Every calculator on sociallyhive shows its formula next to the result. This page gathers them in one place, with the reasoning behind each choice and what the results can and can’t tell you.
Engagement rate
Engagement rate shows how many people interacted with a post compared with the audience you divide by. The basic formula is the same everywhere:
Engagement rate = interactions ÷ audience × 100
What changes between platforms is which interactions count and what you divide by.
| Tool | Interactions | Divided by |
|---|---|---|
| Likes, comments, saves and shares | Followers or reach | |
| TikTok | Likes, comments, shares and saves | Views or followers |
| YouTube | Likes and comments | Views |
| Reactions, comments, shares and clicks | Reach or followers | |
| Any platform | Whatever you count | Followers, reach, impressions or views |
Why the divisor matters
Dividing by followers is easy for anyone to work out, so it’s handy for comparing accounts. Dividing by reach or views only counts the people who actually saw the post, so it’s usually the fairer way to judge a single post. On TikTok most views come from the For You feed, so a viral video divided by followers can go well past 100%. On YouTube we leave subscribers out entirely, because most views come from people who aren’t subscribed.
Example: a TikTok video with 2,916 interactions and 31,000 views has a rate of 2,916 ÷ 31,000 × 100 = 9.41%.
The Low, Average, Good and High labels
Each result gets a rough level so you can read it at a glance:
| Platform | Low | Average | Good | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram, Facebook, any platform | Under 1% | 1% to 3% | 3% to 6% | 6% and up |
| TikTok | Under 3% | 3% to 6% | 6% to 10% | 10% and up |
| YouTube | Under 2% | 2% to 4% | 4% to 8% | 8% and up |
These are rough guides, not industry standards. Rates fall naturally as accounts grow, and they differ by niche and format. Your own average over your last ten posts is the best benchmark you have.
Earnings estimates
The YouTube money calculator multiplies your views by an RPM range you choose:
Earnings = views ÷ 1,000 × RPM
RPM is what a creator earns per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its share. It changes a lot with topic, viewer country, time of year and video length, so we show a low to high range rather than one figure. Your real RPM is in YouTube Studio, and YouTube’s guide to RPM explains how it’s worked out.
The TikTok money calculator works the same way but only counts qualified views, the ones that are eligible for creator rewards:
Earnings = views × qualified share ÷ 1,000 × rate per 1,000
Brand deals, gifts, memberships and shop sales are separate, so neither calculator includes them. Treat every earnings figure as a rough estimate, never a promise of payment.
Character counts and limits
Our counters count characters the way people see them, so an emoji or an accented letter counts as one. Some platforms count certain emoji or links differently, so leave a little room when you’re close to a limit. The limits we check against come from each platform’s own documentation and our own tests.
Image sizes
Size guides list the recommended pixel size and aspect ratio for each placement. Platforms resize what you upload, so the shape matters more than the exact pixels. Each guide shows the date we last checked it.
Your data stays with you
All of these calculations happen in your browser. The numbers, text and images you enter aren’t sent to our servers.
Spotted a formula that looks off? Email editorial@sociallyhive.com with your inputs and we’ll take a look.