Alternatives to Instagram for Android and iPhone

Done with Instagram? Here Are Six Great Alternatives for the iPhone

If Facebook's acquisition of Instagram has you put off from using the service, there are more than a handful of alternatives out there. Here's a look at other apps you can use to get the same results from a still-independent developer.

Wait, Should I Really Ditch Instagram?

No, I don't think you should and this post should not be read as an attack on Instagram. Personally, I like the service and don't care at all, whatsoever, that Facebook has acquired the company. Its developers, Mike and Kevin, have worked exceptionally hard to create a great photo-based social network and I think it's great that they're going to have Facebook's support going forward. That said, a lot of people aren't happy about Facebook owning Instagram and are worried about what may happen in the long run. If that's you, and you really want to leave Instagram behind, here are some alternatives. First things first, however, you might want to export your photos from the Instagram service.

By the way, this post only focuses on options for the iPhone because we tackled alternatives for Android last week (for another reason entirely). If you're an Android user, read this instead. iOS users, read on.

The Options

PicPlz

PicPlz is probably the most popular alternatives to Instagram because it was on of the only and best alternatives on Android. PicPlz has an iPhone app, too, so Instagram expats on the platform can switch over, too. Like Instagram, PicPlz offers photo filters and frames that you can easily apply with a couple of taps. You can also turn your image into a meme, draw on it, crop, rotate, and perform a few other actions you won't find in Instagram's app. You won't have some of the neat filters like Tilt Shift, but you do have pretty much the same sharing options. If you want an alternative that offers much of the same functionality, PicPlz is a good way to go.

Download PicPlz (Free)

PicYou

PicYou has an interface that's remarkably similar to Instagram and offers an instant sharing feature. Basically, you decide if you want to share on Twitter and/or Facebook automatically and PicYou makes that happen. Like all of the apps on this list, you can apply filters and frames. You can also access all your photos on the web from the PicYou web site. The primary downside to PicYou is that some filters cost $1 (as in-app purchases). It's certainly not the cheapest option, but it retains a lot of the elegance people have come to like about Instagram and it offers a very similar feature set.

Download PicYou (Free + In-App Purchases)

Hipstamatic

Hipstamatic was (probably) the original faux-vintage camera app and is great for people who like the tedium of actually using a camera from (likely) before they were born. With Hipstamatic you can swap lenses, flashes, and film stocks rather than just tapping a style and sticking with it. You also get the realism of having to pay for each of these items, as most are in-app purchases. Hipstamatic also emulates the developing process of a real camera. All of these things are either annoying or charming, depending on what kind of person you are. You'll also want to have a few dollars to blow if you do pick up this app as there are many things to purchase and the app, itself, starts at $2.

Download Hipstamatic ($2)

EyeEm

EyeEm is another filter and frames photo app with a social twist, allowing you to share photos in groups. Do you take pictures of coffee? Share them in a group of other pictures people have taken of coffee. You can share on pretty much all the popular services the other apps offer as well, but if you're into the group photography thing then EyeEm is worth a look.

Download EyeEm (Free)

Camera+

Camera+ is our favorite camera app for iPhone. It's not necessarily what you'd think of as an Instagram replacement, as it's not built for social photography, but you can share the photos you snap and it's got more filters and photo editing tools than you'll probably need. It's a really great app, costs $1, and will help you get better images out of your iPhone.

Download Camera+ ($1)

Camera Awesome

Camera Awesome is another non-social camera app, but it offers filters and effects as well. It's worth mentioning as a free alternative to Camera+. While we still prefer Camera+, Camera Awesome is a close second and definitely worthwhile for those of you who can't spare a dollar.

Download Camera Awesome (Free)

Five alternatives to Instagram on Android

by Cory Gunther

So Instagram is finally available for Android whether you like it or not. Although its been downloaded well over 5 million times and has tons of fans iPhone users aren’t happy it’s on Android, and now they’ve instantly lost tons of fans for being sellouts to Facebook. Today we’ve gathered five of our favorite Instagram alternatives for Android and they are all free but one. Check it out!

