TikTok alternatives⁠— reviews of the top three short video apps on Google Play Store

• Indian short video apps are fighting tooth-and-nail to fill the void that TikTok has left behind since it got banned in India.
• The top free apps in the Google Play Store are dominated by the likes of ShareChat's Moj, Roposo and Trell.
• Business Insider reviewed all three to weigh the pros and cons of the new short video platforms.

Ever since TikTok was banned in India, people are rushing to local alternatives to fuel their need for short videos. In the Google Play Store, Indian apps are currently battling it out for the top spot. The only catch is they’re not exactly at the same level as TikTok when it comes to functionality and user interface.


The likes of ShareChat's Moj, Roposo and Trell among the top five free apps on the Google Play Store. Likee Lite also makes an appearance, even though its parent app — Likee — was among the 59 apps banned in India.

Review of ShareChat’s Moj short video app
ShareChat’s Moj is currently ahead of the rest and it even has a 3.9 star rating on the Google Play Store. It made its debut on June 29 and amassed 10 million downloads within a week.

Due to security measures, Moj doesn’t allow users to take screenshots. However, in our review of the app, the pixels in the top right corner seem out of order for every single video.

It also auto-pulled the one-time-password (OTP) without getting clearance from the user for access. Using your phone number is the only way to sign up. However, you can use the app to view content without logging in at all. Unlike TikTok, Moj also doesn’t allow for editing, music tracks or adding special effects to videos.

Users report being unable to sign in or post videos from time-to-time. Many comment that there’s a dire need for more features like being able to post comments, create a user profile, save videos to your own gallery — and just make it more user friendly, overall.

Developers do plan to introduce new features such as video editing, filters, stickers and ‘magical’ emoticons for selfies in the near future.

Review of Roposo short video app
Akin to Mojo, Roposo also auto-pulls the OTP without getting clearance from the user for access. On the plus side, the user interface is clean. When uploading videos, the app allows you to edit videos within the platform and even add filters and effects, much like TikTok. It also allows users to collaborate with other user’s videos.

Roposo has over 50 million downloads. However, the app’s reviews on the Play Store reflect some users complaining about excessive data consumption, prolonged buffering time, and bugs while searching for other users’ profiles.

The one big hurdle with Roposo is that signing up is a must — and your phone number is the only way to do it.

Review of Trell short video app
Install the app is a breeze, but when it actually comes to opening it up for the first time — it refuses to load. Once it finally opens the interface is very user friendly and it allows you to sign up using your phone number, Facebook, Google ID or WhatsApp.

As compared to the other two apps, the explore interface is much better. You can switch between tabs — like Travel, Reaction Videos, Food and others — to choose the kind of content you want to see.

When uploading a video you can choose from pre-recorded clips on your device or shoot something new. What’s lacking is the fact that you can’t edit or add special effects to any of your videos within the app.

And, I’m not sure if you can truly call it a ‘short video’ app if users can upload videos that are up to 5 minutes long.

With a rating of 4.6 stars, Trell has the lowest number of negative reviews as compared to its peers.

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