"What's my name worth?" lands in our chat more than any other question. The straight answer: it hangs on a few things you can check yourself. Below we walk through each one, using real asking prices from the 732 Instagram names in our shop right now (the sample prices were checked in October 2026).
Instagram username prices, quick view
The ranges below are pulled from our own live stock in October 2026. Names sell and new ones drop, so prices move. The live examples lower down are always up to date, and the price guide shows the lowest, middle and highest price for each type today.
| Type | Example | Typical price | Range we list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | @vel | $2,000+ | $1,250 – $2,650 |
| 3 characters | @_.o, @i_1 | $1,500 | $650 – $2,500 |
| 4 digits | @1422 | $400 | $250 – $2,250 |
| 4 letters | @safr | $150 | $60 – $1,600 |
| 4 characters | @a_b2 | $150 | $60 – $800 |
"Typical price" means the median asking price for that type, rounded.
What gives a username its value
1. Length
Nothing moves the price more. Only 17,576 three-letter combinations exist, and nearly every one was claimed long ago. Add one letter and you get 456,976 combinations, so there are far more to go around and prices fall hard.
2. Pure letters or not
An all-letter name beats a name of the same length that has a dot, underscore or digit in it. Those mixed names go by "semis" or "chars", and they're the cheapest road to a really short handle.
3. How it reads
Two four-letter names can sit ten times apart in price. If it's easy to say, looks like a word or a brand, or has a pleasing pattern (think @lolo or @abba), it beats a jumble like @xqzj by a mile.
4. Repeats and patterns
Doubles, triples and mirror-image names are collector bait. Repeating digits such as @1111 top the number-only category.
5. The original email
When a handle comes with the email it was first registered on (OGE), it's much harder for anyone to pull back later, and buyers pay extra for that. Our listings say clearly when the original email is included.
6. Whether it can go onto your account
A name that can be moved onto an account you already have is more flexible. Digit-only names can't be, so they always come as their own account, and that narrows who wants them.
Live prices from the shop
These pull straight from our stock, so the prices you see are the current ones.
Is the price fair? A quick check
- Match like for like. Put a four-letter word next to other four-letter words, not next to random four-letter strings.
- See what comes with it. The original email is worth paying a bit more for.
- Be wary of a rare name going cheap. A three-letter Instagram handle at $50 is almost surely a scam, or a name that can't really be handed over.
- Weigh the seller, not just the number. A fair price from someone you can't check up on is no bargain.
Want a quick estimate for one particular name? Run it through our price check.