Excel or Google Sheets vs FANS: Non-Followers

The useful difference is who prepares and checks the data. A spreadsheet gives you control over the workbook; FANS removes that spreadsheet setup. If you already know you want to skip formulas, use the guide to comparing without a spreadsheet. This article helps you decide whether the extra control is worth the work.

Compare the work you will actually do

Neither method turns an old export into a live view. “Does not follow back” means an account is in Following but absent from Followers in the data being compared. It does not establish that someone recently unfollowed or explain why.

Try the spreadsheet method with fictional data first

This example starts with already-extracted usernames, not raw JSON. The formula does not open an Instagram ZIP or locate the right records. Paste the tab-separated block below into cell A1 of a blank worksheet. Column A is Following; column B is Followers. The blank in B4 is intentional.

Following	Followers
river_notes	river_notes
studio_blue	maple_reads
maple_reads	

Type Result in C1. Put this formula in C2, then fill it down through C4:

=IF(A2="","",IF(COUNTIF($B$2:$B$4,A2)=0,"Not following back","Follows back"))

The expected results are Follows back, Not following back, and Follows back. Only studio_blue is absent from the Followers column. An empty Following cell returns an empty result. Some spreadsheet locales use semicolons instead of commas between function arguments.

Microsoft's COUNTIF reference and Google's COUNTIF reference explain the range-and-criterion match. COUNTIF is case-insensitive. Do not add wildcard asterisks around the username: that would permit partial matches instead of checking the complete handle.

For real data, replace B4 in the formula with the last row of your complete Followers list before filling down to the last Following row. The dollar signs keep that follower range fixed while A2 advances to A3, A4 and so on. Filter Result to “Not following back” to review the candidates.

The input audit matters more than the formula

A correct formula will confidently report wrong results when its inputs are incomplete. Before using real results, check these four things:

1. One account, one export request. Both lists must belong to the same Instagram profile and snapshot. Do not join a new Following list to an older Followers list.
2. Complete extraction. Use the username records from every relevant follower file. Keep record totals during extraction so you can reconcile them with the populated worksheet rows. A short column is not proof that the remaining people do not follow you.
3. Consistent identifiers. Put one username per cell, without profile URL prefixes, display names, an added @, or accidental whitespace. Preserve dots, underscores and digits. Format the input columns as text before pasting so numeric-looking handles retain their spelling, including leading zeros.
4. No stale or repeated rows. On refresh, clear the previous input area before adding the new lists. Remove duplicate usernames before counting unique accounts, and confirm that the formula covers every new row.

Do not compare A2 only to B2. The lists are not guaranteed to be sorted or aligned together; you need to search the whole Followers range. Likewise, an empty Followers column makes every populated Following row look absent. Stop and verify the extraction before interpreting that output.

If turning the export into clean columns is the hard part, the Python-versus-FANS guide explains the responsibility you take on with a custom parser. A spreadsheet formula is only the final comparison step.

A local workbook and a cloud sheet have different boundaries

A workbook saved in a local folder outside cloud sync can keep the working list on that computer. A workbook saved to a synced service has a different storage path. Creating a Google Sheet also places the entered list in that cloud service; restricting sharing limits access but does not make it local-only processing.

Before using either spreadsheet route, check the save location, synchronization and sharing settings. Keep personal relationship lists out of public templates or broadly shared workbooks. A spreadsheet does not need your Instagram password to compare two columns, and an online JSON converter is not a required part of this method.

FANS processes the imported follower lists on your device and does not ask for your Instagram password. That is a claim about the list-processing workflow, not a claim that every kind of app data is absent. The FANS privacy-label explainer separates those questions.

Choose based on the result you need to maintain

A spreadsheet is a reasonable choice if you already know how to extract and validate the data, want custom notes beside each account, or need to inspect your own matching logic. You do not need FANS merely to run the comparison shown above. Keep notes in a separate table keyed by username if you plan to replace or reorder the input columns, so a note does not drift onto a different account.

FANS is a reasonable choice if preparing columns and maintaining ranges are the parts you want to avoid. Request your account's Followers and Following export in JSON format, download the original ZIP and import it into FANS. The FANS import walkthrough covers the steps. This works for your own public or private account; signing into Instagram itself to request the export is separate from giving another app your login.

For either method, obtain a fresh export for a new comparison and check surprising relationships in Instagram before acting. Neither result authorizes automatic unfollowing or proves a block, an exact unfollow date, or someone's motive. The right choice is the workflow whose preparation, privacy boundaries and ongoing maintenance you understand.