Instagram vs Snapchat is the fiercest showdown among all social media networks. Both sites are loved by Generation Z and swiftly expanding. Many brands and content creators are leveraging these channels to earn fame and money. It is hard to choose one of these platforms.
Seeing this cutthroat competition, we decided to create a piece revolving around a comparison between Snapchat and Instagram. We have also examined various resources to demonstrate the final winner of this battle by curating information from several resources.
Without further ado, let's start comparing these two platforms:
Differences between Snapchat and Instagram
User Base
Instagram features a wide audience with over 1.28 billion monthly active users while only 464.8 million people actively use Snapchat every month. The reason for the vast audience of Instagram may be that it is a relatively older social channel than Snapchat. So, Instagram is the clear winner if we talk about the user base.
Type of Content
Snapchat offers snaps and stories while its rival Instagram is known for images, stories, text posts, reels and videos. Snapchat’s content is unadulterated and raw while IG’s content is high-res, carefully-picked and refined which makes it a better option for brands and influencers. Here choosing a winner is hard as both have their priorities.
Filters
Snapchat provides numerous filters to its consumers and its primary feature is image filters. But Instagram seems to give filters similar to its archetype to its consumers.
As Snapchat still supplies more variety in filters than Instagram we can declare Snapchat as the victor in this competition for better filters.
Analytics
Instagram’s insights feature lets users see their total engagement on their content and followers. Snapchat on the contrary, offers Snapchat insights to only chosen businesses and influencers.
Plus, Instagram offers free analytics tools while Snapchat doesn't offer them and users need to buy a paid tool to see Snapchat analytics.
Ads
As far as adverts are concerned, both Instagram and its competitor feature sturdy ad managers targeting stories, feed posts and boost posts ads on IG and targeting snap ads, geo-filters and lenses on Snapchat.
Influencer marketing hub says Instagram charges 2 dollars per click for adding whale Snapchat commands 2.95 dollars for one impression on an average. So, if you have less capital, you should advertise your product on Instagram which makes it a winner in terms of ads in this war.
But other elements play a role in terms of advertisement such as your target customers, location and more.
Discoverability
Snapchat is more private than IG as people share very little information on their Snapchat accounts. Instagram furnishes the public profile option to people which helps them increase their reach and transparency. Snapchat shows other content such as snaps to your friends and followers. Therefore, Instagram has an edge when it comes to discoverability.
Stories
Both Snapchat and Instagram make stories disappear after 24 hours pass. But the major difference between the stories on these two platforms is the alert and notification only Snapchat sends to a user if someone takes a screenshot of their story. Instagram doesn't send any such notifications when a user takes a screenshot of your stories. Therefore, Instagram is the winner in terms of stories.
Related: Top 7 Snapchat Alternatives
Snapchat or Instagram: What Should You Opt For?
The simple answer is Instagram. It is surely the ideal network for businesses, brands and content creators. Instagram accounts can be easily accessed given the number of active users and their following.
If a user wants their Snapchat account to thrive, they may select the “My Public Profile” feature to boost their account’s outreach. DemandSage says that Snapchat’s active users are increasing drastically where the MAU (monthly active users) count by 2021 was 428.4 million which has climbed to 464.8 million in 2022.
So, for all the people wondering why is Instagram better than Snapchat, here is the answer. Instagram’s monthly active users are growing substantially with the number being 1.21 billion in 2021 to more than 1.28 billion in 2022. As Instagram has more active users, it can provide your account more reach and your content more engagement. And it is the reason we are calling it a better platform than its competitor Snapchat.
The popularity of Instagram is increasing among the common people which is also shown in Google Trends. If you look at the comparison of the search interest of the public in these two platforms, you will find that Instagram wins for most countries.
Check: Snapchat vs Telegram
Conclusion
Instagram and Snapchat have tough competition when we compare them for different aspects including audience, type of content, discoverability, analytics, filters, stories and ads. Snapchat wins in some aspects, but the overall winner in our opinion is Instagram due to its wider user base resulting in more outreach.
