- Instagram Edits reached 7.1 million downloads in its first week, outperforming CapCut’s debut by a significant margin.
- Instagram’s established social network played a crucial role in propelling Edits to the top of the charts, achieving #1 rankings on the U.S. App Store.
- Users praise Edits for its user-friendly interface, 4K support, and watermark-free exports, though some criticize the lack of templates and advanced effects compared to CapCut.
- While Edits had a strong debut, CapCut, with over 1.22 billion downloads, continues to hold a lead in the video editing app space.
- Instagram Edits offers marketers and creators an efficient tool for Instagram content creation, especially for Reels, Stories, and social posts.
Instagram Edits, Meta’s newly launched video editing app, has hit the ground running, reaching an impressive 7.1 million downloads worldwide within its first week. This milestone marks a significant achievement for the app, surpassing the debut of CapCut, the popular video editor from ByteDance, which was launched in 2020.
With Meta's expansive social network propelling its success, Instagram Edits has positioned itself as a powerful tool for creators, marketers, and social media users. In just a week, it has become a serious contender in the video editing app space, surpassing its competition in early adoption.
Instagram Edits’ Impressive Launch Numbers
The debut of Instagram Edits has been nothing short of explosive. Within the first two days, the app was downloaded approximately 702,900 times on iOS devices, a figure 37 times higher than CapCut’s initial iOS download numbers. By the end of its first week, Instagram Edits reached a total of 7.1 million downloads, with 1.2 million downloads on iOS and 5.9 million on Android.
To put this in perspective, CapCut, which launched in April 2020, was downloaded just 83,500 times across both iOS and Android during its first three days. While CapCut was initially available in a limited number of global markets, even if its numbers were doubled or tripled, Instagram Edits would still have outpaced it by a wide margin.
One of the standout markets for Edits was the U.S., where it saw a 112x larger debut compared to CapCut. Instagram Edits reached 381,000 downloads in its first three days in the U.S., compared to just 3,400 downloads for CapCut during its initial launch in the same market.
The success of Instagram Edits can be largely attributed to Meta’s network effect. With billions of active users across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, Meta is able to leverage its existing ecosystem to promote and distribute new apps. Instagram Edits was able to reach the #1 spot on the U.S. iPhone App Store on its first day of release, showing just how Meta’s reach and brand recognition quickly contributed to the app’s initial success.
By the second day, Edits had dropped to #2, and then to #3 by the end of the week. However, the rapid climb to the top of the app charts helped to boost its visibility, making it a familiar tool to users within Meta’s broader platform. The power of Meta’s ecosystem, combined with its global reach, set Edits up for immediate success, a factor that likely gave it the edge over CapCut during their respective launches.
Creators’ Mixed Reactions to Edits
Instagram Edits has certainly made an impression with its smooth interface, 4K video support, and watermark-free exports, but reactions from creators have been somewhat mixed. While many users appreciate the ad-free experience and the ease with which they can create high-quality videos, some have pointed out that the app still lacks several features commonly found in other popular editing tools like CapCut.
The app’s intuitive interface has been praised for allowing creators to make edits quickly and effectively, which has been especially appreciated by users who need to generate content for Instagram Reels and Stories.
Some have also highlighted automatic progress saving, ensuring that work isn’t lost if the app crashes or the device unexpectedly shuts down. This feature alone has been a relief for users who have experienced similar frustrations with other editing apps.
However, there are certain areas where Edits falls short. Many users have expressed the desire for more advanced features like templates, transition effects, and the ability to sync videos with music more seamlessly.
A lack of keyframe animation and custom fonts is also a common criticism, with creators noting that these features are vital for more complex edits. It should be noted that the latest Edits update included 125 new fonts and 15 voice effects.
With that said, users suggest including tools for overlaying text or objects on videos and having them track moving elements within the footage, a feature already available in other apps like Apple’s Clips and CapCut.
Additionally, while Edits allows for high-quality video exports, some users have pointed out bugs and performance issues that can hinder the editing process. From audio sync problems to export glitches, these technical difficulties have been a major pain point for some users.
Others have mentioned that Edits can feel somewhat limited compared to more established editing apps, which offer a broader range of special effects and customization options.
Despite these criticisms, many users remain optimistic about the app’s future. Given Instagram’s history of iterating on its features—Reels, Stories, and Instagram’s main app—there is hope that Edits will continue to evolve and introduce the missing features that creators are calling for.
With the right updates, Edits could easily become a go-to tool for video creators looking for an efficient, Instagram-integrated editing experience. As the app matures, it’s likely that Instagram will address these gaps, potentially solidifying its place in the competitive video editing space.
At the current time of writing, Edits has an impressive 4.6 out of 5 rating from more than 4,000 reviews on the App Store.
What This Milestone Means for Instagram Edits’ Future
Although Instagram Edits has achieved an outstanding 7 million downloads in its first week, it still faces the challenge of maintaining its growth. While it has made a strong debut, it has a long way to go before it can catch up with CapCut’s total of 1.22 billion downloads worldwide.
However, the early success of Edits shows that Meta’s dominance in the social media space is a powerful driver for app adoption. The app’s seamless integration with Instagram, coupled with Meta’s global ecosystem, positions it as a powerful tool for content creators, especially those already active on Instagram.
Future updates and added features could help Edits close the gap between itself and CapCut, potentially making it a must-have tool for creators who want to produce high-quality, engaging video content for Instagram and other platforms.
