- It took TikTok just four years to beat all of its main competitors, with the exception of Facebook (for now)
- The platform has more than quadrupled its active user base since 2018.
From its inception in 2004, it took less than four years for Facebook to overtake Myspace in 2008. From that moment on, it has continued to dominate the social media landscape, with other platforms barely coming close in terms of active users. TikTok might change that.
TikTok, as we know it now, was released in 2017, but only for some markets outside of China. When it merged with Musical.ly in 2018, it launched worldwide, and thanks to its explosive growth, it now threatens to take Facebook’s crown.
BanklessTimes.com has gathered information on TikTok’s growth, and how it compared to not only Facebook, but all the other social media giants.
Comparing TikTok’s Active User Growth to Facebook’s
Let's dive into the numbers.
By the end of 2018 TikTok had roughly 271 million users. It continued growing more and more, reaching 1,719 million active users today, in 2022.
In comparison, Facebook already reached that number in early to mid 2018, according to Statista. However, what took Facebook 14 years, TikTok accomplished in less than four. The difference is quite substantial, but can we predict the future?
Looking at 2018, Facebook grew from roughly 1,750 million to 2,606 million active users in 2022 - an average annual growth rate of 12.2%. On the other hand, TikTok grew annually at a rate of 133.5% in that same period, more than ten times faster than what Facebook accomplished.
However, we should also observe the slowing down of this growth rate. Namely, Facebook only gained 106 million active users since 2021, while TikTok gained 319 million - respective increases of 4% and 18.2%
You will note that even taking this significantly slowed down rate of growth into account, TikTok is still growing much faster. If these lower growth rates remain stable, TikTok will reach 3,332 million active users in 2026 (taking into account the above mentioned yearly 18.2% growth rate). This will surpass Facebook’s estimated 2026 user base of 3,048 million (with its 4% annual growth rate).
Of course, we need to emphasize that this is only an estimate. There is no way to predict a new competitor showing up and disrupting the current social media ecosystem. Furthermore, we do not know whether TikTok will simply hit a plateau.
However, we do have to note that in 4 years, since 2018, TikTok has surpassed every one of its social network competitors, in terms of users, by far.
TikTok and Its (Remaining) Competition
Let’s just take a quick look at how TikTok fared against its competitors in the past, and the major milestones it reached.
TikTok surpassed Snapchat in 2017, sharing roughly 220 million active users. Snapchat peaked with 549 million users in 2022, less than a third of TikTok’s base currently.
Furthermore, TikTok also beat Twitter in 2018 with 271 million. Twitter’s user base dwindles at 397 million in 2022, far lower than TikTok currently.
Likewise, they beat Linkedin in 2019, with 600 million. Currently, LinkedIn is at 716 million active users.
Finally, TikTok overtook the previous contender, Instagram, with 1,150 million users in 2020, surpassing the latter’s 1,245 million users easily in 2022.
Where Did This Success Come From?
There are a few key reasons why TikTok has managed to outshine other social media platforms. For one, TikTok is extremely accessible and user-friendly. The app is designed to be simple and easy to use, with a focus on creating short, entertaining videos.
Another reason for TikTok's success is the fact that it allows users to be creative and express themselves in a variety of ways. The app provides a wide range of tools and features that allow users to edit and customize their videos, add special effects, and more.
Its popularity rising alongside the COVID-19 pandemic is no coincidence either, since people, being locked into their homes, had to find a new way to entertain and express themselves.
TikTok took the world by storm in an incredibly short amount of time. It's very exciting to think about what the future might hold in store for this platform and for the social media landscape in general.Jonathan Merry, CEO of BanklessTimes.com
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