Do Restaurant Reviewers or Recipe Creators Drive More Engagement?
Recipe creators lead the Instagram micro tier with a 1.10% median engagement, while restaurant reviewers win on TikTok with a 1.34% median rate.
Insights
Recipe creators lead the micro tier on Instagram
With a 1.10% median engagement rate, recipe creators outperform restaurant reviewers at 0.83%. Brands focused on utility find stronger engagement here.
Restaurant reviewers drive higher engagement on TikTok
Restaurant reviews reach a 1.34% median engagement rate in the TikTok micro tier. This is 2.2× higher than the baseline median of 0.62% for all active TikTok micro creators.
Instagram holds an overall engagement advantage in the micro tier
Among all active micro creators, Instagram shows a median engagement rate of 0.97%, which is 1.6× higher than the TikTok median of 0.62%.
Nano-tier creators outengage mega-tier creators on both platforms
On TikTok, nano-tier creators reach a 2.29% median engagement rate, which is 4.3× higher than the 0.54% median rate for mega-tier creators.
What we measured
- Food niches covered
- 2
- Creators measured
- 137.2M
- Platforms
- 2
- Robust cells
- 19/20
×5 follower tiers
all active creators with a measurable engagement rate
Instagram, TikTok
≥ 30 creators per cell, stable niche median
How to read these numbers
A percentile tells you how many creators you beat. If a creator is at p75, they beat 75% of creators like them — same platform, same audience size.
Below typical: under p25 for comparable creators.
The normal range — between p25 and the median.
Above the median: better than half of comparable creators.
Top quartile: better than three in four comparable creators.
Top decile: better than nine in ten comparable creators.
Read the median, not the average: a few outliers pull the average up.
How do food niches compare across follower tiers
This section ranks restaurant reviewers and recipe creators by their median engagement. On Instagram, recipe creators lead the micro tier with 1.10% engagement, while TikTok reviewers win with 1.34%.
Median engagement rate
Every food niche on Instagram, at every audience size. Darker means higher.
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 4,080 creators; level with Recipes & home cooking · Nano (1K–10K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 403 creators — 2.0× below the top; level with Restaurant reviews · Micro (10K–100K) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 1.63% | 0.83% | 1.02% | 1.28% | 1.47% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 1.63% | 1.10% | 0.96% | 0.86% | 0.82% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 4,080 creators; level with Recipes & home cooking · Nano (1K–10K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 403 creators — 2.3× below the top; level with Recipes & home cooking · Macro (500K–1M) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 4.00% | 2.29% | 2.67% | 2.98% | 2.73% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 3.91% | 3.52% | 2.46% | 2.02% | 1.76% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 5,694 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 403 creators — 3.2× below the top
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 9.81% | 5.96% | 6.68% | 6.29% | 3.94% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 9.59% | 11.2% | 6.11% | 4.59% | 3.45% |
How to read this chart
Find your row (food niche) and your column (audience size). The number where they meet is the median for that group: half of those creators do better, half do worse. Colour only makes it easier to scan — darker means higher. Hover a cell for the full spread: p25, p75, p90 and how many creators it's based on. A dashed cell is a hint, not a benchmark: it rests on fewer than 30 creators, or its median moves when the niche is drawn wider.
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| Segment | Group | p50 | p75 | p90 | p25 | Creators | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | Nano (1K–10K) | 1.63% | 4.00% | 9.81% | 0.58% | 4,080 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Micro (10K–100K) | 0.83% | 2.29% | 5.96% | 0.30% | 2,710 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 1.02% | 2.67% | 6.68% | 0.33% | 312 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Macro (500K–1M) | 1.28% | 2.98% | 6.29% | 0.25% | 34 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Mega (1M+) | 1.47% | 2.73% | 3.94% | 0.82% | 13 | Directional only |
| Recipes & home cooking | Nano (1K–10K) | 1.63% | 3.91% | 9.59% | 0.65% | 5,560 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Micro (10K–100K) | 1.10% | 3.52% | 11.2% | 0.35% | 5,694 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 0.96% | 2.46% | 6.11% | 0.36% | 2,817 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Macro (500K–1M) | 0.86% | 2.02% | 4.59% | 0.38% | 556 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Mega (1M+) | 0.82% | 1.76% | 3.45% | 0.32% | 403 | Reliable |
Median engagement rate
Every food niche on TikTok, at every audience size. Darker means higher.
