Instagram Post Aspect Ratio: Best Sizes for Vertical, Square, and Landscape Posts

If you are posting to the Instagram feed, aspect ratio matters more than most people expect. It changes how large a post looks in the feed, how much of the image stays visible after upload, and how the post appears on your profile grid.

This article is only about Instagram feed posts. Not Stories. Not Reels. Just the regular posts people see in the feed and on your profile.

Right now, Instagram says feed photos should be uploaded at at least 1080 pixels wide and within an aspect ratio range of 1.91:1 to 3:4. That means wide landscape images still work, square posts still work, and vertical photos can now go as tall as 3:4.

What is the Instagram post aspect ratio?

The Instagram post aspect ratio is the shape of a feed image.

It compares the width of the image to its height:

3:4 = tall vertical post
4:5 = slightly taller-than-square vertical post
1:1 = square post
1.91:1 = landscape post

That is different from pixel size. For example, 3:4 is the ratio, while 1080 × 1440 px is a common export size for that ratio. Instagram’s own guidance focuses on both shape and width, recommending photos that are at least 1080 px wide and between 1.91:1 and 3:4.

Which Instagram post sizes work best?

Here is the practical version:

Post type	Aspect ratio	Common size
Vertical post	3:4	1080 × 1440 px
Vertical post	4:5	1080 × 1350 px
Square post	1:1	1080 × 1080 px
Landscape post	1.91:1	1080 × 566 px

Instagram officially supports feed photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4. Buffer’s current documentation also reflects these working feed sizes, listing 3:4, 4:5, 1:1, and 1.91:1 as the main practical formats creators use.

Is 3:4 the best aspect ratio for Instagram posts now?

In most cases, yes.

Instagram now supports feed photos up to 3:4, which makes 1080 × 1440 px the tallest standard photo format you can use for a regular feed post.

That matters for a simple reason: a taller image takes up more room in the feed. On a phone screen, that usually makes the post feel more noticeable than a square or landscape image.

A lot of older guides still treat 4:5 as the default best size. That advice is no longer complete. 4:5 still works well, but 3:4 is the more up-to-date native recommendation for feed photos inside Instagram itself. Buffer’s support docs also note an important catch: Instagram supports 3:4 natively, but some third-party publishing workflows still do not.

Should you still use 4:5 posts?

Yes, in some workflows, 4:5 still makes sense.

The standard size is 1080 × 1350 px. It remains common because many templates, design systems, and scheduling tools were built around it. Buffer explicitly notes that while Instagram supports 3:4 in the app, 3:4 may not be supported through the API used by some publishing tools.

So the practical split is:

use 3:4 for new native feed-photo workflows
use 4:5 if your template library or scheduler still depends on it

That is the real difference. It is less about what looks “right” and more about what Instagram supports directly versus what outside tools can still handle cleanly.

When is 1:1 still a good choice?

Square posts are still useful, just less dominant in the feed.

The standard square size is 1080 × 1080 px. It works well for:

product shots
simple graphics
quote images
centered compositions
posts you may want to reuse on other platforms

The tradeoff is obvious. A square post takes up less vertical space than 3:4 or 4:5, so it usually looks smaller in the feed. Buffer still lists 1:1 as a core Instagram post size, but square is now more of a design choice than the default answer.

When should you use a landscape post?

Landscape posts use 1.91:1, usually around 1080 × 566 px.

Instagram includes 1.91:1 in its supported feed-photo range, so the format is fully valid.

Landscape works best when the image is naturally wide, such as:

website screenshots
dashboards
panoramic photos
wide product scenes
charts or data visuals

But for normal feed performance, landscape is usually the weakest visual option. It gives you less height on screen, and that makes it easier to scroll past.

How do aspect ratios change feed appearance?

This is the part many articles skip.

Different aspect ratios do not just change image shape. They change how much room the post gets while someone is scrolling.

