TikTok vs Instagram Reels Statistics – Which is Better? (2025)

Introduction

TikTok vs Instagram Reels Statistics: In 2024, TikTok and Instagram Reels firmly dominated the short‑form video landscape through impressive user reach and engagement. As of April 2024, TikTok had amassed approximately 1.582 billion monthly active users, while Instagram reported around 2.00 billion monthly users (who all engage with Reels). TikTok users watched an average of 78 videos per day in 2023, rising to 92 per day by 2025. Engagement rates also revealed platform differences: Instagram Reels averaged about 1.48 percent in 2024, significantly higher than Instagram’s photo (0.70 percent) and carousel (0.99 percent) formats.

TikTok’s engagement for accounts with 100,000–500,000 followers reached 9.74 percent, compared to Reels’ 6.59 percent, and for accounts with over 10 million followers, the figures were 10.52 percent on TikTok and 8.77 percent on Reels. These metrics highlight TikTok’s broader audience and higher engagement potential, while Reels remain a highly competitive format within Instagram’s vast user base.

This article digs into the latest TikTok vs Instagram Reels statistics on the fronts of reach, user behaviour, demographics, engagement, and monetisation. All the numbers have been duly cited from industry sources and have been presented simply and well for easy readability.

Editor’s Choice

• With an average engagement rate of 2.50%, TikTok remained the most engaging platform in 2024, much ahead of Instagram at 0.50% and Facebook at 0.15%.
• From 2023 to 2024, the average comments per post on TikTok shot up by 73.7%, from 38 to 66, versus a 33.3% increase for Instagram, which went from 18 comments per post to 24. This indicates more interaction from TikTok users.
• With 170 content shares in 2024, TikTok has more than quadrupled Facebook’s paltry 13 and by a great margin that of Instagram, which is 41.
• As for user possession, Instagram stood far ahead, with 1,210 million monthly active users in 2021 (expected to rise to 1,440 million by 2025), whereas TikTok grew from 656 million in 2021 to about 755 million in 2022.
• Gen Z users in the U.S. spent more than 10 hours per week on TikTok as opposed to around five hours on Instagram, pointing to the former’s better retention ability and engagement with content.
• TikTok attracts a younger audience, 25% of whom are aged 10–19, whereas Instagram’s largest user group is in the 25—to 34-year age bracket, accounting for 31.7% of its user base.
• Instagram Reels outperformed TikTok in advertising reach (389,298 vs. 199,477) and impressions (604,350 vs. 228,537); and was efficient concerning costs, as CPM and CPC were lower for Instagram (US$1.67 vs. US$4.38 and US$28.08 vs. US$35.72, respectively).
• Despite the platform-wise CTR IV being negligible at 0.01%, a higher number of ad clicks (36 vs. 28) were recorded on Instagram, offering better ROI to the advertiser.
• TikTok holds the record for the most-watched short video, with Zach King’s “Magic Ride” amassing 2.3 billion views, far outstripping the top reel on Instagram, which only scored 491 million views.
• TikTok’s top three videos each have over 1 billion views, whereas none of Instagram’s best, including works by Khaby Lame, have reached 500 million views, which indicates that TikTok still possesses a bigger scale for virality.

TikTok vs Instagram Engagement

(Reference: socialinsider.io)

• In 2023, TikTok was the highest among the leading social platforms with an engagement rate of 2.65%. In 2024, despite a slight decline, it maintained a nice lead with a score of 2.5%.
• The engagement rate for Facebook across both years remained steady at 0.15%, indicating almost no change in user engagement.
• Seen from the data above from Socialinsider, TikTok vs Instagram Reels statistics show that Instagram experienced a considerable drop, from 0.70% in 2023 down to 0.50% in 2024, so less user activity or interest in content might have been taking place.
• X (formerly Twitter), by contrast, grew slightly: 0.05% in 2023 to 0.15% in 2024—resuscitating engagement perhaps based on new features or some changing dynamics amongst the users.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels Comments

(Source: socialinsider.io)

