How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money on Instagram?

There is no single number. Instagram's own earning features have their own minimums: Gifts need at least 500 followers and Subscriptions need at least 10,000 followers, and you must be 18 or older with a professional account for both. Brand deals and affiliate links have no official follower minimum at all. A brand can pay a small account with an engaged, relevant audience. Instagram also doesn't pay a standard rate per view, so views alone won't earn you money. You can start earning with a few hundred followers, and more options open up as you grow.

Instagram's earning options at a glance

Instagram lists its money-making tools in the Monetize section of your Professional dashboard. The table below covers the main ones and the requirements Instagram publishes for them.

Gifts: from 500 followers

Gifts let viewers send you small paid gifts while they watch your reels. They have the lowest follower requirement of the features in this guide. According to Instagram's Help Center, you need to:

• Have a professional (creator or business) account.
• Be 18 or older.
• Have at least 500 followers.
• Live in a country where Gifts is available, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany or France.
• Agree to the Instagram Gifts Creators Terms.
• Set up a payout account. Without one, you can see who sent gifts but you can't receive the money.

Collaborative posts are not eligible for Gifts. Gifts tend to pay small amounts per viewer, so think of them as a bonus that grows with your reel views, not a main income.

Subscriptions: from 10,000 followers

Subscriptions let followers pay you monthly for exclusive, subscriber-only content. Instagram's requirements are:

• A professional account with at least 10,000 followers.
• Age 18 or older.
• Living in one of the 49 supported countries, which include the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India and Japan.
• Accepting the Instagram Subscriptions Terms of Use.

Subscriptions work best when you already have a core group of fans who want more from you. A large audience that rarely comments or watches to the end is unlikely to pay every month.

Brand deals: no fixed minimum

For many creators, sponsored posts bring in the most money. Instagram does not set a follower minimum for paid partnerships. Instead, the brand decides who it wants to work with. Brands usually look at:

• Audience fit. Do your followers match the people the brand sells to, by topic, age and location?
• Engagement. Do people like, comment, save and share your posts? See what counts as a good engagement rate.
• Content quality. Is your feed consistent, and would the brand be happy to see its product in it?
• Reliability. Do you post regularly, meet deadlines and disclose partnerships properly?

The marketing industry often groups creators into tiers such as nano, micro and macro. There is no official definition, and the follower ranges differ from one agency to the next. What matters more is that smaller accounts can still win deals. Local businesses and niche brands often prefer a few thousand loyal followers over a huge but unfocused audience.

Instagram also runs a creator marketplace, where brands can find and contact creators. It is only open to creator and business accounts, and you can check whether you are eligible in your account settings or Professional dashboard. To see what a deal could be worth, read how much Instagram influencers make or try the calculator below.

You must label paid posts

Instagram's Branded Content Policies require the paid partnership label whenever you post content you were paid for and tag the brand. You can add it to feed posts, stories, reels, live videos and broadcast channels, but only from the Instagram mobile app. The first time you tag a brand, it gets a request, and its name only appears in the label once it approves.

Affiliate links: start any time

With affiliate marketing, you share a tracked link or discount code and earn a commission when someone buys. Many brands and affiliate networks run their own programmes and set their own entry rules, so you can often join with a small account. You can share links in your bio, in stories and in captions.

Instagram has offered built-in affiliate and shopping features in some places, but availability changes by country and account. Instagram's creator site also lists Badges, Bonuses and partnership ads as ways to earn, without a single published follower minimum for all of them. Check the Monetize section of your Professional dashboard to see what you can use right now.

How much does Instagram pay for 1 million views?

There is no fixed answer, because Instagram doesn't pay creators a standard rate per view. A reel with a million views earns nothing on its own unless it is tied to one of the earning features above. Views help indirectly: more people watching means more chances to receive Gifts, win new subscribers and show brands that your content reaches people.

Do Instagram Reels pay?

