Instagram vs Facebook: Comparing Social Media Marketing Giants

Instagram vs Facebook: Which is the right choice for your marketing goals? The choice between Facebook and Instagram directly affects your digital marketing results. Though both platforms operate under Meta’s umbrella, they offer distinct ways to connect with audiences and achieve marketing goals.

Facebook reaches 3.07 billion monthly active users (2025) compared to Instagram’s 2 billion, creating distinct marketing opportunities. Facebook excels with versatile ad options and precise targeting, while Instagram drives higher engagement through visuals. Demographics differ significantly: Instagram attracts younger users while Facebook connects with older audiences.

We’ll explore vital metrics like user demographics, engagement levels, content performance, and ad ROI to help you pick the right platform for your business goals in 2025.

Instagram vs Facebook: In 2025

User Base and Audience Demographics in 2025

Facebook and Instagram’s different user bases create distinct marketing opportunities. These Meta-owned platforms show clear differences that shape how well your marketing performs.

Monthly Active Users

Facebook dominates social networks in 2025 with 3.07 billion monthly active users. Instagram follows with 2 billion monthly active users, ranking third globally. This 1 billion user gap creates different marketing opportunities on each platform.

Both platforms demonstrate strong growth trajectories. Facebook grew steadily from 2.4 billion users in 2021, while Instagram reached 2 billion users in 2025, evolving dramatically from its early days when it acquired 1 million users in just 2.5 months.

The 2025 numbers show both platforms’ strong global presence. Facebook’s 3.07 billion users make up 59.38% of all social media users worldwide. Instagram’s 2 billion users represent 38.68% of global social media users.

Age Distribution

Age demographics differ significantly between platforms. Instagram captures the younger crowd, with over 62% of its global users aged 18-34. Breaking this down further, Gen Z (18-24 years) makes up 31.3% of Instagram users, while Millennials (25-34 years) account for 31%.

Facebook attracts a more mature audience. Its biggest user segment is men aged 25-34, making up 18.5% of global users. The platform shows particular strength among older generations – 70% of Americans aged 50-64 and 59% of those 65+ actively use Facebook. This makes Facebook the go-to platform for reaching Gen X and Baby Boomers through business accounts.

Gender Split

The gender mix shows interesting patterns across platforms. Globally, Facebook leans male with a 56.8% to 43.2% split. Instagram maintains a near-perfect balance – 50.6% male and 49.4% female users.

Regional differences paint a different picture. In the U.S., both platforms attract more women. Instagram’s U.S. audience is 55.4% female and 44.6% male. The female skew is even stronger on Facebook, where women make up 78% of users aged 30-49.

U.S. campaigns targeting women may succeed on either platform, while global campaigns should consider Facebook’s male majority.

Top Countries by User Count

India leads the pack on both platforms. The country boasts 375 million Facebook users, making it Facebook’s biggest market worldwide. India also dominates Instagram with 413.85 million users.

The United States holds the second position on both platforms, with 198.3 million people using Facebook and 169.65 million active on Instagram. Brazil follows closely in third place, boasting 111.65 million Facebook users and an impressive 134.6 million Instagram users.

Indonesia emerges as another significant market, with 122.3 million people on Facebook and 100.9 million on Instagram. Turkey completes the top five Instagram markets with 57.1 million active users, with 60 million on Facebook.

The massive user base in India, in particular, opens up opportunities for brands looking to tap into growing markets.

Engagement Metrics and User Behavior

Facebook and Instagram users interact with content differently, creating distinct patterns that can inform your social media strategy.

Average Time Spent

Time spent on platforms directly correlates with marketing effectiveness. Facebook users spend 18 hours and 45 minutes monthly on the platform.

Instagram drives stronger engagement despite its smaller user base. Users across the globe spent nearly 12 hours each month using the Instagram mobile app. Users check Instagram 351 times monthly, creating multiple daily opportunities to see content. WhatsApp tops the list for app opens, with users checking it 930 times monthly – about 31 times each day.

