There are a lot of other apps like Instagram nowadays as the social media race gets more and more crowded. From just iOS, Instagram has covered Android devices too and quickly became the best photo-sharing app in the world. But the moment Facebook acquired the app in 2012, many have started to have doubts about the future of the platform due to its new parent company’s tarnished public reputation, even with its current user base of over one billion people. Many have looked to Instagram alternatives like Tumblr, Twitter, or TikTok. Even with these three, though, there are tens of other choices to choose from, and we are here to help you sift through these choices. Each of these has its own specialties and advantages that make them better or worse than Instagram, which we will explain as we go through the best apps like Instagram you should use!
Related: Ultimate Instagram Guide: Stories and Features
Inside this Article
Best Apps Like Instagram
To help you figure out which of these photo-sharing platforms and social media apps like Instagram best suits you, we will explain the differences between the chosen app and Instagram, like how Twitter is more for short “Tweets” instead of photo sharing. We will also add which platforms these apps are available on, their subscription plans and prices (if available), as well as their recommended age rating for users. Without further ado, here’s our list of the best apps like Instagram you should use!
1. Tumblr
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Mature 17+
Price: Free with in-app purchases
The first app like Instagram is its 2000’s contemporary, Tumblr. Originally a microblogging site focused on text-based posts and uploads, Tumblr was one of the first services to allow multimedia uploading and embedding onto its platform. This feature allows users on the platform the free reign to use their creativity with their posts, ranging from simple photos to GIFs and long videos.
While Tumblr does give a lot of customization and freedom to its users, there are also a few drawbacks compared to Instagram. The first drawback is the comparative lack of two features, “Lives” and “Stories,” though it does make up for it with Tumblr’s versatility when sharing and creating content. Its second drawback might be its vast yet cluttered user base. Compared to Instagram, Tumblr has a lot of smaller cliques and groups specialized in their own content and topics. This may make it a bit harder for newcomers to get popular on the service without a prior following.
While it did suffer a significant drop in users due to a controversial content policy in 2018, Tumblr continues to be one of the stalwart pillars of the social media community, with more than 529 billion blogs hosted by the site. These numbers may only be boosted after Tumblr added the Post+ program for some beta users on July 21, 2021, which allows them to monetize their content.
If you want to get your first taste of using Tumblr but are not quite sure how it works, you might want to take a peek at our Tumblr app guide for beginners to get you up to speed.
Get Tumblr on the Apple App Store
Get Tumblr on the Google Play Store
2. Pinterest
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free
The second app like Instagram is Pinterest, a photo-focused social-media platform. Described by its founders as a “catalog of ideas” instead of a photo-based social network, Pinterest can be considered a “purer” form of Instagram. This is due to the platform’s original goals of letting users share their high-quality photos, work, and ideas instead of getting “Instagram famous” and social networking.
While Pinterest started as an “invite-only” platform, it has since opened up its membership, leaving behind its “request” and “invitation’ systems. Part of this change included the company’s shift into more of a “visual search engine” role where users are encouraged to explore and create their own niche with the platform. Compared to Instagram, Pinterest has “boards” that users “pin” their content onto. User posts are then shown to other people and appear in the in-app search engine curated by the company’s AI.
Pinterest does not have a gigantic user base; those that want a hassle-free way to show off their work can find refuge on it. If you want to learn more about how to use the Pinterest app, we have a quick beginner’s guide to Pinterest available.
Get Pinterest on the Apple App Store
Get Pinterest on the Google Play Store
3. Flickr
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Mature 17+
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Founded for photographers, videographers, and other visual media enthusiasts, Flickr is the platform for anyone serious about photography and videography. While other platforms on this list might also feature photo sharing and social interaction, what Flickr brings is a user base filled with professionals and amateurs in the visual media industry.
While it may not have as wide popularity as Instagram, Flickr has a lot of dedicated users to interact with. From professional photographers to amateur birdwatchers, Flickr’s community is a good place to showcase your visual media skills and talk about them with like-minded people.
