In the ever-evolving world of social media, TikTok and Instagram remain two of the most dominant platforms for creators and influencers in 2025.
As brands continue to invest heavily in digital marketing, the question on everyone's mind is, who will make more money in 2025, TikTok creators or Instagram influencers? To answer this, we must look at the monetization models of both platforms, top earners, brand strategies, audience demographics, and future trends.
Monetization Models: TikTok vs Instagram
TikTok
TikTok offers several avenues for creators to earn money:
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TikTok Creator Fund: TikTok pays creators based on video views and engagement, though many influencers argue it yields low payouts per view.
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Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: The most lucrative source of income. Popular creators often land deals with major brands.
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TikTok LIVE & Gifts: Viewers can send gifts during live sessions, which translate into real money.
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TikTok Shop & Affiliate Marketing: Especially powerful in 2025 with the boom of in-app shopping. Creators earn commissions on sales.
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Merchandise Sales & External Monetization: Many drive traffic to external platforms like Patreon, YouTube, or Shopify stores.
Instagram’s monetization tools are well established and slightly more diversified:
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Brand Sponsorships & Ads: Instagram remains the go-to platform for lifestyle and fashion brands, often paying top dollar for grid posts, Reels, and Stories.
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Instagram Bonuses (Reels Play, Challenges): Direct payouts from Meta to incentivize short-form content.
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Instagram Subscriptions & Badges: Users can subscribe to creators for exclusive content or tip them during live streams.
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Affiliate Marketing & Instagram Shop: Like TikTok, Instagram has integrated shopping but with better e-commerce infrastructure.
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Content Licensing: High-quality content is sometimes licensed for commercial use.
Influencer Earnings: By the Numbers
Let’s compare the average income for creators at different follower tiers on each platform:
Follower Tier | TikTok (Monthly Avg) | Instagram (Monthly Avg) |
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Nano (1k - 10k) | $100 - $500 | $150 - $700 |
Micro (10k - 100k) | $500 - $2,000 | $700 - $3,000 |
Mid (100k - 500k) | $2,000 - $10,000 | $3,000 - $15,000 |
Macro (500k - 1M) | $10,000 - $30,000 | $15,000 - $50,000 |
Mega (1M+) | $30,000+ | $50,000+ |
While TikTok offers rapid viral growth and discoverability, Instagram influencers generally earn more at comparable follower levels, largely due to more established brand partnerships and higher ad budgets.
Top Earners in 2025
TikTok Stars
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Charli D’Amelio: With her expanding beauty brand and Hulu deals, she reportedly earns over $20M/year.
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Khaby Lame: Known for brand deals and global reach, his income surpassed $15M in 2025.
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Addison Rae: With her acting career and endorsements, her TikTok-linked income is close to $10M/year.
Instagram Influencers
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Kylie Jenner: Still leading with sponsored posts worth $1.8M each, her 2025 revenue exceeds $100M, largely from Instagram.
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Cristiano Ronaldo: With over 600M followers, his yearly earnings from Instagram alone top $60M.
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Huda Kattan: Beauty mogul who leverages Instagram for sales, with an estimated $30M yearly tied to Instagram activities.
These numbers indicate Instagram still commands higher brand spend per influencer.
Brand Spending Behavior in 2025
According to a 2025 Influencer Marketing Hub report:
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Instagram receives about 45% of all brand influencer marketing budgets.
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TikTok accounts for 35%, with YouTube and other platforms making up the rest.
Brands trust Instagram's mature ecosystem and clearer ROI metrics. However, TikTok's interactive nature and viral potential make it attractive for brands targeting Gen Z.
Audience Demographics & Engagement
TikTok:
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Predominantly Gen Z (ages 13-24).
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Highly engaging short-form content.
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Viral trends, sounds, and challenges make discovery easier.
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Strong in niches like comedy, dance, beauty, and DIY.
Instagram:
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Broader age range (18-44).
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Strong visual storytelling with more polished content.
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Great for brands looking for long-term partnerships and premium product placements.
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Influencers often have deeper relationships with followers.
Instagram may lack TikTok's virality, but its audience is more monetizable per capita due to purchasing power.
Platform Stability and Algorithm Predictability
In 2025, creators express concerns about TikTok's unpredictable algorithm and frequent content suppressions. Instagram, backed by Meta, offers more stability, better analytics, and consistent reach over time.
That said, TikTok remains more fertile for newcomers, offering faster exposure and a quicker path to micro-fame.
Creator Preferences in 2025
Surveys show:
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55% of influencers prefer Instagram for long-term brand deals and audience monetization.
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40% prefer TikTok for faster audience growth and viral potential.
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5% diversify evenly, using both platforms for maximum reach and revenue.
Most full-time creators maintain active presences on both platforms, using Instagram for sponsored content and TikTok for top-of-funnel discovery.
Predictions for the Future
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TikTok Shopping Will Explode: With in-app purchases becoming more seamless, TikTok Shop will close the monetization gap.
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Instagram May Monetize Reels More Aggressively: Meta is rumored to be increasing bonuses and ad revenue share to compete.
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Cross-Platform Creators Will Win: Those who repurpose content across platforms will earn the most.
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AI and Virtual Influencers Rise: Especially on Instagram, where visual realism enhances believability.
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Regulatory Risks for TikTok: Ongoing political and legal scrutiny could impact future monetization potential.
Conclusion: Who Makes More Money in 2025?
Instagram influencers, on average, will still earn more than TikTok creators in 2025. This is due to:
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Longer-standing brand relationships
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Higher CPMs (Cost Per Mille)
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More monetizable demographics
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Better analytics and commerce integration
However, TikTok is closing the gap, especially in niches like beauty, fitness, and live shopping. Viral potential is unmatched, making it a powerful tool for building fame fast.
For aspiring creators, the smartest strategy is to use TikTok for visibility and Instagram for monetization. Those who play both sides effectively are poised to dominate the creator economy in the years to come.
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