By skyforbes 
Okay, so here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately as I’m learning about product design: Why does scrolling TikTok feel SO different from watching Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts?
They’re basically the same thing, right? Short videos, swipe up for the next one, the algorithm shows you stuff you might like. But somehow TikTok at midnight hits different than Reels during my lunch break, and Shorts feels like… well, YouTube trying to be TikTok.
I used to think it was just about the content or the creators. But the more I learn about product design, the more I realise it’s actually about how these apps are built, the small choices that totally change how we experience them.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
It helps to ground this with real data. Here’s what’s going on in the short-form video space in 2025:
- TikTok leads with about 40% of the global short video platform market, while YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels each grab around 20%.
- TikTok users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on the app, more than any other social network.
- Retention rates? TikTok holds 78%, YouTube Shorts 73%, and Reels roughly 65%