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First-party dataEdition of n = 90 creators in cohort
The OwlScran Creator Index
Creator performance beyond follower counts, measured from connected accounts with at least 2,000 followers.
Compiled by the OwlScran team from connected-account data.
A descriptive sample of OwlScran accounts, not an industry-wide survey. Use it to put your own results in context, with the same metric and reporting window. It cannot rank platforms or predict your next post.
What the data shows
As of the 9 October 2026 edition, across 90 OwlScran creators with connected social accounts of at least 2,000 followers, the median share of Instagram views from people who do not follow the creator is 81.7% (middle half: 63.2% to 91.2%, n = 55).
This is the median creator’s percentage of views, not the percentage of all views pooled across the sample. Each account has equal weight. Non-followers can include returning viewers, so the figure does not measure first-time discovery.
For Instagram, even the lower quartile is above 50% non-follower views (63.2%, n = 55). Views beyond followers are common across the included accounts, rather than a feature of the median alone. The split does not tell us whether those views came from recommendations, search, shares or paid promotion.
As of the 9 October 2026 edition, across 90 OwlScran creators with connected social accounts of at least 2,000 followers, the median TikTok engagement rate is 7.3% of views (middle half: 5.6% to 10.2%, n = 65), and the median Instagram engagement rate is 6.5% of views (middle half: 5.2% to 9.7%, n = 55), and the median YouTube engagement rate is 3.3% of views (middle half: 2.7% to 4.0%, n = 31).
These figures are computed from the available connected-account data. Engagement is counted per view, not per follower, and a figure is published only once at least 30 creators contribute to it.
In the 9 October 2026 edition, among connected OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers and 20 eligible videos, TikTok has a median top-video share of views of 29.3% (middle half: 18.4% to 40.6%, n = 47); Instagram has a median top-video share of views of 32.1% (middle half: 20.4% to 45.0%, n = 46). This shows how concentrated viewing is in one video; it does not predict the next result.
In the 9 October 2026 edition, among connected OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers and 20 eligible videos, TikTok has a median average video views per follower of 0.43× (middle half: 0.17× to 1.1×, n = 47); Instagram has a median average video views per follower of 0.82× (middle half: 0.30× to 2.3×, n = 46). Views include repeat viewing and non-followers, so this is not a percentage of followers reached.
In the 9 October 2026 edition, among connected OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers and 20 eligible videos, Instagram has a median save rate of 0.47% (middle half: 0.27% to 0.75%, n = 41). A save records bookmarking; it does not establish purchase intent or a later visit.
In the 9 October 2026 edition, among connected OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers and 20 eligible videos, TikTok has a median share rate of 0.33% (middle half: 0.15% to 0.57%, n = 47); Instagram has a median share rate of 0.58% (middle half: 0.30% to 1.0%, n = 46). This measures share actions per view, not how many people received or watched a shared video.
Figures
TikTok
n = 65
7.3%
5.6% - 10.2%
Instagram
n = 55
6.5%
5.2% - 9.7%
YouTube
n = 31
3.3%
2.7% - 4.0%
Facebook
n = 1
—
withheld
0%3%6%9%12%
Figure 1.Engagement rate by platform. The middle account result and the middle-half range on each platform.
How many interactions content receives relative to its views.
Illustrative example
An account averaging 500 interactions and 10,000 views per video has a 5% engagement rate: five interactions for every 100 views.
Compare it with your own rate counting the same interactions and dividing by views too. One person can interact more than once, so 5% does not mean 5% of viewers engaged.
How it’s calculated
Average interactions ÷ average views × 100
Account averages use up to 20 eligible videos posted at least seven days ago. Available interactions differ by platform and can include likes, comments, shares, saves or a platform total. Missing fields can have different coverage in these averages. We take the median of the available account rates, including measured zero rates.
