in interactions and video views across the big 5." - Qianna Smith-Brunneteau, Director of Social Media & Strategy, US Open, USTA
These insights allow you to refine your hashtag strategy on the fly.
Real-Time Trending Hashtag Tracking
With real-time analytics and the QuickTrends feature, Keyhole maps hashtag popularity during live campaigns. This enables you to tweak your strategy immediately, keeping pace with current trends instead of reacting to them after the fact.
Pricing and Accessibility
Keyhole combines its powerful features with flexible pricing options. You can even try it out with a free trial - no credit card required.
5. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo processes an impressive 8 billion articles globally to pinpoint the hashtags that spark engagement in high-performing posts. Instead of simply listing popular tags, it dives deeper to identify the ones that truly drive interactions in your specific niche. This focus on content-driven analysis offers valuable insights tailored to your audience.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
With BuzzSumo's Content Research feature, you can search niche-specific keywords to uncover the hashtags fueling top-performing posts. The platform delivers twice as many niche topic results compared to other databases. Plus, it allows you to analyze trends and engagement over timeframes ranging from just 15 minutes to as far back as five years. This combination of historical context and up-to-date data provides a well-rounded view of your niche.
"I can search for terms/phrases and quickly identify content that's performing well in a niche or with an audience." - Rand Fishkin, Founder & CEO, SparkToro
These insights can help you fine-tune your strategy for maximum impact.
Real-Time Trending Hashtag Tracking
BuzzSumo keeps tabs on trends across major platforms with data that's refreshed every 15 minutes. You can set up alerts for specific keywords or competitor brands, enabling you to spot emerging hashtags before they become oversaturated. With access to a database featuring 700,000 journalists and 330,000 monthly profile updates, the tool ensures you're always in the loop with the latest trendsetters in your industry.
Pricing and Accessibility
BuzzSumo's pricing starts at $199 per month (billed annually) for the Content Creation plan, with enterprise options reaching up to $999 per month. A free trial is available, and no credit card is needed to get started. By combining content analysis with real-time trend tracking, BuzzSumo offers a powerful complement to other advanced hashtag tools.
6. Later
Later combines advanced AI-driven hashtag discovery with performance tracking to help you identify niche tags that deliver results. Its EdgeAI technology analyzes billions of signals from creators, commerce, and trends to provide actionable insights.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
Later’s Hashtag Analytics tool offers detailed performance metrics like reach, impressions, saves, likes, and comments. You can filter these results to uncover which hashtags are helping you grow your audience. The dashboard highlights your top-performing tags and provides historical data ranging from 3 months to 2 years, depending on your subscription level.
"Not only is Later's Analytics feature incredibly user-friendly, it's also so helpful seeing our analytics all in one place!"
- Nikki Reed & Staci Inspektor, Co-founders, ATELIER SAUCIER
Later’s analytics make it easy to track what’s working and refine your hashtag strategy.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
Later’s Hashtag Suggestions tool offers recommendations in two ways. The Auto mode analyzes your post captions to suggest the most relevant tags, while the Search mode generates ideas based on a seed hashtag. Research from 18 million posts reveals that hashtags with 10,000 to 200,000 posts are the sweet spot for discoverability.
You can organize these hashtags into Saved Captions for quick use and take advantage of Later’s First Comment scheduling feature. This tool automatically posts your hashtags as the first comment, keeping captions clean while boosting reach. Interestingly, Later’s findings suggest that using 20 hashtags delivers the best average reach rate, challenging Instagram’s recommendation of 3–5 tags.
"Later's hashtag tools are so simple. Adding a first comment barely adds a step to my process but it's so invaluable. It helps improve the look and feel of my post and drives reach at the same time."
- Chloe Pedersen, Art Director, Ranch & Coast Magazine
Pricing and Accessibility
Later offers a 14-day free trial so you can explore all its hashtag features. Paid plans start at $18.75 per month (billed annually) under the Starter tier, which includes basic hashtag tools and 3 months of analytics. The Growth plan, priced at $37.50 per month, adds AI-powered caption analysis and extends analytics history to 1 year. For $82.50 per month, the Scale plan gives you access to 2 years of data and future trend insights.
