12 free Apps to use for Instagram (beginner friendly)

Did you read my blog about how to grow on Instagram and now you are interested in some of the apps I use for Instagram?
Or are you just interested in Apps that you can use for Instagram, then this is the right page.
Don´t worry, even beginners can use these free apps.
P.s. I am an Android user, so it might be possible these apps are called differently for Apple.

Tips on how to grow on Instagram 2023

18 March 2021 No Comments

Instagram has over a billion users, so it should not be that hard to grow and get many followers, right? Unfortunately, it is not that

1. Preview: planner for Instagram

Do you want to know how your page looks like with your future pictures? I find it prettier when my photos match with each other, so that my page looks clear. Of course the photos matter, but I think the overall look of your profile is just as important.

When someone decides to go to your profile, has seen your profile picture, your bio and then sees your last 6 pictures, it should be clear, it should match and look pretty. It´s not necessary, but I always love clear profiles.
So I always use this app before I start with posting a new serie (I work with series, like Jordan, Portugal, Spain etc.).

You can add a lot of photos and swap photos in the app, just to check how your future posts will look with each other.

2. Retouch photos

With this app you can ´Remove unwanted objects from your photos.´ I am not an edit expert, but this is very easy if you want to remove people from your photo, or a garbage bin, like I did.

You just add the photo into the app, and then color all the parts of the photo that you want to remove. Easy peasy, it can´t be easier.
It can get a bit addictive to remove objects from your picture.

Below an example of a photo where I edited the people out. It´s very simple and I think now the photo is focused more on the beauty of Plaza de España in Sevilla.

3. 9cut

I use this app to cut my photo in multiple photos. I love to use multiple pieces of one photo, just to make my page clearer. Like I said, I have series of countries and love to be organized. Maybe a little too organized sometimes 😉

I love the way my page looks at the moment and if you are also interested in doing something like this, you can use this app. It is pretty easy to use: you only upload a photo and then can choose in how many phots you want it: 3×1 until 3×5

You can start with 3×1 – which means you will have 3 pieces of 1 photo. I often use 3×2, so that I have 9 pieces of 1 photo.

I recommend you to not use it too often, just because it might look like spam whenever you post it. Also make sure the quality of the photo itself is good, because when you post one piece, it will be really big. But start practicing and make your profile look even more fun 🙂

4. Followers & unfollowers

This is a very handy app if you want to check who started following you, who unfollowed you. Sometimes I like to go through my followers list and check everyone´s profile, because I like to be inspired by people.

Once I am not inspired anymore and I see that they are not following me anymore, I unfollow them. This app is very handy with that.

5. Lightroom / Polarr

Want to edit your photos, but don´t know where to start? Or you want to edit them just a little? Then Lightroom is the perfect start. It´s an essential and easy app to use.

For the beginners (or lazy ones :P), you can just use the ´automatic´ filter, Lightroom will then automatically change your picture.
Or you can use the ´profiles´ and you can choose which filter you like most on your photo.

The second app is Polarr, which is also used for editing. You can do a lot of fun stuff with it. Rani from youngwildfree.be mentioned this app to me, after creating the amazing photo below.

6. Motionleap (by Lighttricks)

This app makes your pictures lively. Do you have a picture with a waterfall, simply use this app and the waterfall will stream, while the rest is still.
It is as easy as the Retouch photos app. You add a photo to the app, then click on ´animate – path´ and add a line to the part you want to ´move.´
Next you click on ´anchor´ and ´freeze´ to make sure the other parts of the picture stay still.

Be aware that your picture now is actually a video, but I think this effect is pretty cool for a little bit of diversity.
See this example:

7. Presetly

Nowadays you can find a lot of people on Instagram who sell their presets. A preset is a filter you can use for your photos, to make them all match. They all have the same color/ settings. This way your account looks prettier and are not all your photos differently from each other.

I found this app where you can download a couple of cool presets. Be aware that you also need the app ´Lightroom´ (mentioned before) for this, as you have to add the preset to Lightroom.

Once you have done this, you can copy the settings of that preset and paste it on the photos you want. This is all for free 🙂 Of course there are some presets you can only use when you upgrade, but there are enough nice free presets to use.

8. Storyart /Mojito/ Mojoo/ Storypic

Would you like to make your stories more fun? Or add multiple photos in one. You can then use one of the apps I mentioned. I use multiple apps, because all of them offer different templates to use.
I recommend you to just play with the apps and be creative. Have fun with all the templates and I hope you will create some cool stories.

I always love to add videos and mix this with photos. The one below at the Royal Mile is for example with music, a street artist created.
See below some examples I have created over the years.