• In 2023, an average of 72 posts from TikTok users were being shared on various other platforms, a number that skyrocketed to 170 in 2024.
• This rapid growth, with the number more than doubling, just shows how TikTok witnessed a sharp spurt in user activity and content creation in recent times, displaying a higher comfort level and confidence among users in frequently sharing videos.
• Instagram registered a negligible rise in share posts; however, it jumped from 40 in 2023 to 41 in 2024.
• The slight change may point to a plateau in user sharing behaviour on the platform, or possibly that people have gotten pickier in what they share or are focusing medium on curated content rather than volume.
• In contrast, Facebook posted a decline in average share posts, which fell from 15 in 2023 to 13 in 2024.
• The dip can be seen as resulting from a gradual shift in consumer behaviour away from traditional social posting and toward video or messaging; younger users, especially, place more esteem on short-form video platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels.
• In essence, the data showcase TikTok’s exponential growth in content sharing, with Instagram holding steady and Facebook lowering the decline on this particular metric.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels Average Post Shared

(Source: socialinsider.io)

• In 2023, TikTok users shared an average of 72 posts, which significantly increased to 170 in 2024.
• This dramatic growth—more than doubling—reflects a sharp rise in user activity and content creation on the platform, indicating higher engagement and comfort with sharing videos more frequently.
• Instagram showed only a slight increase in average share posts, going from 40 in 2023 to 41 in 2024.
• This marginal change suggests a plateau in sharing behaviour on the platform, possibly because users are more selective or focused on curated content rather than volume. Facebook, in contrast, saw a decline in average share posts from 15 in 2023 to 13 in 2024.
• The dip can be seen as resulting from a gradual shift in consumer behaviour away from traditional social posting and toward video or messaging; younger users, especially, place more esteem on short-form video platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels.
• In essence, the data showcase TikTok’s exponential growth in content sharing, with Instagram holding steady and Facebook lowering the decline on this particular metric.

TikTok Vs Instagram Users

TikTok Users

(Reference: statista.com)

Instagram Users

(Reference: statista.com)

• As per Statista report, TikTok vs Instagram Reels statistics show that rapidly establishing itself as a world-class social and video app, TikTok had more than 656 million users internationally in 2021 and was forecasted to reach around 755 million users with an annual growth rate of 15% by the end of 2022.
• In comparison, Instagram, being an older app, had 1.21 billion monthly active users in 2021, too, further contributing to the count of more than 28% of internet users worldwide, right now.
• This number is expected to cross 1.44 billion by the middle of 2025, accounting for 31.2% representation of all internet users.
• After gaining a massive peak of global installs towards the end of 2019, with downloads crossing over 318 million+, TikTok’s growth has slowed down somewhat in succeeding years.
• 199 billion downloads worldwide in the final quarter of 2021 signalled not-so-subtle trending upward. While Instagram is widely used, it did not achieve such frantic growth in installs during that period.
• The U.S. users within the generation Z category Record membership between these two apps, but TikTok has surpassed it by a big margin.
• By September 2021, Gen Z users spent over 10 hours per week on TikTok and almost five hours per week on Instagram, bringing out the ability of TikTok to hold audience attention with this particular demographic more than Instagram.
• Through the rise of TikTok, Instagram still managed to remain highly influential in the celebrity and viral content scene.
• It had an official Instagram account with more than 504 million followers, making it the most-followed profile on the platform.
• Cristiano Ronaldo held the top-most-followed-celebrity account, attracting over 440 million followers, and one post from him was worth over US$985,000 in media value.
• TikTok has not yet reached that upper echelon of monetised celebrity engagement. The legendary content created also constitutes the cultural impact of Instagram.
• For example, the famous “Picture of an Egg” (also called the “World Record Egg”; they share the same Instagram handle @world_record_egg) garnered more than 55 million likes and nearly 3.5 million comments by May 2022.
• The account amassed over 4.5 million followers and henceforth disclosed that its goal was to raise awareness about mental health and the pressures of social media, a form of viral messaging not yet common on TikTok.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels Audience Age Group

TikTok

(Reference: planable.io)

Instagram

(Reference: planable.io)

• TikTok presently garners a firm reputation of being a young-and-wild-type space, and statistics go on to bolster this perception.
• About 25% of TikTok’s user base in the U.S. lies between 10 and 19 years of age, giving weighted proof that the app stands tall as a Gen Z-and-even-younger crowd marketer, per Statista.
• This heavy clustering of younger users also casts a huge shadow over the widespread use of parental control on the app, for obvious reasons- many of these users are minors.
• On the other hand, Instagram is a much stronger contender among slightly older age groups.
• According to the U.S. audience, the 25-34 years age group is the largest chunk of Instagram employability, making up 31.7%.
• Here is clear evidence of a divide between the two platforms: TikTok appeals to teenagers and young adults, whereas Instagram tends to be more engaging for the millennial crowd, especially those from mid-twenties to early thirties.
• Thus, the above age difference affects how materials are created, consumed, and marketed on each platform.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels Advertising

