Engagement for the account size
Accounts padded with bought followers get far less engagement than real accounts of the same size. We compare against typical rates per follower tier.
Instagram & TikTok · Free check
Fake follower checker for Instagram and TikTok.
Check any public account for signs of bought followers and fake engagement before you pay for a partnership. See its bot-risk level free in seconds. The full report adds the score and every warning sign for $12 $4.80, one-off.
TikTok audits are in beta. We're still calibrating TikTok benchmarks, so grades and comparisons may shift as we learn more.
- Free audit, no sign-up
- Full report
$12$4.80, one-off - Public data only
The signals fake followers leave behind
Bought followers don't like, comment or watch. Engagement pods and bought likes leave their own patterns. The check compares each account with real accounts of the same size.
Likes compared with comments
Real audiences comment. Thousands of likes with almost no comments, or a flood of short generic comments, point to bought likes or pods.
Follow ratio
Following far more accounts than follow back is a sign of follow-for-follow growth, which fills an audience with people who never engage.
Post-to-post consistency
Real engagement rises and falls gently. Bursts on a few posts and silence on the rest can mean paid boosts.
Reach and views
Reels and videos that reach a tiny share of followers suggest many followers aren't real or active.
TikTok likes per view
On TikTok we also check likes against views. Far too many or far too few likes per view are a sign of bought likes or views.
What Low, Moderate and High mean
The level is a screening signal from public data. It tells you how much checking an account needs before you pay.
| Bot risk | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Engagement, comments and follow ratio look like a real audience. | Carry on with the usual checks: fit, content quality and rates. |
| Moderate | One or two signals look unusual for an account this size. | Ask the creator for screenshots of their own insights before you agree terms. |
| High | Several signals point to bought followers or inflated engagement. | Get the full report to see the reasons, and don't pay on follower count alone. |
What no fake follower checker can do
Nobody outside Instagram or TikTok can open an account's follower list and test each follower, so any tool that gives an exact "fake percentage" is estimating too. We show the signals we use and say how sure we are. A Low level means nothing stands out, not that every follower is real.
Typical engagement by account size
The yardstick behind the check. Engagement well below these rates, with a large following, is the most common sign of fake followers.
| Tier | Followers | Typical rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | Under 10K followers | 2.4% |
| Micro | 10K–50K followers | 2.0% |
| Mid-tier | 50K–100K followers | 1.6% |
| Macro | 100K–500K followers | 1.3% |
| Mega | 500K–1M followers | 1.0% |
| Celebrity | 1M–10M followers | 0.7% |
| Superstar | 10M–100M followers | 0.4% |
| Icon | 100M+ followers | 0.2% |
Instagram engagement = (likes + comments) ÷ followers, averaged over the latest posts, leaving out pinned ones.
| Tier | Followers | Typical rate |
|---|---|---|
| Nano | Under 10K followers | 9.0% |
| Micro | 10K–50K followers | 6.5% |
| Mid-tier | 50K–100K followers | 5.5% |
| Macro | 100K–500K followers | 4.5% |
| Mega | 500K–1M followers | 3.8% |
| Celebrity | 1M–10M followers | 3.0% |
| Superstar | 10M–100M followers | 2.4% |
| Icon | 100M+ followers | 2.0% |
TikTok engagement adds shares and saves. TikTok benchmarks are in beta and still being calibrated. Work out any account's rate with the engagement rate calculator.
If an account looks risky
-
1
Ask for their own insights
Real creators can screenshot reach, audience countries and age from their app. Compare them with the numbers on their profile.
-
2
Read the comments
Open a few recent posts. Generic praise, emoji-only replies and the same accounts on every post are signs of pods or bought comments.
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3
Start small
Agree a single post, a trackable link or a performance-based fee before a bigger deal. Results are the best fake follower check of all.
Need the reasons behind the level?
| What you see | Free check | Full report · $4.80 |
|---|---|---|
| Bot-risk level (Low, Moderate, High) | ||
| Average likes and comments, like-to-comment and follow ratios | ||
| Engagement rate against similar-sized accounts | ||
| Bot-risk score out of 100 and every warning sign | ||
| Post-by-post performance and posting rhythm | ||
| Brand partnerships, rate estimates and contact details |
2 free checks a day. The full report is one-off, with no subscription. Checking creators every week? Pro includes every report.
Fake follower checker FAQ
Is the fake follower check free?
Yes. Every free audit shows a bot-risk level (Low, Moderate or High) with the like-to-comment and follow ratios behind it. You can run 2 free audits a day. The full report ($4.80, one-off) adds the 0–100 bot-risk score and the specific warning signs.
Can you see which followers are fake?
No. Nobody outside Instagram or TikTok can list an account's followers and test each one. We read the public signals that bought followers and engagement leave behind: engagement far below similar-sized accounts, very few comments per like, an unusual follow ratio, uneven engagement from post to post and, on TikTok, likes that don't match views.
How accurate is it?
It is a screening signal, not proof. A High level means several public signals look like inflated followers or engagement, so ask the creator for their own insights before you pay. A Low level means nothing stands out, not that every follower is real.
Does the account owner know I checked them?
No. We only use public profile information and never follow, like or message the account.
Does it work on TikTok?
Yes, in beta. TikTok engagement includes shares and saves, and we also compare likes with views. TikTok benchmarks are still being calibrated, so levels may shift a little.
Does it work on private accounts?
No. Private accounts do not share their posts publicly, so there is nothing to analyse, and you will not be asked to pay for them.
What else is in the full report?
A creator grade and score out of 100, engagement compared with similar-sized accounts, post-by-post performance, posting rhythm, brand partnerships, estimated rates, and contact details, for $4.80 one-off or in every report with Pro.
More on this: 7 warning signs of fake engagement · Engagement rate calculator · TikTok audit
Check before you pay for a partnership
Run a free fake follower check now. Unlock the full report for $4.80 only if you need the reasons.