Instagram is no longer just competing with TikTok for attention in users’ feeds — it’s now challenging TikTok’s ecosystem of content creation tools as well. With the launch of Edits, Instagram’s separate, stand-alone video editing app, the platform is taking a bold step toward becoming an end-to-end creative hub.
A New Competitor to CapCut
Launched in April, Edits positions Instagram directly against CapCut, TikTok parent company ByteDance’s popular video editing app. According to Brett Westervelt, Instagram’s VP of Design, the company envisions Edits as “an end-to-end creative studio.”
Six months after launch, Instagram is revealing early momentum — and it appears significant. Westervelt shared that half of all Reels viewers are now seeing content created using Edits, a strong indication that creators are adopting the app quickly.
Additionally, Instagram reports that the weekly number of Edits users nearly doubled in Q3, though Meta has not released specific usage numbers.
Why Edits Is Growing: Accessibility and Creator-Friendly Features
A Free Tool in a Market Full of Paywalls
One major factor driving adoption is simple: Edits is free. Many alternative editing apps have started paywalling features like captioning and advanced effects. For creators at all levels, this makes Edits an attractive option.
While Instagram has hinted that monetization may come later, for now, keeping Edits fully free helps bring more creators into the ecosystem.
Designed for 3 Billion Users — and Niche Creators
Instagram’s goal is to create a tool that works for the widest possible range of users — from casual storytellers to professional creators.
“If we do Edits really well,” Westervelt explained, “we’ll have something approachable to anyone, but powerful enough to meet creators’ needs.”
To support that goal, Instagram has rolled out over 50 new updates for Edits, including:
Bulk caption editing
New transitions and templates
A built-in teleprompter
Visual effects and enhanced audio tools
Many of these features were built in direct response to creator feedback.
Inside the Edits Council: Creators Helping Shape the Platform
Instagram meets with creators nearly every week, gathering opinions from users who rely heavily on editing tools. Among these contributors is Vita Kari, an LA-based artist and member of Instagram’s Edits Council — a paid group that acts as a strategic advisory board.
Kari, who is hard of hearing, played a key role in improving the app’s caption-editing features. Instagram describes the council as “a board of directors for Edits,” helping guide what the product becomes.
Storyboards: Instagram’s Next Step in the Creative Workflow
Instagram isn’t stopping at editing — the platform wants to influence how creators brainstorm and structure content.
Beginning this week, Instagram is testing a new Edits feature called Storyboards, which helps creators outline their videos visually. Until now, users relied on email drafts, notebooks, Google Docs, or Apple Notes to organize ideas.
Storyboards expands on the existing “stickies” feature, allowing creators to break ideas into scenes, script segments, or visual sequences.
“There’s a moment where ideas need to turn into something real,” Westervelt said. Storyboards aims to simplify that transition.
Does Using Edits Improve Content Performance on Instagram?
Creators always want to know whether new Instagram tools provide algorithmic advantages — and in this case, the answer is yes, for now.
Temporary Distribution Boost
Adam Mosseri confirmed earlier this year that Instagram gives a slight visibility boost to content created with Edits. This boost is intended to be temporary, helping creators adopt the new tool.
Higher-Quality Exports Mean Better Ranking
Beyond algorithmic preference, Edits also improves the technical quality of exported videos:
Higher frame rates
Sharper resolution
Smoother playback
Instagram’s ranking system favors high-quality videos, so using Edits naturally increases the chances of better performance.
“We’re focused on quality with Edits,” Westervelt said, noting that Instagram will continue improving Reels’ native editing tools as well.
The Bottom Line
Instagram is making a clear move to own the entire creative workflow — from idea generation to editing to publishing. With rapid feature updates, strong early adoption, and deep creator collaboration, Edits is quickly becoming a central piece of Instagram’s future strategy.
As Instagram continues to enhance Edits and test tools like Storyboards, the platform is signaling that it wants to be more than a place to share content — it wants to be the place where content begins.
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