Two Different Reasons to Act
A save and a share both say a Reel landed, but for different reasons. A save is for the viewer. A share is for someone they know.
Instagram counts both for every Reel. Its developer documentation defines shares as simply as it gets: "Number of shares of the reel."
What a Share Tells You
People share a Reel when it says something they want a friend to hear. It is funny, relatable, surprising or useful to someone specific.
A share also carries your Reel to people outside your audience. That makes shares the clearest sign a Reel can travel beyond your followers.
What a Save Tells You
People save a Reel they want to come back to: a recipe, a tutorial, a list of tips. A save says the Reel was worth keeping.
Teaching content tends to earn saves, and entertainment tends to earn shares. What is a good save rate on Instagram Reels? covers saves in more depth.
Which Matters More for You?
If you want to reach new people, shares matter more, because each one carries your Reel to someone new. If you want an audience that comes back, saves show you are building one.
Your best Reels may lean one way. Notice which, and make more like them.
Compare Them Fairly
A Reel that reached more people will collect more of both, so raw counts mostly show how far it traveled. Divide each by reach to compare Reels fairly.
Instagram defines reach this way: "Number of unique Instagram users that have seen the reel at least once. Reach is different from impressions, which can include multiple views of a reel by the same account."
Then compare each Reel with your own usual, not with other creators. How to tell if your Reel did well walks through it.
How to Earn More of Each
For shares, give people a reason to send it: a moment they recognize, or a tip a friend needs. For saves, pack in something worth coming back to, like steps or a list.
Instagram Performance shows which of your Reels get shared and saved most, on Growth and above.
From results to your next Reel: Instagram Performance turns your recent Reels into one lesson for the next one. Plan another like this, and the idea lands in your Content Calendar.
Frequently asked questions
A save keeps a Reel for the viewer to watch again later. A share sends it to someone else, so it can reach people who have never seen you.
It depends on your goal. Shares carry a Reel to new people, and saves show it was worth keeping. Notice which one your best Reels earn, and make more of that.
Make Reels people want to send to someone: a relatable moment, a tip a friend needs, or something surprising. Then notice which of your Reels get shared most.
Plan another like your most shared Reel. In Instagram Performance, one tap puts it in your Content Calendar.
See how every Reel did, compared with your own
Connect Instagram and each Reel gets a plain verdict against your own earlier Reels, with a next step for any weak spot. Instagram Performance is on Growth and above.
Start free · Instagram Performance is on Growth →