TikTok vs Instagram Reels: Which is more popular?

TikTok is a video-creating app that provides humorous, engaging and educational videos in many genres and themes made by people of different age-groups. One can also add interesting features like filters, soundtracks, and effects to make the video look more polished. 

Instagram Reels on the other hand is not a separate app on the Play Store but a recently launched feature of Instagram. It is often compared to TikTok because they have a number of similar characteristics. As compared to tiktok it is yet to be established as a full-fledged video making platform. There are many tools that are not available on Reels. 

Even though it is a relatively new feature, Instagram Reels has created a larger audience than TikTok did in a much shorter time. This can be due to the fact that it is a part of an already established app, i.e., Instagram. The average views of TikTok come to a total of 1.19 million whereas that of Instagram Reels come to a whopping 1.2 million. Even by calculating views per follower Instagram Reels seem to be taking the lead at 144% view rate while TikTok only has 24%. 

The most basic difference is that TikTok videos can be recorded up to a minute and Instagram Reels have a limit of 30 seconds only. There is a possibility that the time for reels would me more in the near future as it is a new feature. Although it is a minute difference and does not damage the quality in any way, it was what caught the attention of users. This seemingly harmless shortage of 30 seconds can make a huge difference based on the kind of content you want to offer. 

At the moment there are many business accounts that do not have access to the music option on Reels. This is becoming a barrier for many people who want to connect with their followers using Reels. In order for them to use this feature they need to add audio separately and edit it into the reel that they are making. Instagram has not responded to any questions or queries related to this and does not make any promises about making it available in the future. So it is only natural that people take to TikTok for creating videos as it has a plethora of audio options from which to choose. For a platform that is all about communicating with videos TikTok seems to be a preferred choice owing to its availability of audio.

TikTok is very famous for its wide range of filters, effects and other video-related features, Even the filters are segregated according to their popularity and themes. Reels do not have as many options, the filters can only be selected in one way and the audio source is also limited. 

If we take the core of both these platforms to compare then it is seen that TikTok is more focused on content and Reels is more about the network. To put it in simple words, if you are watching Reels on Instagram then you will be suggested more videos based on the people that you already follow and the connections you have. On TikTok you will get videos from a variety of different people across the platform and your suggestions would be based on the kind of videos and content that you are interested in. In short, TikTok follows your interest while Instagram focuses on the people you follow. 

It is also seen that the audience is more engaging on TikTok than Instagram Reels. The same video posted on both these platforms receives more shares, comments and gains more views on TikTok than Reels. Even the number of comments is strikingly high on TikTok. The people are more interactive and responsive to the videos uploaded on TikTok. 

In order to get more views on Reels people are now buying Instagram views by investing money. This is to attract more audience and improve the reach. Many a times the algorithm does not favour the creators and this puts them in a situation where they feel the need to buy their popularity. 

To get popular on TikTok you just need to post the best kind of content that will be enjoyed by your followers and be consistent enough with it. A regular flow of videos with a similar theme that is attractive in nature is the formula to succeed as a TikTok creator. 

Instagram came up with branded hashtags for Reels so that it is easier for brands to share their content. TikTok is also doing its part to keep up with this by partnering with brands like Shopify and making it simpler for its merchants to reach the audience on TikTok to boost sales. 

The demographic is another parameter that sets these two platforms apart. Instagram wishes to deliver a more visually appealing feed, the target is to make your content look aesthetic. On TikTok, this is not the case. The users do not give importance to the appearance factor, it is more content oriented and has more scope to reach Gen Z. 

In conclusion, it is evident that both TikTok and Reels have their own share of pros and cons, each have their similarities and uniqueness. You can choose what works best for you based on these factors to have an impactful presence on either of them.