Keep in mind, hashtag analytics require an Instagram Business profile and are only available for accounts with at least 100 followers due to API restrictions.
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7. Flick
Flick takes a unique approach to finding niche hashtags by connecting directly to your Instagram Business account through the official API. This connection allows Flick to provide personalized hashtag suggestions based on your content, giving you a better chance to rank effectively instead of relying on generic recommendations.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
With Flick, you can track which hashtags help your posts land in top feed placements and how long they stay there. Unlike Instagram's built-in analytics, which only retain data for 60 days, Flick stores historical performance data, making it easier to identify long-term trends. It also calculates an Efficiency Score (out of 100), which combines a hashtag's size with how often you rank on it. This score helps you pinpoint the hashtags that deliver the best results.
Flick's analytics consistently refine my client strategy. - Karen Brajel, Instagram Expert
Another standout feature is the Rank Ratio, which shows the percentage of times your posts make it into the top 100 for a specific hashtag. This metric is invaluable for understanding which hashtags consistently perform well for your account. By focusing on precise rankings and historical data, Flick sets itself apart in helping users discover effective niche hashtags.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
Flick uses a Smart Filtering Algorithm that considers your account size and engagement rate to recommend hashtags where you're most likely to rank among the top posts. Simply search for a keyword related to your content, and Flick generates 40 relevant hashtag suggestions in over 20 languages. The Top Post Preview feature allows you to visually review the content currently ranking for a hashtag, ensuring it aligns with your niche and aesthetic before you add it to your post.
When choosing hashtags, aim for those where the "Average Likes" of top-ranking posts match your usual engagement numbers. You can also organize hashtags into collections based on topic or competition level, which are accessible on both desktop and mobile platforms. Before posting, use Flick to check for banned or flagged hashtags to avoid issues like shadowbanning.
Flick allows my team and I to isolate the most relevant hashtags to obtain the most reach on our posts. - Benjamin Brandon, Instagram Consultant
Pricing and Accessibility
Flick offers a 7-day free trial with full feature access - no credit card required. You can use the platform via web browsers or dedicated iOS and Android apps, making it easy to manage your hashtag strategy wherever you are. Advanced metrics like the Competition Score and Potential Reach Score are available with the Growth plan. Many users have reported boosting their post reach by 15% to 30% or more after implementing Flick's analytics.
Trusted by over 100,000 creators, brands, and marketers, Flick is officially recognized by Facebook/Instagram as a "best-in-class method for identifying highly relevant hashtags".
8. Ahrefs AI Instagram Hashtag Generator
Ahrefs provides a free Instagram Hashtag Generator powered by AI. This handy tool analyzes your content description and suggests hashtags that match your niche. It’s designed to help you expand your hashtag options with recommendations tailored to your specific audience.
Tailored Hashtags for Your Niche
Whether you're posting about fitness, travel, or any other topic, this tool delivers hashtags that suit your content. For example, a detailed description of a fitness post might generate tags like #FitLife or #HealthyChoices, while travel-related content could result in location-based or experience-specific hashtags. The more detailed your input, the more accurate and relevant the suggestions.
The tool also supports influencer collaborations and sponsored campaigns. By providing details about the brand or campaign, you can generate custom hashtags that align with your content strategy. Additionally, it helps organize your posts by suggesting hashtags that complement your visual style, making your content more discoverable to the right audience.
Free and Easy to Use
One of the best parts? The hashtag generator is completely free. You can access it directly on the Ahrefs website without needing to create an account or provide payment details. It’s part of a broader suite of tools, including an Instagram Bio Generator and Caption Generator. While these suggestions can boost your content's visibility, it’s always a good idea to review them to ensure they align with your brand voice and Instagram’s guidelines.
