The Best Social Media Apps of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: May 07, 2021
When it comes to social media apps, our top pick is Facebook. It's one of the most popular social media networks and widely used across age groups and other demographics. If Facebook isn't a good fit for your social style or you want to branch out beyond just one app, we have nine other options for you to try.
Top 10 Social Media Apps to Try
- Facebook — Top Pick
- Instagram — Best for Photography
- Twitter — Best Free Version
- LinkedIn — Best for Professional Networking
- Pinterest — Best for Creatives
- Snapchat — Best for Privacy
- YouTube — Best for Educational Content
- TikTok — Best for Videos
- Tumblr — Best for Artists
- Reddit — Best for Specific Interests
How We Chose the Best Social Media Apps
As we were researching and vetting social media apps for this list, we looked at a few key features. The ability to chat or do video calls with other members was a key component, as was the ability to share live videos with your followers. We also looked to see if the app has multi-language support to ensure it was inclusive to everyone. Most of the social media apps on this list are free, but you may be able to pay for access to premium content or buy badges, filters, and other extras through in-app purchases.
Choose the social media app that’s right for you
When you’re deciding which social media app is right for you, you want to consider what your goals are for using it. If you just want to connect with friends and family members virtually, an app like Facebook or Instagram has more than enough to satisfy this need. If you’re an influencer or a business owner who wants to grow your brand or reach out to complete strangers, an app like Twitter gives you a bigger audience. You’ll also want to decide if you’re going to be mainly posting in text, images, or videos, as each app handles these a bit differently.
Protecting your privacy
Any time you’re using a social media app, privacy is important. Most apps have specific security and privacy settings you can customize to choose who can see what you post or find you on the app. If you need to maintain a professional demeanor online or have small children you want to protect, making use of the strictest privacy settings on the apps you choose — and choosing an app that has good privacy settings in the first place — is of critical importance.
Our Social Media App Reviews
Facebook — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Facebook is thought of as one of the original social media apps and was first limited to college students as a type of virtual yearbook. Over the years, the app has expanded and is now a full social media app, complete with its own messaging and video calling system, the ability to do live video sharing, and even a social marketplace for buying and selling goods. Facebook has a relatively easy-to-use platform, and it’s simple to find and add friends, which makes it a good choice for beginners. It also has a lot of detailed privacy settings you can customize.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $399.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| Facebook Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Full suite of features | Relatively heavy advertising |
| In-app marketplace | |
Instagram — Best for Photography
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Instagram started as a social media platform that mainly focused on sharing pictures, but it’s evolved to include videos and live streaming. Instagram is a great way for businesses to expand their audience reach using hashtags, which are a way to categorize your posts, and the reel feature also helps your brand stand out. Instagram makes it easy to ask your followers questions, take polls, and respond to followers in real-time. Instagram is owned by the same people who run Facebook, so some features, such as messaging, connect and overlap.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $4.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| Instagram Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Focused on videos | No marketplace |
| Lots of post creation options | |
Twitter — Best Free Version
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS
Twitter originally branded its social media app as focused on short, succinct text-based posts. The original character limit was just 140, but that’s been expanded to 280 for text, and image and video linking are now supported as well. Twitter is completely free, and there are no in-app purchase options because you don’t need them. All content and features are provided in the full version for no cost.
- Free platform, no in-app purchases available
- Support available: Help center
| Twitter Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free | Limited text posts |
| Easy way to follow companies | |
LinkedIn — Best for Professional Networking
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
If your main goal with social media is to connect with colleagues or engage in professional networking, LinkedIn is by far the best choice. It’s also a great option for those who want to improve their professional reputation or need to maintain a certain public image. LinkedIn lets you connect with those you work with, and those they work with, to build your social networking circle. You can author and publish posts about industry issues and trends to help establish a professional platform. The site also features job listings and is often used by recruiters to find potential new hires at top companies. While LinkedIn is available for free, you can also upgrade to a premium version with additional features for a monthly fee.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $29.99 – $59.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| LinkedIn Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Ability to create professional posts | Some main features require a paid version |
| Lots of job postings | |
| Access to recruiters | |
Pinterest — Best for Creatives
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Pinterest is a social media platform that started as a digital corkboard of sorts where users could “pin” ideas. It began with mostly crafts, recipes, and home design ideas but has expanded to cover pretty much every subject out there. You can also post short tutorial style videos, and it’s a great way for businesses to generate more traffic to blogs and websites if they can post content that targets the right audience. Pinterest also lets you connect with and follow people you know or are interested in, such as interior designers or public figures, and you can message within the app.
