Instagram Shares vs Reposts: What's the Difference?

Do reposts count as shares on Instagram?

Do reposts count as shares on Instagram? Not as far as Instagram's own pages show. Instagram built them as two separate features, with two separate buttons and two separate places where the post ends up.

Instagram's help pages say the Interactions number in Insights is made up of "likes, comments, saves and shares". Reposts are not named in that list. So if you are trying to read your Insights, treat a share and a repost as two different actions until Instagram says otherwise.

The rest of this guide sets out exactly how the two differ: what each one is, who sees it, what the creator controls, and when to use which. For a full overview of shares on their own, see our guide to Instagram shares.

What is an Instagram share?

An Instagram share is when someone passes a post on with the paper-plane Share button. There are two main kinds.

A send in a chat. The person taps Share, picks people or a group, adds a message if they like, and taps Send. Instagram's help page says these messages "won't appear in feed, search or your profile", and the poster is not told who sent it.

A Story share. The person taps Share, then Add to story, then Next, then Share. This only works if the account is public and allows resharing. Story viewers can see who first posted it, but Instagram says you cannot see who reshared your Reel.

People can also copy a post link from the same paper-plane menu and paste it into any app.

What is an Instagram repost?

A repost is newer. Instagram launched Reposts for public Reels and feed posts on August 6, 2025, in the same update as the Friends tab in Reels and the Map.

Here is how it works in the app:

1. Open a public Reel or post.
2. Tap Repost.
3. To add a note, tap the bubble by your profile picture at the bottom left, type, and tap Save.

The post then shows in the Reposts section of your profile. Meta says reposts "will be recommended to your friends' and followers' feeds" and that they "are credited to the original poster". A reposted post can reach the reposter's followers, even people who do not follow the creator.

A few rules apply. You cannot repost a repost. You can only repost if the creator allows it. Comments on your repost arrive as direct messages to you. And Instagram's help page describes reposting in the app, not on a computer.

How do shares and reposts compare side by side?

Here is the full comparison in one table.

The single biggest difference is privacy. A share is mostly private. A repost is public on your profile.

Who sees a share, and who sees a repost?

A send in a chat reaches only the people in that chat. If your friend sends your Reel to a group of five, those five people see it. Nobody else knows it happened.

A Story share reaches whoever watches the sharer's Story. That can be dozens or thousands of people, depending on the account.

A repost reaches the reposter's friends and followers through their feeds, and it stays on the reposter's profile in the Reposts tab. That makes a repost more like a public endorsement. The reposter is saying, in front of everyone who follows them, "this is worth your time".

So the two do different jobs. Shares are word of mouth between friends. Reposts are a public pass-on from one profile to its audience.

What can a creator control for each one?

Both features can be switched off, and they have separate switches. Go to your profile, open the menu, and tap Sharing and reuse, which sits under "How others can interact with you".

• To stop Story shares, switch off Posts and reels to stories.
• To stop reposts, switch off Reposts on posts and reels.

Turning one off does not turn off the other. People can also still send your post in a chat either way, as Instagram's help pages describe switches only for Story shares and reposts.

For most accounts that want reach, leaving both on is the better choice. Each one is a way for your post to reach people who do not follow you yet.

Which one helps a post reach new people?

Instagram has spoken more about shares than about reposts. In January 2025, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, named watch time, likes and sends as the top three ranking signals. He said sends count a bit more for people who do not follow you, and he told creators to check sends per reach.

For reposts, Meta has confirmed the reach path but not a ranking role. Meta says a reposted post can reach the reposter's followers, even those who do not follow the creator. It has not published a statement on how reposts weigh in ranking.

So the fair summary is this. Sends are a named ranking signal. Reposts are a confirmed route to new viewers. Both are worth earning. Our guide on Instagram shares vs saves compares shares with another strong signal.

When do you use a share, and when a repost?

If you are the viewer, the choice depends on who you want to reach.

If you are the creator, ask for the one that fits the post. "Send this to a friend who..." suits relatable and useful posts. "Repost if you agree" suits opinions and announcements that people want to stand behind in public.

Can you buy Instagram shares and reposts on one order?

Yes. On Rizula one order covers one post, and you can switch on shares and reposts together, along with likes, views and saves. For now, reposts use the same price list as shares.

As an example, an order of 1,000 shares and 250 reposts for one Reel comes to a total of $6.38. Paste your link into the shares order form, switch on both, and see the total before you send. Delivery starts within minutes after payment and completes within 0 to 24 hours. Rizula never asks for your password.

Know the rules first. Meta's spam policy bans buying or selling engagement, and the US FTC rule 16 CFR Part 465 lists both shares and reposts as indicators of social media influence. Read our summary of the rules on buying engagement, and for everything about reposts, see our guide to Instagram reposts.