9. SISTRIX Instagram Hashtag Generator
SISTRIX provides a free Instagram Hashtag Generator that taps into a massive database of over 15 billion hashtag combinations to help you uncover niche-specific tags. With data from more than 7.7 million unique hashtags, this tool is a powerful resource for finding effective hashtags that can enhance your reach and grow your follower base.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
Using the tool is straightforward. Simply input a "seed" hashtag related to your niche, and the generator will produce a list of relevant tags that have proven successful on Instagram. Instead of relying on overly popular global tags like #love or #fashion, you’ll get long-tail hashtags tailored to your content. These niche-specific tags often face less competition, increasing your chances of standing out.
The tool is particularly useful because Instagram lacks a traditional search engine for hashtags. SISTRIX fills that gap by acting as a reliable search tool to uncover relevant and effective tags. The database is updated regularly to reflect current trends, ensuring the suggestions remain aligned with what’s working on the platform. Whether your content focuses on fitness, food, or fashion, this tool helps you find hashtags that match your audience and goals.
Despite its advanced features, the SISTRIX generator is user-friendly and accessible to everyone.
Pricing and Accessibility
The best part? The SISTRIX Instagram Hashtag Generator is completely free. You don’t need to register, log in, or share any payment details to use it. Since it’s browser-based, there’s no need to install anything - just open it up and start generating hashtags. Plus, it supports multiple languages, including English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French, making it a great option for reaching audiences across different regions.
10. All-Hashtag
All-Hashtag is a free online toolset designed to help you find and fine-tune niche hashtags for Instagram. One standout feature is its AI-powered image-to-hashtag generator, which examines your visual content and suggests hundreds of relevant, trending hashtags. You can also enter specific keywords to create hashtags tailored to your content's focus.
Niche-Specific Hashtag Suggestions
With All-Hashtag, you can either upload an image for AI analysis or input keywords to receive a curated list of niche hashtags. There’s also a Trending Hashtags Topics section where you can explore pre-made lists for categories like #CookingRecipes, #TechInnovations, #NaturePhotography, and #FitnessMotivation.
The platform offers additional handy tools, like the Hashtag Creator, which turns your captions into hashtags automatically, and the Hashtag Counter, which ensures your hashtag use is optimized by flagging duplicates and balancing density.
These features make it easier to craft a hashtag strategy that aligns with your content goals.
Hashtag Analytics and Insights
All-Hashtag also provides analytics to help you evaluate and refine your hashtag choices. Its Hashtag Analytics feature compares your selected hashtags against millions of others to identify top-performing options. Plus, the Hashtag Charts showcase the top 100 hashtags across various categories, giving you a snapshot of trending global topics.
Pricing and Accessibility
The best part? All-Hashtag’s tools are completely free - no sign-ups, logins, or payments required. The platform runs on a donation-based model to support its development. It’s accessible via web browsers, and mobile apps for the Apple App Store and Google Play are on the way. While specifically designed for Instagram, the hashtags it generates can also be used on TikTok and other social media platforms.
How to Use Instagram Hashtags in 2026
By 2026, Instagram recommends sticking to 3 to 5 hashtags per post for the best results. Forget the old 30-hashtag rule - overloading your post with hashtags now risks triggering Instagram’s spam filters, which can cause the algorithm to limit your post’s reach. This shift means focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to hashtags.
Relevance is more important than ever. Instead of opting for overly broad hashtags like #love (2.1B posts) or #instagood (1.8B posts), choose niche-specific tags that resonate with your target audience. For instance, #vietnamesefood is far more effective than the generic #food, and #vancouverfoodie will connect you with a more engaged audience than a vague location tag. As Drew McWhirter, Creative Marketing Lead at Anh and Chi, explains:
In a digital world full of content, hashtags are our way of narrowing it down and reaching the right people.
The winning formula for 2026? A mix of trending and niche hashtags. If you’re just starting out or have fewer than 5,000 followers, steer clear of hashtags with millions of posts - you’ll get lost in the crowd. Instead, combine high-traffic tags with more specific, less competitive ones to keep your posts visible and relevant to your audience.
