Choosing Between Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels

Published on 13.06.2026 by Chizoba T

Statistics indicate that over 2.35 billion people interact with reels each month. These statistics indicate the rising importance of Facebook video marketing in your social media strategy. However, with reels appearing on both Facebook and Instagram, you might be left wondering if you should be creating reels on Instagram or Facebook. In this article, we compare the two to help you decide on the platform to use.

What are Reels?

Reels are short videos under 90 seconds that appear on both Facebook and Instagram and cover topics such as general information, creativity, or humor. They are a great tool for driving engagement, inspiring, and entertaining. Given that the majority of Reel users are aged 25 to 34, short videos can be a good choice for reaching this demographic.

Meta introduced Reels in response to the growing popularity of short-form video. They were introduced on Instagram in August 2020 and on Facebook in March 2021. This was a way of adapting to the behaviors and preferences of social media users who need instant gratification and quick consumption of content.

Why Reels Have Revolutionized Social Media

Why are Reels so popular? Here are some good reasons:

  • Reduced attention span. As social media users' attention wanes, Reels offer them the opportunity to grab and hold users’ attention with their fast, visually stimulating format, making them perfect for social media lead generation.
  • Growing engagement. Reels can include interactive features such as comments, shares, and likes, making them suitable for driving engagement and ensuring a loyal following.
  • Better creativity level. Reels enable creators to show their creativity. Whether you want to showcase your product, share a story, or be quirky, Reels let you express your imagination.

Instagram Reels Features

The Reels on Instagram come with various features, such as:

  • Short, versatile, and snappy. Instagram reels are short videos ranging from 15 to seconds.
  • Music features. Instagram reels enable users to add overlays of popular music tracks in their videos. This can add a new layer of engagement and entertainment.
  • Editing features. Instagram offers a robust set of editing tools, including special effects, filters, and text overlays. This enables users to create visually appealing content.
  • Seamless integration. Instagram Reels fit well within the Instagram ecosystem, appearing on your profile under the Explore page and in the user’s feed. This enables your reels to reach a bigger audience.

How to Leverage Instagram Reels

Whether you are a business, influencer, or creator, you can leverage the power of Instagram reels to grow your online presence. There are several ways to do that, such as:

  • Showcasing brand personality. You can use reels to tell your brand's story, share glimpses of behind-the-scenes content, and personally connect with your audience.
  • Increasing engagement. You can drive engagement using Instagram reels by running contests, challenges, and interactive Q&A sessions. The comment section of reels offers a direct line to the viewers.
  • Educational content. You need to ensure you provide fast, informative tutorials, how-to videos, and product demonstrations to position yourself as an industry expert.

Facebook Reel Features

Facebook Reels can be up to 60 seconds, allowing creators to record them as a single clip or a series of clips. Users can also upload their pre-recorded videos. Just like on Instagram, users can edit clips, add music, viral sound effects, and outstanding visuals to make the video stand out.

Facebook reels can enable creators to:

  • Improve engagement. You can use Facebook Reels to increase your engagement and grow your number of likes, shares, and comments. Due to their interactive nature, they can enable you to easily connect with your target audience, even when using Facebook lead ads.
  • Higher brand visibility. When your reels align with your brand values, they can easily resonate with the target audience and increase brand recognition and visibility.

A Comparison of Facebook Reels and Instagram Reels

Similarities

  • Watermark features. Facebook Reels will feature the Instagram watermark at the bottom, whether they were created on Instagram or Facebook.
  • Ability to cross-promote. You are allowed to cross-promote Instagram reels on Facebook and vice versa. However, the likes on each platform will be counted differently. 

Differences

  • Audience customization. Facebook allows creators to customize who sees their reels, including family, friends, or the public. They can even specify a certain community or group to view the reel. Having such a tailored approach can be key to audience targeting. However, Instagram reels don't have this option.
  • Commenting on issues. When you share an Instagram Reel on Facebook, it can be hard for your Facebook followers to comment, since they're redirected back to Instagram. This can result in lower engagement, as users without an Instagram account cannot comment.
  • Reach according to each feed. The reach of Instagram Reels on your feed is usually limited to the people who follow your account. On the other hand, Facebook Reels are shown even to people who don't follow your account, making them perfect for connecting with new audiences.

Choosing Between Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels

So, which of the two should you choose? To answer that question, it depends on your brand's needs, as each of these excels in its own area. Facebook reels are a great choice for 

  • Precise audience targeting.
  • Reaching a new and diverse audience.
  • If you want to cross-promote across different Facebook platforms as part of your strategy.
  • If you want your Facebook audience to comment on both platforms seamlessly.

Instagram reels are perfect for: 

  • Brands already have a strong following and presence on Instagram.
  • Easier tracking of engagement.

How to Auto Post Reels to Instagram and Facebook

Auto-posting between the two platforms will save you hours in managing both accounts. You can use native Facebook tools, such as Business Suite and Creator Studio, to cross-post between both apps. If you have a business account on both platforms, you will have access to advanced automation features that aren't available to personal profiles.

When cross-posting on social media, optimize the content, such as image size, hashtags, and caption length. You can also use third-party tools to make cross-posting easier.

In Conclusion

When choosing between Instagram and Facebook Reels, the most important thing is to recognize each platform's strengths and features and use them strategically. It's advisable to embrace both platforms and tailor your approach to reach the objective of each. When you do that, you can reach a bigger audience, improve your brand visibility, and leave a mark on the high-demand short-form video content