Sort Instagram Reels by Views and Growth: Tools Compared

Instagram does not ship a native sort Reels by views control on competitor profiles. On your own Reels tab you can scroll, open each clip, or rely on Insights—but you cannot quickly rank every public Reel on a rival account by plays, engagement, or what is accelerating this week.

That gap is why creators search for ways to sort Instagram Reels by views using browser tools, spreadsheets, and lightweight extensions. This guide compares the main options for 2026, walks through a repeatable workflow, and explains when total views misleads you compared with growth between checks.

Sort Instagram Reels by views and growth using browser tools and analytics extensions

Why sorting Reels by views is not optional for research

If you only publish and never benchmark, sorting feels like a power-user trick. For competitive research it is baseline hygiene:

Format scouting — The highest-view Reel on an account is often an old viral hit, not the template working now.
Client reporting — Agencies need ranked tables they can paste into slides or CSV—not screenshots of a scrolling grid.
Time-boxed reviews — Weekly niche audits fail when you manually open twenty tabs.
Pairing with exports — Sorting is step one; exporting Reels data to CSV is step two for retention.

Note

Instagram's in-app Reels grid order is not a reliable global sort by view count on someone else's profile. Third-party tools read what is visible on the public Reels tab and apply their own ranking.

Quick comparison: tools that sort Reels by views

Tool	Type	Sort by views	Other sort keys	Multi-account	Export	Best for
Instagram Insights	In-app	Your Reels only	Date, reach	No	No CSV	Owned content baseline
IShort	Chrome extension	Yes	Engagement, trends	One profile at a time	CSV (tiered)	Fast sort on any public profile
Sort Feed	Chrome extension	Yes	Custom formulas	Profile-by-profile	Spreadsheet	IG + TikTok power users
EagleReels	Chrome extension	Yes	View growth rate	Multi-account panel	CSV / HTML	Competitor monitoring
InstantDM Feed Sort	Web tool	Yes	Limited	Single feed workflows	CSV	No install, quick tests
MediaSort / Metly	Web / extension	Yes	Varies	Varies	Varies	Alternative UIs

For a wider free tracker landscape (privacy, limits, competitor depth), see our free Instagram Reels tracker tools comparison.

How to sort Instagram Reels by views (step-by-step)

These steps work for most Chrome extensions that operate on the public Reels tab. Adjust labels to match your tool.

Step 1: Log into Instagram in your browser

Extensions read the logged-in session to load Reels data. You are analyzing public metrics visible on the page—not bypassing privacy controls.

Step 2: Open the target profile's Reels tab

Navigate to instagram.com/{username} → Reels. Confirm the grid loads fully before sorting.

Step 3: Launch your sorting extension

Pin the extension (IShort, Sort Feed, EagleReels, etc.) and open its panel or overlay on the Reels view.

Step 4: Choose Views as the primary sort

Select descending view count to surface top performers. If the tool supports engagement rate or likes per view, run a second pass for creative quality signals.

Step 5: Export or snapshot results

Export CSV when available. For client work, note the export date—view counts change hourly on viral clips.

Step 6 (optional): Re-sort by growth on your next visit

Total views favor legacy hits. On return visits, sort by view growth rate or compare deltas so you catch Reels that are climbing this week. EagleReels highlights that signal in a multi-account competitor panel.

Total views vs. growth: what sorting misses

Sorting by views answers: "What is the biggest Reel on this account so far?"

It does not answer: "What is gaining traction right now?"

Signal	Sort by total views	Track growth between visits
Old viral clips	Dominate the top rows	May rank lower if growth stalled
New breakout Reels	Easy to miss in manual scroll	Surfaces when velocity spikes
Competitor scouting	Good for all-time winners	Better for trend spotting
Reporting	Simple rank table	Needs dated exports or tool history

When growth matters more than lifetime totals, read How to Track Reels View Growth Rate (companion guide) and pair sorting with a tracker that stores update history.

Tool notes (honest trade-offs)

IShort

IShort on the Chrome Web Store is a popular pick when the job is literally sort instagram reels by views on a public profile. Strengths: fast UI, engagement-oriented columns, CSV on paid tiers. Limits: competitor workflows are often one account at a time; free export caps apply.

Sort Feed

Sort Feed targets creators who want formula-driven ranking across Instagram and TikTok. Strong for spreadsheet-minded users; pricing scales with heavy export use.

EagleReels

EagleReels adds multi-account competitor tracking and view growth rate beside standard view sorting—useful when you monitor several rivals weekly without re-running single-profile sorts. Data stays local-first in the browser; free tier has account/Reels caps—verify on the product page.

InstantDM Feed Sort

InstantDM's free feed sort tool suits quick experiments without installing an extension. Less ideal for ongoing competitor panels.

Instagram Insights (your account)

Insights remains the authoritative source for your Reels plays, reach, and distribution. It does not sort a competitor's grid.

When to sort vs. when to use Competitive Insights

Meta's Instagram Competitive Insights compares a limited set of account-level metrics for creators. It does not replace a Reels-tab sort for format research. For what the native feature covers—and what it omits—see Instagram Competitive Insights: What It Misses.

Tips for cleaner weekly sorts

Same weekday, same time — View counts drift; consistent timing makes week-over-week exports comparable.
Name exports by account + date — rivalA_reels_2026-06-05.csv beats export(3).csv.
Log outliers — A Reel jumping 40% in 48 hours deserves a storyboard note, not only a rank number.
Cross-link strategy content — Sorting informs hooks and length; pair data with how to increase Reels views and growth strategy frameworks.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom line

Sort instagram reels by views when you need a fast ranked list on a public profile. Add growth-aware sorting when you care what is winning this week, not only all-time champions. Keep Insights for your own Reels; use extensions for competitors and exports.

Want sort + growth on multiple rivals? Install EagleReels free from the Chrome Web Store.

Last updated: June 5, 2026. EagleReels is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta. Tool features and pricing change—verify vendor pages before publishing client workflows.

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