If You're Looking For TikTok Alternatives, Check Out These 5 Video-Sharing Apps

After President Trump's recent Executive Order stating he'd ban TikTok in the Unites States if Chinese parent company ByteDance doesn't sell or spin off the the app in the United States, some of the platform's 500 million active monthly users may be trying to find an alternative to the popular social media platform (just in case). As of publication on Aug. 23, TikTok is still up and running, but with Instagram's recent release of Reels, a short-form video-sharing feature, you might be wondering if there are any other apps which offer comparable features. To get you started, here are five apps like TikTok you can try if you're looking to add some more options for video creation.

TikTok, which was officially released in 2016 as a Chinese-owned video-sharing app, has repeatedly denied sharing user data with the Chinese government or censoring content at the Chinese government's request. Back in July 2020, TikTok responded to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments on a possible ban, saying, "TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the U.S. We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users." In an Aug. 7 response to Trump's Aug. 6 Executive Order, TikTok "expressed [its] willingness to pursue a full sale of the US business to an American company." On Saturday, Aug. 22, The Verge reported that TikTok plans to take legal action against the Executive Order. In a statement to The Verge, TikTok spokesman Josh Gartner said, in part, "To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system."

While the fate of the popular social media app's presence in the United States is currently up in the air, Instagram's release of a TikTok dupe complete with in-app editing and filming capabilities in addition to AR effects and audio, makes it so much easier to complete the latest dance challenge and share it with your followers. If you're ready to begin exploring, these TikTok look-alikes are a good place to start.

1. Reels

Facebook's Instagram Reels update might be the closest thing to its rival. Just like TikTok, users can pair 15-second videos with original audio or a soundtrack from Facebook's music library. With the ability to use green screen and alignment tools as well as AR features and text editing directly on the app, it's no surprise that people are noting just how identical the two apps are. One of the bonuses of Reels is that people can choose to share their Reels with close friends via Direct Message or on their feed, or they can choose to post it on the Reels tab for other creators to discover.

2. Dubsmash

Just like TikTok, New York-based Dubsmash allows people to pair audio recordings like music, movies, TV shows, and more with short-form video clips. While Dubsmash has traditionally focused more on lip syncing than on challenges, it wouldn't be too difficult for users to bring their dance moves and baking hacks to the app. Plus, as of Aug. 3, it looks like the creators are already working on bringing some TikTok-like effects like green screen and Bling to the platform.

3. Triller

Triller, which was founded in 2015 in Los Angeles, has the backing of musicians like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. While the app originally centered around users singing along to their favorite songs, it's recently expanded its video and social media capabilities to allow users to upload more TikTok-esque videos. However, Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh told CNBC Make It on Aug. 7 that he thinks the platforms' audiences are slightly different and Triller is "the adult version" of TikTok with content that's a "little more risque."

4. MixBit

Created by two of YouTube's co-founders, Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, MixBit allows people to edit and collaborate on videos together from their mobile devices. While individual clips can be up to 16 seconds in length, people can piece together different videos for up to an hour of content. One difference is that people don't need to shoot their own original content. Instead, they can remix public video footage that's available on the app.

5. Chingari

Following the ban of TikTok in India, Chingari has significantly grown in popularity. Released in 2018, the app also allows users to share videos, audio, photos, and GIFs in addition to offering a feed where people can browse other creators’ videos and share their own.