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Guide · Instaloader alternative

Instaloader Alternative API

If you use Instaloader to download Instagram Reels, posts or Stories and want to stop running a logged-in session, a hosted API replaces it with one HTTP call: send the public link, get the media URLs. Instaloader's documentation marks Stories and Highlights as "Requires login"; with this API no Instagram account of yours is involved.

Get 20 free credits API reference

Comparison: Instaloader needs a login for Stories and Highlights; the GetInSaver API needs no Instagram login and covers five platforms

Key facts

Endpoint: POST /v1/resolve (one endpoint for every service)
Free trial: 20 result credits after email verification, no card
Price: from $19 for 7,500 results ($1.33–$2.53 per 1,000)
Billing: prepaid credits, no subscription, no expiry; failed or empty requests cost 0
Credits per result: 1 (Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest) or 2 (Stories, Highlights, Telegram)
Limits: up to 20 items per request; 120 requests per minute per account; 2 in progress at once on the trial, 8 on paid accounts

Instaloader and this API side by side

	Instaloader	GetInSaver API
What it is	Free, open-source Python tool you run yourself	Hosted REST API, any language
Instagram login	Its docs mark `--stories` and `--highlights` as "Requires login"	Never; public content only
Stories and Highlights	With a logged-in account	Active public Stories and public Highlights
Other platforms	Instagram only	Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, Telegram
Profiles, followers, hashtags	Yes (some need login)	No: one link in, its media out
Cost	Free; your server, your account, your IP	20 free credits, then prepaid from $19; failed requests cost 0

Keep Instaloader if you need whole-profile archives, follower lists or hashtag feeds. Use the API when your product gets single links from users and must not depend on an Instagram session.

Migrating: one function instead of a session

Where your code builds a post from a shortcode, send the link instead. This is the complete client; resolve() also covers Stories (instagram-story) and Highlights (instagram-highlight):

# pip install requests
import mimetypes, os, time
import requests

API_URL = "https://developers.getinsaver.com/v1/resolve"
API_KEY = os.environ["GIS_KEY"]  # keep the key on your server, never in a browser


def resolve(service, url, max_results=10, retries=3):
    """Turn a public link into media items: [{"type": "video", "url": ...}]."""
    for attempt in range(retries + 1):
        response = requests.post(
            API_URL,
            headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
            json={"service": service, "url": url, "max_results": max_results},
            timeout=130,
        )
        data = response.json()
        if response.ok:
            return data
        # 429 = rate or concurrency limit, 502/504 = platform hiccup; none of them is charged
        if response.status_code in (429, 502, 504) and attempt < retries:
            time.sleep(int(response.headers.get("Retry-After", 5)))
            continue
        raise RuntimeError(f"{data['code']}: {data['message']}")


def download(item, name, folder="downloads"):
    """Media URLs expire within minutes to hours, so save the file right away."""
    os.makedirs(folder, exist_ok=True)
    with requests.get(item["url"], stream=True, timeout=120) as media:
        media.raise_for_status()
        kind = media.headers.get("Content-Type", "").split(";")[0]
        path = os.path.join(folder, name + (mimetypes.guess_extension(kind) or ".bin"))
        with open(path, "wb") as f:
            for chunk in media.iter_content(chunk_size=65536):
                f.write(chunk)
    return path


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # TikTok works the same way: resolve("tiktok", "https://www.tiktok.com/@user/video/123...")
    result = resolve("instagram", "https://www.instagram.com/reel/SHORTCODE/")
    print(f"{result['item_count']} items, {result['credits_used']} credits")
    for i, item in enumerate(result["items"]):
        print(item["type"], download(item, f"{result['request_id']}-{i}"))

Getting a key

Create a free account and verify your email. You get 20 free credits, no card needed.
Create an API key in Dashboard → API keys and store it as the environment variable GIS_KEY on your server.

Errors to handle

HTTP	Code	What to do
402	INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS	Top up, or lower `max_results`: a request reserves `max_results × credits per result` first.
422	UPSTREAM_REJECTED	The post is private, deleted, expired or login-only. Show the message to your user; nothing was charged.
429	RATE_LIMITED / CONCURRENCY_LIMIT	Wait for `Retry-After` seconds and retry. 120 requests per minute per account; 2 at once on the trial, 8 after buying credits.
502 / 504	UPSTREAM_*	Temporary platform failure. Safe to retry; nothing was charged.

Every error body is JSON with a stable code and a readable message. The full list is in the API reference.

FAQ

Can it download private accounts like a logged-in Instaloader?

No. It does not log in and does not bypass privacy. Private, deleted and login-only content returns an error and costs nothing.

Does it download Stories without a login?

Yes, active Stories of public accounts, and one exact Story when the link contains its ID. Expired Stories are gone; use Highlights for saved ones.

Is there a Python package to install?

Only requests. The example on this page is the whole client.

Do failed requests cost credits?

No. Credits are reserved while a request runs and refunded in full when it fails or finds no media. You only pay for items that come back.

Updated 2026-10-30. The code on this page is executed by our test suite against the API server before every release.