Instagram vs. Vine

Mallory Scudder | @MalloryScudder Up until a few weeks ago Instagram ruled the world of photo apps while Vine ruled the world of video. However, Instagram’s introduction of video services is a major game changer leaving many users wondering if Vine will become a thing of the past.

Following Instagram’s video service announcement on June 20, Vine sharing on Twitter dramatically dropped by 40 percent in just one day, according to Marketing Land.

But there is more to the competition between the two than meets the eye. It is important to remember that while they both offer similar services, they are entirely different from one another, as seen in the chart below.

In the end, what it really comes down to is Facebook vs. Twitter.

Vine, a Twitter-owned micro video service, was designed to be much like Twitter. It influences creativity by using a minimalist style. Twitter allows only 140 characters in tweets while with Vine users have only six seconds to express themselves, so those few seconds or character had better be good.

Facebook-owned Instagram offers a variety of features like 13 different photo filters that allow users to put their mark of creativity on the image in a matter of seconds. With Instagram, the creativity begins after the image or video has been uploaded. But with Vine, it is the video itself that requires the thought and creativity.

Those who prefer Twitter will likely remain Vine enthusiasts. They like the style of “less is more” and prefer the challenge of expressing themselves in only 6 seconds. Fans of Facebook will likely remain faithful users of Instagram (or maybe they just haven't yet discovered Vine). The "battle" between Instagram and Vine is not much different than that of Facebook vs. Twitter or Mac vs. PC... it is a more a matter of individual taste and style than anything else.