Compared to Instagram, the focus of Flickr is the quality of your work and how the community supports each other in their shared hobbies and specialties. Those making the switch to Flickr will find it to be a comfortable place that offers not just advanced media storage (1TB for those paying the $8.49 monthly subscription) and media tagging, but a good way to connect, socialize and learn from people in the visual media industry.
Get Flickr on the Apple App Store
Get Flickr on the Google Play Store
4. Twitter
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Mature 17+
Price: Free
One of the big-shots of modern social media, Twitter has been the undisputed king of microblogging due to its ever-popular “Tweets.” A good app like Instagram, Twitter offers a lot of features like multimedia uploads, direct messaging, “likes and follows,” as well as a wide user base of over 330 million active users in 2019 alone.
While we do have a quick starter’s guide to Twitter that you can peruse to get a feel of the platform, we have to emphasize that Twitter’s focus is still on their 280 character limited Tweets instead of a photo or video sharing. Even with that, their features like Twitter Voice allow users a range of options when posting their content.
Twitter is a lot more versatile and diverse than Instagram, and those shifting to it may find its atmosphere a bit overwhelming as topics like politics and sports as well as personalities for and against them converge on the platform. Overall, if you want a larger audience for your photos and work and do not mind a few arguments here and there, Twitter is a good option for you.
Related: Mastodon Social Media Platform: A Twitter Killer?
Get Twitter on the Apple App Store
Get Twitter on the Google Play Store
5. TikTok
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Yet another big name in the social media industry, TikTok is one of the world’s most popular apps in the world with over 2 billion downloads in 2020. Our fifth choice for an app like Instagram, TikTok is a video-centric platform, in contrast to Instagram’s photo-centric one. To help with this, it has a lot of features to help users create the platform’s signature 15 seconds to 3-minute video clips. These features include filters, transitions, split-screen, and other effects that help make the perfect video clip.
While the shift to video creation instead of photography may be jarring for those shifting from Instagram to TikTok, the wider audience is a great boon to those wanting to find TikTok fame. Even with the shift to videos, TikTok has a lot of the same social interactions Instagram does with user messaging, content sharing, comments and hashtags, and follow and discover features.
Before you start migrating, though, you might first want to take a look at our complete guide on how to use TikTok to get a feel of the platform.
Get TikTok on the Apple App Store
Get TikTok on the Google Play Store
6. Snapchat
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Snapchat is our sixth choice for an app like Instagram. A bit closer to TikTok than Instagram, Snapchat also focuses more on having its users post quick and popular videos and photos onto their public stories and photo galleries.
Instagram users shifting to Snapchat would not have that big of a problem adjusting to the platform as a lot of the features are similar like Snapchat Stories and Snapchat Memories. While there is more of a focus on user-to-user “snaps,” Snapchat still lets its users post public multimedia posts and statuses. If you want to take the plunge into Snapchat, you should first take a peek at our Snapchat app guide before committing to the platform.
Get Snapchat on the Apple App Store
Get Snapchat on the Google Play Store
7. Facebook
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Instagram’s parent company, Facebook is also a good app like Instagram. While leaning more into the social media side of things, Facebook is one of the most versatile multimedia social networking platforms on earth. With a diverse user base of 2.8 billion users in 2020 alone, Facebook will have a fanbase for any and every niche you can think of — from pigeon racing to obscure underground bands.
Due to the “profiles” aspect of the platform, which relies on users sharing and interacting with your posts, you may find it harder to break into popularity. Regardless, once you’re on Facebook, its algorithms will find a way to keep you there.
Without going into Facebook’s (and its parent company Meta’s) recent image and reputation problems, Facebook continues to have a solid user base and a stable platform to host influencers and content creators on.
Related: Facebook App Review
Get Facebook on the Apple App Store
Get Facebook on the Google Play Store
8. We Heart It
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free with in-app purchases
“Create, heart, share” is We Heart It’s motto. A good app like Instagram, We Heart It also focuses on creating and sharing photos with its user base. One of the apps closer to Instagram in features and ideas, We Heart It has a similar app layout and features like its channel and user pages, curated galleries, and image and article search functions.
Other similarities include the built-in photo editor, the user-to-user message feature, and the hearts and save features. There is not a lot to tell about this app when it comes to its differences with Instagram except that its small community is quite passionate about the influencers and personalities on the platform.
