Update, 01/17/24: The U.S. Supreme Court will uphold the ban, according to a CNN report, meaning the future of TikTok is even more precarious than it's ever been. Bummer. We'll update this story with more info should it become available and pertinent.
Original story follows:
If everything goes as planned, TikTok will get banned in the U.S. on January 19. That's nowhere near enough time to enjoy the jokes, commentary, and skits that have dominated the internet since the short-form, video-sharing platform blew up during the pandemic.
But don't worry! Though it will seemingly get banned and go dark, alternatives are vying to fill the void if and when TikTok gets pulled from U.S. app stores. Platforms like Lemon8, RedNote, and even Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are all shooting their shot now. There are plenty of others out there—Triller, Fanbase, Neptune, Snapchat, Twitch—but we wanted to focus on platforms that resemble TikTok in look and feel.
So, here are five TikTok alternatives that are popping off right now.
Lemon8
Released: May 2020
The app with the most connective tissue to TikTok, Lemon8 has exploded in popularity recently, snatching the number one spot on the Apple App Store's Lifestyle category and clutching over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
Positioning itself as a "lifestyle community focused app powered by TikTok," according to its Apple App Store description, Lemon8 functions like an amalgamation of Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, letting you edit and share photos and videos to directly connect with your audience—whether that’s family, friends, or strangers. Lemon8 is kinda like if TikTok renamed itself and was banana yellow.
There's just one problem. Lemon8 is owned by ByteDance, the Chinese company the U.S. has beef with. So, if things go south for TikTok, Lemon8 could be affected as well, primarily because of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications Act, a piece of legislation targeting ByteDance and its subsidiaries.
RedNote (Xiaohongshu)
Released: June 2013
Another Chinese-owned app, RedNote (officially known as "Xiaohongshu," which translates to "Little Red Book") has also blown up amid the looming TikTok ban. And for good reason: it's Chinese Instagram.
That's how users describe it, anyway. Similar to Lemon8, the app is a bit like Pinterest. However, RedNote has a greater emphasis on community and short-form content, making it a viable TikTok alternative for users with brain rot. And users seem to love it, as it's the number one social networking app on the Apple App Store and has over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
Also like Lemon8, RedNote is owned by a Chinese company. If the issue for the U.S. is security and safety, then, although RedNote wasn't named in the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications law, the U.S. could turn its red, white, and blue crosshairs on it. That remains to be seen, so for now, it's safe.
Clapper
Released: July 2020
It was tough to choose between Clapper and Flip, two apps that occupy very similar spaces as a potential TikTok replacement, but ultimately, with this being a "TikTok alternatives"-focused list, Clapper came out on top.
The reason is simple: Flip is giving TikTok Shop on repeat. That's not a bad thing. The TikTok Shop can introduce you to some cool products or gorgeous clothes you might not have known about or purchased before. Clapper, on the other hand, is essentially TikTok but made by Americans.
You can livestream on the platform, post short-form content on the platform, follow creators on the platform while being able to buy from them via the Clapper Shop. I mean, TikTok Shop? Clapper Shop? C'mon.
With over five million downloads on the Google Play Store and sitting right under RedNote on Apple's App Store as the second-most-popular social networking app, Clapper is one of the closest apps to TikTok we'll get (that isn't developed and owned by a Chinese company if that's at all important). It's not TikTok, but if you're looking for a platform that closely resembles TikTok in algorithm and vibe, Clapper might just be it.
YouTube Shorts
Released: September 2020
Good ol' YouTube, another familiar app for anyone online.
Whether you go to the Google-owned platform for long-form content like hours-long video essays or quick-hit tutorials and explainers on how to do pretty much anything, YouTube is a fantastic place where entertainment and knowledge collide. It's also a fantastic place for short-form content thanks to Shorts.
Like Instagram Reels, you can find YouTube Shorts in the YouTube app. And like TikTok, YouTube Shorts is where you’ll find short-form videos that give the vibe of TikTok but with a YouTube coat of paint.
The nice thing about Shorts is that it's built right into YouTube. So, if you're already scrolling for your next long-form watch, you can pop over to the Shorts tab for some fast dopamine hits. And users love that dopamine, as YouTube is the Apple App Store's number-three app in the Photo & Video category and has over 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store. That's more than Instagram!
Instagram Reels
Released: August 2020
Now, here's an app we're all familiar with: Instagram.
If you've spent any time on the Meta-owned app, then you know what Reels are, but for the uninitiated or unfamiliar, it's basically TikTok in Instagram. No need to learn a new interface or a new language; it's what you know about Instagram and love about Tiktok, all wrapped into one app.
This is especially true since, in most situations, creators on TikTok repost their videos to Instagram Reels. Talk about convenience.
Instagram is obviously popular, sitting at the number one spot on the Apple App Store's Photo & Video category and reaching over five billion downloads on the Google Play Store. (Yes, billion with a 'b.') And Reels, while newish, is likely just as popular, especially since this portion of the app was built as a direct response to TikTok. Still, it is a Meta app, and if you have beef with Meta apps—like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and the like—then you'll have beef with Instagram. That said, it's also the most widely used and, in many ways, has become the millennials' version of Facebook. You know, to check in on your friends from high school and college.
Bonus: Facebook Reels
Released: September 2021
This is a little oldhead, considering it's Facebook, but it does have one of the most active users with over 3.065 billion people using it as of 2023. That alone makes Facebook worth mentioning.
With that many people on a platform that's been around since 2004, it should come as no surprise that it has a TikTok-esque competitor now. Still, I was shook when Meta dropped Reeled in September 2021.
It has some limitations—videos can only be 90 seconds in length at max and must have a 9:16 aspect ratio—but Facebook Reels can be a great alternative to TikTok considering those limitations are what TikToks are. Besides, you're probably already on the platform, maybe with an account that's collecting dust and covered in cobwebs. But if you shake that account free from its dust and webs to give Facebook Reels a scroll, you might find that it fits nicely where TikTok sits.