Snapchat vs Instagram: An Honest Comparison

Social Media platforms thrive for a simple reason: their unique approach to a previously untapped area. But for sustainable success, they need to have the flexibility to bend their rules and evolve meaningfully yet seamlessly. So when all things considered, Instagram's latest overhaul makes a lot of sense. They were not able to acquire Snapchat 3 years ago, so they decided to take a direct aim at them. But still, it's a very bold move considering how dramatic the change in the app is.

Does this even look like Instagram?

So what now? Here is an honest comparison from a heavy user (that's me) in 15 points, let's see if there's a winner in this:

1 - Video/Image Quality: Instagram's video Stories are more HQ and less pixelated than Snapchat. INSTAGRAM WINS

2 - Ads: Instagram Stories currently offer an ad-free experience and it makes it a winner. INSTAGRAM WINS

3 - Taking Screenshots: Snapchat reports when someone takes a screenshot of the chat or the snap, which give it a more exclusive and private feel. SNAPCHAT WINS

4 - Posting Older Content: Snapchat adds an annoying white frame to posts which are posted from camera roll, but lets you post anything from the past, however Instagram lets you post only videos or images taken in the last 24 hours. SNAPCHAT WINS

5 - Saving to Camera Roll: After a recent update by Snapchat, this is now a pain point for the app. If a user wants to save their snaps (image or video), now they are saved to "Memories" by default, which is like an in-app gallery. The user must go through the hoops and change it to save to Camera Roll. (In the past these files were saved directly to the Camera Roll so they were used easily on other apps). Instagram, however allows saving directly to Camera Roll. INSTAGRAM WINS

6 - Swiping and Scrolling: Snapchat requires a lot of swiping and scrolling, especially while navigating between friends' stories and Discover channels, and between the Chat screen and the former. Instagram has a fairly simple system where scrolling doesn't feel as tedious. INSTAGRAM WINS

7 - Moving (Attachable) Emojis and Stickers: One of the most remarkable unique offerings Snapchat has. Which shows its passion in Virtual Reality. SNAPCHAT WINS

8 - Local Filters: Snapchat has mastered the art of creating custom filters for thousands of cities, locations, and sponsors, which enable users to create personalized snaps while showing their passion about the topic in an effortless way. Instagram has some cool filters that are similar to their existing filters for the regular posts, but nothing that comes close. SNAPCHAT WINS

9 - Lenses (Virtual masks): This was literally a game-changer for the industry. Snapchat's addition of "Lenses", spearheaded by the "rainbow puke" has blurred the lines between social media and virtual reality, and even paved the way for apps like PokemonGo. Snapchat's daily active users are heavily engaged in this feature, coming back to the app to check. Considering Facebook bought MSQRD and will probably integrate the app into Instagram to compete with Snapchat in this field as well, we shouldn't expect this feature to be exclusive to Snapchat in the near future. SNAPCHAT WINS

10 - Messaging: Instagram has integrated its existing messaging tool and inbox into the Stories feature, where people can directly comment on Stories and these messages don't disappear for 24 hours, unlike Snapchat, where every message disappears after being displayed once. In terms of a convenient user experience, Instagram is one step ahead. INSTAGRAM WINS

11 - Battery Consumption: Snapchat may be a "Ghost", but when it comes to battery use, it's a monster. Being aware of this, they are actually working on a new update to fix this issue. INSTAGRAM WINS

12 - Brand Perception: Snapchat is definitely the new cool kid in the landscape and all the Generation Z kids have already flocked to it. Generation Y (aka Millennials) were more hesitant first, but when they discovered Snapchat was something that Instagram wasn't, they gave it a chance. By mid 2016, Snapchat grew its daily active user base to over 150MM people, which made it bigger than apps like Twitter. Snapchat has been innovative with first-time executions: Focusing on vertical video, geo filters, lenses, 24-hr life cycle. Snapchat has a more respected and innovative perception in the public eye, whereas Instagram (aka Facebook) has a more corporate feel. SNAPCHAT WINS

13 - Finding Other Users: Instagram makes it easy to discover other users, brands, celebrities or other interesting people, very easy. Snapchat has an innovative approach with their Snapcodes, but finding someone is not easy without knowing their Snapchat user name. Snapchat definitely needs to add a more robust search and discover other users feature. INSTAGRAM WINS

14 - Quality Content: Snapchat's Discover Channel is a great hub for people who are interested in the engaging content. The Discover partners, among which are CNN, People, BuzzFeed, MTV, etc, create daily. Although Snapchat doesn't officially disclose the engagement rates of these channels, these turn the app into a mini-magazine that updates itself daily. Instagram has no solution that compares to Snapchat's Discover Channels. SNAPCHAT WINS

15 - Polished vs "Real": After the launch of Instagram Stories, the app seems as if it's going through an identity crisis. Unlike the word "insta" in its name, Instagram actually has always been the platform for polished perfection, sometimes with the help of retouching apps, for both celebrities and "regular" people. Snapchat, however, has remained true to its initial promise: sharing moments in a snap, and the app continuously tries to excel in that. SNAPCHAT WINS

AND THE WINNER IS...

Well... It depends on whom you ask.

For the advertisers who already buy self served ads with limited budgets on Instagram, they can certainly be happy to know that users are now potentially spending more time on Instagram.

For users who have adopted Snapchat as their safe haven where they can post more risque content without their family members seeing, the answer will still be Snapchat.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the daily and monthly active user numbers which both platforms will be reporting in the coming months. If there's a serious decline in Snapchat active daily users, we can assume that Instagram's update has a role in it.

In my personal experience, almost a month into the launch of Instagram Stories, I can say that my snaps on Snapchat are getting 10-15% less views, or maybe I'm losing my popularity :-) Meanwhile, since I have a much more established presence on Instagram, I'm getting 4x or more views per story. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is experiencing this.

*****

Anything you agree or disagree with? Do you think Instagram will destroy Snapchat? Share in the comments below!

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