16 Instagram alternatives for photos, videos, and more

Whether or not it’s the fixed shift towards Reels content material, Meta’s shaky historical past with information safety, or simply the will for one thing new, tens of millions of individuals world wide are turning to Instagram alternate options for his or her social repair. A few of these apps try to repeat the photo-feed-only Instagram of previous, and others supply options above and past what’s accessible on Instagram.

That will help you choose the best app for you, we’ve examined and chosen one of the best Instagram alternate options for photographers, video sharing, social interactions, and extra. All of them can be found on Android, iOS, and the net, however some are extra suited to cell and others to a mouse and keyboard.

First up is without doubt one of the oldest Instagram alternate options and one which pares again the thought of a photo-sharing app to its core. In truth, it’s extra of a digital camera app than a real social media platform. It has a lot of picture filters and video modifying capabilities (a few of that are free and a few of that are paid), and images may be posted to your profile with hashtags, very similar to Instagram.

The place it differs is that there’s little or no interplay with different customers. Individuals can view and favourite posts, however there are not any likes or feedback. Metrics are hidden, so it by no means turns into a sport of making an attempt to get extra likes or subscribers. For a lot of Instagram addicts, that’s an enormous plus.

Flickr is usually thought of extra of a Google Pictures different, and many individuals use it to only dump images for backup. Nonetheless, it makes use of a tag function (much like hashtags on Instagram) that makes it straightforward to search out different individuals’s work. There are additionally teams of like-minded photographers, the place you’ll be able to put up your individual images to obtain suggestions.

In the end although Flickr isn’t as dynamic as Instagram, particularly on cell. There aren’t many non-photographer customers, so don’t count on to construct an enormous following or achieve a lot publicity. Nonetheless, it’s free to add your first 1000 images, and also you don’t want a paid account to view different individuals’s work.

Glass is a paid-only different to Instagram, which is able to instantly flip off nearly all of potential customers. It prices both $5 a month or $30 a 12 months. Because of this, it’s residence to solely skilled photographers trying to showcase their portfolios. That interprets into much less content material, however higher content material. The subscription mannequin additionally means the corporate isn’t doing something unseemly along with your information, which may’t be mentioned for just about another social media platform.

At launch Glass was iOS-exclusive, but it surely has added Android and net help previously few years. The app itself is easy and simple to make use of, however way more barebones than Instagram. Pictures may be organized by tags, however there’s no search function for discoverability. You’ll be able to comply with and touch upon images, however there aren’t many options past that.

Like Glass, Vero is one other platform that’s making an attempt to relive the glory days of Instagram, earlier than the algorithm hijacked your feed. Nonetheless, it takes this idea past simply images with a feed that options suggestions for motion pictures, music, books, locations, and extra, all from individuals you want and belief. Clearly, you too can suggest issues to your individual viewers, and select who sees what you put up. All of this promotes engagement in a approach that feels extra natural than most different social media platforms, particularly because it’s principally nonetheless early adopters.

Vero nonetheless has a comparatively small userbase, however the app itself is attractive. It doesn’t present any advertisements, and as an alternative monetizes by promoting merchandise straight from the app. Like a track you hear? You should buy it with out leaving the app. Vero will get a reduce of the sale, and the app stays free to make use of. Granted, the founders have mentioned that it gained’t stay free endlessly, so join free whilst you nonetheless can.

Pixelfed is a very decentralized and open-source Instagram different, which means that none of your images or information are saved on a central server. It’s constructed on the ActivityPub protocol, which makes use of a federated server-to-server API for delivering content material. Different social media platforms, resembling Mastodon (additional down within the checklist), additionally use this strategy, and the thought is to create a safer, extra non-public approach to take pleasure in social media.

With all that tech discuss out of the best way, on the finish of the day Pixelfed is a reasonably barebones Instagram clone with a really restricted userbase. The official cell apps for iOS and Android are nonetheless in beta, however there are a selection of third-party apps to check out, as nicely.

For artists and photographers who’re fed up with Instagram’s push into Reels video content material, Behance is a superb different. The Adobe-owned platform works like a portfolio for all your inventive work, but in addition integrates social media options like following, messaging, Tales, and likes. You’ll be able to consider it as a extra visible LinkedIn for artists as an alternative of enterprise folks.

Behance has a couple of different distinctive options, like dwell streaming and tutorials, however a few of them require cost. Fortunately, all customers are capable of add as a lot content material as they need totally free, and the choices to add are way more fleshed out than they’re on Instagram. There’s loads of area to jot down descriptions of the work, plus you’ll be able to add many images to a single put up.

DeviantArt is one other portfolio-style Instagram different, however the group is way more centered on digital illustration, sport artwork, comics, manga, anime, cosplay, and varied different nerdy pastimes. If any of these are your jam, you’ll discover a whole lot of nice communities to hitch on DeviantArt.

Aside from the communities, the social side of DeviantArt is considerably restricted. You’ll be able to, after all, comply with individuals and there’s an exercise feed, however one of the simplest ways to work together with others is to hitch a group. It’s additionally value noting that the positioning permits “suave” nudity (though you’ll be able to activate a mature content material filter), so take care with minors.

For skilled photographers, 500px is value trying out. Once more, it’s extra of a portfolio website than a real social media platform, however the restricted interactions are with different critical photographers, so that you gained’t need to scroll previous any selfies or duck lips. The positioning additionally has a novel algorithm that makes an attempt to inject contemporary content material into your feed, rising discoverability.

