Instagram is a popular video and photos sharing service used by people all across the globe who have a habit of taking pictures. On this platform, users can share pictures, create reels, life events, and short videos of almost everything.
Although Instagram is a good photo-sharing service there are different groups of users who’re looking for Instagram alternatives and they have reasons to do so. Some users express that, Instagram does not suit their needs and preferences anymore.
While other users shared that it becomes difficult for them to grow their audience base which was easier earlier, thanks to Facebook for making changes in the ranking algorithm.
While remaining users are looking for apps like Instagram because they just want to try available options. If you’ve any other reasons let us know in the comments
Best Instagram Alternatives to use
No matter from which user group you belong, we decided to pick some of the best Instagram alternatives that are worth trying no matter what is your reason.
1. Snapchat
If we are discussing apps to replace Instagram, Snapchat aptly deserves to be on the top three of the list. Often dubbed as an on-the-go Instagram, Snapchat primarily focuses on photographic content.
Snapchat involves ‘snaps’, a photo, or a 15-second short video as its fundamental mode of communication. A whopping four billion snaps are exchanged daily by its userbase.
It should be noted that Snapchat was the first to come up with the impressive and revolutionary idea of Stories.
Nonetheless, Instagram Stories, launched after Snapchat Stories, emerged more popular and are way ahead in the competition.
The distinct nature of snaps being self-destructive is another amazing feature of Snapchat, posing it as a great alternative for Instagram.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest may not be the next Instagram but it’s a platform with subtle potential. If you usually scroll through Instagram to discover new creative ideas, Pinterest promises way better content.
Whether you are looking for your favorite anime fan arts or wedding designs, Pinterest is the one-stop shop for you. It is a platform for you to share, explore and save content in the form of images, GIFs, videos, and more with your free account.
A visual treat of ideas, likings, and niches, it sparks inspiration within its userbase, igniting their growth. The posts on Pinterest referred to as ‘pins’, are as engaging and interesting as Instagram posts.
3. Tumblr
Tumblr is much more: you can now post images, GIFs, videos and scroll through a timeline of people with similar interests.
It helps you to explore using hashtags and provides support to form communities throughout and chat privately. It lacks the feature of stories though.
Unlike Instagram, Tumblr allows users to post text, audio, and especially, insert links to websites.
Similar to Instagram, the Tumblr audience is generally teenagers and millennials, therefore a potential market for brands related to these age groups.
4. VSCO
VSCO is a popular alternative to Instagram because it involves easy registration, features creating an avatar, and posting photos and videos.
While VSCO started as a photo editor, not many are aware of the creative community it hosts. Within the community, you can publish your ideas, connect with fellow artists, aim for a weekly challenge and explore loads of organic stuff.
The Discover section is remarkably subtle, comprising filtered preferences accompanied by location marks and tag parameters.
Armed with advanced photo processing attributes, it can be used to customize your content using both free and paid filters, contrasts, lights, colors, and other creative tools of photography.
The platform currently trends among an audience of young schoolers, with the option to share your photos within your community or save them into your device without posting on your feed.
5. Facebook
Facebook and Instagram have the most features in common to nobody’s surprise because Instagram is owned by Facebook inc.
Facebook lets you share images and videos as posts, render filters, and more. It also allows you to add Stories that are deleted after 24 hours. The stories feature lets you include both video and photo content. It also consists of a live-streaming feature.
However, Facebook is currently on thin ice after severe privacy issues. Moreover, Facebook has its messenger app. You can also log into Instagram with your Facebook account which is widely helpful and accessed. Facebook is definitely among the best apps similar to Instagram.
6. VERO
Vero is a new kind of social network similar to Instagram but without privacy, advertising, or algorithm issues.
Vero interface is ad-free and the feed is presented chronologically. Unlike Instagram, Vero allows sharing not just photos and videos but also, movies, music, books, TV shows, links, and locations. Users create their profiles based on the media they like.
Vero helps manage content visibility and privacy settings for each post individually instead of turning the entire account private.
It has unique exploration and research abilities Instagram can never provide. It can be used effectively as an additional tool for informational insights.
7. Reddit
Reddit is a host’s indefinite number of micro-communities that intermingle around niche threads on almost every conceivable field.
It contains a newsfeed replete with images, video text, and links which users can choose to upvote or downvote whether they like it or not.
Although it sounds similar to Instagram, Reddit does not just employ an inept algorithm to rank its content.
It provides you with the options to sort content based on certainly cool, if not unique, parameters.
It might appear overwhelming at first but if you manage to find and become a part of your tribe, it can be a great alternative to Instagram.
6. 500px
500px is a suitable Instagram alternative since it offers both an appealing full-screen desktop interface and a sleek app. If you are ready to spend some bucks for an engaging community, 500px is for you.
It may not possess typical social media aspects such as Stories or Reels, but you get an explore tab, create Quests (similar to Instagram Guides) and enjoy the social media ambiance on a bigger screen.
Notably, 500px allows users to post only 20 contents every week while on the free plan. To overcome this restriction, you can pay $25 annually to post and share as much as you like.
All in all, 500px does not necessarily cater to the whole audience but provides a suitable niche for users to expand and grow as creators.
9. Imgur
Imgur is an Instagram alternative with a good audience engagement. It provides the same basic features as any other photo-sharing platform. However, Imgur offers a few distinct benefits: it shows no disparity in providing engagement to your memes or your vacation pictures. The abundance of organic content is another unique aspect of this platform.
An additional advantage of Imgur is that it is compatible with major chatroom platforms like Reddit. Most GIFs on Reddit are links uploaded on Imgur.
Moreover, Imgur lets you create and share GIFs. If you’re looking for an Instagram alternative, Imgur is a must-try for you.
10. Flickr
It might seem odd but Flickr is one of the oldest Instagram alternatives out there since its release in 2004, six years before Instagram launched.
Flickr, a pioneer app for photo-sharing, is especially famous amongst enthusiastic amateur content creators. Earlier, it lost the market when it failed to adapt itself into a mobile application.
Not remaining in the shadows any longer, it has made quite a (late) come back with a fully functioning app and cloud services for its users.
Flickr has currently established itself as a unique platform that offers both social networking and cloud services. Its Pro plan is affordable and packs some decent features similar to Instagram.
Similar to Instagram’s layout, it’s the perfect tool for organizing photos and albums.
11. TikTok
The ever-growing popularity of TikTok is simply bewildering, but it is not surprising either. It is likely to be already a part of your social media since its exponential increase in users in recent years.
The building craze for short videos is evident in today’s netizens. TikTok held tight of this opportunity and launched a platform that went on to become the ultimate space to create and share short videos, with global reach.
TikTok provides diverse AR filters, fun effects and hashtags, direct messaging, live streaming, and an algorithm-based feed. If your target audience is around the ages of 16–24, TikTok is a great market for your business, irrespective of what it is.
12. Twitter
Despite being infamous for problematic threads that attempt at shallow humor, it might just suit your needs if you want an active and engaging community.
Provided you follow the right accounts and ignore the distasteful trending, Twitter can prove to be a good alternative for Instagram especially since it recently adopted Stories in the form of ‘fleets’.
Tweets can be liked, retweeted, and bookmarked. Furthermore, you can handpick your preferred profiles to ‘lists’ that you curate and follow.
The cherry on the top is that Twitter lets you choose how you want to sort your timeline: typically chronological or curated, unlike Instagram.
Even though none of the above possesses all the features of Instagram, the summary of each will help you find and choose the one that suits you best.
Social media is only ever-changing and unpredictable and you must prepare yourself for any kind of content that may go viral.
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