Comparison
Simpleembed vs Elfsight Instagram Feed
Elfsight offers 90+ widget types — reviews, forms, chat, and an Instagram Feed among them — which makes it a strong one-stop shop when you need many widgets from a single vendor. Simpleembed does exactly one thing: live Instagram feeds, at one flat price.
Simpleembed is the better fit if Instagram is the job: $7/month flat for unlimited feeds, sources, and views (Elfsight meters views on every tier below its top Enterprise plan), plus a dev-friendly JSON API for custom rendering. Elfsight may fit you better if you want several different widget types managed in one place, or its deep template library.
Side by side
| Feature | Simpleembed | Elfsight |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free for 1 source + 1 feed; $7/mo flat for everything else | Free plan; paid tiers per app, priced by views and widget count — Basic $6/mo billed monthly (about $4/mo billed annually), up to Enterprise tiers at $24–$64/mo |
| View limits | None — unlimited views on every plan, including free | Metered per plan: 200/mo on Free, 5,000 on Basic, 50,000 on Pro, 150,000 on Premium; unlimited only on the top Enterprise tier |
| Feed / source limits | Free: 1 source, 1 feed. Paid: unlimited feeds and sources | Free: 1 widget, 5 sources. Basic: 3 widgets, 15 sources. Pro: 9 widgets, 45 sources. Premium: 21 widgets, 105 sources |
| Watermark on free plan | Yes — a small Simpleembed watermark on the feed | Yes — Elfsight logo on the free plan |
| JSON API | Yes — every feed, on every plan (public, CORS-enabled) | Not advertised for the Instagram Feed widget |
| Image expiry handling | Images are proxied and cached by Simpleembed, so they never expire | Not published on their pricing page |
| Platforms supported | Instagram (Business or Creator accounts) | This widget covers Instagram; Elfsight sells 90+ widget types overall, each priced as its own app |
Elfsight details are from the Instagram Feed pricing page at elfsight.com as of July 2026 — check their site for current pricing.
Switching from Elfsight
It is about a two-minute job: connect your Instagram account to Simpleembed, create a feed, then replace Elfsight's embed code on your site with the Simpleembed snippet (swap in your own feed ID for YOUR_FEED_ID):
<script src="https://simpleembed.com/embed.js" data-feed-id="YOUR_FEED_ID" async></script>Grid and carousel layouts, columns, and spacing are configured in the dashboard, and every embed updates automatically when you change a setting — no need to touch the snippet again. Prefer your own markup? Fetch any feed from the JSON API instead.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this comparison fair and current?
- We checked Elfsight's Instagram Feed pricing page in July 2026 and only listed what it states; anything it doesn't publish is marked as such rather than guessed. Elfsight updates plans and billing options regularly, so always confirm details on elfsight.com before deciding.
- Can I try Simpleembed for free?
- Yes. One Instagram source and one feed are free forever, with unlimited views and a small Simpleembed watermark. The $7/month plan removes the watermark and unlocks unlimited feeds and sources.
- Do you cap views like Elfsight does?
- No. Simpleembed never meters views on any plan — Elfsight's free plan allows 200 widget views per month and its paid tiers are priced largely by view volume, so a traffic spike can push you into a higher tier. With Simpleembed, traffic never changes your bill.
- What if I need more than an Instagram feed?
- Then Elfsight is honestly worth a look: it offers 90+ widget types — reviews, forms, chat, and more — from one vendor. Simpleembed only does Instagram feeds, and does them with a flat price, a JSON API, and images that never expire.
Get your feed ID in about two minutes
Create a free Simpleembed account, connect your Instagram Business or Creator account, and copy your embed snippet. One source and one feed are free forever; $7/month unlocks unlimited feeds, sources, and views.
Start free