VSCO and Instagram are two popular photography platforms. However, while they offer many of the same features, there are also some distinct differences between the two.
For example, Instagram does not cater specifically to photographers, but VSCO does. But, even with a strong focus on providing helpful tools for creatives, VSCO is still not as large or as popular as Instagram.
Furthermore, each platform has its own unique pros and cons which means you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs.
Read the rest of this guide on VSCO vs Instagram to discover more about each platform, including its setup process, features, ease of use, pricing, and more.
By the end of this guide, you will have a pretty good idea of which platform is better for you.
VSCO vs Instagram: Introduction
What is VSCO?
VSCO is a photography mobile app for Android and iOS devices. Created by Greg Lutze and Joel Flory in 2011, this app lets you capture and edit videos and photos using preset filters and various other editing tools.
Previously known as VSCO Cam, the platform was recently relaunched with new features focusing on creative inspiration, community, and streamlined workflows for creators.
This is a legitimate social network for photographers, videographers, filmmakers, and other professionals who want to connect with like-minded users. You can use the platform to share your visuals, connect with a community of creative users, and browse through their photos and videos to get inspiration.
You can choose the free version or subscribe to the premium plan. Start your membership with a free seven-day trial after which you will be charged an annual or monthly subscription.
Although the free plan has many of the tools required to start creating next-level images and videos, only members of the premium plan get access to advanced editing tools, extra filters, and photography tutorials and tips.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is an image-sharing app that was released in October 2006. The platform’s original authors are Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, but now it’s owned by Meta Platforms, the popular American company that also owns Facebook and Whatsapp.
Instagram provides a range of editing features and filters. You can share your pictures and other members on the platform and send instant messages. People that view your content can leave likes and comments on your images and videos.
This extremely visual platform, which is available on iPhone and Android, has emerged as the default social media network to get famous. One of the reasons for this is that it’s very easy to build a following on this medium, and also, the app has a staggering number of users: 500 million daily active users.
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VSCO vs Instagram: Setup
VSCO
The platform offers a creator-first editing experience. Users get optionality and control, as well as more ways to connect with other creative professionals. Furthermore, VSCO offers a transparent way to support yourself and the work you appreciate.
To get started on VSCO, simply click “Download for free” on the website homepage. You’ll be taken to the Apple Store where you can download the app.
To get started with Instagram, simply download the app from the Google Play or Microsoft stores.
Once you’ve installed the app on your phone, you will get instant access to all of its core features, including the ability to create, edit, and post images and videos, as well as things like follower insights, access to videos, photos, stories, carousels, and, of course, IGTV.
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VSCO vs Instagram: Features
VSCO
There’s no denying that VSCO is a powerful tool for serious smartphone photographers. Here’s a quick look at some of the platform’s key features to give you a better idea of what its capabilities are.
VSCO Spaces
The platform puts a strong focus on creating a community hub for creatives to create and engage with their peers. The Spaces feature is evidence of this. It’s a collaborative environment that allows creators to connect with others through collective galleries in order to workshop their ideas and share inspiration.
Camera
VSCO gives you an easy way to create your photos and videos. The camera feature has four camera options, DSCO, Prism, Retro, and Burst. You can try it out by navigating to your studio and clicking the camera icon. You’ll be able to dive into the features you need to step up your phone photography game.
Video Editor
You can use the same premium presets, editing tools, and effects on VSCO’s photo editor to transform videos on your mobile device. You also have the ability to experiment with color control using HSL. You can trim, crop, merge, or reverse videos. There are even exclusive features like “speed” to give your videos a slow-motion effect.
Photo Filters
VSCO presets let you take your photos to the next level. There are 15 free options to choose from within the app which means you can start editing your photos right away. The different presets each have unique features ranging from soft and muted to vibrant and bold. Overall, you’ll find plenty of superb filters that transform your images with great natural colors.
Collage
Use preset templates to create an attractive collage in seconds. Alternatively, you can start with a blank canvas if you want to compose something truly unique. Collages can be customized with colors, shapes, and many other elements.