- Free platform, no in-app purchases available
- Support available: Help center
| Pinterest Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Huge library of ideas | Not as much engagement between members |
| Digital inspiration board | |
Snapchat — Best for Privacy
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
The Snapchat social media app sets itself apart from others by automatically deleting content that was sent in messages after it’s been read. Some updates to the app now let you choose not to delete the messages or change the timeframe for deletion — deleting every 24 hours, for example, instead of right after they’ve been read. It can be a little hard to follow the thread of the conversation when messages are constantly being deleted, but this is a huge plus for those who value privacy and don’t want messages recorded. The app will also alert you if someone takes a screenshot of the conversation.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $399.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| Snapchat Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Automatic message deletion | Mostly younger demographic |
| Good privacy settings | |
YouTube — Best for Educational Content
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
YouTube was the original social media site for video content, and while you can still reach followers and share life updates this way, much of YouTube has been changed into a library of educational/self-help videos and tutorials. Episodes of popular shows can also be found on YouTube, and the service has a subscription option ($11.99 per month) that gives you a viewing library similar to cable TV, competing with some of the more popular streaming apps.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $11.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| YouTube Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Large library of video content | Not as much member-to-member engagement |
| Ability to monetize content | |
TikTok — Best for Videos
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
TikTok is a social media app based around video content, with most videos being 30 seconds or less and set to popular music. The app usually has trends going where multiple users will try the same challenge or post similar content, such as the popular TikTok dances. TikTok has in-app direct messaging, supports live video, and has content across all interests.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $99.99 per item
- Support available: Help center
| TikTok Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Wide audience reach | A lot of 18+ content |
| In-app video editing | |
Tumblr — Best for Artists
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Tumblr is designed around helping artists, budding or established, get their artwork out there to more people and establish a professional presence. It can be especially helpful for up-and-coming artists building a digital portfolio and reaching prospective clients for commissions. You can also connect with like-minded members, and the hashtag system makes it easy to get inspiration from other artists.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $9 – $49 per item
- Support available: Help center
| Tumblr Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Video and photo editing tools | Mainly photo-based |
| GIF creation feature | |
Reddit — Best for Specific Interests
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Reddit is a social media app that functions along the lines of a forum. Posts can be classified according to topics under threads and subthreads, and other members can reply directly to that post or to the poster personally through the direct messaging feature. No matter what your interests are, there’s probably a subcategory for it already, which makes it easy to connect with other like-minded members. It’s also a great app for just scrolling through when you need advice on DIY home repairs or a company with iffy online reviews. The free version lets you access all content, but if you want to use the platform without ads, you’ll need to upgrade to Reddit Premium. This does bring with it the added bonus of 700 Coins — the fake digital currency this app uses — and a special lounge community open only to paid subscribers.
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $399.99 per item
- Support available: Help center, mobile help community
| Reddit Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Incredible selection of niche interest subthreads | No multi-language support |
| Easy to stay anonymous | |
Social Media Apps: Features Summary Table
| Social Media Apps Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | In-App Purchases | Features |
| Facebook — Top Pick | $0.99 – $399.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Instagram — Best for Photography | $0.99 – $4.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Twitter — Best Free Version | None available | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| LinkedIn — Best for Professional Networking | $29.99 – $59.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Pinterest — Best for Creatives | None available | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Snapchat — Best for Privacy | $0.99 – $399.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| YouTube — Best for Educational Content | $11.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| TikTok — Best for Videos | $0.99 – $99.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Tumblr — Best for Artists | $9- $49 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video ✓ Multi-Language Support |
| Reddit — Best for Specific Interests | $0.99 – $399.99 per item | ✓ In-App Calling/Chat ✓ Live Video X Multi-Language Support |