Eligible platforms
n = 90
45k
19.8k - 142.9k
TikTok
n = 65
26.6k
10.6k - 84.6k
Instagram
n = 68
TikTok
n = 65
12.7k
3.3k - 129.6k
Instagram
n = 55
19.5k
4.4k - 83.7k
YouTube
n = 31
TikTok
n = 0
—
not available
Instagram
n = 55
81.7%
63.2% - 91.2%
YouTube
n = 27
TikTok
n = 47
29.3%
18.4% - 40.6%
Instagram
n = 46
32.1%
20.4% - 45.0%
YouTube
n = 22
Table 1. Summary statistics
Table 1.Summary statistics. Platform accounts need at least 2,000 followers. Accounts is the number contributing to each result. The middle value has half the accounts on either side. Lower end and upper end enclose the middle half of account values; they are not the smallest and largest results.
Platform
Accounts
Lower end
Middle value
Upper end
Engagement rateinteractions per 100 views
TikTok
65
5.6%
7.3%
10.2%
Instagram
55
5.2%
6.5%
9.7%
YouTube
31
2.7%
3.3%
4.0%
Facebook
1
withheld †
Followersfollowers per creator
Eligible platforms
90
19,750
45,037
142,878
TikTok
65
10,621
26,618
84,578
Instagram
68
15,870
31,782
77,143
YouTube
31
11,500
24,800
100,350
Facebook
1
withheld †
Typical post performanceaverage views or accounts reached per post
TikTokAverage views per post
65
3,312
12,694
129,633
InstagramAverage accounts reached per post
55
4,360
19,487
83,658
YouTubeAverage views per post
31
3,040
12,114
66,844
FacebookAverage accounts reached per post
0
withheld †
Views from non-followersshare of views (Instagram, YouTube)
TikTok
0
not available ‡
Instagram
55
63.2%
81.7%
91.2%
YouTube
27
withheld †
Facebook
0
not available ‡
How much viewing comes from one video?largest video’s share of views across 20 videos
TikTok
47
18.4%
29.3%
40.6%
Instagram
46
20.4%
32.1%
45.0%
YouTube
22
withheld †
Facebook
1
withheld †
Average video views relative to follower countmean views per video ÷ current platform followers
TikTok
47
0.17×
0.43×
1.1×
Instagram
46
0.30×
0.82×
2.3×
YouTube
22
withheld †
Facebook
1
withheld †
Saves relative to viewssaves per 100 views
TikTok
0
not available ‡
Instagram
41
0.27%
0.47%
0.75%
YouTube
0
not available ‡
Facebook
0
not available ‡
Shares relative to viewsshares per 100 views
TikTok
47
0.15%
0.33%
0.57%
Instagram
46
0.30%
0.58%
1.0%
YouTube
18
withheld †
Facebook
0
not available ‡
† Cell suppressed: fewer than the minimum cohort of creators contributed, so no figure is published. Withheld never means zero. ‡ Our connected integration does not supply this metric, so this is not a small sample.
Methodology
How the index is built
1. Who is included
We use creators marked active in the OwlScran creator index who have at least one connected platform account with 2,000 followers or more. The floor applies separately on each platform, to every metric. Smaller accounts are excluded even if the creator qualifies elsewhere. Combined followers add only qualifying accounts. Active is an account status, not a measure of how often someone posts or whether they earn money. Platform metrics come from connected accounts. Each creator contributes at most one account-level value to each platform and metric; the sample size beside a result counts those contributions.
2. Engagement and post performance
Account engagement is average engagements divided by average views, multiplied by 100. Account averages use up to 20 eligible videos posted at least seven days ago. Interactions include likes and comments, with saves, shares or a platform interaction total where available. Our engagement methodology [1] explains the calculation. Post performance uses average views on TikTok and YouTube, and average accounts reached on Instagram and Facebook. Reach and views measure different things and should not be ranked against each other.
3. Views from non-followers
For each creator, we divide views labelled non-follower by all views returned in the follower-status breakdown, including any unknown category. Instagram uses account Insights; YouTube uses channel Analytics and subscription status at the time of the view [2]. Both request the preceding 30 days at retrieval. We then take the median of these account percentages. Repeat views count, and someone who does not follow an account may have watched it before. This measures distribution beyond followers, not new viewers or follower conversion.
