TikTok or Instagram, which one is better for monetization?
TikTok and Instagram are two of the most popular platforms for sharing videos and photos, improving daily and attracting more users. According to the latest available statistics, Instagram and TikTok each have more than 2 billion monthly active users, which shows that these two platforms have a lot of potential to earn money.
Since many influencers and content creators are active on TikTok and Instagram, the question arises: Which of these platforms is better for earning money? In this post, we will compare the potential of each of these platforms to earn money.

Advantages and disadvantages of using TikTok for monetization
As a platform for sharing short videos, TikTok has become very popular among users, especially young users and Generation Z. Here, we will mention the most important advantages and disadvantages of using TikTok to earn money.
Advantages of using TikTok for monetization
Algorithm: TikTok’s algorithms are designed to allow new creators to become famous quickly. So, if you are a new creator, TikTok algorithms will help you.
Monetization Features: TikTok offers various ways for creators to earn money, including Creator Rewards Program, Series, TikTok Creator Marketplace, Video Gifts, Effect House Creator Rewards, TikTok Creative Challenge, and Shop affiliate program.
Short videos: TikTok is a platform based on short videos, which makes it easier for creators to make videos.
Video creation tools: TikTok has provided creative tools for making videos. You can use these tools to produce more interesting content.
Young audience: TikTok has a predominantly young audience. According to recent statistics, approximately 48% of TikTok users are between 18 and 29, making TikTok a suitable platform for brands that want to market their products or services to younger generations.
Disadvantages of using TikTok for monetization
Focus on entertaining content: The content published on TikTok is mainly entertaining, which may not be suitable for all businesses and brands.
Monetization features requirements: Some Tiktok Monetization features have requirements that make their use impossible for all creators, such as the Creator Rewards Program requirements, which is only available for users in the United States, Korea, Japan, Germany, Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom.
Advantages and disadvantages of using Instagram for monetization
As one of the most popular social media with more than 1.5 billion monthly active users, Instagram has become a great platform for influencers and content creators to earn money. Here are the most important advantages and disadvantages of using Instagram to earn money:
Advantages of using Instagram for monetization
Audiences with different age groups: Unlike TikTok, which is generally used by young people, Instagram’s audience consists of different age groups. This diversity of audiences provides countless opportunities for businesses, creatives, and influencers to connect with a wider range of people and achieve their goals.
Making money from stories: Stories are popular among Instagram users, and their user interaction rate is very high. You can earn money by publishing advertising stories and inserting a link in the story. Note that your account must be a business account to insert a link in the story.
Established platform: Unlike TikTok, whose use is restricted on government devices in many countries, and there are reports of its complete blocking in the United States, Instagram is an established platform with more than a decade of activity.
Monetization features: Instagram has provided tools such as Instagram Subscriptions, Reels Play Bonus Program, and Creator Marketplace to earn money for users.
Disadvantages of using Instagram for monetization
High competition: The competition in creating content and visibility on Instagram is very high, so this may be a serious challenge for newbies.
Limited Monetization features: While Instagram has provided tools such as Subscriptions, Reels Play Bonus Program, and Creator Marketplace to earn money directly from this platform, TikTok is more successful in this field and offers more diverse tools to earn money directly from the platform. Gives.
Understanding the Algorithm: Instagram’s algorithms change daily, making it difficult to predict what content will be most successful.
TikTok Monetization Features
Creator Rewards Program
Creator Rewards Program is a new initiative from TikTok that allows creators to earn money by making creative and long videos (more than 1 minute). It was introduced in February 2023 to encourage creators to create original and high-quality content.
Eligibility requirements
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have at least 10,000 followers
- Have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- Videos longer than one minute
- Have a personal account in good standing. Business accounts are not accepted.
- Post original content
- Follow TikTok’s Community Guidelines
- Creators must be located in countries where the Creator Rewards Program is active. The Program is currently active in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, and Brazil.
TikTok Series
Series allows qualified creators to post a series of premium content behind a paywall and get paid for that content on TikTok. With this feature, you can provide premium content to your audience in exchange for money.
Eligibility requirements
- Be at least 18 years old
- At least 30 days have passed since the account was created
- Have a public personal account or Business Account
- Having at least 3 posts posted in the last 30 days
- Having at least 10,000 followers
- Having at least 1000 video views in the previous 30 days
- Post original content
- Follow TikTok’s Community Guidelines
TikTok Creator Marketplace
TikTok Creator Marketplace is a platform that allows creators and brands to collaborate directly with each other. According to TikTok, you’ll receive invitations from brands to work on branded content once you’re in.
Video Gifts
If you enable this feature, your audience can spend diamonds (TikTok’s internal currency) for you to appreciate your content. Video Gifts are a great way to get donations from your audience.
Effect House Creator Rewards
This program encourages creators to create attractive effects. TikTok gives cash rewards to creators of attractive and popular effects.
TikTok Creative Challenge
Creative Challenge allows creators to submit video ads for brand challenges and win prizes. Creators do not need to post ads on their profiles. Brands also benefit from content created by creators, and this is a mutually beneficial platform for creators and brands.
Eligibility requirements
- Be at least 18 years old
- Having a US-based account
- Having at least 50,000 followers
- Adherence to TikTok’s Community Guidelines
Shop affiliate program
With the Shop affiliate program, you can advertise a brand’s products to your audience and receive a commission for each sale. You can attach product links to your video, and then the audience can experience an in-app purchase.
Instagram Monetization Features
Subscriptions
Content creators on Instagram can receive a monthly subscription from the audience for their exclusive content with the help of the Subscriptions feature. Creators can set various monthly subscriptions from 99 cents to 99 dollars.
Eligibility requirements
- Above 18 years of age
- Having a Creator or Business account
- Having at least 10,000 followers
- Follow Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies
- Being in a country where this feature is active: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States
Reels Play Bonus Program
Reels Play Bonus Program is another Instagram program that allows creators to earn directly from this platform. After the creator’s Reels receive a certain number of views in a certain period, Instagram pays the creator an amount.
Creator Marketplace
Instagram introduced Creator Marketplace in 2022. It is a platform for brands and creators to collaborate on advertising and marketing. The platform helps creators and brands find, negotiate, and collaborate.
However, according to Insider’s report, the Creator Marketplace has a few downsides. A number of Instagram creators interviewed by the publication said the market has few well-known brands and not enough quality brand deals. Some were also disappointed by the low wage rate offered in the market.
Which one is better for monetization, TikTok or Instagram?
Choosing between TikTok and Instagram for monetization depends on the type of content you produce and your target audience. For example, if you produce entertaining content, TikTok will be a more suitable option because most users are young people eager to see entertaining content. However, you intend to create educational content. In that case, it is better to choose Instagram for publishing content and monetization because it has a wide range of audiences of different age groups.
Another parameter for choosing the right option between TikTok and Instagram to earn money is their monetization features. TikTok has provided many tools to earn money directly from this platform, and it has done better than Instagram in this field. So, if you want to earn money directly from the platform, TikTok is a better option, but if you have your own strategies to earn money or collaborate with brands, you can choose Instagram to earn money.
One of the strengths of TikTok compared to Instagram is having in-app virtual currency. By collecting coins in TikTok, you can spend them to increase video views, unlock filters and special camera effects.
If you live in the United States and want to start making money from TikTok, you should remember that it may be completely banned in the United States. On March 14, 2024, the US House approves a bill forcing TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese parent company, Bytedance, or face a US ban.