Not directly for most creators. Instagram's creator site says Bonuses reward the performance of reels and photos, but it also says they are limited time and invite-only. There is no public application form and Instagram doesn't publish a per-view rate. For everyone else, reels earn through Gifts, brand deals and the audience they build.

Instagram also has badges, which viewers can buy to show support during a live video. If you plan to earn from live streams, see how many followers you need to go live on Instagram.

How to make money on Instagram in the UK

The United Kingdom is on Instagram's supported country lists for both Gifts and Subscriptions, so the same 500 and 10,000 follower thresholds apply. Brand deals and affiliate links are open to UK creators of any size.

• Label your ads. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says paid content must be clearly labelled as an ad, with a label such as "Ad" that people see straight away, without scrolling or clicking. It says to avoid unclear tags like #sponsored, #gifted or #collab.
• Free products count too. The CMA treats gifted products as a form of payment. If you post about something a brand gave you, label it, even if they didn't ask you to post.
• Affiliate links need a label. The CMA says tagging a brand, sharing a discount code or adding an affiliate link is not enough on its own.
• Don't rely only on Instagram's tool. The CMA says to check whether a platform's labelling tool makes it clear the post is an ad. If it doesn't, add "#Ad" upfront.
• Know the tax basics. HMRC's trading allowance lets you earn up to £1,000 a year of trading income tax-free. If your gross trading income goes over £1,000, you need to register for Self Assessment. Keep records of your income either way.

How to make money on Instagram in Australia

Australia is also on the supported country lists for Gifts and Subscriptions, with the same 500 and 10,000 follower requirements. As in the UK, brand deals and affiliate programmes have no Instagram follower minimum.

• Disclose upfront. The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) says its Code of Ethics requires influencer marketing to be disclosed in a way that is upfront, clear and obvious. Put it at the start of the post or video, not hidden in the text.
• Disclose gifted products. The AANA says gifts should be disclosed upfront too. It also warns that adding #notanad or #notspon to posts about a brand you work with is potentially misleading.
• Check your tax position. Money and products you receive from brand deals, affiliate links and Instagram payouts may need to go on your tax return. Check the Australian Taxation Office's guidance or ask an accountant.

How to check what you're eligible for

1. 1Switch to a professional account. In your account settings, switch to a creator or business account. Gifts, Subscriptions and branded content tools all need one.
2. 2Open your Professional dashboard. Tap Professional dashboard on your profile. Look for the Monetize section.
3. 3Check each feature. If you're eligible for a feature, you'll see an option to set it up. If not, compare your account with the requirements above.
4. 4Set up payouts. Add your payout details so you can actually receive money from Gifts or Subscriptions.
5. 5Turn on branded content tools. Do this before your first sponsored post so you can add the paid partnership label.

How to grow to 500 or 10,000 followers

Followers unlock features, but engagement is what earns money. Gifts depend on people watching your reels, Subscriptions on fans willing to pay, and brand deals on an audience that responds. A few habits help on all three:

• Pick a clear topic, so new visitors know why to follow you.
• Post reels regularly, and at times your audience is online. See the best time to post on Instagram.
• Reply to comments and messages. Brands notice an active community.
• Write a bio that says who you are and how brands can reach you. Our Instagram bio ideas can help.
• If your count is going down instead of up, find out why you might be losing followers before you push for growth.

For a fuller plan, read our guide on how to get more Instagram followers. If you post on more than one app, compare the thresholds for getting paid on TikTok, monetizing a Facebook page and getting paid on X.

Some creators use a follower package from Folzora, such as UK-based Instagram followers or Australia-based Instagram followers, to give a new account a starting boost so it looks established when people first find it. Be realistic about what that does. Instagram's rules don't allow buying followers, bought followers don't watch reels, send gifts or buy subscriptions, and brands judge you on engagement. Good content still has to do the work. Read is it safe to buy Instagram followers before you decide.