Outfame Reels Report · Benchmarks
Best Day to Post Instagram Reels? Data From 163 Reels (2026)
By Derrick Riemer · Updated October 29, 2026
Thursday posts earned the most in Outfame's data: a median 1.15× a creator's usual views across 23 reels, while Tuesday posts earned the least at 0.81×. With 14 to 28 reels per day, read the gap as a lean, not a rule.
- Reels measured
- 163
- creators
- 9
- strongest day
- Thursday
Views and engagement by weekday
Median results by the weekday a reel went up (UTC). Days with fewer than 20 reels show a dash.
| Day | Reels | Median views | Views vs usual | Engagement per view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 28 | 1.3M | 1.01× | 2.4% |
| Monday | 21 | 1.1M | 1.09× | 3.1% |
| Tuesday | 28 | 870K | 0.81× | 3.5% |
| Wednesday | 21 | 1.4M | 1.13× | 3.3% |
| Thursday Strongest | 23 | 1.7M | 1.15× | 4.0% |
| Friday | 28 | 1.4M | 1.02× | 3.9% |
| Saturday | 14 | —Not enough reels to report | —Not enough reels to report | —Not enough reels to report |
“Views vs usual” divides each reel's views by the median views of all that creator's reels in the dataset, so 1× is a typical reel for that creator.
How the days compare
Median views against the creator's usual, by day. Days without enough reels are left out.
- Sunday1.01×
- Monday1.09×
- Tuesday0.81×
- Wednesday1.13×
- Thursday1.15×
- Friday1.02×
Outfame analyzed 163 public Instagram Reels from 9 creators, published July 28 to October 27, 2026. Engagement per view = (likes + comments) / views. Niche, format and hook are scored per reel, and figures describe this sample. Data as of October 29, 2026. How we did it.
Quick answers
What is the best day to post Instagram Reels?
In Outfame's data Thursday had the strongest results: a median 1.15× a creator's usual views across 23 reels. The sample is 163 reels from 9 creators, so the best day for your audience may differ. Test two or three days on your own account for a few weeks.
Does the day you post a Reel matter?
A little. The best day (Thursday, 1.15×) and the weakest (Tuesday, 0.81×) are 1.42× apart in the median, but a reel's hook and length move results more than the weekday, and the sample has only 14 to 28 reels per day.
How did Outfame measure the posting day?
Each reel is assigned to the weekday of its upload date (UTC), and each group's views are compared with the median views of all that creator's reels in the dataset. A day is shown only when it has 20 or more reels. Posting time of day is not part of this analysis.
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