In the social media world, two social platforms stand out as giants of transient content: Instagram and Snapchat.
Both platforms have some similarities, but they also have some distinct differences that set them apart.
In this resource, we will explore some Snapchat vs Instagram statistics to uncover which one reigns supreme. You will learn which one is ideal for your niche, industry, and content from the data.
Post Contents
- 1 Key Statistics
- 2 Top Snapchat vs Instagram Statistics in 2024
- 2.1 1. Instagram has the largest audience with over 2.35 billion MAUs compared to 530 million on Snapchat.
- 2.2 2. Snapchat is considered to be more secure than Instagram.
- 2.3 3. Snapchat has more unique and fun filters than Instagram.
- 2.4 4. 60% of Snapchat users are Gen Z compared to 50% of Millennials on Instagram.
- 2.5 5. Instagram has outpaced Snapchat in terms of users since 2020.
- 2.6 6. Instagram is ranked fourth in worldwide MAUs as of 2023.
- 2.7 7. 50 million more Instagram users use the Stories feature than Snapchat.
- 2.8 8. Snapchat is more suited to the teenaged audience.
- 2.9 9. Instagram and Snapchat differ in content type.
- 2.10 10. Snapchat creates 60% more impulse purchases than Instagram.
- 3 Instagram Statistics
- 3.1 11. Instagram’s website ranks 6th among the most visited sites on the globe.
- 3.2 12. 20.3% of the world’s population uses Instagram.
- 3.3 13. Almost 24% of 4.18 billion mobile users go to Instagram each month.
- 3.4 14. Globally, Instagram users spend 12 hours a month on the app/platform.
- 3.5 15. 50.6% of global Instagram users are male and 49.4% are female.
- 4 Snapchat Statistics
- 4.1 16. 125.6 million Snapchat users are aged 13 to 17.
- 4.2 17. Roughly 34% of Snapchat users say they use it more while hanging out with friends than other social platforms.
- 4.3 18. Globally, Snapchat ranks 12th among social media platforms.
- 4.4 19. An average of over 5 billion Snaps are created every day.
- 4.5 20. Snapchat has over 120 million users in North America.
- 5 FAQs
- 6 Conclusion
Key Statistics
- Instagram has the largest audience with over 2.35 billion MAUs compared to 530 million on Snapchat.
- Snapchat is considered to be more secure than Instagram.
- Snapchat has more unique and fun filters.
- 60% of Snapchat users are Gen Z compared to 50% of Millennials on Instagram.
- Instagram has outpaced Snapchat in terms of users since 2020.
- Instagram is ranked fourth in worldwide MAUs as of 2023.
- 50 million more Instagram users use the Stories feature than Snapchat.
- Snapchat is more suited to the teenaged audience.
- Instagram and Snapchat differ in content type.
- Snapchat creates 60% more impulse purchases than Instagram.
Top Snapchat vs Instagram Statistics in 2024
1. Instagram has the largest audience with over 2.35 billion MAUs compared to 530 million on Snapchat.
The first difference between Instagram and Snapchat is its monthly active user base.
Instagram has more than 2.35 billion monthly active users compared to Snapchat’s 530 million.
Do numbers matter?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no.
Let’s continue.
(Socialbu)
2. Snapchat is considered to be more secure than Instagram.
One of the reasons people use Snapchat is for its extra security measures compared to Instagram.
However, they still use Instagram since it offers privacy settings that are more secure than leaving it wide open.
Snapchat is different in terms of security as it has no search function (It’s harder to use search to find you.), default privacy settings (Snaps are only seen by intended users.), and ephemeral content (disappearing content).
(Mobile App Daily)
3. Snapchat has more unique and fun filters than Instagram.
In terms of engagement, Snapchat offers several filters for users.
One of Snapchat’s main features is its image filters.
Instagram has many filters that they recommend to its users that are similar to Snapchat’s filters, Instagram just has fewer.
So, in the realm of filters, Snapchat wins the race.
(DemandSage)
4. 60% of Snapchat users are Gen Z compared to 50% of Millennials on Instagram.
In terms of age demographics, Snapchat outweighs in performance among Gen Z aged 13 to 24 compared to 27.3% on Instagram.
Instagram outperforms Snapchat with over 50% of Millennials compared to less than 38% on Snapchat.