A 3:4 post looks taller and more prominent than a square post. A square post looks larger than a landscape post. That is one reason vertical feed images usually feel stronger in practice, even before you talk about design quality.

If your goal is to get as much visual space as possible inside the feed, the order is usually:

3:4
4:5
1:1
1.91:1

That ranking follows directly from Instagram’s current supported sizes and how much vertical area each format occupies on a phone screen.

What happens to cropping after upload?

Instagram does not preserve every image exactly the way it looked in your editing app if the file is not prepared in the right format.

Its photo guidance is clear about the supported feed range: 1.91:1 to 3:4. If your image falls outside that range, Instagram may crop or fit it during upload. That is why it is safer to export the file in the target ratio before posting.

For feed posts, the easiest way to avoid bad crops is to design on the final canvas from the start:

1080 × 1440 px for 3:4
1080 × 1350 px for 4:5
1080 × 1080 px for 1:1
1080 × 566 px for 1.91:1

If you skip that step, you are leaving the crop decision to Instagram.

How do feed posts look in the profile grid?

This is where people get caught out.

The image can look one way in the feed and a little different in the profile grid preview. Buffer reported that Instagram began rolling out a taller profile grid in early 2025, moving away from the old always-square look, and now recommends keeping important details centered because some users may still see a square-style preview in certain contexts.

That has two practical consequences:

tall feed posts can look tighter in the profile preview than in the main feed
text, logos, and faces should stay away from the extreme edges if the grid appearance matters

So even if you use 3:4 or 4:5, it is smart to keep the key visual content closer to the center.

Which format should you use for different post types?

A simple way to think about it:

Use 3:4 when:

you want the most up-to-date native vertical feed format
you want more room in the feed
the post is image-led and benefits from height

Use 4:5 when:

your scheduler or publishing workflow does not fully support 3:4
you already have an older template system
you want a familiar vertical format that still performs well

Use 1:1 when:

the design is centered
the post is graphic-heavy
you want easier reuse across platforms

Use 1.91:1 when:

the image is naturally wide
cropping vertically would hurt the content
you are posting a screenshot, panorama, or chart

This is where a lot of Instagram advice goes wrong. There is no universal best shape for every feed post. There is only the best shape for the actual asset you are publishing.

What is the best Instagram feed aspect ratio overall?

For most brands, creators, and businesses posting photos in the feed, 3:4 is now the strongest default answer.

It is the tallest native feed-photo format Instagram currently supports, and it gives your image more visible space than square or landscape posts.

That said, 4:5 is still a strong second choice, especially if you use scheduling tools that have not caught up with 3:4 support.

If you want the short version:

Best modern vertical feed post: 3:4 (1080 × 1440 px)
Best legacy vertical feed post: 4:5 (1080 × 1350 px)
Best square post: 1:1 (1080 × 1080 px)
Best landscape post: 1.91:1 (1080 × 566 px)

FAQ

What is Instagram post aspect ratio?

It is the shape of a feed post, based on the relationship between width and height. Common Instagram feed ratios are 3:4, 4:5, 1:1, and 1.91:1.

What is the best aspect ratio for Instagram feed posts?

For most new feed-photo posts, 3:4 is the best current answer because Instagram supports photos up to that ratio.

Is 4:5 or 3:4 better for Instagram posts?

Inside Instagram itself, 3:4 is more up to date. But 4:5 still works very well, and it may be easier to use if your scheduler or template workflow is built around older publishing standards.

What is the square Instagram post size?

The standard square size is 1080 × 1080 px, which uses a 1:1 aspect ratio.

What is the landscape Instagram post size?

A standard landscape post is 1.91:1, usually around 1080 × 566 px.

Does Instagram crop feed posts?

It can. Instagram supports feed photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4, so anything outside that range may be cropped or fitted during upload.

Do feed posts look different in the grid?

They can. Buffer reports that Instagram has been moving toward a taller profile grid, but some previews may still appear more square depending on context, so centered compositions are safer.