Carousel or reel on Instagram: what Instagram says and how to choose

Every few months someone declares that carousels beat reels, or the other way round. Most of those claims come with a chart and no source.

We went looking for what Instagram itself has said, and we found less than the loud claims suggest. This post sets out what is sourced, what is not, and how we choose in practice.

Who sees a reel, and what do we know about carousels?

Instagram's creators blog, February 2025, is direct about reels: "When you post a reel on Instagram, it's shown to both followers and non-followers." It adds that "If your goal is to reach new people, your reels should make sense to those who may not know you."

For photos and carousels, the same post says: "And if you prefer photos and carousels, adding audio to your posts can also help them be shown to more people."

What we could not find is an Instagram statement about which audience a carousel is shown to. We will not tell you carousels reach followers only, or that they reach fewer people. We have no source for either.

How many slides can a carousel have now?

A carousel can now hold up to 20. Android Headlines reported in August 2024: "Now, you can include as many as 20 photos and videos in a single Instagram post." It also said: "Previously, you could use only 10 photos or videos in a single carousel post."

This comes from a news report rather than Instagram's own page, and the rollout started on 8 August 2024, so check that your app shows the new limit.

What does Instagram measure for reels?

Instagram's ranking explainer says what it predicts for reels: "how likely you are to reshare a reel, watch a reel all the way through, like it, and go to the audio page." Watching a reel through to the end is on that list.

That tells you what a reel should do. It should be worth watching to the end, and worth sending on to someone else.

How do you choose between them?

This is our practice, not a rule. We pick the format for what the idea needs.

• Pick a reel when the idea moves, or needs a voice or a demonstration.
• Pick a carousel when the idea is a sequence of steps or points the reader will go through at their own pace.
• Use a reel when you want to speak to people who do not know you yet, because Instagram says reels are shown to non-followers.
• Do not force a carousel into a reel or the other way round to follow a trend.

If you are unsure, post the same idea in both formats on different days and compare the results on your own account.

Questions people ask