Instagram has more than 700 million monthly active users with more than 400 million are active daily.  In addition, there are more than 250 million daily stories on Instagram.

Instagram has become a must-have social media channel for your social media strategy. It is one of the world’s most popular social networking sites.

Instagram has made some recent updates such as Instagram ads, Instagram Stories and Instagram Business Tools, that have helped brands use Instagram.

Whether you want to find the best Instagram hashtags, design Instagram stories, schedule posts or analyze metrics, these free Instagram tools can help you to improve your influence on Instagram and grow your followers.

Here are some of the best free Instagram tools to grow your Instagram following:

1. Canva

Canva is easy to use with functionality that anyone can use.

Its drag-and-drop interface provides you with more than a million photographs, graphics, and fonts so you can design professional layouts and stunning graphics. Learn how to improve your content marketing with Canva.

2. Buffer

Buffer is a social media platform like Hootsuite and Sprout Social that helps you manage your social media platforms. Since Instagram doesn’t allow outside apps like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social to post directly to Instagram. With Buffer’s Instagram support, you can create an Instagram reminder

Buffer Instagram support can remind you when it is time to post. Buffer can send you a notification to your phone and loads a photo into Instagram with your pre-written caption ready to be pasted. Learn more about you can pre-write your Instagram post via Buffer.

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media platform like Buffer and Sprout Social. Just like Buffer, you can sort of schedule Instagram posts with Hoosuite. Learn more about how to share Instagram posts via Hootsuite.

Just like Buffer, with Hootsuite you can manage Instagram and other social media platforms from a single dashboard.

4. SpoutSocial

Sprout Social is a social media management like Buffer and Hootsuite.

With Sprout Social, you can schedule posts, manage comments, monitor hashtags, and analyze reports. Learn how to schedule posts on Instagram via Sprout Social.

5. StoriesAds

With StoriesAd is a tool for creating video content tailored for Instagram’s vertical format. The website says it can be done in less than 2 minutes. It is free for a limited time.

HubSpot and Shakr, a video creation platform for modern advertisers, launched StoriesAds in April 2017.

6. UNUM

UNUM is a free app that has curated themes to help you with your Instagram stories. You can schedule, edit and theme your Instagram account.

Whether it’s your personal Instagram account or your brand account, it has a one-stop toolkit for Instagram.

7. Later

Later is a marketing platform for Instagram that believes there should be “a simpler way to plan your visual content marketing.”

It helps you visually plan and schedule Instagram posts. Learn why Later does post to Instagram automatically.

8. Repost

Repost is a tool that makes easy to repost favorite photos or videos via Instagram.

Repost automatically gives credit to the original poster. Learn how to repost a picture on Instagram via Repost.

9. SquareLovin

SquareLoving is an in-depth analytics tool where you can gain access to your Instagram metrics like likes, comments per post and follower growth. You can analyze your account and access more advanced analytics.

10. KeyHole

KeyHole is a real-time hashtag tracker for Instagram. It also tracks Twitter.

KeyHole provides you with a simple visual dashboard. Learn how to use Instagram hashtags to maximize your exposure.

What’s your favorite free Instagram tool?

What tips or tools to use to grow your Instagram following? How do you improve your influence on Instagram?