Short-form video alternatives to TikTok

TikTok alternatives

The fate of TikTok is critical for all users who rely on it to make a living through content monetization and connecting with other content creators. Larger businesses and multinational corporations that have flocked to TikTok will be affected as well. For this reason, many users have flocked to similar platforms to preserve their online presence and lessen their dependence on the app.

For those in search of a TikTok alternative with similar functionality, there are plenty of alternative apps to choose from. Some are also commonly used in conjunction with TikTok for video editing or other unique features. But the market continues to evolve. Flip, a short-form video creation app that was once seen as a prime competitor to TikTok, abruptly closed shop in August 2025. Since its launch in 2021, Flip attracted almost 17 million users and 5 million content creators and was valued at $1 billion.

Nevertheless, there are still plenty of short-form video apps available. Here are some TikTok alternatives on the market right now.

Clapper

Clapper is a TikTok-like platform launched in 2020 that aims for unfiltered, authentic content designed to promote communities and the individuals within them. Clapper is free to use and does not have advertisements at the time of this writing. Users can post short-form video content with some built-in video editing tools or use the Duet feature to livestream with each other. Clapper also offers an audio-only radio feature that lets up to 20 users broadcast to an audience of up to 2,000.

Fanbase

Fanbase is a social network that uses a subscription model. Users can post free or paid exclusive content, which is only available to a user's subscribers at a price set by the user. Users can post short- or long-form videos, images, stories livestreams and audio content. Fanbase also has a feature called Flickz that lets users discover new content and a feed for content that comes only from the creators the user follows. Fanbase is an ad-free platform.

Funimate

Funimate is a short-form video creation and editing app. It has a video editor with filters and effects -- such as transitions, overlays and key frames. It also has several built-in video templates to choose from and a music library. Funimate has free and paid options. The free version of the application carries a watermark on videos. Users can share their videos or other content in the Funimate community or on other social media apps such as Instagram or TikTok.

Instagram Reels

Instagram has a feature called Reels that lets users record and edit videos or video montages up to 90 seconds. The feature has augmented reality effects and a library of soundtrack options. Users can edit videos in the app and add sounds. Like many TikTok alternatives, Reels can repost TikTok videos. Instagram has a huge user base of more than one billion users, which appeals to creators looking to attract a large following. Instagram is free to download and use.

Lemon8

Lemon8 is often portrayed as an alternative to Instagram, but since both have short-form video features, it can also be compared to TikTok. One Lemon8 feature allows users to share short videos focusing on wellness, travel and beauty. It's also similar to Pinterest because it focuses on curated lifestyle photos. The app has editing capabilities with many templates, filters, fonts, special effects and stickers, as well as templates that relate to trending topics. The app is free to download, but because Lemon8 is from TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, it's also potentially subject to a U.S. ban.

Likee

Like TikTok, Likee is a popular global social networking platform for creating and sharing short-form videos. It has video shooting and editing tools with visual effects, music, animations and filters. Some notable features include the following:

• Countdown timer to record hands-free.
• Soft-focus and beauty-enhancing filters.
• Extensive music library.

Users can create longer-form videos using the livestream feature. The app is available for free on both iOS and Android devices, and has a monetization feature that lets creators earn money through "SuperLikes" from followers.

Neptune

Neptune positions itself as a TikTok alternative with some differentiating features. These include a customizable algorithm, which allows users to manually select the content displayed to them, easy monetization and ghost metrics. Ghost metrics aim to minimize the importance of follower count and instead promote content quality.

RedNote

RedNote -- also known as Xiaohongshu -- is comparable to TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram. The social media platform bills itself as a lifestyle platform where users can discover different trends and share life experiences. The app has e-commerce, video and livestreaming features. Some users treat RedNote as a search tool for food, travel and product recommendations and related content.

RedNote was first launched in 2013 as a tour guide for Chinese tourists. It gained a dramatic influx of new American users in early 2025 in anticipation of a potential TikTok ban, reaching the top of the Apple app store's most-downloaded list the week before the U.S. TikTok ban was initially set to take effect. Some of the transplants from TikTok have referred to themselves as "TikTok refugees." RedNote is based in China.

Skylight

Skylight launched its mobile app in April 2025. The app offers a short-form video experience, but unlike TikTok, Skylight is built upon the authenticated transfer (AT) protocol, giving users greater ownership over their data. TikTok competitor Bluesky is also underpinned by the AT protocol, which links the two apps and allows videos to be accessed and engaged across both applications. Skylight offers in-app video editing and feed customization. It supports video uploads of up to three minutes in length.

Snapchat

Snapchat has three main pages, including the following:

• Friends.
• Camera.
• Discover.

On the Friends and Camera pages, users share timed videos or images that disappear after viewing. On the Discover page, brands post strings of short-form videos, with a user interface reminiscent of TikTok's Discover page. Snapchat also has a user base of900 million monthly active users and 469 million active daily users worldwide, as of Q2, 2025. Snapchat's basic functions are free to use, but users can pay for Snapchat Plus, which gives them additional customization options.

Sora

Sora is an AI-generated short-term video app from OpenAI. It was first publicly available in December 2024, and Sora 2 launched in September 2025. The app is a free download only for iOS, with access limited by invitation only, but nevertheless became one of the most popular apps on the Apple App Store.

Sora takes text descriptions that generative AI turns into short video clips with audio. Users can select a specific video style -- such as cinematic, animated or surreal -- and can put themselves or their friends in the videos through a user-permissioned feature called Cameos. If users allow it, their likeness can be included in other users' videos, with the user being notified. These features have fueled concerns that Sora may be used as a deepfake video generation engine. 

Triller

Triller features celebrity content and has distributed several pay-per-view boxing events featuring big names such as Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. The application distinguishes between music and social videos. It has some filters, but not as many editing effects as other apps. It also has a large music library. Triller was launched before TikTok in 2015, and is available for free download. In anticipation of the TikTok ban, Triller launched a website called SaveMyTikToks.com that enables users to transfer their content from TikTok to Triller.

Twitch

While not a direct 1:1 stand-in for TikTok, Twitch is a good alternative for TikTok users who engage with the platform's video livestreaming features. Twitch is owned by Amazon and features a collection of popular video streamers. Twitch was originally designed as a platform for gaming content such as e-sports tournaments and gaming-based podcasts, but has since attracted a variety of live-streamers in a spectrum of content genres. Twitch offers partner and affiliate programs that let streamers who meet certain requirements monetize their content.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube has a short-form video feature called Shorts inside the YouTube app. The recommendation algorithm for Shorts is connected to the YouTube app, so browsing behavior on the app influences Shorts as it would traditional videos. TikTok users often repost their videos to YouTube Shorts to get more views and followers. YouTube has a large user base, attracting more than one billion users per day. Users can record and edit videos in the app. YouTube is free and has a paid option that removes ads from videos.

Zigazoo

Zigazoo is a short-form video app for younger users, positioning itself as an alternative to TikTok, which is criticized by some for being too addictive and showing children harmful content. Zigazoo has two versions: one for those born between 2010 and 2024 called Zigazoo Kids, and one that targets Gen Z users born between 1996 and 2010. The app allows only emojis with positive connotations and comment boxes aren't included -- users respond to each other with short-form videos instead. Zigazoo is free with optional in-app purchases.

Zoomerang

Zoomerang is a TikTok video editing app that has more effects, filters and music than  TikTok's in-app video editing features. Some of Zoomerang's features include posting templates, background removal and AI effects. Zoomerang is free with optional in-app purchases.