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 33,219 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 467 creators — 4.1× below the top; level with Restaurant reviews · Macro (500K–1M) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 2.70% | 1.34% | 0.95% | 0.76% | 0.81% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 1.62% | 0.87% | 0.94% | 0.94% | 0.66% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 33,219 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 467 creators — 3.7× below the top; level with Restaurant reviews · Mega (1M+) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 6.74% | 4.24% | 2.74% | 2.93% | 2.41% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 3.84% | 3.42% | 3.14% | 2.60% | 1.81% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 33,219 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 467 creators — 3.8× below the top; level with Restaurant reviews · Mega (1M+) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 17.0% | 11.5% | 6.52% | 7.34% | 4.98% |
| Recipes & home cooking | 9.81% | 10.5% | 8.28% | 5.81% | 4.54% |
How to read this chart
Find your row (food niche) and your column (audience size). The number where they meet is the median for that group: half of those creators do better, half do worse. Colour only makes it easier to scan — darker means higher. Hover a cell for the full spread: p25, p75, p90 and how many creators it's based on. A dashed cell is a hint, not a benchmark: it rests on fewer than 30 creators, or its median moves when the niche is drawn wider.
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| Segment | Group | p50 | p75 | p90 | p25 | Creators | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | Nano (1K–10K) | 2.70% | 6.74% | 17.0% | 1.14% | 33,219 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Micro (10K–100K) | 1.34% | 4.24% | 11.5% | 0.40% | 11,304 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 0.95% | 2.74% | 6.52% | 0.28% | 1,526 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Macro (500K–1M) | 0.76% | 2.93% | 7.34% | 0.29% | 225 | Reliable |
| Restaurant reviews | Mega (1M+) | 0.81% | 2.41% | 4.98% | 0.16% | 148 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Nano (1K–10K) | 1.62% | 3.84% | 9.81% | 0.73% | 23,078 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Micro (10K–100K) | 0.87% | 3.42% | 10.5% | 0.25% | 11,852 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 0.94% | 3.14% | 8.28% | 0.23% | 3,218 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Macro (500K–1M) | 0.94% | 2.60% | 5.81% | 0.27% | 618 | Reliable |
| Recipes & home cooking | Mega (1M+) | 0.66% | 1.81% | 4.54% | 0.21% | 467 | Reliable |
Food niche ranking
Every food niche with enough creators, ordered by its median. The dots show the spread inside each one: a quarter of creators sit below p25, a quarter above p75.
Top of the ranking · 4,080 creators · level with Recipes & home cooking
Bottom of the ranking · 1.0× below the top · level with Restaurant reviews
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.58% | 1.63% | 4.00% | 4,080 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.65% | 1.63% | 3.91% | 5,560 |
Top of the ranking · 5,694 creators
Bottom of the ranking · 1.3× below the top
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.35% | 1.10% | 3.52% | 5,694 |
| Restaurant reviews | 0.30% | 0.83% | 2.29% | 2,710 |
Top of the ranking · 312 creators · level with Recipes & home cooking
Bottom of the ranking · 1.1× below the top · level with Restaurant reviews
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.33% | 1.02% | 2.67% | 312 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.36% | 0.96% | 2.46% | 2,817 |
Top of the ranking · 34 creators · level with Recipes & home cooking
Bottom of the ranking · 1.5× below the top · level with Restaurant reviews
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.25% | 1.28% | 2.98% | 34 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.38% | 0.86% | 2.02% | 556 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.32% | 0.82% | 1.76% | 403 |
Food niche ranking
Every food niche with enough creators, ordered by its median. The dots show the spread inside each one: a quarter of creators sit below p25, a quarter above p75.
