8 Best Snapchat Apps You Should Try - Top Snapchat Alternatives
Founded in 2011, Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media applications of the decade. The app offers simple features and makes connecting with loved ones very easy. All you need to do is press less than a handful of buttons and you’re good to go. The easy to use features have tempted a number of competitors to build apps like Snapchat.
Snapchat goes by the tagline ‘The fastest way to share a moment’ and proves true to it. You can simply open the app, tap once to take a photo/ video, select who you want to share it with, and you’re done.
Since the time it was founded, Snapchat has come a long way in terms of number of users and features. Obviously, following this, it gained huge profits, too. The CEO of Snap Inc, Evan Spiegel even turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook to buy the app when it was just two years old, in 2013. The brand has continued to grow, with over 280 million people using Snapchat daily. 38 percent of these people are located in the US alone.
Why you might need other apps like Snapchat:
The app, available on Android and iOS is very engaging with users priding themselves in maintaining long Snap streaks. While the features of the app, such as the filters, ease of finding other users, self-destructing content, etc. are much loved by users, they may not be the most perfect ones for you. There could be a number of reasons why you are looking for Snapchat alternatives.
Some possible reasons could be that you want to take longer videos and not be stressed by maintaining a streak. Or you wish to send content to friends without having to worry about them accidentally opening it without viewing and never being able to see it again. Plus, if you use platforms other than Android or iOS, the app is not even accessible to you.
Whatever your reasons may be, there is surely a social media app that feels right out there. As stated, some of Snapchat’s competitors have made apps like Snapchat which have features that might just be more suited for you. To make the search easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of Snapchat alternatives for you. Check out the complete list of features and ups and downs of these apps and make the best pick for your needs!
Best apps like Snapchat you need to check out
You’ve most likely already heard of it (if not, how!?). Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps today and is a much loved photo sharing app. Just like Snapchat, it allows you to share content with specific friends or as stories to all your followers in just a few clicks.
Using Instagram, you can also make image or video posts with captions which are always on your profile. There is also the option to make your profile public so if you wish to show the pictures on your profile to all users, you can. The platform is available across operating systems and combines most of Snapchat’s features and adds some.
Instagram is great if you want to use your profile to build a brand and reach out to an audience. Note that you’d also be targeted with a load of ads and there’s no easy way to opt out of them. Instagram has recently incorporated a vanishing text messages feature and now lets you choose whether you’d like your friends to see the photos you send them more than once.
The app also has video and audio calling capabilities so you can connect with your friends in a moment. Other than this, you would also get image and video filters similar to Snapchat. You can post videos and reels which are much longer than Snapchat and have a live session to stream content directly to followers.
Get Instagram here:
Messenger
Another very popular app, Messenger, Facebook’s dedicated chat app has a number of features similar to Snapchat, making it one of the best apps like Snapchat. It’s quite clear that Facebook always wanted to build an app like Snapchat and once they couldn’t own it, enhanced Facebook Messenger. Also note that the company bought Instagram in 2012, and gives solid competition to Snapchat from all sides.
Facebook Messenger, as the name suggests, is used for messaging primarily. However, the app does have some of the same features you’d find on Snapchat. Stories that disappear after 24 hours while allowing users to share content is probably the most prominent. This feature proves to be one of the most popular ones out there with not only Snapchat, Messenger and Instagram using it, but business platform, LinkedIn, too.
Apart from this, Messenger also has 3D masks, face filters as well as special effects that you can add to your photos and videos, much like Snapchat. Note that just like Instagram, Messenger also features ads. So in case getting away from ads is the reason you’re looking for apps like Snapchat, the first two on this list are probably not the best ones for you.
Get Messenger here:
TikTok
You might know TikTok as an entertainment app for uploading videos that people can like. The app is very popular among users all over the world for finding entertaining content. The Chinese app, developed as recently as 2016 in China and a year later internationally, TikTok’s growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. As of 2021, the app has nearly 7 million international monthly users.
TikTok serves as the ultimate place to create and share short videos with ease. People all over the world share educational, entertaining, dance and other types of content on the app daily. Similar to Snapchat, TikTok also allows users to access a number of video filters and sound effects or music. However, what makes it different is that there is no private messaging feature.
In case you are looking to influence and share video content, TikTok is for you. However, if you wish to share messages one to one with friends and family, you’d need to keep looking for a better Snapchat alternative.
Get TikTok here:
Telegram
Telegram is well known for being a highly secure messaging app. It is also very easy to use and is one of the popular apps like Snapchat. However, it does not have all the features you’d find on Snapchat, and is not primarily a photo sharing app, although sharing photos and videos is quite easy.
Telegram offers features like direct text and multimedia messaging, audio and video calls, file sharing, bot creation, secret chats and large groups. So if you want to create a large online community to share your content, it’s a great place to do so. However, if you’re looking for the fancy video and photo filters, you will not find them on Telegram.
Get Telegram here:
Wickr Me
Not as popular as the other apps on this sheet, Wickr Me is a great social media app and has a lot of features like Snapchat. The platform was founded in 2012 and has a sizable audience that uses it. The app has features like encrypted messages, voice memos, image plus video sharing which makes it a great app to communicate with friends and family.
Besides this, the app also has a number of photo and video filters which can be used to further spruce up your images. Wickr Me also allows you to make use of self-destructing videos, photos and messages, much like Snapchat. You are also given complete privacy and anonymity so you can be assured that you’re safe online. The app does serve as a truly private messenger.
Get Wickr Me here:
Marco Polo
If you’re looking for a simple app that is also cool and fun to use, Marco Polo is a great option. It is a video messaging and video hosting app that makes communication really easy. Marco Polo also prioritizes your privacy and you can be assured that none of your personal data will be leaked, or even used for advertising.
Using this app, you can send videos to friends, which do not disappear. If you wish, applying cute filters and kicking things up a notch is also possible. You can also make video calls at any time you wish.
Get Marco Polo here:
Slingshot
Slingshot by Facebook, launched in 2014, was another product owned by the firm to give competition to Snapchat. The app would let you draw or annotate on photos and videos and send them to your contacts. Slingshot, like Snapchat, also lets you send self-destructing photos and videos to users.
There was one catch, though. Viewers can’t directly see your message. To see it, they’d have to reply to you first. Only then is the message unlocked. If the other user wishes, they can also just swipe past your message and never see it. This adds an element of mystery to Slingshot and makes it a fun app to use.
Although the app might have proved to be a good Snapchat alternative, it is no longer functioning as the features didn’t really take off.
Snow
If the main reason you like Snapchat is the multitude of photo and video editing filters, Snow is the perfect choice under apps like Snapchat for you. It has a number of effects which let you highlight moments of your day and create really fun images.
Snow is used by over 200m people, all thanks to its powerful and easy to use features. It also has AR support so you can make your images truly come to life. Snow is mostly used for makeup filters.
Get Snow here:
