Original data study
TikTok Benchmarks 2026: What 213 Channel Analyses Show
Across 213 TikTok channels (3,422 recent videos) analysed with InayaFlow, the typical video got 280 views and the median engagement rate was 9.9% of views. Channels that posted less often got more views per video (a correlation, not a cause), while hashtag count, video length and posting day showed no clear edge.
By the InayaFlow team · Published · Free to cite (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- 280 views per video for the median channel (middle half: 160 to 530).
- 9.9% engagement rate by views for the median channel (middle half: 5.9% to 15.6%).
- Channels posting weekly or less had a median of 500 views per video, against 190 for channels posting daily or more (a correlation, not a cause: their recent videos were older, so they had longer to collect views).
- The single best video held a median 23% of a channel's recent views; 28% of channels had a video with 10 times their typical views or more.
- No hashtag count, video length or posting day stood out: the share of videos beating their channel's own typical views ranged from 41.9% to 49.3% by hashtag count, 44.8% to 51.3% by length and 44% to 51.5% by day (baseline 47.6%). The differences were small and not tested for significance.
- The busiest posting slot was 18:00 to 20:59 local time (19% of posts).
This study is part of our guide to the best time to post on TikTok and our TikTok growth guides. Most published TikTok benchmarks come from brand accounts; this one shows what small creators actually get.
How we did this study
- Sample: 213 TikTok channels and 3,422 of their recent videos (pinned videos left out). Each channel was analysed by an InayaFlow user with InayaFlow's free channel analysis between Jun 9, 2026 and Nov 10, 2026. 90% of the videos were published between Jun 19, 2025 and Nov 6, 2026.
- Not a random sample:the data comes from creators who used InayaFlow's free analysis, mostly small and growing accounts. It shows what these creators get, not all of TikTok.
- Views per video:the median views of each channel's recent videos (the same "typical views" number InayaFlow shows). We then report the median and quartiles across channels.
- Engagement rate: for each video, (likes + comments + shares) ÷ views; averaged per channel, then the median across channels. Saves are reported separately.
- Beat rate:to compare hashtags, length and timing fairly between big and small channels, each video is compared with its own channel's typical views. Overall, 47.6% of videos beat their channel's typical views (just under half, because the middle video itself never counts as a beat).
- Local time: posting hours and days use the time zone set in each InayaFlow account (3,338 videos had one).
- Cleaning and privacy: our own test and team accounts are removed, repeat analyses of the same channel are merged (newest kept), channels with fewer than 3 videos are left out, and any group with fewer than 20 channels is not published. The page shows only totals, medians and shares, never a single channel.
- Limits: we do not see watch time, follower counts, niche or reach by country, so this edition has no follower-size or niche breakdown. Differences between groups are correlations, not causes. Views were read when each analysis ran, so newer videos may have had less time to collect views.
- AI note: AI helped draft the text of this page. Every number comes from the dataset and is shown exactly as computed.
How many views does a typical small TikTok video get?
The median channel's typical video got 280 views. A quarter of channels sat below 160 views per video and a quarter above 530. If your videos land in that range, you are where most small creators are.
| Group | Channels | Lower quarter | Median | Upper quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All channels | 213 | 160 | 280 | 530 |
| English-language channels | 110 | 150 | 290 | 520 |
| Arabic-language channels | 95 | 160 | 260 | 560 |
Views per video, rounded to two significant figures.
TikTok engagement rate benchmarks for small creators
The median channel had an engagement rate of 9.9% of views, with the middle half between 5.9% and 15.6%. For comparison, Socialinsider's 2026 TikTok benchmarks report an average of 4.2% by views for brand accounts in 2025. The two numbers are not directly comparable: theirs is an average per video for brand accounts and counts saves; ours is the median small creator and leaves saves out. Saves added a median of 0.38 per 100 views.
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Median engagement rate |
|---|---|
| All channels | 9.9% |
| English language | 10.1% |
| Arabic language | 8.4% |
| Saudi Arabia | 8.2% (100 channels) |
| Nigeria | 12.6% (33 channels) |
| United States / Canada | 9.4% (25 channels) |
Want your own number? Our free TikTok engagement rate calculator uses the same views-based formula.
Does posting more often get more views per video?
We grouped channels by the median gap between their posts. The median channel posted about every 1.1 days. Channels posting weekly or less had a median of 500 views per video, against 190 for channels posting daily or more. Their engagement rate was higher too (12.7% against 8.2%).
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Median views per video |
|---|---|
| Daily or more | 190 (98 channels) |
| 2-6 a week | 340 (83 channels) |
| Weekly or less | 500 (32 channels) |
This is a correlation, not a cause. Weekly posters' recent videos were older when the analysis ran (median 88 days, against 6 days for daily posters), so they had longer to collect views. Creators who post less may also spend longer on each video. What the data does say: posting every day is not a shortcut to more views per video.
How many hashtags do TikTok creators use, and does it matter?
The median channel used 3 hashtags per video, and 47.4% of all videos used 3-5. But no hashtag count clearly helped: in every group, 41.9% to 49.3%of videos beat their own channel's typical views (baseline 47.6%). The differences were small and not tested for significance. Our TikTok hashtag strategy guide explains what hashtags are for.
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Share of videos |
|---|---|
| 0 hashtags | 23.8% (815 videos) |
| 1-2 hashtags | 15.5% (532 videos) |
| 3-5 hashtags | 47.4% (1,622 videos) |
| 6-9 hashtags | 10.6% (363 videos) |
| 10+ hashtags | 2.6% (90 videos) |
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Beat rate |
|---|---|
| 0 hashtags | 47.9% (129 channels) |
| 1-2 hashtags | 41.9% (124 channels) |
| 3-5 hashtags | 49.3% (177 channels) |
| 6-9 hashtags | 47.1% (74 channels) |
| 10+ hashtags | 48.9% (24 channels) |
How long are TikTok videos from small creators?
