How to Compare Instagram Followers Between Two Accounts in Excel or Google Sheets

To compare Instagram followers between two accounts, export the Followers list from each profile, import both files into a spreadsheet, and match accounts by User ID. You can then separate followers found in both exported lists from those found in only one. The formulas below work in Excel and Google Sheets, and the small example lets you check your result before using real files.

This is a comparison of downloaded rows. If either export has a low collection limit or fewer rows than expected, a list-only result does not prove that an account does not follow the other profile.

Get Two Comparable Follower Files

In FollowGrid for Chrome, sign in to Instagram in the same browser. Export Followers for Account A, then export Followers for Account B. Choose a collection limit appropriate to each task and review the result status before downloading the CSV files. FollowGrid can collect only lists available to your Instagram session.

Keep the originals and name working copies so you know which profile, list type, and date each file represents: for example, account-a_followers_2026-10-19.csv. That date is your export date, not an Instagram follow date. If you need the export steps first, see the followers download guide.

You will need the User ID and Username columns from both files. User ID is the better match key because usernames can change. Keep User ID as text during import, especially in Excel: long numeric identifiers can lose digits when Excel treats them as numbers, and changing the cell format afterwards will not restore them. Microsoft explains this import issue. In Google Sheets, use File → Import → Upload and verify that the imported IDs still match the source CSV exactly.

Try the Example With Two Sheets

Create two tabs named List_A and List_B. Paste each example into cells A1:B6 or A1:B5 of its matching tab. These are fictional, shortened IDs for practicing the method; real Instagram IDs may be much longer.

List_A — followers exported from Account A

User ID,Username
101,lena.studio
102,miles.photo
103,nova.design
104,olive.create
105,river.media

List_B — followers exported from Account B

User ID,Username
102,miles.photo
103,nova.design
105,river.media
106,sunset.lab

In each tab, put Match key in C1 and Result in D1. Enter this formula in C2 on both tabs, then fill it down to the last data row:

=IF(A2="","","ig:"&A2)

The ig: prefix makes the match key unambiguously text. It does not repair an ID already changed during import; if the source digits changed, import the original CSV again with that column preserved as text.

In List_A!D2, enter and fill down through row 6:

=IF(C2="","",IF(COUNTIF(List_B!$C$2:$C$5,C2)>0,"Shared","Only in A"))

In List_B!D2, enter and fill down through row 5:

=IF(C2="","",IF(COUNTIF(List_A!$C$2:$C$6,C2)>0,"Shared","Only in B"))

COUNTIF checks how many cells match a value in Excel; Google Sheets uses the same basic function. For your own files, extend the fixed range to the last row on the other tab before filling the formula down. If your spreadsheet locale uses semicolons as formula separators, replace the commas with semicolons.

Check Your Result

After filling the formulas, the example should give you:

Group	User IDs	Count
Shared by the two exported files	102, 103, 105	3
Only in Account A's exported file	101, 104	2
Only in Account B's exported file	106	1

You can filter column D on either tab to review a group. To verify the table, enter =COUNTIF(List_A!D2:D6,"Shared"), =COUNTIF(List_A!D2:D6,"Only in A"), and =COUNTIF(List_B!D2:D5,"Only in B") in empty cells. They return 3, 2, and 1. The exported-file overlap is 3 ÷ (5 + 4 − 3) = 50% of the six distinct IDs in these two files. It is not a percentage of the accounts' full Instagram audiences unless you have separately established that both exports cover those audiences.

Before comparing real files, remove duplicate User IDs within each file and make sure each sheet contains the same relationship type. Comparing Account A's Followers with Account B's Following would answer a different question. If an ID is blank or has changed during import, set that row aside for manual review instead of quietly matching on row number or username.

Read List-Only Rows Carefully

An Only in A result means the ID is present in the downloaded Account A file and absent from the downloaded Account B file. It does not by itself show that the person never followed B. The B export may have reached its selected limit, ended early, or returned fewer accessible accounts than the profile displays. Check both task results and downloaded row counts before describing the difference. The list comparison use case explains other comparison questions; this tutorial supplies the working spreadsheet example for two accounts.

Likewise, comparing two dated exports of the same account can show that an ID appears in only one file. That is a difference between snapshots, not proof of when or why someone followed or unfollowed. FollowGrid's export does not include follow dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can FollowGrid compare the lists inside the extension?

This workflow uses FollowGrid to export the two lists and Excel or Google Sheets to compare them. The formulas above perform the comparison in the spreadsheet.

Can I match by username if User ID is missing?

You can use usernames for a manual check, but they are a weaker key because an account can change its username. For a dependable automated match, use unchanged User IDs from both files; review rows without one separately.

Can I compare Followers with Following instead?

Yes, if your question is which exported Following entries also appear in an exported Followers list. Keep both exports from the same intended profile, rename the tabs accordingly, and interpret a list-only row as a difference between those files. The Following export guide covers that second list type.

Does a list-only row prove an unfollow?

No. A single pair of files does not establish an unfollow event. Even dated files can differ because of collection scope or account availability. Check the export details before drawing a relationship conclusion.

Export the Lists You Want to Compare

Get FollowGrid from the Chrome Web Store, export Followers from both accessible profiles, and keep each original CSV. Once you have checked the two task results, use the example formulas to compare the collected rows.