Create Stunning Instagram Carousels — Free Online Tool
Design engaging multi-slide carousel posts in minutes. Add slides, customize colors, preview your carousel, and export for Instagram. No design skills required.
Carousel Builder
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Preview all slides below and download them for Instagram.
What is an Instagram Carousel?
An Instagram carousel is a single post containing multiple images or videos (up to 10 slides) that users can swipe through horizontally. Carousels are one of the most engaging content formats on Instagram, generating higher save rates, longer view times, and more comments than single-image posts.
This free Instagram carousel maker helps you plan, design, and create carousel posts without needing design software like Canva or Photoshop. Build your slides, customize the style, and export ready-to-post images.
Instagram Carousel Specifications
Recommended size: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 portrait ratio) for maximum screen space
Alternative sizes: 1080 x 1080 (square) or 1080 x 608 (landscape)
Maximum slides: 10 images or videos per carousel
File formats: JPG or PNG for images, MP4 for videos
How to Create an Instagram Carousel (Step-by-Step)
Plan Your Content
Decide on your topic and key points. Structure your carousel with a hook (slide 1), value-packed content (slides 2-8), and a call-to-action (last slide).
Add Your Slides
Use the carousel builder above to add slides. Click "Add Slide" and fill in your title and content for each slide.
Customize Design
Choose your template style and accent color to match your brand. Preview how your carousel will look on mobile.
Export & Post
Download your carousel slides as images and upload them to Instagram. Add your caption and hashtags, then post!
Why Use Instagram Carousels?
Higher Save Rates
Carousels get saved more than any other content type — saves signal value to the algorithm
More Comments
Educational carousels spark conversations and questions in the comments
Longer View Time
Swipe-through content keeps users engaged longer, boosting your post in the algorithm
More Shares
Valuable carousels get shared to Stories, expanding your reach organically
Best Instagram Carousel Content Ideas
How-To Tutorials & Tips
Break down complex topics into digestible slides. Example: "5 Steps to Edit Reels Like a Pro" or "Beginner's Guide to Instagram SEO." Educational carousels have the highest save rates because users bookmark them for later reference.
Top X Lists & Roundups
Lists perform exceptionally well as carousels. Examples: "7 Tools Every Creator Needs," "10 Caption Hooks That Stop the Scroll," or "5 Mistakes Killing Your Engagement." Each item gets its own slide for maximum impact.
Before/After & Case Studies
Show transformations, results, or journey stories. Coaches can share client wins, designers can show project progressions, and creators can document their growth. Story-driven carousels build trust and connection.
Carousel Best Practices
Start with a Scroll-Stopping Hook
Your first slide determines if people swipe or scroll past. Use a bold statement, intriguing question, or surprising statistic. Make it visually striking with large text and high contrast.
Keep Text Readable
Use large fonts (minimum 24pt), high contrast colors, and limit text per slide. If someone can't read it while casually scrolling, they'll skip it. Test readability on your phone before posting.
End with a Clear CTA
Your last slide should tell viewers exactly what to do next: "Save this for later," "Comment your favorite tip," "Follow for more," or "DM me GUIDE for the full checklist." A strong CTA drives engagement.
Maintain Consistent Branding
Use the same colors, fonts, and style across all slides and all your carousels. This builds brand recognition and makes your content instantly identifiable in the feed.
Now you know how to create Instagram carousels that drive engagement. Use this free carousel maker to plan your content, then take it to the next level with automated DM responses to convert that engagement into leads.
You've Built the Carousel. Now Automate the Conversion.
Manual Follow-Up
Great carousels, missed opportunities
- Manually reply to every "Send link!" comment
- Miss DM requests while you sleep
- No way to collect emails from engaged followers
- Spend hours on repetitive DM conversations
CreatorFlow Automation
Great carousels + automated conversion
- Auto-DM link when someone comments keyword
- Respond instantly 24/7, even while you sleep
- Collect emails before sending freebies
- Turn carousel views into email subscribers
Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Carousels
What is an Instagram carousel?
An Instagram carousel is a post that contains multiple images or videos (up to 10) that users can swipe through. Carousels are highly engaging and get more saves and shares than single-image posts, making them ideal for educational content, tutorials, and storytelling.
How many slides can an Instagram carousel have?
Instagram carousels can have up to 10 slides (images or videos). For best engagement, most creators use 5-10 slides. The first slide is your hook to stop the scroll, middle slides deliver value, and the last slide should have a clear call-to-action.
What size should Instagram carousel slides be?
The recommended size for Instagram carousel posts is 1080x1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio) for maximum screen real estate. You can also use 1080x1080 pixels (1:1 square) or 1080x608 pixels (1.91:1 landscape). All slides in a carousel must be the same aspect ratio.
How do I create engaging Instagram carousels?
To create engaging Instagram carousels: (1) Start with a compelling hook that stops the scroll, (2) Deliver value with actionable tips or insights on each slide, (3) Use consistent branding (colors, fonts), (4) Keep text readable (large fonts, high contrast), (5) End with a strong call-to-action, (6) Use visual indicators to encourage swiping.
Can I automate responses to carousel comments?
Yes! While you create carousels manually, you can automate the engagement that follows. Tools likeCreatorFlow let you automatically respond to comments on your carousel posts, send DMs to users who engage, and collect emails from interested followers — all Meta-compliant with 500 free automated DMs per month.
What content works best for Instagram carousels?
The best performing carousel content includes: educational tutorials and how-to guides, listicles (5 tips, 7 mistakes, 10 ideas), before/after transformations, step-by-step processes, myth-busting content, storytelling and case studies, product showcases, and quote collections. Educational carousels typically get the highest save rates.
Do carousels perform better than single images?
Yes, carousels generally outperform single-image posts. They get higher save rates (users bookmark educational content), longer view times (swiping keeps users engaged), more comments (educational content sparks discussion), and better reach (the algorithm favors engaging content). A well-designed carousel can get 2-3x the engagement of a single image.
Is this carousel maker really free?
Yes, this Instagram carousel maker is completely free with no signup required. You can create unlimited carousels, customize designs, and download your slides as images. If you want to automate DM responses to carousel engagement, you can try CreatorFlow's free plan with 500 automated DMs per month.
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