Dodge & Burn
This tool allows you to control the light in your images and correct common issues. You can also use it as a way to guide your viewers’ attention to important parts of any image.
VSCO Stories
VSCO has a “stories” platform where you can find and share inspiration. Browse through member stories to discover new content relevant to your niche. Sift through curated collections of portrait photography, including backdrops, effective lighting, and poses for portraiture.
Other categories include:
- Sports photography
- Street photography
- Wildlife photography
- Architecture and interior photography
- Astrophotography
…and many others all curated by the platform’s experts.
You can also tell your stories by creating a sort of journal with text and photos.
This is a great feature that not only helps you avoid artist’s block but also inspires you to get out in the world and attempt different photography genres that you may never have tried before.
Without a doubt, Instagram is a powerful platform for anyone who wants to build a strong social following.
Below, we take a look at some of the best features of the platform that you should be using to further your goals.
Instagram Live Video
Image by Vishnu R Nair via Pexels
This feature allows you to stream videos on Instagram in real time. It lets you directly communicate with your followers and engage with their reactions and comments. This is a great way to gauge the relevancy of your content by seeing right away how it resonates with your audience.
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Instagram TV (IGTV)
IGTV is an in-app feature that lets you upload long-form videos. You can upload videos up to an hour long in both horizontal and vertical forms. Share a one-minute preview of your video on the main feed to let people know what it’s about.
Videos are recommended according to your following accounts, and as soon as users open the IGTV tab, videos are displayed automatically.
Instagram Hashtags
This is undoubtedly one of the most popular features on the platform. It allows you to add hashtags to your content in the form of words or symbols. The tag then links your post to all others with the same tag.
This way, when someone clicks on it, they will be taken to a page where there are similar posts with the same hashtag.
Instagram Stories
Image by George Milton via Pexels
Instagram stories are simply posts from users in an image or video form. For example, an Instagram story can be a photo slideshow.
Stories only last for a day after which they automatically disappear from the story section. You have the option to add your stories to your highlights permanently if you so desire.
Video and Image Editing Features
Like VSCO, Instagram also has editing tools and filters to help make your content more attractive. You can take photos in-app or upload photos and videos then proceed to edit them before posting.
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VSCO vs Instagram: Ease of Use
VSCO
As previously mentioned, to get started using the app, simply download it for free from the App Store. You’ll get instant access to filters, effects, and colleges. If you already have the app, just sign in and choose what you want to do next.
This platform was created by creators for creators. As such, it’s designed for simplicity and ease of use.
The photo and video editing app combines premium quality filters and editing tools with thoughtful curation and a vast community of creative professionals like yourself. This makes it easy to nurture creativity without having to worry about the technical aspects of the tools required.
Another great thing about using this platform is that there are no ads on it. Some brands have accounts there, but for the most part, it is a marketing-free space. You’ll never have to worry about being inundated by endless selfies, bots, ads, or influencers as you would be on a platform like Instagram.
Similar to its competitor, Instagram is designed to be extremely easy to use. However, it can take a little while to master for anyone who is new to the platform as some of the best Instagram tricks are not so obvious to newcomers.
Fortunately, there are a ton of user guides on the platform, as well as beginner’s guides on other websites online.
VSCO vs Instagram: Security
VSCO
There are many concerns online about the safety of VSCO, particularly for younger users. However, despite all the fear-mongering, the platform is quite safe to use – arguably even more so than apps like Instagram or Facebook.
First of all, the lack of comments, likes, and follower counts not only leads to less social anxiety, but also makes the platform less appealing to predators and cybercriminals.
Aside from that, the platform itself has stringent data security and privacy policies in place. Your purchase information, search history, and other data that is used to track you (such as contact info, identifiers, etc.) are kept safe and secure.
There are also many other common practices and measures that you can take to make your accounts more secure, such as creating a strong password that is unique to the platform and having a strong password for your associated email account, as well as your desktop/laptop login.
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Like VSCO, Instagram has strict security measures in place to protect the information of its users. But, the platform goes even further by adding two-factor authentication for extra account security.