On average, people spend 143 minutes (2 hours and 24 minutes) daily across all social platforms, slightly down from 2024’s 143-minute average. This significant time investment creates many chances for marketers to reach their audience on both Facebook and Instagram.

Post Interactions

Instagram engagement surpasses Facebook in 2025. Instagram posts average 162 interactions, representing a 20% growth from last year, while Facebook engagement declined 47% to just 28 interactions per post.

Engagement rates highlight this disparity. Instagram posts achieve 5.03% median engagement, while Facebook reaches only 1.06%. Instagram consistently generates stronger user interaction with content.

Each type of engagement matters differently. When users share your content, they trust your brand enough to recommend it to their friends.

Story Usage

Stories have become the go-to format across Meta’s platforms. Every day, 500 million people accessed Stories on Instagram, sharing about 1 billion Stories. Brands are catching on; they post around 10 Instagram Stories monthly, with leading brands pushing out 16 or more.

Story performance follows a clear pattern. Post up to five stories daily, and you’ll keep about 70% of viewers engaged. The biggest drop (12.99%) happens after the first story. After that, fewer people leave, 9.75% after the second story and 8.12% after the third.

Click Behavior

Recent studies show compelling ad copy and precise audience targeting drive clicks across both platforms.

Facebook’s algorithm updates have changed how organic content performs. When a post gets more likes, all engagement metrics shoot up – comments surge by 103.3% and shares climb by 65.7%.

Instagram’s visual-first approach creates unique click patterns. Shopping tags and visual commerce drive direct product engagement, while the “Shop Now” button in Stories proves particularly effective for driving sales.

Click data from both platforms helps brands optimize campaigns based on actual user behavior.

Content Formats and Platform Strengths

Facebook and Instagram handle content differently, creating unique opportunities for audience engagement.

Visual vs Textual Content

Visual content dominates both platforms: 95% of marketers say it works better than text alone. Facebook shines with longer posts and detailed articles that spark meaningful conversations. Users here often dive into deeper discussions and engage with text-heavy content.

Instagram focuses purely on visuals. It’s a clean, simple feed that showcases photos and videos that users can quickly scroll through. This design explains why Instagram users prefer quick likes and short comments over long discussions. For brands, this means adapting their approach, using detailed explanations on Facebook, but sticking to eye-catching visuals that communicate instantly on Instagram.

Facebook and Instagram Post Types

Each platform offers unique content formats that connect differently with audiences. Instagram carousels boost engagement by 2.3-4% compared to regular posts. Brands can now pack up to 20 photos or videos in a single carousel to tell complete stories. As users swipe through multiple slides, they stay engaged longer, a signal that Instagram’s algorithm loves.

Short videos rule both platforms in 2025, with Instagram Reels taking center stage in marketing plans. Reels now stretch to 10 minutes, giving brands more room to tell stories while keeping things visually appealing. Instagram now automatically shares videos as Reels, helping brands reach more people beyond their followers.

Facebook’s main content types include:

• Text updates that spark conversations
• Links with eye-catching previews
• Hour-long live videos
• Extended video posts

Instagram shines with:

• Stunning photo posts
• Multi-slide carousels (up to 20 slides)
• Quick, engaging Reels
• 60-second Stories

Mobile-First vs Cross-Device Accessibility

Instagram puts mobile users first, designing for phones before other devices. With over 50% of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, this approach makes perfect sense. The app runs smoothly on smartphones, using compressed images that load quickly.

Facebook works well across all devices – phones, computers, and tablets. Users can enjoy the full experience no matter what device they prefer. The platform’s rich features, like news feed, groups, events, and pages, work especially well on larger computer screens where users can easily manage multiple tasks.

Algorithm Preferences: Engagement vs Recency

Both platforms use smart systems to show content, but they focus on different things. Facebook loves to see people talking to each other; it pushes posts that get lots of comments, shares, and reactions. The platform sorts content into three groups: spam, low-quality, and high-quality. Not surprisingly, high-quality posts get seen by many more people.

