7 Best Hashtag Research Tools For Social Media

Hashtags are more than just trendy tags — they are essential for increasing the visibility of your content, connecting with your target audience, and driving engagement. But with millions of hashtags available, how do you find the best ones that actually work for your niche?

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler — a platform that helps freelancers and professionals get hired through their work samples. In this article, I’ll guide you through the seven best hashtag research tools available today. These tools help you uncover the most effective, trending, and niche-specific hashtags so your social media posts can reach the right people and get the attention they deserve. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced marketer, knowing how to research hashtags properly will boost your growth significantly.

Why Hashtag Research is Crucial for Social Media Success

Hashtags work as keywords do in search engines — they categorize content, making it easier for people interested in that topic to find your posts. But just like keyword stuffing can harm SEO, using irrelevant or overused hashtags can bury your posts instead of promoting them.

Benefits of effective hashtag research include:

• Increased reach and impressions: Using targeted hashtags puts your content in front of a broader, but relevant audience.
• Improved engagement: Hashtags help you join trending conversations and communities, leading to more likes, comments, and shares.
• Audience growth: Consistently using the right hashtags attracts followers genuinely interested in your content.
• Brand authority: Strategic hashtags position you as an active player in your niche.
• Competitive advantage: Knowing which hashtags competitors use and which perform well helps you stay ahead.

What to Look for in a Hashtag Research Tool

Before diving into the list, here are some features to consider when choosing a hashtag research tool:

• Hashtag analytics: Look for tools that show hashtag popularity, usage trends, and competition levels.
• Related hashtag suggestions: Tools that offer similar or niche-specific alternatives can expand your reach.
• Real-time data: Hashtag trends change quickly; real-time or regularly updated data is critical.
• Platform-specific insights: Since hashtag use differs on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, find tools catering to your preferred platform.
• Ease of use: A clean interface and easy navigation help save time.
• Pricing: Some tools are free with limited features; paid plans often unlock more detailed analytics.

1. Hashtagify

Hashtagify is great if you want a deep dive into the performance of hashtags over time. You can see how a hashtag has trended historically, which helps you decide if it’s a fad or a steady performer. The influencer tracking feature also allows you to identify key content creators who use the hashtags, which can be useful for collaborations or understanding your competition. Plus, the language and location filters help you tailor your hashtag strategy to specific markets or demographics, making your social media efforts more targeted and effective.

Why it stands out:

It offers detailed analytics on hashtag popularity, recent trends, and usage patterns. The tool shows related hashtags and influencers using those hashtags, which helps you connect with relevant people.

Features:

• Hashtag popularity score
• Trend charts over time
• Related hashtag suggestions
• Influencer tracking
• Language and location filters

Best for:

Social media marketers who want a comprehensive hashtag strategy based on data.

2. RiteTag

What makes RiteTag unique is its instant feedback system that evaluates hashtags as you create your posts. By analyzing your text or image, it shows which hashtags will boost your post’s visibility right away and which ones might help with longer-term engagement. The color-coded system simplifies decision-making, making it very user-friendly even for beginners. The browser extension also means you don’t need to leave your social platform to get hashtag advice, saving time and improving workflow efficiency.

Why it stands out:

It provides real-time feedback on whether a hashtag will help your post get seen immediately or over time.

Features:

• Instant hashtag suggestions from images or text
• Color-coded results (green = great, red = avoid)
• Analytics on hashtag reach and competition
• Browser extension for easy access
• Supports multiple social platforms

Best for:

Content creators looking for quick, actionable hashtag advice on the go.

3. All Hashtag

All Hashtag is a versatile tool that caters especially to beginners and small businesses. Its generator function helps you find fresh hashtags related to your keywords, while the analysis tool breaks down how popular and competitive each hashtag is. This makes it easier to pick tags that offer a balance between reach and niche targeting. The competitor analysis can give you insights into what hashtags others in your industry are using, which is invaluable for shaping your own strategy.

Why it stands out:

It’s simple, user-friendly, and offers three main functions — generate hashtags, analyze hashtag performance, and check hashtags for popularity and trends.

Features:

• Hashtag generator (top, random, or live)
• Hashtag analytics including popularity and usage
• Competitor hashtag analysis
• Top hashtag lists by category

Best for:

Beginners or small businesses who want quick hashtag research without complex tools.

4. Inflact Hashtag Generator

Inflact takes hashtag research to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze your input—whether it’s an image, a keyword, or a webpage URL—and generate highly relevant hashtags tailored to your content. The ability to filter hashtags by popularity or competition helps you craft a list that balances visibility and uniqueness. Saving and exporting hashtag sets allows you to manage and organize your hashtags efficiently, especially helpful if you post frequently or manage multiple accounts.

Why it stands out:

It uses AI to find the most relevant hashtags based on your content, helping you reach targeted audiences.

