Can You Run TikTok Ads on a Personal Account? What You Need to Know
With over a billion active users worldwide (according to Statista), TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years. It would not be exaggerated when claiming that TikTok has exploded into one of the most powerful social media platforms for marketers and brands, bringing incredible opportunities for reaching engaged audiences. With the countless potential of this platform, you might be wondering: can you run TikTok ads on a personal account?
So, whether you can run TikTok ads on a personal account or not, let’s break down everything you need to know!
What is a TikTok Ads Personal Account?
A TikTok Personal account, now called a Creator account, is the default account type you get when you sign up on the platform for the first time. The platform used to have a TikTok creator account specifically designed for content creators that came with similar capabilities to business accounts. However, in 2021, TikTok merged the personal and creator accounts to provide all users with access to many features.
Most people on TikTok use Personal Accounts. A TikTok personal account can be set to public or private and is a good choice for general TikTok users, content creators, and influencers who only plan to use the app for social networking and content creation.
Advantages of TikTok Ads Personal Account:
There are several unique advantages to having a Creator (Personal) TikTok account instead of a Business one. Let’s take a look at them:
- Direct monetization opportunities: Personal accounts get full access to TikTok’s Creator Next program, which includes the Creator Fund, Creator Marketplace, Video Gifts, LIVE Gifts, and Tips. These native monetization options make it easy to earn money on TikTok with a Personal account.
- Music and sounds library: Personal account can access music and sounds from the general music library and the Commercial Music Library.
- Analytics: Analytics show insights into how your content is performing on TikTok, including an overview of your post analytics as well as follower, LIVE, and other metrics. However, you must have at least one public post to access analytics.
- TikTok LIVE: You can go LIVE on TikTok to connect with your audience in real-time. However, you must meet certain age and follower requirements to go LIVE.
- Website link on profile: Personal accounts with at least 1,000 followers can post a website link on their profile.
Because of these monetization and brand collaboration options, Personal accounts make the most sense for individual creators building an audience with their personal brand and TikTok content.
Can You Run TikTok Ads On a Personal Account?
To be honest, personal TikTok accounts are accounts created by individuals, not businesses or brands. Therefore, though you can create, engage, follow other users, and share videos with your followers, you CAN NOT run TikTok ads on a personal account because the platform is designed to deliver the best advertising experience through its TikTok Business Accounts.
Though personal accounts have access to many of the same features as business accounts, like filters, effects, and sound libraries, users still cannot run ads on their personal accounts because they do not have access to TikTok Ads Manager.
TikTok Ads Manager is only open for Business accounts to access and run ads. This powerful tool provides advertisers with access to all the necessary features for launching impactful advertisements, achieving conversions, and evaluating results on TikTok.
For more useful information related to TikTok Ads Manager, you can refer to our dedicated blog on What is A TikTok Ad Account? A Complete Guide for Businesses 2025 to discover and explore everything you need to know!
Advantages of TikTok Business Account Over TikTok Personal Account
As mentioned earlier, TikTok advertising is only available through a business account. But besides advertising, what makes a TikTok Business Account more powerful than a personal one? To help you get a better idea of the power of a TikTok business account, GDT Agency, with over 5 years of proven experience supporting thousands of global brands, has prepared a simple yet comprehensive comparison to make things crystal clear.
| Feautures | Personal Account | Business Account |
| Account privacy | Public or private | Public only |
| Sound access | Access to some commercial music tracks | More extensive commercial library for promotional content |
| Analytics | Limited insights (e.g., view counts) | Detailed analytics (audience demographics, engagement metrics) |
| TikTok Ads Manager | No | Yes |
| Monetization | Eligible for Creator Fund, limited brand partnerships | Eligible for ad revenue, branded partnerships, and shopping integrations |
| Branded content | Limited ability to disclose branded content | Clear disclosure required for sponsored content, access to Branded Effects |
| Business Center | No | Yes |
| Content restrictions | General community guidelines apply | Additional restrictions may apply for promotional content |
| TikTok Shop | Available for affiliates only | Yes |
| Customer support | Basic support via app settings | Priority support, more direct contact options |
It’s not hard to see that the TikTok business account has a lot of advantages when compared to a personal one. Whether you choose a personal account or TikTok business account, it’s best to determine the right one that brings the most benefits for your specific goals.
For brands and advertisers who want to scale faster and safer, you can consider using or renting a TikTok agency account that offers higher trust levels, fewer restrictions, and direct support to maximize ad performance.
How To Switch Between Personal and Business Accounts?
Switching your TikTok account type is easier than you might think because TikTok allows you to switch between account types. Therefore, if you already have a personal TikTok account and want to turn it into a business account, we’ll show you how to do it.
Step #1: Open the TikTok app and log in to your account. Then tap Profile to go to your profile homepage. On your TikTok profile homepage, tap the Menu icon at the top-right of the screen and choose Settings and Privacy.
Step #2: Then, access your account settings from the menu, and click on Manage Account
Step #3: Once there, look for the option to switch your account type and follow the prompts.
TikTok will now ask you a few things about your business, complete the form, and you are all set!
Conclusion
We hope that our article can give you a complete answer to the question can you run TikTok ads on a personal account. If you are serious about advertising on TikTok, remember to switch to a Business Account to access professional advertising tools that are not available through a personal account.
If you have any questions or need additional help, feel free to contact our awesome support team. We are here to assist you!
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