Instagram looks at four main things:

• How fresh the post is
• How often do you interact with the account
• What kind of content do you usually like
• How likely are you to engage with the post

Instagram Stories show up in time order, with your favorite accounts’ latest stories appearing first. For Reels, Instagram shows content based on what you’ve liked before and what they think you’ll enjoy.

Both platforms reward creators who post regularly, which shows they’re active and connected with their followers. While Instagram favors eye-catching visuals and quick engagement, Facebook prefers content that gets people talking.

Advertising Performance and ROI

When it comes to spending money on ads, Facebook and Instagram deliver quite different results. The numbers tell an interesting story about how each platform turns your investment into real outcomes.

Cost Per Click

In 2025, Facebook offers better value with clicks costing $0.49 on average, less than half of Instagram’s $1.09. This big difference matters when planning your ad budget, especially if you’re working with limited funds.

Looking closer at the costs, Facebook’s clicks range from $0.26 to $0.97, making it consistently cheaper than Instagram, where clicks cost between $0.40 and $1.73. If you want to get more clicks for your money, Facebook is clearly the way to go.

Different industries see varying costs for their ads. Financial companies pay the most on both platforms, with costs hitting $5.00 per click on Google and even higher rates on social media platforms. Education ads, however, cost less at around $2.45 per click.

Click-Through Rate

Facebook dominates in driving action with 3.06% click-through rates versus Instagram’s 0.68%. Facebook ads generate nearly five times more traffic and sales conversions.

Looking at specific ad types, Facebook’s video ads in the main feed perform best with a 0.33% click rate. Regular feed ads follow closely at 0.29%. On Instagram, Story ads lead the pack at 0.76%, beating both Feed (0.69%) and Explore ads (0.47%).

These numbers directly affect sales. Facebook turns 9.21% of clicks into customers, better than Google Ads at 3.75%. Instagram converts just 1.08% of its clicks.

Ad Targeting Capabilities

Both platforms use Meta’s smart targeting tools, but in different ways. Facebook stands out with its detailed targeting options:

• Basic filters like age, gender, and location
• Tracking of user behavior on the platform
• Custom lists to target website visitors
• Look-alike audiences to find similar potential customers

Facebook’s precise targeting proves highly effective; users who see ads based on their previous interactions are three times more likely to click.

Instagram focuses on interest-based targeting, making it a powerhouse for lifestyle brands. While it offers fewer targeting options than Facebook, it excels at reaching visually driven audiences who actively engage with content, especially in the fashion, beauty, and travel industries.

Ad Types: Messenger, Reels, Stories, Feed

Both platforms offer unique ad formats to meet different marketing goals. Facebook leads with the most comprehensive options:

• News feed ads featuring text, images, and videos
• Right column ads for desktop users
• Carousel displays for showcasing multiple products
• Messenger ads for direct customer interaction
• Marketplace listings to reach local shoppers

Instagram shines with its visual-first ad formats:

• Eye-catching feed images and videos
• Full-screen Stories that grab attention
• Engaging Reels for short video content
• Shopping tags that enable instant purchases
• Explore section ads for discovery

Recent studies show that short video ads, particularly on Instagram, deliver better returns. High-quality creative content drives 12% more sales compared to basic ads. Strong creative execution boosts long-term sales by 1.2–2.7 times and short-term sales by 1.2–7.4 times.

Smart marketers now use Meta’s Advantage+ Placements to automatically optimize ads across both platforms. This strategy cuts costs while maximizing conversion opportunities.

Conversion and Sales Capabilities

Facebook and Instagram offer different e-commerce tools to convert engagement into sales.

Facebook Shop vs Instagram Shop Access

Facebook Shop welcomes all businesses with open arms, while Instagram Shop maintains stricter entry requirements. Both platforms launched these shopping features during the pandemic to help small businesses boost their online sales.

On Facebook, businesses can set up shops on their pages where customers in the US can browse and buy products without leaving the platform. Instagram’s approach is more selective; businesses must meet specific criteria before they can access all shop features. This makes Facebook a more accessible starting point for businesses venturing into social commerce.