(Source: planable.io)

• The performed advertising analyses on TikTok and Instagram Reels suggested that Instagram Reels offers higher reach levels and greater impressions.
• Instagram Reels reached 389,298 in the region, reaching twice that of TikTok, which got only 199,477.
• Also, with the impressions scenario, Instagram Reels racked up 604,350, while TikTok only got 228,537.
• This meant it could be capable of exposing advertisements to larger audiences more effectively on Instagram Reels.
• Price-wise, it goes with the cheaper side for Instagram Reels. The cost it incurred to reach 1,000 went for US$2.60 on Instagram Reels, which compared to the US$5.03 of TikTok.
• Likewise, the CPM was US$1.67 for Reels. However, TikTok CPM was US$4.38, thus backing that more value is offered by Instagram for broad exposure.
• In terms of actual user engagement, there were a few more clicks on Instagram Reels, 36 clicks to TikTok’s 28. CPC stood lower on Reels at US$28.08, against TikTok’s higher price of US$35.72. This means that IG Reels create more traffic at a better rate.
• In short, the data indicates that Reels creates more impressions and reach at a cheaper price, while engagement via CTR is similarly low on both platforms.

TikTok vs Instagram Reels – Most Watched

Instagram

(Source: demandsage.com)

Most Watched TikTok Videos Worldwide

(Reference: statista.com)

• The number-one-viewed Instagram reel in early 2025 featured a spectacular trick in freestyle football at a waterfall by @riswan_freestyle, attaining 491 million views to become the first-ever greatest performing Reel on the platform.
• Whereas TikTok, with a mammoth 2.3 billion views, distinguishes itself as the most viewed short-form video ever by far, courtesy of Zach King’s “Magic Ride.”
• Ranked second on Instagram in terms of viewership was a Galaxy S23 Ultra promo featuring BTS’s J-Hope, clocking in at 316 million views, followed by a Galaxy S23 Ultra ad from @samsungmobile with 298 million views.
• TikTok’s second-most popular video, culminating in 1.7 billion views, was a festively themed James Charles beauty video, far beyond even Instagram’s greatest hits.
• The third-most viewed TikTok was again an illusion by Zach King, titled ‘Unexpected Hiding Spots,’ with 1.1 billion views, showing that even Zach’s third-most popular video had more than twice the views of the top video on Instagram.
• Khaby Lame, on the other hand, is the star of viral popularity on Instagram, with several reels touching more than 230 million views, such as “Guys how many times it happen to you?” at 289 million, and “Btw I love this kid,” 272 million.
• While funny and silent reactions of Khaby Lame consistently grace the top ranks of Instagram, none of his videos reach the billions-view count which TikTok flaunts.
• This brings to light a huge difference in scale, where TikTok’s most viral content reaches out to the masses, Instagram Reels retains a fairly strong but modest viewership even among its most popular creators.

Conclusion

TikTok vs Instagram Reels statistics: By 2024, as per the levels of engagement, daily use, and interactivity with the creators, TikTok will rule with high comment levels. Still, Instagram Reels is a player worthy of being taken seriously in the ecosystem, boasting a very strong advertising potential as well as high content consumption.

This means brands and creators cannot completely disregard any one platform: TikTok is excellent for reach and viral commerce. Reels, on the other hand, give a more community feel to monetisation avenues. Hence, an effective strategy would include both platforms, leveraging TikTok for discovery and flair, with Instagram Reels plugged in for deeper engagement and ROI.

Maitrayee Dey

Maitrayee Dey has a background in Electrical Engineering and has worked in various technical roles before transitioning to writing. Specializing in technology and Artificial Intelligence, she has served as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, particularly focusing on education and healthcare in Australia. Maitrayee's lifelong passions for writing and painting led her to pursue a full-time writing career. She is also the creator of a cooking YouTube channel, where she shares her culinary adventures. At Smartphone Thoughts, Maitrayee brings her expertise in technology to provide in-depth smartphone reviews and app-related statistics, making complex topics easy to understand for all readers.

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