As the January 19, 2025 TikTok ban approaches and the U.S. Supreme Court continues to deliberate on the potential ban, millions of TikTok users are flocking to other platforms in hopes of finding a viable alternative.
This case has become a landmark battle between free speech and national security, beginning in early 2024 when President Joe Biden signed a law that would make TikTok illegal for distribution in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform by January 19, 2025. Under the ban, TikTok would no longer be available for download through the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Several apps are vying for the top spots in the Apple App Store and Google Play, with the number one spot ironically occupied by the Chinese app RedNote, which recently surpassed Lemon8—another ByteDance-owned app.
So, where is everyone heading? Here are 10 apps gaining traction as the potential TikTok ban looms:
（1）RedNote
A rising star in the short-video space, RedNote has quickly gained popularity by offering features similar to TikTok, especially focusing on music and short-form video content.
（2）Lemon8
Another ByteDance-owned app, Lemon8 focuses on lifestyle content. Though it has lost ground to RedNote, it remains a strong contender with a growing user base.
（3）Instagram Reels
Instagram's answer to TikTok, Reels has gained significant popularity, benefiting from Instagram's established user base and familiar interface, making it a go-to alternative for many TikTok users.
（4）YouTube Shorts
YouTube’s Shorts feature, developed in response to TikTok, has quickly attracted a large number of creators and brands, offering a similar short-form video experience with the added benefit of YouTube's broad audience.
（5）Snapchat Spotlight
While Snapchat is an older app, its Spotlight feature aims to compete with TikTok by enabling short-form video content creation, appealing to users who prefer the Snapchat ecosystem.
（6）Triller
A direct competitor to TikTok, Triller offers advanced video editing tools and social features that make it a popular platform for short-video creators looking for an alternative.
（7）Dubsmash
Once one of TikTok's biggest competitors, Dubsmash has refocused on lip-sync videos and continues to appeal to users who enjoy this type of content.
（8）Clash
Founded by former Vine stars, Clash seeks to capture the essence of short-form video content while emphasizing community engagement, attracting many creators to its platform.
（9）Bigo Live
Primarily focused on live streaming, Bigo Live is also pushing more short-video content, hoping to draw users from TikTok with its social features and video creation tools.
（10）Zynn
Zynn briefly gained popularity a few years ago and has made a comeback with an updated version aimed at directly competing with TikTok's format, offering similar features for short-video creation.
Since TikTok is temporarily inaccessible , these apps are striving to attract millions of displaced users, each offering their own unique spin on short-form video content. The competition in the short-video space is intensifying, and it will be interesting to see how the app ecosystem evolves in response to these changes.