Steer clear of banned or overly broad hashtags. Before using a tag, search for it on Instagram to check for any warning messages or hidden results. These indicate the hashtag violates Community Standards and could harm your post’s visibility. Another tip: don’t use the same set of hashtags on every post. Repetition can flag your account as spam and hurt your reach.
For a cleaner look, place your hashtags at the end of your caption or in the first comment. This keeps your main text uncluttered and ensures screen readers can process your content properly, improving accessibility. Since hashtags now act as SEO signals, they help Instagram’s algorithm categorize your content and show it to the right audience through Explore pages and search results.
Conclusion
Finding niche hashtags for Instagram doesn’t have to be complicated. The 10 tools discussed in this guide provide everything you need to uncover hashtags that resonate with your audience. Whether it’s AI-driven suggestions or real-time analytics, these tools can help you select hashtags that boost engagement and visibility.
By combining insights from these tools, you can fine-tune your hashtag strategy. The secret to succeeding in 2026 lies in aligning your hashtags with your content and audience. As Amanda Demeku from Later explains, "Using relevant, targeted hashtags (and keywords) on posts and Reels is still one of the best ways to get discovered by new audiences on Instagram". Niche hashtags allow Instagram’s algorithm to categorize your content more effectively, ensuring it reaches users who are genuinely interested in your topic.
Data shows that posts with 3-5 highly relevant hashtags perform better, generating about 25% higher engagement compared to posts cluttered with 10+ irrelevant tags. The ideal range for niche hashtags is between 100,000 and 1 million posts - popular enough to have an active audience but not so saturated that your content gets lost. For even better results, aim for hashtags with 10,000 to 200,000 posts to strike a balance between visibility and competition.
To keep your strategy fresh and avoid "hashtag fatigue", use these tools regularly. Rotate your hashtags based on content themes, analyze performance, and drop any that aren’t delivering results. The ultimate goal? Pair niche hashtags with keyword-rich captions and focus on engagement metrics like shares and watch time. A flexible, data-driven hashtag strategy is key to steady growth.
Leverage these tools to experiment, track, and refine your hashtag combinations. By doing so, you’ll not only grow your audience but attract the right audience for your brand.
FAQs
How can niche hashtags boost engagement on Instagram?
Niche hashtags are laser-focused tags that tie your content to a specific topic or community. These tags work wonders in connecting with an audience that’s actively searching for content like yours. The result? More genuine interactions - think higher likes, thoughtful comments, and even more saves.
Pairing niche hashtags with a few broader ones is a smart way to expand your reach. This mix allows your post to be seen by both a targeted micro-community and a larger audience. The bonus? It attracts engaged users who are more likely to stick around as loyal followers or even customers, instead of just scrolling past.
Tools like UpGrow’s hashtag discovery feature make it easy to find trending and relevant niche hashtags tailored to your audience. With the right hashtags in play, your posts can consistently reach the right people and keep engagement strong.
What should I look for in a tool to find niche Instagram hashtags?
When selecting a hashtag discovery tool for Instagram, focus on features that help you identify targeted, data-backed hashtags suited to your audience. The best tools provide real-time access to trending hashtags and let you filter options based on location, niche, or audience demographics. Some even use AI to analyze text or images, making it easier to uncover niche-specific hashtags without the hassle of manual research.
A solid tool should also deliver performance insights, showing how hashtags influence engagement metrics like likes, comments, and reach. Look for features that let you save and organize hashtag collections for campaigns and simplify adding them to posts. To enhance your Instagram strategy, go for tools with advanced filters, trend tracking, and smooth integration into your workflow.
Why should you avoid using banned hashtags on Instagram?
Using banned hashtags can seriously impact how your account performs on Instagram. When you use these hashtags, Instagram might flag your account, limit its visibility through a shadow ban, or, in extreme cases, suspend it altogether. This means fewer people will see your posts, and your organic reach could take a big hit. Steering clear of these hashtags helps keep your content visible to your audience and supports steady, long-term growth on the platform.