Many aren’t happy with the fact that Instagram is getting so much attention while it’s nothing more than a simple filter application and there’s already plenty available. Others are upset because after signing up and joining the bandwagon after landing on Android Instagram sold-out to Facebook for 1 billion dollars. Whether you love it or hate it you’ll want to see these other options.

Pixlr-o-matic
For starters I’m going to mention one of my personal favorites that I’ve used long before Instagram came around, and that is Pixlr-o-matic. Instagram is nothing more than a filter according to some — so that is exactly what you get with Pixlr. It doesn’t offer the social aspects of Instagram but they have tons more filters, not to mention awesome borders, tweaks, glare, glitter and more.

You can get it from the Google Play Store by clicking here, and it’s completely free. Many consider this the best photography app for Android and iOS period, so it’s definitely worth checking out.

Flickr
For those that don’t remember Flickr actually released their own Android app last year that is quite awesome. It has everything we already know and love about Flickr, including its huge community, and adds filters, boarders and all the sharing to Facebook options that Instagram has too.

Flickr works worldwide and supports tons of languages, they just updated and added 9 more recently too. Some might not think to mention Flickr but it truly is just as good, or better than those so called “sellouts”. Get it from the Play Store right now.

StreamZoo
For those that want it all we’d have to also recommend Streamzoo for the fact that it has all the filters and everything you’d want, social aspects, and even makes it into a fun little game where you can collect badges and more. If you want all the features imaginable for a photo app — this is the answer.

Streamzoo is actually probably what I use the most and really has some awesome effects unlike anything else. Being able to add blur to certain areas or aspects of an image while leaving the rest in focus and more. It makes us cheaters seem like real photographers. Streamzoo has 14 filters to Instagrams 17 or so but they also have 15 borders and tons of options beyond those two traditional choices.

We’ve heard multiple tips that Streamzoo is one of the best, and couldn’t agree more. Get it right here.

Magic Hour
This is the only paid app that we wanted to mention, and they have a free version for those that would like to test it out first. Magic Hour just like all the others has just about every feature that Instagram has, and them some — Only lacking the social community aspects. Magic Hour will transform your photos into extraordinary ones and has no shortage of filters. What make it unique is you can download literally dozens and dozens, instead of the few available for the other photo apps.

Like we mentioned above Magic Hour comes both free and paid but you’ll need the paid version ($1.99) to do things like use photos from the gallery or download additional filters. The interface could be a little smoother, and creating a finished product takes a little longer than Instagram but it’s well worth it in the end. Get it from the market by clicking here.

Hipster
Last but definetaly not least is an awesome app called Hipster for those that think they are hip and cool. I just learned about this today but it very well could be my new favorite photo app. Hipster actually borrows a lot from Instagram but they do offer a few things to differentiate themselves such as postcard options. Another cool option is Geo-tagging so you can snap a photo of an awesome campsite or monument and tag it so everyone knows exactly where the photo was taken.

Just like Instagram the user interface is very straightforward and opens up instantly to something familiar. It is probably one of the quickest and easiest of the 5 mentioned here today (once you signup) and you’ll be snapping pictures and making postcards in no time. The loading of popular images was a little slow, but that could also be because it is pulling map and location data too. You can follow friends, or see pictures taken around you. Get Hipster right here!

So there you go folks! Five awesome alternatives to the popular and trendy Instagram that seems to be sooo cool as of late. We’ll see how long that lasts now that Facebook is about to take the reigns. I was actually kinda enjoying Instagram until I heard the news that they sold to Facebook, that left a sour taste in my mouth to be honest — then again that was too good a deal to pass up. Seriously? They get 1 billion while Kodak is going bankrupt? Explain that one.

Enjoy the suggestions and let us know what you think. Or just upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and use the “stock” filters provided by Google.

Done with Instagram? Here Are Six Great Alternatives for the iPhone