In recent years, Snapchat and Instagram have emerged as two of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger users. Both apps allow users to take and share photos and videos, with the key difference being that Snapchat media is designed to disappear after being viewed. This has led some to conclude that Snapchat is more fun and authentic, while Instagram is more about presenting an idealized life. But which app is ultimately better? Let’s take a deeper look at how they compare.
Popularity
While both Snapchat and Instagram have huge user bases, Instagram is significantly larger and more widely used. As of 2022, Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users, making it one of the top 5 largest social platforms globally. Snapchat has around 330 million daily active users, which is still very substantial, but nowhere near Instagram’s reach.
Part of this disparity is that Instagram benefits from being owned by Facebook and having greater resources behind it. Snapchat has taken a slower, more deliberate growth approach focused on younger demographics. But Instagram has clearly become the mainstream choice, whereas Snapchat retains more of a niche, youthful vibe.
Outside of just user numbers, Instagram has much higher global brand recognition and awareness. According to surveys, over 90% of people aged 13 to 34 are familiar with Instagram, compared to around 75% for Snapchat. Instagram is practically ubiquitous, whereas Snapchat has a more limited, Gen Z-skewed audience.
In terms of popularity and overall reach, Instagram is the clear winner here.
Daily Active Users:
| Snapchat | 330 million |
| Over 1 billion |
Global Brand Recognition (Ages 13-34):
| Snapchat | Around 75% |
| Over 90% |
Features
Both apps offer a variety of features for sharing photos and videos. Snapchat pioneered ephemeral messaging, where media disappears from the receiver’s inbox after being opened. This makes communication feel lighter and more casual. Instagram adopted disappearing messages in the form of Stories, but permanent posting remains the focus.
Snapchat popularized fun effects like face filters and geofilters. Instagram has replicated many of these features within Stories as well. Snapchat also has a TikTok-like section called Spotlight where users can share short-form vertical videos.
Instagram has more capabilities around photo editing and filters, with more ways to customize and stylize your content. IG also supports longer-form video including IGTV. And it offers broader profile customization with highlights and linked accounts.
For pure messaging, Snapchat is better optimized with chat front-and-center. Instagram focuses more on the feed, explore, reels and shopping.
Overall, while there is heavy feature overlap, Instagram feels more fully-featured as a platform while Snapchat offers tighter messaging and effects.
Notable Features:
| Snapchat | – Ephemeral messaging – Lenses/filters – Spotlight video feed – Bitmoji avatars |
| – Stories – Filters & editing – IGTV long videos – Reels short videos – Vast feed content – Shopping capabilities |
User Experience
Both apps offer slick, user-friendly interfaces tailored for mobile use. Snapchat originally focused solely on mobile with a smartphone-native UI. Instagram began as a more traditional platform before adapting to be mobile-first.
Snapchat’s core interface rotates around the camera for taking snaps. The app opens directly to the camera with options to message friends or view content feeds just a tap away. Everything is focused on quick photo sharing.
Instagram also makes it easy to take pics, but the main interface is scrolling through the feed. There’s more content variety with the algorithmic feed of posts, reels, stories and ads. The explore page offers additional content discovery.
Snapchat conversations feel more personal, with communication centered on images that disappear after being opened. Instagram chat tends to be secondary to feed-based engagement.
Overall, Snapchat offers a more intimate, in-the-moment messaging experience while Instagram provides diverse, polished content for passive consumption.
User Experience Comparison:
| Snapchat | – Camera-oriented – Ephemeral messaging – Tight-knit friend communication |
| – Feed-focused – Algorithmic content – Broad engagement |
Demographics
There are clear demographic differences between the two apps. Snapchat has a very youthful user base, with roughly 90% of users under the age of 35. The majority of users are 18-24. Instagram has greater age diversity, with around 40% of users over 35. But it still over-indexes toward younger audiences under 25 compared to the general population.
In terms of gender breakdown, both apps are more popular among women. Approximately 70% of Snapchatters are female, with Instagram at roughly 65% women.
Geographically, Snapchat and Instagram have adopted most strongly with users in North America and Europe. A significant majority of users come from these western regions for both platforms.