4. Concentration, views per follower, saves and shares
These four analyses use exactly the 20 most recent stored videos posted at least seven days before the edition date. We use the latest stored snapshot available at computation for each video. Each snapshot must have been captured at least seven days after publication, with a view count on all 20. Videos marked unavailable by the integration cannot contribute stored counts. If any selected video is unavailable or fails the snapshot rule, the account does not contribute to these analyses; we do not substitute an older video. These are accumulated counts at different ages, not performance measured over a fixed seven-day period. The top-video share is the largest view count divided by their total views. Views per follower is their mean views divided by the platform follower count in the creator index. Save and share rates divide total saves or shares by total views, and require that interaction on every video. Zero-view totals cannot contribute to concentration or interaction rates. Views per follower can be zero. Saves are available through our Instagram integration; shares through Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Missing values are never backfilled from older snapshots or replaced with zero.
5. Medians and ranges
Each creator has equal weight in the published median, regardless of their views or followers. The band runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile: the middle half of account values. It describes variation between creators, not a confidence interval or a forecast for the next post. Percentiles use linear interpolation, the type-7 method documented by R [3]. We do not remove large values just because they are unusual.
6. Missing values and publication threshold
Engagement cells include finite rates of zero or more; view-share cells include percentages from 0% to 100%. Missing values are excluded, not replaced with zero. Follower and post-performance distributions currently include only positive values. We withhold a result below the minimum sample shown on this page. That is a publication rule, not proof of representativeness, statistical precision or guaranteed anonymity. This edition introduces the 2,000-follower floor and includes measured zero engagement rates; earlier editions used a different cohort and excluded zero engagement.
7. Dates and limitations
Account refreshes are scheduled nightly and the page is cached for up to a day. The edition date is the computation date, not a shared observation period or the last successful sync of every metric. A failed split refresh can leave the previous value in place. This is a self-selected sample of OwlScran users. We do not control for niche, country, account size, content format or paid distribution. Available interactions differ by platform, so differences cannot establish that one platform performs better. The 20-video analyses favour accounts with a longer stored history. Videos differ in age, so older videos have had more time to accumulate views. Views and interactions can update at different speeds. The follower count is current, not the count when each video was posted. Changes between editions can reflect changes in the sample as well as performance.
References
[1]OwlScran. How we calculate engagement rate. Formulas, eligible videos and available interactions. Read the calculation method
[2]YouTube Analytics API. Subscribed status: whether the viewer was subscribed when the view occurred. Check the platform definition
[3]R documentation. Sample quantiles, including the type-7 interpolation used here. Check the percentile method
Cite this page
Quote the platform, metric, median, sample size and computation date, and describe the sample as connected OwlScran accounts. Download the data and methodology with your citation: this URL updates and does not preserve earlier editions. The download records the exact computation time and the displayed aggregates. The middle-half range describes the sample; it is not a margin of error.
The published figures are licensed CC BY 4.0: you are welcome to reuse them with credit to OwlScran and a link to this page. CC BY 4.0
For a permanent reference, use the fixed Q3 2026 edition (17 September), with its original figures and JSON and CSV downloads. The current figures may differ.
OwlScran Ltd (2026). The OwlScran Creator Index: engagement and audience benchmarks from connected creator accounts. https://www.owlscran.com/creator-benchmarks (edition of 9 October 2026; computed 2026-10-09T02:13:03.855Z).
In the 9 October 2026 edition of the OwlScran Creator Index, across 65 OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers, the median TikTok engagement rate is 7.3% of views, and the middle half of creators sit between 5.6% and 10.2%. This describes the accounts in this sample; it is not a target for every creator. Compare the same format, interactions and reporting window. We measure engagement per view, not per follower.
What is a good Instagram engagement rate?
In the 9 October 2026 edition of the OwlScran Creator Index, across 55 OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers, the median Instagram engagement rate is 6.5% of views, and the middle half of creators sit between 5.2% and 9.7%. This describes the accounts in this sample; it is not a target for every creator. Compare the same format, interactions and reporting window. We measure engagement per view, not per follower.
What is a good YouTube engagement rate?
In the 9 October 2026 edition of the OwlScran Creator Index, across 31 OwlScran accounts with at least 2,000 followers, the median YouTube engagement rate is 3.3% of views, and the middle half of creators sit between 2.7% and 4.0%. This describes the accounts in this sample; it is not a target for every creator. Compare the same format, interactions and reporting window. We measure engagement per view, not per follower.
What share of views comes from people who do not follow the creator?
