"Non-drop" means nothing until you can put a number on it. The number is drop %, and you can work it out yourself with a calculator and two minutes of note-taking. This post shows the formula, a worked example, and the mistakes that make people think a service dropped when it didn't, or the other way round.
The formula
Drop % = (start count + quantity − live count) ÷ quantity × 100
- Start count: the number of followers, likes or views before your order started.
- Quantity: how many you ordered.
- Live count: the number on the profile or post right now.
Start count + quantity is what you should have. Subtract what you actually have, and you get the number that dropped. Divide by the quantity to turn it into a percentage of what you paid for.
A worked example
You order 500 Instagram followers for an account that has 1,200.
- Expected after delivery: 1,200 + 500 = 1,700
- Live count after 15 days: 1,655
- Dropped: 1,700 − 1,655 = 45
- Drop %: 45 ÷ 500 × 100 = 9%
So 91% of what you bought is still there after 15 days.
When to check: 5, 15 and 30 days
One check tells you very little. Drops come in waves, so we measure at three points:
- Day 5 catches fast drops from obvious bot accounts.
- Day 15 catches the accounts Instagram or TikTok flags a little later.
- Day 30 is where most refill windows end, so it tells you what you are left with.
Drop rarely goes backwards, so a later check is usually equal to or higher than an earlier one. If a link shows 0% at day 15, it was 0% at day 5 as well.
This is exactly how the monitor behind our order page works. It checks real orders at those three points and shows the newest result next to each tracked service. You can read why we built it in why Instagram followers are dropping in 2026.
Five mistakes that ruin the number
- Not saving the start count. Take a screenshot or note it the minute you place the order. Most panels show it in order history once the order starts, but by then organic changes may have mixed in.
- Measuring before delivery finishes. If an order is still in progress, the "missing" followers may simply not have arrived yet. Wait for "Completed".
- Forgetting organic changes. A real account gains and loses followers on its own. On a busy account, test on a quieter post or profile, or compare with the average daily change before the order.
- Using a private account or a post with hidden likes. If the count isn't public, nothing can be measured, and some services can't deliver to it at all.
- Testing with tiny orders. On 20 followers, losing 2 is 10%. Use at least 100 so one or two accounts don't swing the result.
Turn the drop into money
Drop % matters because it changes what you really pay. Use this:
Real price per 1,000 = listed price ÷ (1 − drop % ÷ 100)
A $1.80 service with a 5% drop costs about $1.89 per 1,000 followers that stay. A $0.30 service with an 80% drop costs $1.50 per 1,000 that stay, and you also lose time on refills and complaints.
What to do with a high drop
- If the service has a refill period, request a refill from your order history while it is still active. Our guide to R30, R60 and lifetime refill explains what you can expect.
- If there is no refill, note the result and switch services for the next order.
- If you resell, track drop per service so you know which ones to offer your own clients. The provider testing checklist has a simple sheet layout for this.
Quick reference
Drop % = (start + quantity − live) ÷ quantity × 100. Check at 5, 15 and 30 days. Always record the start count, wait for delivery to finish, and test with at least 100.
Want to see the numbers without doing the maths? Monitored services on SMM Panel Provide show their latest 5, 15 and 30-day drop % next to the service. Browse the services list to compare.