A big follower count means nothing if half the crowd is bots. Luckily, several free tools give you a quick authenticity pulse, no credit card, no CSV chaos.
1. Quick-glance Comparison Table
| Tool | Free data points | Daily free scans | Stand-out metric | Biggest limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HypeAuditor Free Preview | Audience Authenticity %, Top 5 countries, Suspicious growth alerts | 1 per day | Authentic vs. mass-follow ratio | Detailed report paywalled |
| Social Blade Basic | Follower history graph, daily Δ, projected 3-mo growth | Unlimited | Visual spike detection | No bot quality rating |
| Modash Lite | Fake-follower %, Engagement %, Like spread chart | 5 per month | “Suspicious accounts” tag list | No country split on free tier |
| IG Audit (web) | Real vs. fake % (proprietary) | Unlimited | One-number bot score | No history, no geos, no export |
2. How Each Metric Works
-
Audience Authenticity % (HypeAuditor)
Weights, inactive suspicious patterns, and follow-unfollow loops. -
Spike Graph (Social Blade)
Visual clue: sudden vertical line = likely purchased pack. -
Fake-follower % (Modash Lite)
Looks at avatar blanks, username gibberish, and zero-post accounts. -
IG Audit Score
Simple ratio of sampled followers’ activity vs. follower count.
3. Test Drive, Same Account, Four Results
| Metric | HypeAuditor | Social Blade | Modash Lite | IG Audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authentic audience | 71 % | — | 69 % | 73 % |
| Follower spike flag | No | ⚠ 12 Mar jump | No | — |
| Engagement rate | 3.4 % | 3.3 % | 3.2 % | — |
Takeaway: Scores align within ±4 pp; choose the dashboard that shows the level of detail you need.
4. When to Use Which Tool
| Scenario | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick, is this influencer legit”? check | IG Audit | One score, 5-second load |
| Need geo-split before a collab | HypeAuditor Free Preview | Shows top locations |
| Watching your own growth curve | Social Blade | Unlimited day-by-day graph |
| Comparing up to 5 prospects monthly | Modash Lite | Batch scans, fake-% + ER |
5. Utility & Originality Checklist (Use After Every Scan)
| Question | Yes/No |
|---|---|
| Does fake-% stay under your niche danger line (≤ 15 %)? | |
| Are the top follower countries inside your target market? | |
| Has engagement rate held steady while follower count rises? | |
| Do spike dates match real campaigns—not random nights? | |
| Are “suspicious” followers getting pruned quarterly? |
Tick at least four boxes, and your audience quality will satisfy most brands and algorithms.
6. Limitations of Free Scorecards
⏺ Sampling bias—most tools analyze only 10 % of followers.
⏺ No DM analysis—fake scores can’t see comment pods or purchased DMs.
⏺ Static snapshot—authenticity fluctuates; schedule monthly scans.
Key Takeaway
Free scorecards won’t replace a full forensic audit, but they flag risk in minutes. Run HypeAuditor or Modash for depth, Social Blade for trend context, and IG Audit for a gut check—then act on the findings before you pour more budget into growth.
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