The Never-Ending Debate: Facebook Or Instagram?

Ever since Instagram came onto the scene in 2010, there has been a constant debate among social-media users: which is better, Facebook or Instagram?

This debate has become more varied as the years have gone on. As of 2023, it’s possible to add TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit and even Snapchat into the mix. But for the most part, Facebook and Instagram remain the biggest social media platforms in the world – especially when it comes to websites, not mobile apps.

At MySocialBook, we have no preference. Both Facebook and Instagram are perfect avenues for connecting with friends, uploading pictures, and getting an insight into what’s trending worldwide. Plus, you can make a Facebook photo book just as easily as you can make one for Instagram, so there’s no competition in our eyes!

That being said, you might be one of these people who just want one social media platform. A quick and easy way to keep up with all your friends in one space without frantically clicking between apps like a maniac! Similarly, you might want to delete one of these platforms to keep things more accessible and streamlined.

So which one should you go for? Facebook or Instagram? In this blog, we’re going to weigh up the differences between both and try to help you make a decision you won’t regret:

The Best Things About Instagram

First off, let’s look at the best things about Instagram and why it has amassed over 2.35 billion active users in just twelve years:

• It’s The Platform For Picture Lovers

If you’ve been uploading photos to our photo book maker, you’re probably an avid photographer who enjoys keeping all the memories close at hand. In terms of social media, the best platform in this regard is Instagram. This is the photographer’s app. With minimal written content, your feed is only updated by photographs or videos, making it perfect if you want a truthful, visual snapshot of your friends’ day. 

• It’s Great If You Like Video Content

Speaking of videos, it’s also a great platform for visual content like reels. While you can add reels to Facebook, it’s a far easier process on Instagram, and it’s now a common way to interact with friends – on Facebook, it’s more of a side feature.

• It’s Cleaner Than Facebook

This might be a personal preference, but we can’t help but feel that Instagram is cleaner than Facebook. That is to say, it’s more aesthetically pleasing. If you scroll through Instagram, you get a full-blown look at what your friends have been up to. If you scroll through Facebook, you can see what your friends have been getting up to, but all of it is squeezed amongst ads and random pages you didn’t even know you followed. 

• It’s The Influencer’s Platform

For those who want to be an influencer – or love following influencers – Instagram is the certified influencer-friendly platform. Just reading a quick guide to Instagram photography will tell you the best way to upload, and then Instagram can do the rest. It can connect you to the right people, help you stay aware of trends, and make sure it all remains simple. Again, Facebook is also utilised by influencers, but it’s common knowledge that Instagram is the hub of choice. 

• It’s Cooler

Lastly, you may not care about this thing, but Instagram is seen as cooler than Facebook. This is because – having launched in 2011 – it has more of a millennial and Gen Z user base, while Facebook has more users between the ages of 25 and 34. 

The Best Things About Facebook

But it’s not all about Instagram. Below you’ll find the best things about Facebook and why it might be the perfect platform for you:

• It’s The All-Rounder

We said before that Instagram is great for picture and video lovers, but the truth is, Facebook does both of those things too. It just adds content on top of them. Facebook is the perfect all-rounder platform, perfect if you want to upload a new photo album or just write a few words on your day. 

• It Has Better Quality Images

We can’t verify this is true, but we heard on the grapevine that Facebook allows for better-quality images than Instagram. Quite the scandal, given Instagram is the photographer’s platform!

• It Gives You Real Insights

Because of the emphasis on content, Facebook is the best app if you are looking for more in-depth insights into your friends’ lives. This isn’t only because Facebook allows you to post content but because Instagram often offers a slightly distorted view of what your friends are actually doing or feeling. Pictures can be misleading, but words are always true.

• It’s Better For The Whole Fam 

We mentioned that Facebook is more of an “older people platform”, but this can be a good thing if you want to connect with family. Family members, including parents, uncles, aunts, and even grandparents, find it easier to use Facebook and – according to the data – appear to prefer it. This allows you to connect more with your wider family.

• It’s More User-Friendly

Lastly, Facebook is laid out much better on the web than Instagram. Not only this, but Instagram usability isn’t always 100%, and users do have to work out how to fix Instagram lagging every now and then. Facebook, on the other hand, seems to have put more emphasis on giving users a great browsing experience no matter what they’re browsing on.

What You Should Choose

So let’s come down to the real question, which social media platform should you go for? Drum roll, please…

We don’t know! Seriously, we don’t know, and we won’t be so presumptuous as to tell you what you should choose! All we can do is lay out the benefits of both and hopefully aid you in your decision. In our opinion, Facebook and Instagram are brilliant in their own way, so it’s about weighing up which you prefer and going with your gut…

Or just give up and stick with both. Sure it might be crowded, but hey, at least you’ll be getting the best of both worlds!