The median channel's typical video ran 22 seconds (length was available for 2,485 videos from 174 channels). The most common length was 15-29 s (33% of videos). Beat rates by length ranged from 44.8% to 51.3% (baseline 47.6%), so no length was a clear winner. The differences were small and not tested for significance.
| Video length | Share of videos | Channels | Beat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 s | 26.9% | 143 | 45.3% |
| 15-29 s | 33% | 156 | 47.4% |
| 30-59 s | 21.9% | 135 | 49.1% |
| 1-3 min | 15.2% | 98 | 44.8% |
| 3 min+ | 3.1% | 30 | 51.3% |
When do TikTok creators post? (local time)
The busiest slot was 18:00 to 20:59 local time (19% of videos). By posting hour, 42.9% to 56.7% of videos beat their own channel's typical views (baseline 47.6%). The differences were small and not tested for significance. To find your own best hours, see the best time to post on TikTok by day.
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Share of videos |
|---|---|
| 00:00-02:59 | 8.9% (104 channels) |
| 03:00-05:59 | 3.6% (71 channels) |
| 06:00-08:59 | 7.5% (92 channels) |
| 09:00-11:59 | 11.5% (126 channels) |
| 12:00-14:59 | 15.4% (153 channels) |
| 15:00-17:59 | 17.1% (173 channels) |
| 18:00-20:59 | 19% (173 channels) |
| 21:00-23:59 | 17.1% (160 channels) |
Saudi Arabia: posting hours (Riyadh time)
Channels set to Riyadh time posted later in the evening: the busiest slot was 21:00 to 23:59 (20.1% of their videos).
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Share of videos |
|---|---|
| 00:00-02:59 | 13.7% (60 channels) |
| 03:00-05:59 | 5.3% (44 channels) |
| 06:00-08:59 | 5.4% (37 channels) |
| 09:00-11:59 | 7.4% (45 channels) |
| 12:00-14:59 | 13.7% (71 channels) |
| 15:00-17:59 | 16.1% (83 channels) |
| 18:00-20:59 | 18.1% (86 channels) |
| 21:00-23:59 | 20.1% (82 channels) |
Posting day
| Day (local) | Share of videos | Beat rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 13.9% | 44% |
| Monday | 14.7% | 46% |
| Tuesday | 13.3% | 48% |
| Wednesday | 13.2% | 51.5% |
| Thursday | 14.7% | 49% |
| Friday | 14.5% | 49.3% |
| Saturday | 15.7% | 45.7% |
Posts were spread evenly across the week, and beat rates by day ranged from 44% to 51.5% (baseline 47.6%): no day stood out. The differences were small and not tested for significance.
One video carries the channel
Small channels live on hits. Among each channel's recent videos, the single best one held a median 23% of all the views, and 28% of channels had at least one video with 10 times their typical views or more. That is why one quiet week says little: the next hit can change the picture. If your videos are stuck, read why your TikTok is getting no views and work on hooks that stop the scroll.
Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and US/Canada compared
Groups are based on the time zone set in each account. Only groups with at least 20 channels are shown.
| Account time zone | Channels | Median views per video | Median engagement rate | Saves per 100 views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 100 | 260 | 8.2% | 0.65 |
| Nigeria | 33 | 180 | 12.6% | 0.18 |
| United States / Canada | 25 | 260 | 9.4% | 0.26 |
Show the numbers as a table
| Group | Median views per video |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 260 (100 channels) |
| Nigeria | 180 (33 channels) |
| United States / Canada | 260 (25 channels) |
How to compare your own channel with these benchmarks
- Take your last 15 or so videos, leaving out pinned ones.
- Find the middle (median) view count. Compare it with the 280 median above.
- Work out your engagement rate by views with the engagement rate calculator and compare it with 9.9%.
- Check how many of your videos beat your own median, and what those videos have in common.
InayaFlow's free TikTok channel analysis does these steps for you from your public videos.
Cite this study
You are free to quote, chart and republish these numbers under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence. Please credit InayaFlow and link to this page.
Citation
InayaFlow (2026). TikTok Benchmarks 2026: What 213 Channel Analyses Show. https://inayaflow.ai/blog/tiktok-study-2026
Embed line (HTML)
Source: <a href="https://inayaflow.ai/blog/tiktok-study-2026">InayaFlow TikTok Benchmarks 2026</a> (213 channels, 3,422 videos).
Journalists and researchers: for questions about the method, write to us via our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How many views does a typical small TikTok video get?
In our sample of 213 channels, the median channel's typical (median) video got 280 views. The middle half of channels sat between 160 and 530 views per video.
What is a good engagement rate on TikTok?
Measured as likes, comments and shares divided by views, the median channel in our study had 9.9%. A quarter of channels were below 5.9% and a quarter above 15.6%.
Does posting every day get more views on TikTok?
Not per video in our data. Channels that posted daily or more had a median of 190 views per video; channels that posted weekly or less had 500. This is a correlation, not a cause: weekly posters' recent videos were older (median 88 days against 6), so they had longer to collect views.
How many hashtags should I use on TikTok?
The most common count in our study was 3-5 hashtags (47.4% of videos). No hashtag count stood out: in every group, 41.9% to 49.3% of videos beat their own channel's typical views (baseline 47.6%). The differences were small and not tested for significance.
Can I use these numbers in my article?
Yes. The study is free to quote under a CC BY 4.0 licence: credit InayaFlow and link to this page.
Sources
- Socialinsider, 2026 TikTok Benchmarks (Apr 22, 2026)
- Creative Commons, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)