Features:

• Generate hashtags from photos, keywords, or URLs
• Filter by popularity, competition, and relevance
• Save hashtags sets for reuse
• Export hashtags to CSV files
• Supports Instagram primarily

Best for:

Instagram marketers focusing on visual content who want smart hashtag suggestions.

5. Display Purposes

One of the biggest risks on Instagram is accidentally using banned or spammy hashtags, which can lead to your posts being shadow banned and losing visibility. Display Purposes addresses this by automatically filtering out problematic hashtags from your search results, so you only get safe and effective options. This tool is perfect for anyone concerned about maintaining account health while still finding hashtags that are popular and relevant. Its simplicity and no-login feature make it accessible to everyone.

Why it stands out:

It filters out banned and overused hashtags to help keep your content safe from shadow bans or penalties.

Features:

• Hashtag suggestions based on keyword input
• Filters banned or spammy hashtags automatically
• Provides popularity and relevance scores
• Free to use with no login required

Best for:

Anyone concerned about Instagram shadow bans or wanting only high-quality hashtags.

6. Keyhole

Keyhole is designed for brands and agencies that require detailed analytics and reporting on their social media campaigns. It doesn’t just track hashtag popularity — it goes deeper by analyzing audience sentiment, geographic reach, and identifying key influencers engaging with your hashtags. This allows you to fine-tune your campaigns with data-backed insights and measure the impact of your hashtags on your overall marketing goals. The multi-platform support also means you can track your hashtags across various networks from a single dashboard.

Why it stands out:

It tracks hashtag performance in real-time, offering insights into reach, impressions, demographics, and influencers using your hashtags.

Features:

• Real-time hashtag tracking and analytics
• Sentiment analysis
• Influencer identification
• Campaign monitoring
• Cross-platform support (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

Best for:

Brands and agencies running large social campaigns that need in-depth hashtag analytics.

7. Seekmetrics

Seekmetrics is a no-frills tool that’s ideal for those who want fast hashtag suggestions without a steep learning curve. The generator provides relevant hashtags based on your keywords, helping you quickly build hashtag lists. Beyond hashtags, Seekmetrics offers handy features like username generators and basic Instagram analytics, making it a handy one-stop-shop for small businesses and influencers starting out. Its free access lowers the barrier for entry and encourages experimentation.

Why it stands out:

It offers simple hashtag suggestions based on keyword input, plus tools like username generators and Instagram analytics.

Features:

• Generate relevant hashtags from keywords
• Basic analytics and metrics
• Additional tools for Instagram growth
• Free to use

Best for:

Small businesses and influencers looking for a simple, free hashtag tool.

How Fueler Complements Your Hashtag Strategy

Fueler is not just a portfolio platform — it’s a game changer in hiring through assignment-based portfolios. But it also helps marketers and freelancers build credibility and grow visibility by showcasing their best work. When you combine the right hashtag research tools with a strong portfolio on Fueler, your chances of being discovered by the right companies or clients skyrocket.

Imagine posting your social media work samples with optimized hashtags to the Fueler portfolio platform. Companies looking for social media experts can find you easily through hashtags and verified assignments. This synergy creates a powerful personal brand and hiring advantage.

Final Thoughts: Master Hashtag Research to Unlock Social Media Growth

Hashtags are a vital part of your social media strategy, but only if you use the right ones. With these seven hashtag research tools, you have the power to find relevant, trending, and high-performing hashtags that increase your content’s reach and engagement.

Don’t rely on guesswork. Use data-driven tools like Hashtagify, RiteTag, or Keyhole to research before posting. Stay updated on trending hashtags and avoid banned ones with Display Purposes. And remember, consistency is key — regularly refreshing your hashtag lists helps you stay relevant.

With the right hashtags and a strong portfolio platform like Fueler showcasing your real skills, your social media presence and career can grow faster and more reliably.

FAQs

1. How do I find the best hashtags for my social media posts?

Use hashtag research tools like Hashtagify or RiteTag to analyze popularity, relevance, and competition before selecting hashtags.

2. Can hashtag research tools work for all social media platforms?

Most tools focus on Instagram and Twitter, but some like Keyhole offer multi-platform support including Facebook and LinkedIn.

3. How many hashtags should I use in a post?

On Instagram, 5 to 15 targeted hashtags work best. For Twitter, 1 to 2 hashtags are recommended to avoid clutter.

4. What are banned hashtags and why should I avoid them?

Banned hashtags are those flagged by platforms for spam or inappropriate content. Using them can reduce your post visibility or cause penalties.

5. Are free hashtag research tools as good as paid ones?

Free tools are great for beginners and small businesses, but paid tools offer more detailed analytics and real-time insights for advanced strategies.

What is Fueler Portfolio?

Fueler is a career portfolio platform that helps companies find the best talents for their organization based on their proof of work.

You can create your portfolio on Fueler, thousands of freelancers around the world use Fueler to create their professional-looking portfolios and become financially independent. Discover inspiration for your portfolio

Sign up for free on Fueler or get in touch to learn more.