In the 9 October 2026 edition of the OwlScran Creator Index, across connected accounts with at least 2,000 followers, the median share of Instagram views from people who do not follow the creator is 81.7%, and the middle half sits between 63.2% and 91.2% (n = 55). This is a percentage of views, not a raw view count. Unique accounts reached is stored on Instagram kits, but it is not mixed into this figure.
How is the engagement rate calculated?
Engagement rate is average engagements divided by average views, multiplied by 100, on every platform. Total engagements uses the interactions we have for that platform, typically likes and comments, plus saves and shares when the connected account supplies them. This is engagements per view: how often people interact relative to how often the content is watched, not how many unique accounts saw it. It is not the older follower-based rate, which divides by follower count, so the two are not directly comparable. Account figures use up to the last 20 eligible videos posted at least 7 days ago, as a ratio of averages. The public write-up is https://www.owlscran.com/blog/how-we-calculate-engagement-rate.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is computed from active OwlScran creators’ connected platform accounts with at least 2,000 followers. Smaller platform accounts are excluded from every metric, even when the creator qualifies on another platform. Stats sync straight from the platforms, so there is no self-reporting and no survey. We publish medians and interquartile ranges only, a cell needs at least 30 creators before it appears. We publish summary statistics rather than account records.
Why is a figure missing?
Withheld means fewer valid values contributed to that cell than our minimum of 30. Not available means the connected integration does not supply that metric. Neither label means zero.
How often do these benchmarks update?
Connected account refreshes are scheduled nightly. The page computes an edition from the available creator index and caches it for up to a day. The edition date records when the figures were computed, not when every account last synced.
Put your own numbers next to these
OwlScran imports your available social stats and prepares your free media kit. Review your numbers and choose what to share with a brand.
Figure 2.Audience size by platform. Follower counts across the included accounts. Equal steps on the scale show equal multiples.
The size of the accounts contributing to the index. This helps you judge how similar the sample is to your own account.
Illustrative example
An account with 10,000 followers on Instagram and 5,000 on TikTok contributes 15,000 to the combined count. Some people may follow both accounts.
Follower count describes an audience, but it does not tell you how many people saw a post. The combined count is not a count of distinct people.
How it’s calculated
Platform follower count; combined count = sum across qualifying platforms
Each platform account must have at least 2,000 followers. Smaller accounts do not contribute to the combined count. We report the median across creators, so one very large account does not pull it up in the way it would pull up an average. The chart uses a logarithmic scale: equal steps show equal multiples, rather than equal numbers of followers.
12.1k
3k - 66.8k
Facebook
n = 0
—
withheld
1k10k100k1M
Figure 3.Typical post performance by platform. Recorded average performance per video. Only positive account averages are included; reach and views use different units.
How much viewing or reach the included accounts receive per video, based on their recorded averages.
Illustrative example
If a TikTok account has 200,000 views across 20 videos with view counts, its average is 10,000 views per video.
This gives context for the scale of your results. Instagram and Facebook show accounts reached; TikTok and YouTube show views. Those measure different things, so the chart cannot rank platforms.
How it’s calculated
Average views or accounts reached per video, then the median across accounts
These averages use up to 20 videos posted at least seven days ago, with available counts. Only positive recorded averages enter this distribution. Reach counts distinct accounts for each post; views can include repeat viewing. Videos have different ages and formats. The logarithmic scale shows equal multiples at equal distances.
—
withheld
Facebook
n = 0
—
not available
0%25%50%75%100%
Figure 4.Views from people who do not follow the creator. The middle account result for views from non-followers.
How much of an account’s viewing comes from people who do not follow it. On YouTube, this means people who were not subscribed when they watched.
Illustrative example
If 8,000 of 10,000 views are labelled non-follower, the share is 80%.
It shows how far viewing extends beyond followers. Those people may have watched before, and the split does not reveal whether they came from search, recommendations, shares or paid promotion.
How it’s calculated
Views labelled non-follower ÷ all views in the follower-status breakdown × 100
Instagram and YouTube request the preceding 30 days when the account is refreshed. The denominator includes any unknown category returned by the platform. We calculate each account’s percentage, then take the median. Repeat views count. TikTok and Facebook do not supply this split through our integrations; refresh dates can differ between accounts.
