Video content is taking over social media – users prefer to watch entertaining clips instead of reading long blog posts or scrolling through text links. However, viewer attention spans are short, and this has led to the rise of short-form videos. 

Although TikTok was the first to be developed and YouTube Shorts is newer to the social media scene, they have access to YouTube’s extensive user base and brand power. 

In this article, we will define TikTok and YouTube Shorts, as well as review how they differ and where they are the same. Let’s dive in!

What are YouTube Shorts?

Shorts are a new way to share content on YouTube’s platform. All you need is a phone – or an existing video – and you can share your clip with your friends and followers.

In other words, it is a convenient place to share, shoot, and watch short video clips that are 60 seconds or less. You can find this content on YouTube’s homepage under the Shorts Tab, both on the app and within your channel’s homepage. 

TikTok Videos

TikTok is one of the most popular video-sharing apps in the market. It focuses on short format videos and often produces viral trends that users will recreate and share on other platforms. 

It has a rather addictive nature thanks to its ability to infinitely play entertaining content – users can just keep scrolling through random videos for hours on end. Even marketers have jumped on board the TikTok trend, which has created a new way for them to engage with their audience. 

How Are They Similar?

As you may have guessed, YouTube Shorts and TikTok have one big thing in common: they are social media platforms that help creators engage with viewers through short video clips. 

Both allow you to shoot videos directly from the application on your phone or upload existing content. Additionally, they give you access to their broad user base so that you can maximize the views on your videos. 

What’s the Difference Between the Platforms?

You are likely wondering, what’s the difference between TikTok and YouTube Shorts? Which is the right choice for sharing my video content?

While both platforms allow users to share short-form content with viewers, there are some key differences to note. The primary differences include video length options, editing tools, and shopping features. 

Let’s explore these differences in greater detail:

Video Length

One of the ways that TikTok differs from YouTube Shorts is the length of videos that they allow users to share. 

When TikTok initially launched, they limited content to 60 seconds. While you could share videos shorter than that, a minute was the longest option available. The goal here was to keep things short so that users would remain engaged for longer periods. 

[Learn how to upload a Youtube short here]

However, they increased that limit to three minutes and found that it gave creators more freedom to share content. Recently, they raised the limit again to ten minutes – however, the benefits of this additional time are still to be seen.

YouTube Shorts, on the other hand, currently has a much shorter upload limit. If you choose an existing video to share it can be up to a minute long, but the application only allows you to record 15 seconds of new content. 

While this is a rather small difference, it does indicate that TikTok is venturing into longer content.

Editing Tools

Another difference between YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos is the editing tools that are available to creators. 

If you are recording new content on TikTok, you have a wide variety of filters, audio clips, AR features, and green-screen options to choose from. For example, you can add stickers and GIFs to your video! These tools allow you to make even more engaging clips and better connect with your audience through viral trends.

YouTube does not currently offer the same range of editing tools, but there is a good chance that it will in the future since the platform is still relatively new. 

If you’d like to edit your Youtube shorts (eg add captions to Youtube shorts, add logo to Youtube shorts), you can do so on Milk Video.

Shopping Features

When you browse on social media, you are likely going to see content that makes you want to buy a product. Whether it is an item of clothing or something to decorate your home with, it is convenient to be able to make a purchase right from the image or video.

TikTok’s platform allows content creators to highlight products in their videos so that their audience can learn more about them and buy them if they wish to. Similarly, their TikTok Shopping feature can redirect users to a link that identifies every product used in a video. 

While YouTube Shorts does not currently have a shopping feature, the platform expects to expand on this soon. They are working on a tool that would allow subscribers to make purchases without even exiting the app!