The 8 Best TikTok Alternatives for 2025: Fresh Options to Keep Your Content Buzzing

TikTok has been the platform most synonymous with short-form content. Yet, as this vertical, short-form video style has grown in popularity, it’s also branched out to many different apps and platforms.

And now, with TikTok facing a potential ban in the United States and an uncertain future, many content creators are looking to expand their reach and launch channels on different platforms and mediums.

To help anyone interested in looking for some of the best TikTok alternatives, let’s explore some of the top short-form content platforms that would be great options to consider for your TikTok-style videos.

Plus, if you’d like to make sure that your short-form content finds the most success across all your channels and apps, we’ll also give you some recommendations for the best royalty free music to use for each to give your content great soundtracks and keep you safe from any potential copyright issues or takedowns.

1. Instagram Reels

A black and pink Instagram logo sits on a blue background, advertising instagram reels as one of the best TikTok alternative apps.

Perhaps, most directly, the best TikTok alternative app will be Instagram—specifically Instagram Reels, the company’s short-form, vertical video format. It operates on a scrollable feed algorithm similar to that of TikTok’s main For You Page.

And, in truth, many TikTok creators have already migrated to Instagram reels (and many of these other platforms). Or, in most cases, at the very least, started to upload their content onto both TikTok and Instagram Reels.

We’ve been following Instagram Reels closely since it first launched and are excited to share updates about the app (including a new Trial Reels feature), which might affect how creators could better grow their brands on this TikTok alternative.

We also have some curated round-ups featuring some of the best music for Instagram, the best sound effects for Instagram, and how to use copyrighted music on Instagram and Instagram Reels.

2. YouTube Shorts

Our second selection for one of the best alternatives to TikTok is YouTube Shorts. Yes, YouTube’s base video upload offering is also a great alternative to TikTok. However, it is still arguably the best platform for those looking to launch a career in content creation, whether for themselves or a brand they represent.

However, YouTube Shorts is also a great one-to-one alternative to TikTok. Thanks to its solid algorithm and access to YouTube’s huge audience and creator base, it has been steadily growing in popularity.

We’ve also covered YouTube Shorts quite a bit here on the Soundstripe blog, including going over how to add music to YouTube Shorts and tips for finding the perfect royalty free songs for your short-form content.

If you’d like to get started with YouTube Shorts (or would like some extra resources to improve your YouTube Shorts content), check out these articles below.

3. Facebook Reels

Similar to Instagram Reels, we also need to shout out Facebook Reels. As many know, Facebook (aka Meta) owns Instagram and has launched a short-form vertical content format similar to both platforms. These platforms are quite similar and both are great avenues for those looking for alternatives to TikTok.

If you’d like to get started with using high-quality royalty free music for Facebook Reels that won’t get you in any copyright trouble, here’s a guide to using copyrighted music on Facebook. As well as a roundup of some of the best royalty free music for Facebook.

4. Snapchat

After Meta and Google's offerings with Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, we have another familiar name that might be worth reintroducing yourself to if you’re looking for more TikTok alternatives.

Snapchat saw its popularity rise with its person-to-person image and video-sharing format. Yet, after its quick rise in popularity, the platform saw many of its users leave it for the more open-social format of TikTok.

Yet, in the great cosmic irony of today’s social tech world, many users are now flocking back to Snapchat, in part thanks to its TikTok-esque Discover feature, which allows creators to share short-form content that doesn’t disappear in a few seconds.

5. Lemon8

Interestingly, in the face of the U.S. ban, TikTok is promoting its sister app Lemon8 (along with the company’s preferred downloaded SaveMyTikToks) as their recommended best TikTok alternative.

As the official sister app to TikTok, Lemon8 is uniquely positioned to offer a new home to many TikTok creators who might be looking for a new platform for their content. Lemon8 combines the TikTok short-form video style with other social platform aspects, similar to Instagram and Pinterest.

Users can still share their short-form videos but can also explore photo sharing and other features as well.

6. Triller

Moving along to some newer and (at the time of writing this article) smaller TikTok alternatives, we’re going to highlight the American video-sharing social network service Triller. First released back in 2015, Triller gained prominence in 2020 in the United States and India as a direct competitor to TikTok.

Triller’s main source of growth has been promoting sports events, such as boxing matches featuring Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Triller operates quite similarly to TikTok, too. If TikTok were to get banned in the United States or possibly India, it would be in a good spot to see its audience grow significantly—something any current TikTok creators who might want to capitalize on a new platform should keep in mind.

7. Likee

Another TikTok alternative for content creators to consider would be Likee, one of the fastest-growing short-video communities in the world. Likee boasts millions of community members and is available for iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS operating systems. The Singapore-based BIGO Technology launched Likee in 2017 and has designed the platform to focus on community building.

Likee is a short-form video app similar to TikTok but is perhaps more unique in how it approaches communities. This is a feature that many content creators might enjoy, as the main goal for many marketers and creators is to find access to niches and communities rather than just blasting content to everyone on FYPs.

8. Chingari

Familiar already to any content creators overseas, Chingari is a short-form video app growing in popularity and aiming to fill any gaps left by a potential TikTok ban. Launched in 2018, Chingari operates very similarly to TikTok and is growing its audience by focusing on similar lip-sync and dance styles of content. Chingari currently operates in many different countries and is available in over 20 languages, with well over a million users since its rebranding in 2020 and over 50 million users since 2021.

Wrapping up our TikTok alternative options

It’s a bit hard to say what platform, if any singular one, would be the main TikTok substitute if a ban goes into effect. Yet, if you’re hoping to jump to the next big app with the goal of quickly growing your brand, these listed above will be some of your best TikTok alternative options.

In the meantime, if you’d like to continue focusing on growing your TikTok followers and brand, here are some helpful resources for the platform.