Difference Between Snapchat and Tik Tok

Social media applications have taken the world by a storm. There’s hardly anyone left who does not use social media. It has become the most common way of virtual communication among communities. Social media can be very helpful if used the right way.

Snapchat vs Tik Tok

The main difference between Snapchat and Tik Tok is Snapchat is more versatile. It allows an individual to send photos, videos and texts that disappear after a certain time-frame. Tik Tok allows one to create videos with filters and music that can be shared globally.

Snapchat and Tik Tok are two social media apps that specialise in taking photos and videos. Snapchat can be used to take photos and videos, both. Whereas Tik Tok can only be used to take videos. 

Comparison Table Between Snapchat and Tik Tok

Parameters of ComparisonSnapchatTik Tok
PurposeSnapchat is an app used for sending text, video and photo messages that can only be opened for a short period.Tik Tok is used to make short videos on different audio and music tracks.
Year of LaunchSnapchat was launched in 2011.Tik Tok was launched in China in 2017 and all over the world in 2018.
ReachSnapchat can be used for more personal purposes than Tik Tok.Tik Tok helps you post videos that can be viewed by anyone and the video can also go viral.
Time of ViewingStories posted on Snapchat can be viewed up to 24 hours by a person and the photos and videos sent in the form of ‘snaps’ can be replayed only once.Videos on Tik Tok can be viewed any number of times a viewer wants to and there is no time limit to which it can be seen.
Number of UsersSnapchat has 218 million active users daily.Tik Tok has around 41 million active users daily.

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is an American app specially designed for messaging. It is used by millions of people around the world. The ‘Discover’ section of Snapchat is used by brands and celebrities for advertising their content. It was created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown at Stanford.

Snapchat provides several filters to take pictures and videos. The media can be saved in the cloud or be backed up on the phone storage. Snapchat also gives the option of saving snaps privately with password protection. The option comes under ‘my eyes only’. 

The app revolves around the concept of disappearing photos and videos that can be viewed twice at most. These photos and videos are called snaps. The Snapchat logo appears to bear its mascot named “Ghostface Chillah”. 

When you hold down on the photo button on Snapchat, a video of length 10 seconds can be taken. The time of the video can be extended but it will be taken in segments of 10 seconds. In addition to sending snaps, you can also video chat on the app.

What is Tik Tok?

Tik Tok is a China-based company that provides the social service of video sharing. It is owned by ByteDance. The shortest video that can be posted is of 3 seconds with the upper limit of 1 minute. The videos can be based on any topic like educational, informational, dance, comedy, etc. 

The app is known as Douyin in China and as Tik Tok all over the world. Tik Tok emerged as a new app after Douyin and Musical.ly were merged in 2018. In 2020, the app has surpassed over 2 billion downloads of the mobile application. Several countries have banned the app including India and Pakistan.

The app was originally named A.me in 2016. The app allows us to make short videos with filters and music in the background. The videos made and uploaded on the app can also be shared over other social media platforms which have added to the growth of the application.

There appears a ‘For You’ page on your Tik Tok feed which shows you more videos related to the ones you already see. The content is shown on the basis of an AI software that decides what to show you after seeing what you’ve liked and what you’ve skipped past.

Main Differences Between Snapchat and Tik Tok

  • Snapchat is an app that is used for sharing time-limited photo, video and text messages while Tik Tok is an app that is used to make one-minute videos that are shared globally.
  • While Tik Tok was launched recently in 2018, Snapchat was launched in 2011. Tik Tok is newer than Snapchat.
  • Snapchat can be used for private conferences while Tik Tok is used for mass conferences.
  • Videos posted on Tik Tok can be viewed anywhere and anytime while photo/video snaps can only be replayed once. Stories posted on Snapchat can only be viewed for 24 hours.
  • Snapchat has more daily active users than Tik Tok.
  • Tik Tok is only used for making videos but Snapchat can also be used to take photos and videos in addition to the advantage of texting.
  • Conclusion

    Snapchat and Tik Tok both have their merits and demerits. The disappearing texts, photos and videos aren’t convenient for all for. Similarly, Tik Tok doesn’t allow chatting and taking photos on the application.

    Both social media applications have gained popularity in youngsters. According to the survey, the biggest users of these apps are the Gen-Z, teenagers between the age of 13-16. Snapchat and Tik Tok have helped a lot of companies advertise. They have also given rise to many people becoming social media influencers.

    Some major brands like Taco Bell, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures and Target use Snapchat for advertising. Some others like Chipotle, ESPN and Guess use Tik Tok for advertisements. Currently, Snapchat generates more revenue than Tik Tok for it has more users.

    References

  • http://res.tigerge.cn/20200713/%E8%A1%A5%E5%85%851%20How%20TikTok%20Is%20Rewriting%20the%20World.pdf
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216303041 
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