Linking Options

The two platforms handle external links very differently. Facebook lets businesses freely add links, promo codes, and sales-driven elements directly in their posts and ads. Instagram, however, limits users to just one link in their bio.

This restriction has sparked the creation of many “link in bio” tools that help creators share multiple links through a single bio link. These tools let Instagram creators promote different content types at once, from blog posts and videos to products and subscription offerings. This key difference makes Facebook more effective for driving direct website traffic.

Swipe-Up and Shopping Tags

Instagram makes up for its linking limits with powerful visual shopping tools. The “Swipe Up” feature in Stories creates smooth shopping experiences, letting users move straight from content to products.

In 2022, Instagram expanded its product tagging to all US users, allowing everyone to tag products in their Feed posts. These tags connect directly to product pages, making it easier for potential customers to buy. This way, Instagram turns its visual focus into engaging shopping experiences, even with limited linking options.

eCommerce Integration: Shopify, BigCommerce.

Both platforms seamlessly connect with major e-commerce systems. Shopify store owners can easily keep their product counts in sync across Facebook, Instagram, and their online stores. This connection lets businesses handle all their sales, payments, and returns right from Shopify, no matter where customers make their purchases.

BigCommerce offers similar benefits, turning Instagram posts and stories into shoppable content that links directly to product listings. These integrations make running an online business smoother by keeping product information updated everywhere. Plus, both Facebook and Instagram now let US customers check out without leaving the apps.

What Are The Benefits of Facebook Over Instagram?

Here are the key advantages Instagram offers over Facebook:

• Facebook Instagram comparison shows that Facebook has a larger audience base. In fact, it is the second most visited website in the world. 
• This platform attracts all age groups of adult internet users. Since it is widely accepted across different age groups, the potential for high brand visibility is huge.
• The entire atmosphere of Facebook is very business-friendly. The platform offers numerous advantages, including the ability to include as many direct links within your posts as you want.
• Facebook can schedule Facebook group posts using the built-in Facebook schedule post feature.
• Facebook Ads can be very beneficial, but you have to ensure they are engaging. 
• Videos generate higher engagement than photos. They get more clicks than photos, mainly from mobile users.
• Instagram followers are more engaged and valuable than Facebook followers.

What Are The Benefits of Instagram Over Facebook?

We just looked at the leverage Facebook holds in the Instagram vs Facebook comparison. Now it’s time to see how Instagram trumps Facebook.

• The perfect platform if your business wants to reach a younger audience base. 
• It is more visually oriented as compared to Facebook, making it highly suitable for diverse content belonging to Fashion, beauty, architecture, or any other creative category.
• Over one-third of Instagram users have made online purchases via their phones, and the average amount spent by them is higher than on Facebook.
• About 72% of marketers are using Instagram for advertising, making it an obvious choice.
• Verified accounts on Instagram hold more credibility and give more potential to businesses to increase their reach. Most verified accounts were found to have over 1 million followers. Find out how to get verified on Instagram and get ahead in the game. Instagram followers are more engaged and valuable than Facebook followers.

How RecurPost Can Help in Running Campaigns on Facebook And Instagram

Content timing and algorithm understanding are essential for social media visibility.

A social media scheduler helps maintain posting consistency while managing planning, scheduling, content creation, and media selection.

RecurPost is an excellent Facebook Post Scheduler and Instagram Post Scheduler that simplifies running and tracking social campaigns.

When it comes to Facebook Marketing Tools, RecurPost stands out by offering robust features that help in scheduling, automating, and analyzing your posts to maximize engagement and reach.

Conclusion

Facebook and Instagram offer distinct marketing advantages. Choose your content strategy based on specific goals rather than assumptions.

Evaluate your content abilities, audience, budget, and goals when choosing platforms. This assessment, with the performance data shared here, supports effective social media marketing decisions for 2025 and beyond.

FAQs: Instagram vs Facebook

Shalini Nagar

Shalini Nagar is an experienced content writer with a proven track record of creating diverse and engaging content across various formats. With years of expertise in crafting blogs, articles, she excels at delivering compelling narratives tailored to different audiences.