Instagram also regularly does automated security checks in order to recover login information stolen from other websites.
VSCO vs Instagram: Pricing
VSCO
VSCO offers a range of plans suitable for users at every stage of the creative journey. There’s a free starter plan that comes with all the core presets and tools for basic image editing needs.
You get 15 essential presets and standard editing tools like white balance, contrast, and sharpen. You also get access to curated collections from popular creators across the globe.
There are two premium plans.
The Plus plan costs $29.99/year and comes with over 200 premium presets, a video and GIF editor, and advanced multimedia tools, including VSCO Spaces, HSL, and Dodge & Burn.
The Pro plan costs $59.99/year and includes everything in the Plus plan, as well as live chat support, early feature access, and customizable Pro presets with granular editing controls.
The Instagram app is free to download and use.
Also Read: Instagram vs Snapchat
VSCO vs Instagram: Pros and Cons
VSCO
Pros
- Customizable Pro Presets: Pro presets allow you to have deeper control over the platform’s popular presets, including strength, tone, color, contrast, and more.
- Clean, Professional Layout: VSCO profiles are designed to make your photos look like works of art and also provide a better user experience, including the ability to zoom in on photos without having to hold them or pinch while zooming.
- iPad App: VSCO has a high-resolution app designed for iPads and Android tablets. In comparison, Instagram’s “iPad app” is just a blown-up version of the platform’s phone app which doesn’t look as good as its competitor.
Cons
- Pro Membership Not Available for Android: VSCO Pro membership is only available for iOS users, which means Android users must still wait for the Android release.
- No Public Follower Count: Although some people may count this as a “Pro”, others may consider this form of social proof crucial in helping them get more clients on the platform.
Pros
- Popular Social Platform: Instagram is used by hundreds of millions of people every day, which makes it a great place for anyone who wants to build a social media following.
- Appealing and Efficient Interface: You can easily view visuals on Instagram thanks to a well-designed and optimized interface that lets you process information seamlessly.
- Instagram Business Profile: You can easily switch from your personal profile to a business profile on Instagram, which is handy if you want to promote products or services on the platform.
Cons
- Non-Relevant Content in Feed: Rather than showing photos in your feed, Instagram has recently taken to promoting reels not only from the creators you follow but also accounts you don’t follow.
- Large Number of Spam Accounts and Bots: Unlike VSCO, where only mutually-followed accounts can send each other messages, Instagram is plagued by fake accounts whose goal is to defraud users in some way.
VSCO vs Instagram: Similarities and Differences
Here’s a quick summary of the similarities and differences between VSCO and Instagram.
VSCO and Instagram Similarities
- VSCO and Instagram allow users to take photos and videos using the in-app camera.
- Both platforms have built-in editing tools and filters to enhance visual content.
- They are compatible with Android and iOS devices.
VSCO and Instagram Differences
- One of the biggest differences between the two platforms is that one is a niche-focused app that caters to photographers and other creatives, while the other offers a broader range of features for different types of users.
- Another main difference is that Instagram offers ways to connect with anyone on the platform by messaging them or leaving likes and comments on posts. VSCO doesn’t allow users to leave comments on posts, making it less like a traditional social site.
- Since VSCO is all about enhancing creativity, the platform offers more advanced tools for editing your images and videos, including an image-sharpening tool, manual white balance, manual shutter speed, and the ability to focus and expose separately.
- Yet another difference is that Instagram has a lot of ads while VSCO offers an ad-free experience.
- On Instagram, you can alter your privacy settings to make any of your content unavailable for public viewing. This is a feature you won’t find on VSCO.
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Verdict: VSCO vs Instagram – Which Is Better?
Based on my research so far, I recommend VSCO for serious creatives. Far from being just another app marketed for teenage girls, VSCO is a powerful tool that provides serious professionals with the right resources to express their creativity.
The niche app focuses on providing inspiration and resources, including a supportive community to help creators grow.
Although Instagram may be better for building a following, VSCO is worth considering for anyone who just wants to focus on creating, editing, browsing, and sharing their photos in peace.
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