Bot

DLGram vs IGDownloader — Which Instagram Formats Each One Handles

Updated August 2026

"Supports Instagram" hides a lot of work. A Reel, a single photo, a twenty-item carousel, a story inside its 24-hour window, one item from a pinned highlight and a profile avatar are six separate fetches with six different failure modes, and most downloaders thin out after the first two. Below: what each format requires, where DLGram stops, and how to measure IGDownloader yourself.

The six formats and what each one needs

Content typeWhat handling it properly requiresDLGram This site
Reel / post videoA choice of renditions, not just the embedded one1080P to 240P, each labelled with its size
Single photoThe stored master, plus a way out of WebPSize chooser plus save-as-JPG
Carousel (up to 20)Enumerating every child item, video and stills mixedFull grid with download all
Active storyReading the live tray before 24 hours elapseListed under the profile card by @username
Highlight itemResolving one archived story from a pinned setItem links only — no collection export
Profile pictureRequesting the account rather than a postHD avatar, 320×320 or 640×640

Where the format list gets interesting

Video: one file or a ladder?

Instagram stores several renditions of a clip. DLGram lists 1080P, 720P, 480P, 360P and 240P with the byte size beside each, so a phone on mobile data takes the 360P and an archive takes the top one. Nothing is re-encoded — the MP4/H.264 you get is the file Instagram stored.

Photos: resolution and format are two problems

A still typically offers 1440×1440 at about 553 KB, 1080×1080 at 176 KB, 750×750 at 114 KB and 640×640 at 74 KB. Choosing one is a size decision; getting a file your software opens is a separate one, since Instagram often serves WebP and a save-as-JPG button converts it server-side.

Carousels: the number is 20

A carousel holds up to twenty children, so a tool that expands ten has handed you half a post. DLGram lists them all with one download-all action; the wrinkle belongs to your browser, which prompts for permission before saving many files at once.

Stories, highlights and avatars

Type an @username instead of a link and DLGram returns a profile card — HD avatar, display name, follower count, verified badge — with any currently active stories underneath; it renders even when there are none. Expired stories are deleted by Instagram, so no tool recovers them. Highlights are the honest weak spot: individual items work, whole collections cannot be pulled in one click.

Testing IGDownloader yourself, in three minutes

IGDownloader is, as of 2026, a browser-based downloader in the same broad category as this one. We have not run a controlled test, so rather than assert what it does per format: gather one link per table row and paste all six. Does the carousel expand past ten? Is there a rendition choice or one button? Does a bare @username resolve at all?

Honest limits on this side

DLGram is free, browser-only and needs no account, registration or login; Instagram credentials are never requested. Media is not kept on our servers — your browser pulls it from Instagram's CDN — and pasted links are used only for that fetch, tied to no profile. Language, theme and five recent downloads live in local storage; access logs exist, and Google Analytics and AdSense both set cookies. No MP3-only export yet, and roughly twenty requests a minute triggers a cooldown.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many items can DLGram pull from one carousel post?

Up to 20 — the maximum a single Instagram carousel holds. Every item appears in a grid with a "download all" button. Your browser asks permission the first time a site saves several files at once; decline it and the batch stops after the first file.

Can I download a whole Highlight collection in one click?

Not on DLGram, not today. A Highlight is a container of many archived story items, and we currently handle them one link at a time. If bulk highlight export is the job you came for, this is not yet the right tool for it.

What resolution do Instagram profile pictures come in?

Whatever Instagram has stored, typically 320×320 or 640×640. No tool can invent detail beyond that, and avatars a person has already replaced are gone from the public endpoints, so none can be retrieved.

Why does a photo save as WebP instead of JPG?

Instagram frequently serves stills as WebP, which some older editors refuse to open. DLGram shows a "save as JPG" button that converts the image server-side before it reaches you.

How do I test whether a downloader really covers a content type?

Collect one link of each kind — Reel, single photo, long carousel, active story, highlight item, profile URL — and run all six in one sitting. Coverage claims on a homepage are marketing copy; six pasted links are evidence.

Does either tool work on private accounts?

No, and distrust anything that says otherwise: private content sits behind an approved-follower check on Instagram's side. DLGram never supports private accounts. Downloading public media also never places you in the viewers list.

Bring your six test links: try DLGram free, no sign-up →