The Short-video content market is hot with several entrants competing with TikTok. The introduction of Youtube Shorts has been covered in this article with the differences to TikTok. Another player i.e. Instagram Reels also entered this market in the year 2020. So how does Instagram Reels VS TikTok seen by users?
The difference between Instagram Reels VS TikTok is minuscule. Reels offers most of the functionalities that TikTok offers. While there are differences such as video length, audience perception, Editing tools, and more but the core functionalities are identical. Though TikTok is the most used platform in the short-video market, the users of reels are also increasing at a rapid rate.
It is obvious that TikTok and Reels are not all same and do have their differences. This article will explore the difference and also the similarities between the two platforms. The UI, UX, Functions, and user behaviors will be discussed in detail. Please read the article to understand more about the differences between the two platforms.
Instagram Reels VS TikTok
The short-form video content was not a popular method for people to create videos. At least that was the case before the launch of TikTok. TikTok changed the social media atmosphere with its addictive and easy to create videos platform. The TikTok app also comes with almost everything a person needs to create video content.
This led to the rise in the popularity of such content. Other social media companies also jumped into the bandwagon and offered their version of TikTok.
Instagram or its parent company Meta as we know now also started offering this service within its Instagram app. The service is called ‘Reels’. The Instagram reels offer almost all the functionalities that TikTok offers i.e. video creation, editing, adding filters and stickers and a separate module for vertical video viewing.
Instagram Reels VS TikTok has been a heating competition on the social media sphere for some time.
So what are the key similarities and differences between these two platforms?
Also Read: How To Convert Youtube Videos?
Instagram Reels VS TikTok: The Similarities And Differences
As we know TikTok is the first company to introduce short-form video content. This also means that TikTok had the opportunity to shape how users will interact with those content and what will be the key metrics on which the videos will be presented to the broader audiences.
The Algorithm In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
TikTok’s algorithm seems to be more well-defined than the Reel’s.
TikTok will present you with videos on their ForYou page that are tailored to your interests. The videos you watch, your likes, and your comments will tell the TikTok algorithm about your interests. The algorithm will take these cues and tailor your ForYou page specifically for you.
TikTok, being the first and also having more users than Instagram has much more upper hand over the Reels. Also, the TikTok app is specifically designed for the same.
The TikTok algorithm has been trained for longer than that of Reels so it results in TikTok being more accurate in the assumption of what a user wants. This further results in users using TikTok more than Instagram Reels.
The App In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
The Instagram Reels sit inside the Instagram app. The app was designed for sharing pictures rather than short-form video content. This makes a huge difference in the user experience and how a user finds videos and how interacts with them.
Whereas, the TikTok app was designed to serve short-form video content, create it and host it. This makes the TikTok app easy to use and users are also not confused by the interface.
The ForYou page of TikTok is the central venue where the algorithm displays the videos that are tailored to the user’s preferences.
The Video Length In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
The length of the video these two platform offers is also another place where there are similarities and differences.
Although the TikTok and Instagram Reels both cater to the same type of content, the differences between the offered video length and its format are very stark.
The maximum length of a video you can upload on TikTok is constantly increasing. From 15 sec to 10 minutes is the variation of video length that TikTok supports. Whereas, Instagram Reels only offers videos up to 60 seconds. This makes a huge difference in what type of content can you produce in these timeframes.
If you have a video that elaborates on a certain topic then there is a high chance that your video is longer than 60 seconds. This is a key issue in Instagram Reels VS TikTok as those types of content cannot be uploaded to reels.
TikTok, with its intention to also offer long-form video creators a place on the platform, has always increased the offered length of videos on the platform. Recently TikTok started supporting videos up to 10 minutes long. This has ushered in a new wave of creators that create long-form video content.
Also, Both of these platforms prioritize the vertical video format. This format offers users to watch videos vertically holding the phone and not horizontally.
Analytics In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
Getting insights into your account and content performances is very important for any creator. If you are creating any form of content, you expect the platform to provide certain tools that help you to get insight.
Here, both of these platforms are offering a tool for creators to get insight into their content.
TikTok offers an Analytics tool that can be accessed from the profile section of the TikTok app and by clicking the hamburger icon, then the creators’ tool. There you will find the analytics tool and use it to see the performance of the whole account, and see the likes, reach, and shares of each post.
The tool also gives you insight into the data of TikTok LIVE.
In the case of Instagram Reels, the insight tool only launched in 2021 and is not much different than the TikTok one. It also offers creators to see the performance of accounts, post likes, shares, and reach.
Libraries In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
Libraries are an important part of any platform. These libraries are where a content creator can find many elements such as audio, clips, stickers, and more to add to their content.
TikTok offers a huge library of audio and music to choose from when you create a video on the platform. Recently TikTok also launched its own TikTok GIF library in partnership with GIPHY.
This has expanded the creators’ ability to create videos easily on the platform.
In the case of Instagram Reels, the audio library is not as vast as TikTok’s but it does have a sufficient amount of audio that can be used to create videos. Also, you can upload your sounds on Reels which helps in creating videos of your liking.
Making Money In Instagram Reels VS TikTok
A creator can earn money on both platforms using various methods. TikTok offers its Creator fund whereas Instagram Reels do not.
So if you are a creator in TikTok and have signed up for the creator fund by fulfilling the requirements, you will receive a certain amount directly from TikTok.
But excluding the Creator Fund, there are many ways you can earn money from Instagram reels too. As Instagram is filled with brands who want to partner with you to create content for their products, you can find a brand to collaborate with you easily.
Instagram Reels VS TikTok: Which One To Choose?
With all the similarities and differences explained above, you may be thinking about which platform to choose if you want to start creating content.
As already mentioned that TikTok is the one that introduced short-form video content as a major product. So it gave TikTok a chance to lay the foundations for how will people interact among themselves and others. This made TikTok very good in what it had to offer to its users and also to the creators on the platform.
While Instagram Reels is new to the market, it offers limited functions and the ability to reach audiences. But Instagram does offer a variety of brands that are willing to collaborate with you for marketing purposes. This may put you in a tuff position on which platform to choose.
This may sound hard, but actually, there is a very simple solution if you are willing to work a bit more. The great solution that most content creators adopt is to create your videos off of those platforms using third-party tools.
You can create video content independent of the platform and upload it to both platforms. As I already stated, it may result in a bit more work but it certainly pays off as you will have a presence on both platforms.
Also Read: How To Monetize TikTok Videos On Youtube?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some frequently asked questions related to the topic are taken from the internet. Please go through the questions and their answers to understand more about the topic.
Is Instagram Reels Better Than TikTok?
It is a complicated question to answer for. TikTok has a large audience and offers a superior product to use and get on the platform. Whereas Instagram Reels is fairly new and does not have all those that TikTok offers.
But as stated in the above section, you will be better off creating videos independent of any platform and uploading them to both of the platforms.
Are Instagram Reels Successful?
Yes, Instagram has a lot of users worldwide and those users will spill onto the Instagram Reels platform. This will help you gain a substantial number of followers and audiences for your Reels.
Can I Earn Money From Instagram Reels?
Yes, if you have a substantial number of viewers and followers, you can find many brands which will partner with you in their marketing. This will result in you getting paid more and more for your content as the quality of your content increases.
Conclusion
Therefore, the difference and similarities between these platforms are explained and compared in this article. The different domain of social media is taken as the metric for the comparison such as algorithm, user behavior, video length, app, libraries, etc.
Some frequently asked questions related to the topic are also taken from the internet and answered in brief.
Please leave comments if you have anything to add to the comparison made in this article.
