TikTok vs Instagram Food Influencers: Which Platform Performs Better in 2026?
Instagram micro creators achieve a 0.97% median engagement rate, while TikTok Food & Cooking micro creators exceed their baseline by 1.5×.
Insights
Instagram holds the highest median engagement rate in the micro tier
With a 0.97% median engagement rate, Instagram micro creators beat TikTok by 1.6× and YouTube by 3.4×. Brands should consider this when planning micro campaigns.
TikTok Food & Cooking micro creators outperform their platform baseline
Food & Cooking micro creators on TikTok reach a 0.90% median engagement rate. This is 1.5× higher than the platform baseline of 0.62% for all active micro creators.
YouTube food creators face lower engagement in the micro tier
YouTube Food & Cooking micro creators have a 0.19% median engagement rate. This is 1.5× lower than the platform's active micro creator baseline of 0.29%.
Instagram Food & Cooking micro creators align with the platform baseline
At 0.93%, the median engagement rate for Instagram Food & Cooking micro creators is in line with the platform's active micro creator baseline of 0.97%.
What we measured
- Industries covered
- 1
- Creators measured
- 141.7M
- Platforms
- 3
- Robust cells
- 15/15
×5 follower tiers
all active creators with a measurable engagement rate
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
≥ 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 food influencer engagement compares across tiers
Food & Cooking creators show different engagement dynamics across platforms and tiers. TikTok Food & Cooking micro creators beat their baseline by 1.5×, while Instagram micro creators align with theirs. Use this breakdown to target the best performing tiers.
Median engagement rate
Every industry on Instagram, at every audience size. Darker means higher.
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 2,867 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Mega (1M+) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 43 creators — 2.2× below the top; level with Food & Cooking · Micro (10K–100K) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 1.72% | 0.93% | 1.26% | 0.77% | 1.29% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 2,867 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Mid-tier (100K–500K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 30 creators — 1.8× below the top; level with Food & 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+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 4.26% | 3.02% | 3.32% | 2.87% | 2.35% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 1,060 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Nano (1K–10K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 30 creators — 2.4× below the top; level with Food & 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+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 9.14% | 9.60% | 8.71% | 4.91% | 4.00% |
How to read this chart
Find your row (industry) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | Nano (1K–10K) | 1.72% | 4.26% | 9.14% | 0.63% | 2,867 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Micro (10K–100K) | 0.93% | 3.02% | 9.60% | 0.27% | 1,060 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 1.26% | 3.32% | 8.71% | 0.36% | 233 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Macro (500K–1M) | 0.77% | 2.87% | 4.91% | 0.27% | 43 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mega (1M+) | 1.29% | 2.35% | 4.00% | 0.47% | 30 | Reliable |
Median engagement rate
Every industry on TikTok, at every audience size. Darker means higher.
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 24,165 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 9,124 creators — 2.0× below the top; level with Food & Cooking · Mega (1M+) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 1.78% | 0.90% | 1.24% | 1.34% | 0.97% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 2,175 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Nano (1K–10K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 352 creators — 1.6× below the top; level with Food & 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+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 4.16% | 3.74% | 4.21% | 3.71% | 2.62% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 9,124 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Mid-tier (100K–500K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 352 creators — 1.6× below the top; level with Food & 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+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 9.83% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 7.75% | 6.99% |
How to read this chart
Find your row (industry) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | Nano (1K–10K) | 1.78% | 4.16% | 9.83% | 0.78% | 24,165 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Micro (10K–100K) | 0.90% | 3.74% | 11.0% | 0.25% | 9,124 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 1.24% | 4.21% | 10.6% | 0.31% | 2,175 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Macro (500K–1M) | 1.34% | 3.71% | 7.75% | 0.44% | 471 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mega (1M+) | 0.97% | 2.62% | 6.99% | 0.26% | 352 | Reliable |
Median engagement rate
Every industry on YouTube, at every audience size. Darker means higher.
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 7,791 creators
The lowest reliable cell, on 356 creators — 3.5× below the top; level with Food & Cooking · Mid-tier (100K–500K) within the margin of error
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.44% | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.20% | 0.13% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 7,791 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Macro (500K–1M) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 356 creators — 2.2× below the top
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 1.06% | 0.86% | 0.87% | 0.93% | 0.49% |
The highest reliable cell in the table, on 1,317 creators; level with Food & Cooking · Micro (10K–100K) within the margin of error
The lowest reliable cell, on 356 creators — 2.4× below the top
| Segment | Nano (1K–10K) | Micro (10K–100K) | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | Macro (500K–1M) | Mega (1M+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 2.57% | 3.08% | 3.15% | 2.45% | 1.31% |
How to read this chart
Find your row (industry) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | Nano (1K–10K) | 0.44% | 1.06% | 2.57% | 0.20% | 7,791 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Micro (10K–100K) | 0.19% | 0.86% | 3.08% | 0.06% | 4,421 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mid-tier (100K–500K) | 0.19% | 0.87% | 3.15% | 0.05% | 1,317 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Macro (500K–1M) | 0.20% | 0.93% | 2.45% | 0.06% | 278 | Reliable |
| Food & Cooking | Mega (1M+) | 0.13% | 0.49% | 1.31% | 0.05% | 356 | Reliable |
Industry ranking
Every industry 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.
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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.
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| Segment | p25 | Median | p75 | Creators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.63% | 1.72% | 4.26% | 2,867 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.27% | 0.93% | 3.02% | 1,060 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.36% | 1.26% | 3.32% | 233 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.27% | 0.77% | 2.87% | 43 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.47% | 1.29% | 2.35% | 30 |
Industry ranking
Every industry 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.
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.78% | 1.78% | 4.16% | 24,165 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.25% | 0.90% | 3.74% | 9,124 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.31% | 1.24% | 4.21% | 2,175 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.44% | 1.34% | 3.71% | 471 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.26% | 0.97% | 2.62% | 352 |
Industry ranking
Every industry 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.
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.20% | 0.44% | 1.06% | 7,791 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.06% | 0.19% | 0.86% | 4,421 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.05% | 0.19% | 0.87% | 1,317 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.06% | 0.20% | 0.93% | 278 |
How to read this chart
Each row is one industry. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food & Cooking | 0.05% | 0.13% | 0.49% | 356 |
Active creator baseline engagement rates
The baseline measures engagement rates across all active creators on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Instagram micro creators lead with a 0.97% median engagement rate. Use these benchmarks as a comparison point for your niche campaigns.
Key findings
Micro Food and Cooking0.90%TikTok food niche shows strong engagement
Food & Cooking creators on TikTok reach a 0.90% median engagement rate in the micro tier, showing high performance relative to the platform baseline.
Micro Food and Cooking0.19%YouTube food niche lags behind baseline
Food & Cooking micro creators on YouTube register a 0.19% median engagement rate, which sits below the general platform baseline.
Micro Food and Cooking0.93%Instagram food creators match the baseline
In the micro tier, Instagram Food & Cooking creators record a 0.93% median engagement rate, remaining close to the general baseline.
YouTube shows the widest tier engagement gap
The median engagement rate for nano creators on YouTube is 6.0× higher than that of mega creators, representing the widest gap across platforms.
Instagram vs YouTube · micro tier
Median engagement rate: Instagram 0.97% vs YouTube 0.29%.
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 industries is the set of creators that IQFluence's topic relevance model places closest to the platform's native topic tag (Food & Cooking: #food on Instagram, #food on TikTok, #food on YouTube), 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. On YouTube the denominator is subscribers. 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
Find answers to the most common questions about food influencer engagement rates and platform benchmarks.
