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If you stay up-to-date on social media news, then you’ve most likely already read the headlines about the TikTok ban in the United States. Amidst fears that the app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, poses security concerns as a data collection tool, President Trump announced his plan on Friday to ban TikTok through executive action. With the looming reality of the TikTok ban, countless influencers are left to question their future and livelihoods as video creators without their chosen platform. Luckily for them, there are a handful of short-form video apps that are up and ready to welcome creators and their followers looking for a new home – even throwing in some added benefits. Here are the top TikTok alternatives to download ASAP:
1. Clash
Searching for a new creative outlet? Clash is the app for you. Clash is a short-form video-sharing app that lets users record and share 21-second videos to a community known as “Clashers”. Users can also discover new videos and creators through either of Clash’s main tabs: “Following” and “Now Serving”, which both regularly update with the latest and greatest uploads. Amongst the community are well-known influencers such as Jay Boice, Scotty Sire, Todd Smith, Jason Nash, Brandon Calvillo, Chrish, Kurtis Conner, and Elijah Daniel.
As the first social app founded by an influencer, Clash has the best interest of creators at heart. Brendon McNerney, the CEO of Clash, is an OG Viner who understands the struggle of finding a new platform, leading to his decision to launch Clash for fellow influencers. Similar to MOE Assist, the first project management tool created for influencers by Danielle Bernstein, Clash was built by creators for creators, providing plenty of incentives for creators to sign up when compared to other video sharing apps.
Geared toward digital creators, Clash offers a feature called “Drops” that allows users to directly support their favorite Clashers. With this tool, Clash users have the option to pay, or “drop” monetary rewards to influencers they know and love. Like sites such as Patreon, Clashers can back up a creator’s work and encourage them to post more content through Drops. This way, influencers won’t have to rely only on sponsorships or brand deals to fund their work. Instead, they can focus more on creating unique content and have the freedom to build a creative career through passionate support from their followers.
2. Triller
Founded in 2015, Triller is a music video app that enables anyone to create, edit, and share their own creations. With more than 120 million downloads, Triller is a successful app amongst digital creators, giving them access to millions of songs and hundreds of video filters to choose from in their extensive libraries.
Some of Triller’s most popular features are its auto-editing tool and vlogging camera. Through Triller’s “Make A Vlog” tab, users can record an entire video with the audio from one clip. This way, all of the videos that come after the first clip are auto-edited as B-roll and ultimately create a documentary-esque appeal in the final product.
Alike to Clash, Triller also features a “wallet” where influencers can earn currency known as “Gold” and “Gems” from their followers to exchange them for real cash. In order to earn money on Triller, a verified content creator must first earn enough Gold from their followers to redeem for Gems. So, what’s the main difference here? On Clash, Drops are available to all users, whereas Gems on Triller are only available to verified creators.
3. Byte
Byte is a social networking app created by Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann that focuses on 15-second looping videos. The app is one of the most customizable social media platforms, as the creators have plans to release more features such as a color customizer and personalization tools for individual pages. With Byte, creators will also have access to various Channels, or mini-communities, in which they can discover other creators and contribute to the page. Users have the option to follow different Channels (each has its own unique design and Spotlight section for featured bytes) where the best bytes will show up in a tab called “Your Mix”.
The app is similar to TikTok in the way that it allows users to put text over their bytes and make “bytes” using sounds from other people’s posts. As a sound-driven app, Byte also released a new feature in March called Byte Beats, or the app’s name for perfectly looping audio tracks. Byte automatically stretches or shortens the Beats to fit your video, taking a piece of the hard work out of the editing process for the creator. There’s an entire library of audio options to choose from in the app, and the options are constantly changing, as Byte works with beat creators to add new ones each week.
4. Zynn
Backed by Kuaishou, the rival to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, Zynn recently gained traction as a new video-sharing platform from China. On Zynn, creators can create, customize, and share short videos that are dedicated to uniqueness and authenticity. As a brand, Zynn prides itself on promoting and celebrating diversity, inclusion, and equality amongst its community, encouraging users to discover new content by connecting with others globally.
Zynn became available on iOS and Android at the start of May and quickly gained popularity as one of the top downloaded apps on both platforms. In fact, Zynn snagged the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store from May 27 to June 1 after it brought in more than 5 million downloads on iOS, according to TechCrunch. Operating similarly to TikTok, Zynn provides users with access to an audio track library, video editing tools, and magic effects.
With the demand for video creating apps rising, these four TikTok alternatives will soon see thousands to millions of new users joining their online communities. No matter which app you download, each one is known to be engaging, entertaining, and user-friendly. Whether you use it to show off your artistic talents or your humor, you’re bound to find the perfect platform that benefits you.