That mentioned, if you’re knowledgeable photographer on the lookout for work, there aren’t many non-photographers on the platform. It additionally tends to take itself fairly significantly, which is perhaps a disadvantage for informal customers.

Pinterest is an fascinating different to Instagram in that they’re each visible platforms, however they work in very other ways. Slightly than posting your individual private images, it’s extra about amassing different photographs (referred to as “pins”) from different customers and types, then organizing them into “boards.” It’s a implausible place for those who’re on the lookout for inspiration for DIY initiatives, infographics, tutorials, and extra.

There are a couple of social components, however Pinterest is extra about curating your individual boards than interacting with different customers. Relying on what you’re at the moment utilizing Instagram for, that may very well be a bonus or a drawback.

If you happen to haven’t heard of TikTok, you have to have been residing underneath a rock for the previous 5 years. It’s the most important video-sharing app on this planet, with billions of customers across the globe. Though it’s not too long ago been the topic of home committee investigations and faces a possible ban within the US, it’s utilized by a whopping 150 million People.

For anybody who likes the newer Reels-first algorithm, TikTok is a simple Instagram different to suggest. The app does a superb job offering a relentless stream of fascinating, related content material on the For You web page, however you’ll be able to nonetheless comply with particular person customers or hashtags to see particular content material. TikTok hashtags have additionally created some actually cool area of interest communities like BookTok, CleanTok, TechTok, or my private favourite, RugTok.

BeReal emerged as a significant video-based TikTok competitor not too long ago, specializing in authenticity. As a substitute of importing a closely edited and curated video to your feed, it encourages you to add a random two-minute second of your day. If you happen to principally use Instagram to communicate with pals, it is a nice different to attempt.

Nonetheless, it’s not an amazing different for anybody who likes following and interacting with manufacturers. Additionally, you might discover that the majority moments in your folks’ lives are exceptionally mundane. That’s form of the entire level of BeReal, though it doesn’t all the time make for probably the most entertaining content material.

As soon as upon a time, Snapchat actually shook up the social media scene with distinctive options like Tales, foolish filters, and disappearing messages. If these sound acquainted, it’s as a result of Instagram promptly co-opted them for its personal platform, bringing them to the plenty. Now that Instagram has moved on to copying TikTok-style video content material with Reels, Snapchat is a superb Instagram different for anybody on the lookout for the OG expertise.

The primary attracts listed here are messages and tales that disappear after a sure period of time (though some content material is everlasting). The app is wildly in style amongst youthful customers, so older Instagram lovers may really feel a bit misplaced. Nonetheless, the platform remains to be pushing new, modern options a lot quicker than its opponents. For instance, it has a few of the greatest AR filters accessible in the marketplace, and it simply added a ChatGPT-powered AI chatbot.

Twitter is one other very well-known social media app, though it’s extra centered on microblogging than picture or video sharing. Nonetheless, it may be an amazing Instagram different for information junkies, because it’s crammed with information organizations, celebrities, and journalists everywhere in the world. The quick and candy nature of Twitter messages (referred to as Tweets) makes them straightforward to eat on the go.

With Twitter seemingly circling the drain, a lot of Twitter alternate options have risen in recognition. Chief amongst them is Mastodon, which is similar to Twitter in idea (Tweets are referred to as Toots), however with a couple of crucial distinctions. To start with, it’s open-source and decentralized, which means anybody can create a server. It’s also possible to be a part of a server, and every one has totally different moderation requirements. The feed can be fully chronological, so that you don’t have to fret about any platform or algorithm deciding what you see.

In the end although, Mastodon is loads tougher to get into than Twitter or Instagram. We’ve put collectively a information to getting began with Mastodon, but it surely’s as much as you to persuade your folks, household, and anybody else you wish to work together with to hitch the identical server.

Tumblr is one other microblogging website, however in a way more literal sense than Twitter or Mastodon. It consists of tens of millions of “blogs,” every a little bit self-contained hub of content material. It’s way more visible than Twitter, however not fairly as video-heavy as Instagram. It additionally has its personal quirks, like utilizing tags not simply as a way of organizing content material, but in addition as a way of expression. For instance: “#you gained’t see that on instagram”.

The platform is usually generally known as a haven for the LGBTQ+ group, in addition to a preferred place to put up fanfiction. Nonetheless, everybody from NASA to Taylor Swift is on there, too, and the microblogging format helps way more fascinating and long-form content material than Instagram.

Reddit is the preferred discussion board on this planet, however for those who prefer to share images it will possibly function a succesful Instagram different. If you happen to’ve by no means used Reddit, you need to know that it’s organized very in a different way from Instagram, with “subreddits” for particular subjects. There, you’ll be able to share images, movies, textual content, ask questions, and extra. Like Instagram, you’re greater than welcome to put up authentic content material or simply eat, upvote (like), and touch upon different individuals’s posts. That mentioned, it feels extra nameless than Instagram, so don’t count on to construct shut connections with different customers.

There are a couple of normal pictures subreddits like r/pics, r/itookapicture, and r/pictures, however the true worth right here is in additional area of interest communities crammed with like-minded customers. There are actually 1000’s of those, so that you’ll don’t have any drawback discovering the best choices for you. To offer you an thought, there’s r/analog, r/streephotography, r/wildlifephotography, r/pixelart, r/cosplay, and 1000’s extra. We’ve linked the official apps under, however there are many third-party Reddit apps on the market, too.