While TikTok’s day in the sun hasn’t ended yet, the latest threats from the U.S. and major bans from countries such as India and Australia have put the video-sharing app’s future in jeopardy. Because of this, it’s no surprise that people are getting interested in potential alternatives. Fortunately, there is a slew of excellent competitors in this field, including a new offering from Instagram. Let’s take a look at all the top alternatives.
Further reading
Instagram Reels
Instagram choose a perfect time to release Reels, an Instagram feature specifically designed to compete in the TikTok world. With Reels, you can search the Instagram music library or upload original audio, add effects, set hands-free recording, and use A.I. tools to manage transitions or special effects when you’re done. There are also speed options, settings for recording multiple clips in a row, and, of course, plenty of ways to share and explore videos.
Reels is one of the best options for those looking to replace TikTok for two reasons. First, Instagram is highly unlikely to come across the political and international entanglements that TikTok has, at least for the foreseeable future. Second, Instagram already has a huge platform of users that will be interconnected with Reels, so it’s a great option for content creators who want to hit it big without chancing a new, lesser-known app.
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Dubsmash
Dubsmash, as the name indicates, is a social video app designed primarily for short dance and music videos. The app is based out of New York — meaning it’s not prone to the same international issues as TikTok — and it’s open about how it uses its algorithms to promote creativity and diversity in addition to showing what’s popular. Now that TikTok’s fate is uncertain, the app has seen a resurgence that could make it more popular than ever.
Open Dubsmash, and you’ll see a basic video feed of the latest hits, along with options to explore, create videos of your own, and see your likes, comments, and other social signals. It’s easy to see that the service was modeled after TikTok given the interface, filters, and stickers, many of which allow you to modify videos in similar ways.
The big difference — and what is likely a sticking point for some users — is that Dubsmash’s videos are limited to 10 seconds, meaning it’s not really a platform for longer work.
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Triller
Triller has been around for an impressive five years and has managed multiple partnerships with everyone from Spotify to WB Records, putting it in a great position to compete with TikTok or replace it. Notably, the app allows you to listen to full tracks, making it more suitable for amateur and professional musicians to showcase their work.
Triller also encourages vloggers to create entries for their audience, and has several excellent video guides to show new users how to do so, along with video guides outlining how to upload music to places like Spotify and Apple Music. Users can check out the latest hits in the feed, get “Discover Pages” suggestions, or search for a specific genre or hashtag.
Triller depends greatly on A.I., too, allowing you to adapt videos to better match the beat of a song and automatically edit and improve a video with greater ease. While there are some overlays and text options, there isn’t anything like TikTok’s filters and stickers, so it’s more difficult to use for casual fun.
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Byte
Byte was created by one of Vine’s co-founders, which is why many had high hopes that it would replace Vine as the premier short-video social platform. It didn’t exactly take off as expected, however, due in large part to the competition at the time.
If you liked Vine, though, chances are you would like Byte, too. The minimalistic app also looks a lot like TikTok, with a home news feed, an Explore option to search by channel or creator, and a Record button; it even houses an Activity checker and profile settings. Creating videos is easy — you just tap the center of the screen — and there are a variety of camera modes to try, as well as captions and the ability to add keywords, if you’re serious.
However, Byte differs from TikTok in two distinct ways. First, videos are limited to a mere six seconds, so there’s no room for longer antics. Second, there are no sticker options or the ability to overlay text in the video.
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Likee
Rebranded from the LIKE app with a new tagline — “Let You Shine” — Likee is one of the most ambitious TikTok alternatives. More than 100 million people have tried the app, and it’s stuffed with special effects, face-swapping features, stickers, music video filters, beauty filters, collage options, and a lot more. Needless to say, it offers more personalization than TikTok.
In addition to familiar options like Explore and Create, Likee also has a Livestream mode, a “fan club” feature that makes it easier to follow your favorites artists, and even tournaments that allow you to participate in a battle-of-the-bands-style livestream. It also has a gaming broadcast channel for streamers who want to try something a little new.
These features all make Likee an excellent platform for ambitious content creators who want to move on from TikTok. Users do have one common complaint, however: Likee has a built-in time limitation that will disable users from liking videos for an hour or so after they scroll through a certain amount of content.
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Chingari
Chingari is a small Indian video-sharing app that quickly blew up to take TikTok’s place, and has grown to have an international audience as a result. It’s probably the simplest app on our list, but there’s a lot to be said for the platform’s minimalistic interface, which copies just enough of TikTok to make it seem familiar. Users can like and share videos, send each other messages, read news pieces, and even play uploaded games.
While the app remains focused on the subcontinent region, it does have an option for the English language. Perhaps more important, it also has a monetization scheme in place that can turn likes and views into money, a big unknown if the app continues to grow, but one that could make it highly competitive. Note that the app isn’t yet available for iOS.
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