Get We Heart It on the Apple App Store
Get We Heart It on the Google Play Store
9. Muzy
Platform: iOS
Age Rating: Everyone
Price: Free
The first iOS-exclusive app on this list, Muzy is what we would like to describe as “Instagram Lite.” While it does have a powerful photo editor, collage feature, and social media aspect, most use it as a companion photo editor to Instagram instead of a replacement for it.
While it may be used that way, for those who want a laid-back version of Instagram, Muzy might just be the photo-sharing app for you. This is due to Muzy’s photo uploading and sharing features that allow friended users on Muzy to browse and view each other’s works. A feature that is perfect for those who want to cater only to a small and close audience.
Get Muzy on the Apple App Store
10. Yummi
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Teen
Price: Free
Have you ever thought of an app like Instagram but just for food? Well, Yummi is exactly that. While Instagram does have food bloggers and influencers, Yummi markets itself as a “Restaurant & Food Diary,” and its users mostly use it like that. A regular Yummi user would post their chosen food and experiences from restaurants onto the app, which then geotags it and adds it to the system.
Yummi lets its users see other people’s public posts on their experiences with restaurants, food carts, and other delicious locales. While those switching to Yummi from Instagram might find it odd that it’s all just food, your stomach would start to love the app as you browse through it.
Get Yummi on the Apple App Store
Get Yummi on the Google Play Store
11. Dribbble
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Everyone
Price: Free
Dribbble is an app with the same ideas as Flickr and works as an app like Instagram. Compared to the two, though, Dribbble is meant as a platform for self-promotion and social networking with other digital designers and creative artists.
Due to the way Dribbble encourages its users to use the platform as a way to create their online design portfolio, the website also doubles as a professional job and recruiting site for companies and brands. The networking feature, meanwhile, allows Dribbble users to catch up and interact with others in the same field. Overall, if you lean more into the professional side of creative media, Dribbble might be the app for you.
Get Dribbble on the Google Play Store
12. Imgur
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Everyone 12+
Price: Free
Aiming to make itself the “YouTube of images,” Imgur was originally an image hosting and sharing website. Expanding into an image-based social media site, Imgur is a lot like a laid-back and comedic version of Instagram. Filled more with memes, cat pictures, GIFs, and other funny pictures, you can consider Imgur as Instagram’s funnier, less serious younger brother.
While there is a focus on funny and amusing content, Imgur does host a sizable following of hobbyists and professionals who showcase their work on the platform. While Imgur is a good photo-sharing app like Instagram, others also use it as a meme generator app.
Get Imgur on the Apple App Store
Get Imgur on the Google Play Store
13. Cluster
Platform: iOS and Android
Age Rating: Everyone
Price: Free
A good example of a photo-sharing app, Cluster is relatively younger than most of the apps on this list. It is best described as a combination of Instagram and Facebook due to the mix of features it has. These features include private group “spaces” and increased account privacy and security.
Compared to Instagram, Cluster is meant more as a platform to trade and share photos with family and friends instead of an app with a “following.” Those that need a good place to have a cloud photo gallery would find Cluster a good app to use.
Get Cluster on the Apple App Store
Get Cluster on the Google Play Store
14. Unsplash
Platform: iOS
Age Rating: Everyone
Price: Free
A bit of an odd choice as our last app like Instagram, Unsplash is well known as an image-sharing platform. Most people know Unsplash as a good place to get royalty-free stock images for any occasion. Users on the platform are free to create and post pictures and works that they want the world to use for free. With over 2.5 million images and counting, photographers and other content creators are proudly part of Unsplash’s community that serves the public.
While images on the platform were licensed with a Creative Commons Zero license, they are now covered by a stricter Unsplash license. This modification and the Getty Images buyout do not change Unsplash’s platform’s ideals of giving out free stock images to users.
Get Unsplash on the Apple App Store
Takeaway
There are a lot of other apps like Instagram, whether they have social media integration or without it. For us, though, these are the best alternative Instagram apps available on smartphones right now. Before you start taking your next photo, you might want to take a look at our suggestions for the best camera phones for 2022 or the best microSD cards for cameras and phones.
