7 Best Instagram-like Apps
Instagram is one of the most popular social networks in the world and definitely the most used photo sharing & editing mobile application. According to Statista, it has 1 billion monthly active users which practically means that every seventh person on Earth downloaded this app. The figure sounds even more impressive if we consider the fact that Instagram was created less than 10 years ago and its Android version was released only in 2012.
Yet, although Instagram maintains market leadership, there are also many alternatives that offer similar functionality. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most interesting Instagram-like apps. So if you’re a startupper thinking about developing your own photo sharing social media or just a mobile app enthusiast looking for something new to try out, jump right in the list below.
Who's the owner of instagram?
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, Inc. since 2012.
TOP Apps similar to Instagram
- Retrica
- Hipstamatic
- Flickr
- Vigo Video
- Tumblr
- Snapchat
- Imgur
Retrica
Retrica is an Instagram-like app for Android and iOS platforms. It’s focused mainly on selfies, but you may notice that Retrica resembles Instagram in many aspects and works well with regular (i.e. back camera) photos as well. Like Instagram, it also allows its users to share their photos and videos to friends and community, send private messages, and follow other people. On top of this, Retrica has some awesome functions Instagram lacks. For instance, with this application, you can apply filters to photos made with a front camera before you actually take a shot. Retrica also lets its users make GIFs from collages and videos. So if you’re seeking for the closest alternative to Instagram, this app would be the best option for you.
Hipstamatic
Hipstamatic is another app similar to Instagram, but it’s not free and available only for iPhones. Just like Retrica, Hipstamatic lets its users apply filters to a photo before or after taking it. The application has a large suite for creating vintage pictures which is its distinctive feature. Even the interface of Hipstamatic looks like the classic camera, so you may get a truly realistic feeling of shooting in an old-school way. For this reason, this app is a great choice for creative people who want to join a retro trend. Although Hipstamatic doesn’t work as a social network, edited photos can be shared via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr.
Flickr
Flickr is probably one of the oldest Instagram alternatives. It was created in 2004 (i.e. six years before Instagram came into our lives) and operated only as a web photo and video hosting service for the first nine years of its existence. Now its mobile version is available for iPhone and Android owners and Flickr’s audience constitutes more than 90 million monthly users.
- Great platform for photography enthusiasts
- Provide professional photo editing tools
- Some functions are limited on Mac systems
- Monthly limit on usable storage for free users
With this app, you can upload the photos from your camera roll to the cloud, edit them by cropping and adding filters, as well as share selected images with the community. As you may see, the app is very similar to Instagram but it also has some additional features. For instance, Flickr is great for organizing the photos since it allows users to create albums. It also works better than Instagram for different sizes and dimensions. All in all, Flickr is one of the best social media apps like Instagram, so we recommend checking it out.
Vigo Video
Vigo Video (also known as Flipagram) is an Instagram-type app that was created specifically for digital storytelling. It allows its users to craft short fun videos by applying different filters and adding music, stickers and other effects.
On top of this, Vigo Video is a social media, so you can also share your videos and interact with other people with the help of this app. It’s a really awesome product to try out for everyone who is fond of Instagram stories but not so into taking photos.
Tumblr
Although Tumblr is an app similar to Instagram, it’s not limited just to visual content. Unlike Instagram, Tumblr also lets Android and iOS users post text and audio, as well as share links to other websites or other users’ content, so it looks more like a blogging platform. Since this app is not focused solely on images, it doesn’t have any photo editing capabilities. Yet, as of the end of 2018, Tumblr had about 441.4 million accounts with most of its users being teenagers and young adults. So it’s the best place for those who want to reach the millennials.
Snapchat
Snapchat is another popular app like Instagram that is available for iOS and Android devices. It has about 188 million daily active users who create around 3 billion snaps daily. Like Instagram stories, photos and videos shared via Snapchat are temporary. They are automatically deleted after all recipients view them, or if added to a story, after 24 hours. Snapchat users can also create group stories or contribute their snaps to someone else’s story if they are located in a specific place. In addition, the app has many fun filters and lenses, chat, as well as a bunch of other functions. Some users even believe that there are too many of them, but we think it’s just a matter of taste.
Imgur
Like Instagram, Imgur is an image sharing platform. However, its focus is more on discovering fun content than on sharing personal photos and videos.
Imgur users can post pictures, GIFs, videos and other entertaining things, but the goal is usually to share it with the whole community rather than with a limited number of friends and followers. So while Instagram and Imgur have similar functionality, their audiences are completely different.
Conclusion
As you may see, the market is indeed saturated with apps similar to Instagram. But does this mean that there is no room for new picture posting and media sharing applications? Of course, no. The success of apps like Instagram just shows us that mobile users love taking beautiful photos and share them with friends and other people. So if you have an awesome idea of an app that you believe will be even better than Instagram, go ahead. Believe it or not, but there are good chances you may become a creator of the new number-one photo sharing application in the world.