Ultimately, while their demographics overlap, Snapchat resonates more with teenagers and college students, while Instagram has broader age appeal especially among millennials and Gen Xers.
Key Demographic Differences:
| Snapchat | – Over 90% under 35 – Peak age 18-24 – 70% female users |
| – Around 40% over 35 – More even age distribution – 65% female users |
Pricing and Plans
Snapchat and Instagram take differing approaches when it comes to pricing and account tiers. Snapchat is free for all users, and everyone has the same core functionality. They don’t offer any premium subscription plans.
Instagram also has a free model that provides full access to the app’s core features. But they additionally offer Instagram Professional Accounts as paid upgrades for businesses and creators. These add more analytics and advertising capabilities.
Here is a breakdown of the pricing for each:
Snapchat
- Free – Base Snapchat account
- Free – Standard Instagram account
- $9.99/month – Professional account
- $119.99/year – Professional account annual plan (savings equivalent to ~2 months free)
So Instagram caters more to professional and business usage through their paid tools, while Snapchat is currently all consumer-focused and free.
Advertising
Advertising and monetization are key priorities for both Snapchat and Instagram parent companies. These services drive revenue through advertising in different ways.
Snapchat Ads appear between friend Stories as vertical, full-screen video units. Advertisers can also sponsor custom AR Lenses and Filters for user-generated content. Snapchat caters their ad platform to mobile video ads that grab attention.
Instagram has more ad formats and placement options available to marketers. Instagram Ads include photo and video options and can be displayed in the feed, stories, Reels or as standalone units. Advertisers can target based on extensive data from the Facebook ad ecosystem.
In terms of revenues, Instagram is the runaway leader, benefitting from Meta’s ad tech infrastructure. eMarketer estimated Instagram generated over $13 billion in US ad revenue in 2022 compared to $3.9 billion for Snapchat.
But Snapchat offers a more distinct, video-forward ad environment with an engaged, young audience not always reachable on Instagram.
Key Advertising Differences:
| Snapchat | – Vertical video ads – AR sponsored lenses/filters – Limited targeting |
| – Multiple ad formats – Advanced targeting – Highly monetized |
Privacy and Safety
With any social platform, user privacy and safety are critical concerns. Both Snapchat and Instagram have been working to improve protections, especially for younger users. However, challenges remain.
A core Snapchat value proposition is the ephemerality of content and messages. By default, there’s an expectation Snaps will disappear after viewing. This promotes users sharing more openly. But risks remain due to screenshotting and third-party apps that can covertly save Snaps.
Instagram provides more permanence, which presents different issues. Teen users in particular report struggles with the pressures of maintaining a perfect Instagram feed and the competitive social environment.
Both platforms allow for some user reporting and blocking of inappropriate content or harassment. But issues like bullying and harmful social comparison are inherent challenges with these apps, especially for the many teen users.
Snapchat and Instagram are now working to enhance safeguards for younger audiences. This includes default private accounts for teens, content moderation, well-being features, and parental supervision tools. But further progress will be needed as social media’s impact on mental health remains a major concern.
Key Privacy & Safety Considerations:
| Snapchat | – Content not truly ephemeral – Potential for harassment |
| – Pressures of permanent content – Social comparison issues |
Conclusion
In summary, while Snapchat pioneered ephemeral communication, Instagram has emerged as the more mainstream social app with greater flexibility, features and reach. But with its tight-knit, intimate feel and appeal among teens and young adults, Snapchat continues to occupy a valuable niche.
For younger users especially, Snapchat can provide a safer space for candid connection and belonging with close friends. Instagram serves a broader platform for self-expression and community engagement through both temporary and permanent content.
Each app brings differentiated strengths to the table. Snapchat offers authentic, close connections, while Instagram provides diverse content and broader scope. The two services can complement each other for those seeking both intimate and expansive social experiences.
In terms of being better outright, Instagram has advantages in scale, resources, revenue and demographic reach. But Snapchat’s distinctly youthful vibe continues to resonate and fill an important role in social media. The apps are on converging paths in many respects, but the differences that remain give each value in serving varied audiences and social needs.