Overall, Instagram has a larger audience base and an integrated ads platform with Facebook, making running ads easier and more effective on the platform.
(Marketing SFGate)
5. Instagram has outpaced Snapchat in terms of users since 2020.
Between 2020 and 2023, Instagram consistently outpaced Snapchat in terms of users.
This has no bearing on which app/platform is better, but it tells us how many people use the apps/platforms respectively.
In 2020, Instagram had 114.6 million users in the United States alone compared to Snapchat’s 66.5 million.
After seeing today’s user numbers above, you can see how much both social media networks have grown.
(Statista)
6. Instagram is ranked fourth in worldwide MAUs as of 2023.
Neither Instagram nor Snapchat are bigger than Facebook, but Instagram is globally ranked fourth in terms of monthly active users as of October 2023.
Snapchat is ranked ninth in the global realm in terms of monthly active users.
(Statista²)
7. 50 million more Instagram users use the Stories feature than Snapchat.
In terms of using the Stories features on either platform, Instagram has 50 million more users of its Stories than Snapchat has.
Remember, Instagram Stories launched a mere few years ago in 2016 to compete with Snapchat’s Story feature.
Instagram’s popularity boosted its use of that feature quickly outpacing Snapchat.
(Crowdspring)
8. Snapchat is more suited to the teenaged audience.
Instagram may have a much larger and broader user base, but Snapchat has most of the younger teenage crowd.
Most of Snapchat’s target user base falls between teenagers and people to their middle 20s (young adults).
As of now, advertising and marketing campaigns are few and far between, so the competition is less challenging for those trying to reach the “early adopters” generation.
(IONOS)
9. Instagram and Snapchat differ in content type.
Technically, the only similar content type that Instagram and Snapchat share is the stories feature.
However, Snapchat has become popular due to its snaps and stories that disappear as soon as they are viewed.
Instagram offers a wider variety of content types such as videos, reels, images, stories, textual posts, etc.
Instagram’s content is considered more polished and curated while Snapchat’s is considered more unfiltered and rawer.
(DemandSage)
10. Snapchat creates 60% more impulse purchases than Instagram.
This statistic is worth mentioning because there is significantly less advertising happening on Snapchat than there is on Instagram.
That said, Snapchat is more apt to create 60% more impulse purchases.
Moreover, Snapchat users spend 35% more time on the platform’s discovery page.
(Socialbu)
Instagram Statistics
11. Instagram’s website ranks 6th among the most visited sites on the globe.
According to data, Instagram ranks 6th among the most visited websites in the world.
Snapchat didn’t make the top 20 list. Instagram ranks 10th in the United States in this same list.
Instagram didn’t make the most visited websites on the United Kingdom list.
(SEMRush, SocialPilot)
12. 20.3% of the world’s population uses Instagram.
The latest data shows that Instagram is used by 20.3% of the global population.
In contrast, 8.2% of the world’s population uses Snapchat.
That’s a stark difference.
How do you think this will change over time?
(DataReportal Instagram, DataReportal Snapchat)
13. Almost 24% of 4.18 billion mobile users go to Instagram each month.
Data shows that 23.92% of the world’s active mobile internet users use Instagram each month.
For reference, which represents the populations of North America and Europe combined.
(Backlinko)
14. Globally, Instagram users spend 12 hours a month on the app/platform.
All over the world, Instagram users spend 12 hours a month on the app or platform as of 2022.
Further data shows that in 2022, global users spend 30 minutes per day on Instagram.
(SocialPilot)
15. 50.6% of global Instagram users are male and 49.4% are female.
While the majority of global users on Instagram are male at 50.6% of the user base, the global female user base accounts for 49.4%.
These percentages mean that Instagram is almost equal in terms of usage by gender in the world.
(DataReportal Instagram)
Snapchat Statistics
16. 125.6 million Snapchat users are aged 13 to 17.
Data from April 2023 revealed that 19.9% of Snapchat’s users are aged 13 to 17 and accounts for 125.6 million users.
Another 38.6% are aged 18 to 24 (243.5 million) and 23.2% are aged 25 to 34 (145.9 million).
Only 14% are 35 to 49 (87.9 million) and 3.8% are 50 and older (23.6 million)
(DataReportal Snapchat)
One survey showed that roughly 34% of Snapchat users reported that they use Snapchat more than any other social media app when they hang out with their friends.
