As the Jan. 19 TikTok shutdown approaches and the Supreme Court continues to consider arguments for banning the app in the U.S., its millions of users are scattering to other platforms in hopes of finding a viable alternative.
The case, which has become a landmark moment of free speech versus national security, began in early 2024 when President Joe Biden signed an act to make TikTok illegal for distribution in the U.S. if TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance does not sell the platform by Jan. 19, 2025. Under a ban, the app would be illegal for distribution through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Several apps are jockeying for the top spot on the Apple App and Google Play stores, with the number one spot currently being occupied, ironically, by Chinese app RedNote after knocking Lemon8, which is also owned by ByteDance, down a peg.
Wondering where everyone is going? Here are 10 apps gaining traction leading up to the potential TikTok ban.
Lemon8
Lemon8, a social media platform described as a “lifestyle community,” quickly became the No. 1 app in the Apple App Store in the first week of January and has been downloaded by more than 10 million Google Play Store users.
Lemon8 functions a bit like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, all in one. The platform, per its description in the Apple App Store, prides itself in offering a one-stop shop for photo/video editing and sharing.
However, the app was developed and is owned by ByteDance, the Chinese company that also owns TikTok. While Lemon8 is not explicitly named in the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications App, which would implement the ban on TikTok, the legislation does address “any other applications or service development or provided by ByteDance,” meaning Lemon8 could be affected.
RedNote (Xiaohongshu)
Among all free iPhone apps, the Chinese app RedNote is currently the top social networking app on the Apple App Store.
Launched in 2013, RedNote has become one of China’s fastest-growing social platforms, with a value of over $17 billion, according to the Financial Times.
Known as Xiaohongshu in Chinese, which translates to “little red book,” RedNote features a layout similar to Pinterest and is often described as a Chinese version of Instagram. According to TechCrunch, the app’s focus on short-term content, similar to TikTok, has helped it emerge as a viable alternative.
Instagram Reels
After the runaway success of TikTok, other major social media platforms implemented or re-invested in their own short-form video feeds in an attempt to compete. One of those was Instagram, which offers Instagram Reels.
One of the platforms most similar to TikTok’s primary function, Instagram Reels allows users to record and edit videos up to 90 seconds. Currently, Reels is often full of content that migrates over from TikTok, but it may see an influx of fresh content if TikTok is banned. One major hesitation for some users, however, is that it does not have an algorithm comparable to TikTok.
Facebook Reels
As both Instagram and Facebook are owned by Meta, their Reels functions are similar. According to Facebook, Reels are short videos that can consist of video, music, audio, effects and more.
Like the other short video platforms, Facebook Reels has in-app editing tools and reels can be cross-shared from Instagram. They can be up to 90 seconds long or longer if shared over from Instagram.
YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts, like Reels, offers the same fundamental, short-form video premise as TikTok. Like TikTok, which eventually allowed some users to make 10-plus-minute videos, YouTube Shorts has a “longer shorts” option for creators to upload content up to three minutes long, an increase from the original 60-second limit.
Clapper
Clapper has also been vying for the top spot in app stores as another rival to TikTok that specifically appeals to adults. Users can create, post, share, and comment on short-form videos and live streams on an interface that looks strikingly similar to TikTok.
It describes itself as a place where “you can see the latest trends and people’s real lives as they unfold, as well as people’s opinions and talents. FREE to use, NO Ads, No BS just Real lives.”
Unlike some other competing apps, Clapper’s main office is based in the United States (near Dallas), and user data is stored in a U.S.-based cloud system, according to Deadline.
Triller
Like Clapper, Triller has a very similar appearance and function to TikTok, with some comments on the Apple App Store referring to it as a “copy” or “knock-off.” Much like the musical.ly prerequisite to TikTok, it places an emphasis on the creation and sharing of music and music video content.
It describes itself as a “next generation, AI-powered, social media and live-streaming event platform for creators” that pairs “music culture with sports, fashion, entertainment, and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology.” The app’s description also boasts users like “Josh Richards, Charli D’amelio, Noah Beck, Tyga and more.”
Triller also has a former TikTok executive serving as CEO and even offers a “savemytiktoks” function that allows users to migrate content from TikTok to Triller.
It currently sits at #57 in the photo and editing category on the Apple store but the Google Play Store reports over 10 million downloads. According to Yahoo Finance, it jumped 100 spots on the Apple App download charts this month. Triller is also currently a U.S.-based app.
Fanbase
Currently at the #9 spot in the free social category on Google Play Store, Fanbase is a platform that allows users to create and monetize posts, long-form videos, audio chats and more.
Self-described as a “Next-Generation Social Creator Hub that allows any user to earn money from day one” with no ads or shadowbans, the Atlanta-based, Black-owned company says it has raised over $13 million from 16,000 investors and hosts creators such as Snoop Dog, Charlamagne the God, Will.I.Am, Kandi Burruss, Jamal Harrison Bryant and more. It also offers a TikTok merging option for transferring content from one app to the other.
It is currently sitting at #10 on the Apple App Store social networking chart.
Neptune
Neptune is a female-created and owned app that is not yet available for download in app stores, though you can sign up as a Beta tester on their website and join their Discord.
Advertised as a “bold reimagining of what social media can be,” it promises some unique features including a manually customizable algorithm and ghost metrics, meaning it doesn’t focus on follower and engagement numbers. It also says it will allow for easy, transparent monetization of content.
Twitch
For users who primarily liked the live streaming option on TikTok, Twitch is an easy option. Launched in 2011, Twitch has been around for a while and has always focused on live content and allowing creators to make money off streams.
While it is usually associated with gaming and esports, Twitch also has lifestyle, music and variety content. It currently sits at #6 in the Photo & Video category on the App Store and boasts more than 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Greta Cross, USA TODAY
