Quibi vs TikTok: Which short form video app is the best?

Quibi vs TikTok: Which short form video app is the best?

TikTok, land of fun viral videos, is the name on the lips of teenagers and elders alike. But now there's a new video app exclusively for mobile: Quibi. Most people had never heard of either video service before last year, so they are probably trying to understand the difference between Quibi and TikTok.

Quibi and TikTok, while similar in format, are very different in how they use content. This Quibi vs. TikTok showdown will explain the differences between the two services and help you discern which is right for you.

The overall good news is that you don't have to choose one over the other. Perhaps it's just a matter of figuring out which one you prefer and going from there; see also my full review of how Quibi works.

The best things in life are free, and so is TikTok; the app, which has skyrocketed in popularity in 2019, opens its doors to everyone without charge. Quibi, on the other hand, has two paid tiers and no free package - though it does offer a 90-day free trial, so there's plenty of time to try Quibi before paying.

Quibi starts at $4.99 for the ad-supported version and $7.99 for the ad-free version; Quibi's ads themselves are fairly short, but TikTok does not have many ads (there was a Quibi ad in TikTok).

The biggest difference in this Quibi vs. TikTok matchup concerns the content within both apps. Certainly, both focus on short-form content, with TikTok's episodes lasting less than a few minutes and Quibi's less than 10 minutes, but the similarities stop there.

For starters, Quibi's shows work in both landscape and portrait video modes. This is thanks to a feature called Turnstyle, which allows the phone to be rotated 90 degrees for a seamless transition, so that Quibi shows are shot in both portrait and landscape orientation, allowing the show to be viewed from different angles.

Think of Quibi as your local multiplex and TikTok as a comedy club where anyone can get on stage; Quibi's shows and films are more sophisticated, Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and Chrissy Teigen (Lip Sync Battle), among many other stars. Notable TikTok celebrities include Charli D'Amelio, Chase Hudson, Addison Rae, and Josh Richards, all between the ages of 15 and 19.

You can join TikTok, too. The app not only allows you to consume content, but also to create it. You choose an audio track, perform in front of the camera, and edit it in hopes of viral success.

And that hits on another difference: Quibi consists of a wider range of content than TikTok, including drama, reality shows, news, comedy, etc. See Quibi's list of best shows. TikTok, on the other hand, focuses on combining live performers with music and soundtracks.

Now, Quibi is the new kid on the block, trying to get people to put TikTok (and all other apps) on to grab their attention for 10 minutes or less.For more information on Quibi, see my review. It charges $4.99. long trial period before it starts is a big factor in Quibi's success.

But don't worry about TikTok; Quibi is not competing in the same lane as TikTok, and no one seems to be making videos elsewhere, pulling away TikTok creators.

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