—
withheld
Facebook
n = 1
—
withheld
0%25%50%75%100%
Figure 5.How much viewing comes from one video? The largest video’s share of viewing across 20 videos, summarised across accounts.
How much one video contributes to an account’s viewing across 20 videos. A larger share means viewing is more concentrated in that one video.
Illustrative example
If the biggest video has 50,000 views and the 20 videos have 100,000 in total, that one video accounts for 50%. An even split would be 5% per video.
It helps you see how strongly one result affects the total. It does not tell you whether that result was viral, or how likely another one is.
How it’s calculated
Largest video view count ÷ total views across the 20 videos × 100
We select the 20 most recent stored videos posted at least seven days ago. All 20 need a view count captured at least seven days after publication. We use the latest stored snapshot for each video, without substituting older videos when data is missing or a selected video is marked unavailable. We take the median account share. These are accumulated views at different ages, not a fixed seven-day measurement. A zero-view total cannot produce a share.
TikTok
n = 47
0.43×
0.17× - 1.1×
Instagram
n = 46
0.82×
0.30× - 2.3×
YouTube
n = 22
—
withheld
Facebook
n = 1
—
withheld
0.00×0.68×1.4×2.0×2.7×
Figure 6.Average video views relative to follower count. Average views per video as a multiple of current followers, summarised across accounts.
Average views per video expressed as a multiple of the account’s follower count.
Illustrative example
An account with 10,000 followers and an average of 20,000 views per video has a ratio of 2×.
It puts viewing in context alongside audience size. Views can come from non-followers and repeat watching, so 2× does not mean every follower watched twice.
How it’s calculated
(Total views across 20 videos ÷ 20) ÷ current platform followers
We select the 20 most recent stored videos posted at least seven days ago. Each must have a view count in its latest snapshot, captured at least seven days after publication. We calculate a ratio for each account, then take the median. The follower count comes from the creator index, not from the date each video was posted. A measured zero is included. This comparison does not isolate the effect of account size or predict future views.
TikTok
n = 0
—
not available
Instagram
n = 41
0.47%
0.27% - 0.75%
YouTube
n = 0
—
not available
Facebook
n = 0
—
not available
0%0.22%0.44%0.65%0.87%
Figure 7.Saves relative to views. Saves per 100 views across 20 videos, summarised across accounts.
How often videos are saved relative to how many views they receive.
Illustrative example
A total of 200 saves and 100,000 views across 20 videos gives a save rate of 0.2%: two saves for every 1,000 views.
It lets you compare saving activity alongside viewing. A save records an action; it does not prove that someone returned to the video or intended to buy something.
How it’s calculated
Total saves across 20 videos ÷ total views across those videos × 100
The 20 most recent eligible stored videos must all have both counts in their latest snapshot, captured at least seven days after publication. Missing counts or a video marked unavailable exclude the account from this rate. We calculate each account’s rate, then take the median, giving each account equal weight. Zero saves are included; a zero-view total cannot produce a rate. Our Instagram integration supplies saves; the other integrations do not.
TikTok
n = 47
0.33%
0.15% - 0.57%
Instagram
n = 46
0.58%
0.30% - 1.0%
YouTube
n = 18
—
withheld
Facebook
n = 0
—
not available
0%0.30%0.60%0.90%1.2%
Figure 8.Shares relative to views. Shares per 100 views across 20 videos, summarised across accounts.
How often videos are shared relative to how many views they receive.
Illustrative example
A total of 500 shares and 100,000 views across 20 videos gives a share rate of 0.5%: five shares for every 1,000 views.
It helps you compare how much sharing accompanies viewing. It does not tell you why someone shared a video, how many people received it or whether they watched.
How it’s calculated
Total shares across 20 videos ÷ total views across those videos × 100
The 20 most recent eligible stored videos must all have both counts in their latest snapshot, captured at least seven days after publication. Missing counts or a video marked unavailable exclude the account from this rate. We take the median of the account rates. Zero shares are included; a zero-view total cannot produce a rate. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube supply shares; our Facebook integration does not. YouTube includes Shorts and longer videos. Its shares come from Analytics and views from public statistics, which can update at different speeds.