Top of the ranking · 33,219 creators
Bottom of the ranking · 1.7× below the top
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 1.14% | 2.70% | 6.74% | 33,219 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.73% | 1.62% | 3.84% | 23,078 |
Top of the ranking · 11,304 creators
Bottom of the ranking · 1.6× below the top
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.40% | 1.34% | 4.24% | 11,304 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.25% | 0.87% | 3.42% | 11,852 |
Top of the ranking · 1,526 creators · level with Recipes & home cooking
Bottom of the ranking · 1.0× below the top · level with Restaurant reviews
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.28% | 0.95% | 2.74% | 1,526 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.23% | 0.94% | 3.14% | 3,218 |
Top of the ranking · 618 creators · level with Restaurant reviews
Bottom of the ranking · 1.2× below the top · level with Recipes & home cooking
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.27% | 0.94% | 2.60% | 618 |
| Restaurant reviews | 0.29% | 0.76% | 2.93% | 225 |
Top of the ranking · 148 creators · level with Recipes & home cooking
Bottom of the ranking · 1.2× below the top · level with Restaurant reviews
How to read this chart
Each row is one food niche. The middle dot is the median, the outer dots are p25 and p75 — the middle half of creators sits between them. Rows are sorted by the median. Rows with fewer than 30 creators are left out.
View as tableHide table
| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant reviews | 0.16% | 0.81% | 2.41% | 148 |
| Recipes & home cooking | 0.21% | 0.66% | 1.81% | 467 |
Baseline engagement rates across social platforms
This benchmark establishes the baseline engagement rates of 137.2M active creators. Use these median metrics to evaluate if your culinary creators outperform the general market average.
Key findings
Micro tier Instagram0.97%Micro creators on Instagram maintain steady engagement
Active micro creators on Instagram post a median engagement rate of 0.97%, measured across a population of 5.3M creators.
Micro tier TikTok0.62%TikTok micro creators hover below Instagram
Micro creators on TikTok achieve a median engagement rate of 0.62%, measured across 9.3M creators in this follower tier.
Mid tier Instagram0.87%Instagram mid tier engagement dips slightly
Creators in the Instagram mid tier experience a 0.87% median engagement rate across 746,748 active accounts.
Mid tier TikTok0.50%TikTok mid tier represents the lowest median rate
At 0.50% median engagement, mid-tier creators represent the lowest median point before a slight rise in the macro tier.
Instagram vs TikTok · micro tier
Median engagement rate: Instagram 0.97% vs TikTok 0.62%.
Nano vs mega · Instagram
Median engagement rate: 2.79% for nano creators vs 0.83% for mega creators.
Nano vs mega · TikTok
Median engagement rate: 2.29% for nano creators vs 0.54% for mega creators.
Methodology
- Source
- The IQFluence creator database of public Instagram, TikTok and YouTube profiles. All counts were taken in September 2026.
- Population
- Every figure is computed over the full population of matching creators, not a sample: active accounts (at least one post in the last 30 days) with 1,000 or more followers.
- Segments
- Each of the food niches is the set of creators that IQFluence's topic relevance model places closest to the platform's native topic tag (Restaurant reviews: #restaurantreview on Instagram, #restaurantreview on TikTok; Recipes & home cooking: #recipes on Instagram, #recipes on TikTok), not every creator who works in it, so its creator count shows how much data a number rests on, not how big the niche is. Each niche median is measured again with a wider reach around the tag; a cell whose median moves by more than 10% of the niche is directional. A creator can match more than one segment, and tag vocabularies differ between platforms, so compare segments within a platform first.
- Metric
- Engagement rate (ER) is the average number of likes and comments on a creator's recent posts divided by their follower count. Saves, shares and views are not counted. Accounts with no measured engagement and accounts at 100% or more are excluded. Accounts that hide like counts stay in, which lowers Instagram values slightly.
- Statistics
- Percentiles come from exact creator counts above a ladder of metric thresholds, interpolated between thresholds and refined with an extra count at each estimate; averages are estimated from the same distribution. Cells with fewer than 30 creators, and niche cells whose median moves when the niche is drawn wider are marked as directional and left out of rankings and comparisons.
- Reproducibility
- Every number can be re-checked in IQFluence Discovery with the same platform, topic, follower range, activity and metric filters.
Frequently asked questions about food creator engagement
Get quick answers to common questions about restaurant reviewers and recipe creators. These answers are backed by creator performance measurements from September 2026.