(SocialChamp)
In terms of global social media usage rank, Snapchat ranks 12th among all social platforms in the world.
This data means that Snapchat outranks Pinterest, Reddit, and Twitter. Additionally, Snapchat ranks 5th among messaging apps.
(Creative Marketing)
19. An average of over 5 billion Snaps are created every day.
Snapchat experiences over 5 billion Snaps per day on average.
This is a significant figure for brands, marketers, and businesses because this is a lot of videos and photos being shared among friends and family every day.
(The Social Shepherd)
20. Snapchat has over 120 million users in North America.
Global region data reveals that North America accounts for the highest share of Snapchat users with 120.3 million.
Central America is second with 17.8 million and the Caribbean ranks third with 3.2 million Snapchat users.
(DataReportal Snapchat)
FAQs
Is Snapchat more secure than Instagram?
Instagram has its own security protocols users can adjust in their settings.
Obviously, public profiles are less secure than private ones.
Overall, Snapchat is considered to be more secure than Instagram.
Here are things that make Snapchat more secure than Instagram:
1. Ephemeral Content
Disappearing content is one of the features that helps make Snapchat more secure than Instagram.
In fact, this is Snapchat’s main feature; Snaps that disappear once they are viewed.
How does this encourage security?
Images and videos that disappear once they are viewed reduce the ability of sharing among others on the platform.
Therefore, users cannot save or share your content without your permission.
Instagram does have the Stories feature that disappears after 24 hours, but these posts can still be saved to a user’s profile forever.
2. Privacy Settings
Snapchat provides users with more control over who sees their content than Instagram does.
By default, Snaps are only seen by people you send them to and no one else.
Moreover, Snapchat lets you set your My Story profile to private or public.
While Instagram does give you the option to set your account to public or private, private accounts are still searchable for those who know your username.
So, there is some level of security with a private Instagram account, but you can still be found.
3. Limited Search
If you use Snapchat, you already know there is no “search” function on the app/platform.
This makes it harder for people to find your content without already knowing your username.
Instagram’s search allows users to find your content by username, location, or name, while Snapchat does not.
*It’s worth noting that no social media platform is totally secure, which means there are still risks associated with using either/both Instagram and Snapchat.
Snapchat’s default settings and features simply make it more secure for those with privacy concerns.
Why did Instagram add the Stories feature?
According to several online sources, Instagram had several reasons for adding the Stories feature to its platform.
Here are four such reasons:
1. To compete with Snapchat:
If you didn’t already know, Snapchat was the first social media platform to introduce the ephemeral messaging format.
As people started flocking to Snapchat, Instagram’s executive became concerned the platform was “stealing” their users.
The introduction of the ephemeral messaging format did quickly attract younger users, which was/is cause for concern.
So, Instagram developed its own version of Instagram Stories, and the rest is history.
2. To encourage more sharing:
Instagram developed the platform to share polished and curated content mostly, which discouraged sharing among its everyday users.
It meant that users were less apt to share their everyday moments and experiences.
So, Stories became a way to encourage more frequent sharing on the platform.
It has made Instagram significantly more dynamic and engaging.
3. To deliver a more fun and casual experience:
The idea of ephemeral content meant that Instagram users, like Snapchat users, wouldn’t need to worry about their content being “eternal” on their profile.
This makes users more comfortable with sharing more personal content and makes Instagram more friendly, fun, and casual.
The difference is that Snapchat’s content disappears when it’s viewed, and Instagram’s disappears after 24 hours.
4. To collect more user behavior data:
Yes.
One of social media’s most controversial elements is that it does collect certain kinds of user data.
It’s supposed to be intended to measure user behaviors and habits for shopping, advertising, and content viewing.
It also measures how long users watch videos and use the platform/app.
This is how Instagram works to improve Stories for future users and to keep it relevant.
Conclusion
Why does it matter that Snapchat or Instagram is better? Each one is a distinct social media platform with its own features and functions for a variety of uses.
These statistics are crucial if you’re an influencer, a brand, business, or marketer.
Without this data, you would be advertising, promoting, and marketing in the dark.
So, we hope you have learned enough from these Snapchat vs Instagram statistics to determine which one is best for your needs, of if both can play a role in your marketing, business, or personal endeavors.
