Instagram Ads Vs Facebook Ads, Which Is Best? Our 2025 Review

Hello fellow advertisers! Are you fluctuating between advertising on Instagram and Facebook? Then you’ve been in the right place. This article compares Instagram ads vs Facebook ads and provides honest reviews from our seasoned advertising experts who have been running ads on both platforms. Understand how they vary as well as their pros and cons so you can make your own decision.

What Are Instagram Ads?

Instagram ads are paid posts found on the Instagram platform. They can appear in Instagram feeds, stories, reels, or explore pages.

Instagram ads come in different formats, such as images, videos, carousels, stories, and collections. A regular Instagram ad also often includes a caption and a clickable call to action (CTA) that redirects the audience to a destination page. 

What Are Facebook Ads?

Facebook ads are ads that pop up on the Facebook platform across different locations such as news feed, right column, Facebook, Messenger, Marketplace, video feed, in-stream video, etc.

Facebook ads can come in various formats including images, videos, slideshows, carousels, stories, instant experiences, and collections. A Facebook ad usually includes a primary text, headline, description, and a CTA that directs to the website.

Instagram Ads Vs Facebook Ads: 7 Key Differences (2025 Comparison)

While Instagram and Facebook are under the same umbrella of ownership by Meta, the two advertising platforms still vary in many ways. 

In this section, we’ll review and discuss the main differences between Instagram vs Facebook ads.

Costs

When a business is in two minds about advertising on Facebook vs Instagram, the most important aspect is probably the costs. In the end, businesses don’t run ads for fun, and profits matter.

On average, Instagram ads often cost more than Facebook ads. The number can vary based on your niche, country, target audience, content quality, etc.

Here’s data from our Instagram vs Facebook ads running in the Filipino market for your reference.

In countries like the US where the competition and average order value are higher, ads are usually more expensive. But overall, the average CPC (cost per click) on Instagram is higher than on Facebook. For example, data from Social Insider show that the average CPC for Instagram is around $1.1, more than double the figure for Facebook ($0.44).

Engagement

Engagement is an important metric for awareness campaigns and also key to reducing ad spend. 

In general, Instagram tends to receive the highest engagement rates per post compared to other platforms. Therefore, you can expect better engagement when launching Instagram ads vs Facebook ads.

Below is a breakdown of average engagement rates by industries for Instagram and Facebook.

Source: Critical Truth

Ad formats

The second difference between Facebook vs Instagram ads lies in their ad formats. Overall, the 2 platforms share many common ad formats. However, some formats are exclusive to either.

Here are available ad formats on Facebook and Instagram:

Facebook + Instagram: 

• Image ads
• Video ads
• Carousel ads
• Collection ads
• Shopping ads
• Stories ads
• Reel ads

Facebook: 

• In-stream video ads
• Playable ads

Instagram:

• Explore ads

Audiences

Facebook’s user base is over 3 million per month, while Instagram has about 2 million monthly users. Thus, Facebook ads win over Instagram ads regarding the hugeness of audiences.

On the other hand, Instagram ads cater to younger audiences than Facebook ads. Gen Z users aged between 18 and 24 accounted for the largest percentage on Instagram (31.7%), followed by the age group between 25 and 34 years (30.6%). 

Meanwhile, on Facebook, users aged 25 to 35 made up the largest audience (31.1%). The second largest audience base is users between 18 and 24 (23%).

Moreover, Facebook seems better for reaching the older demographic of over 55 with almost twice as many users in these age groups as Instagram. 

(Source: Statista)

Ad management

Creating and managing Instagram and Facebook ads through Meta’s Ads Manager dashboard is quite intuitive and easy. The process of creating audiences and campaigns, tracking data, and optimizing ads in Ads Manager is similar for both.

However, when comparing Facebook vs Instagram ads, the former is a bit more complicated with various options such as pages, groups, events, etc. Instagram ads, meanwhile, are more straightforward at their core. Thus, Instagram can be a better destination for newbies. 

Video ads

Video ads on Instagram are limited to only 15 seconds (in reels) or 1 minute (in stories, feed, and the explore tab). Such restrictions can be a hindrance to your advertising effort as you have less time to persuade audiences. 

On the other hand, Facebook video ads can last up to 4 minutes, which ensures enough space to present all important messages or tell a complete story. 

Content

There are several discrepancies between Instagram ads vs Facebook ads regarding content. 

First, technically, Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in captions, while you can include as many links in the caption as you wish in Facebook ads.

Secondly, effective content on Instagram ads should be visual-centric. For Facebook ads, content should be built around behavior and shareable between friends.

Instagram Ads vs Facebook Ads: A Side-By-Side Comparison

Let’s see how these two advertising platforms compare when viewed side-by-side:

Instagram Ads Vs Facebook Ads: Which One Is Right For You?

There is actually no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Businesses should consider their ad budgets, campaign goals, industry/niche, target audience, and the nature of content to select the suitable platform to advertise.

Instagram ads: Best for younger target audiences

If your target audiences are young people and your content is visually appealing, Instagram ads can be your best friend.

Example: Suppose you run a fashion startup for young adults, then Instagram ads are perfect for showcasing your collections and captivating audience attention.

Related article: Don’t Miss Out On 12 Benefits Of Advertising On Instagram In 2024

Facebook ads: Best for wider reach and more flexibility

If you want to target broad and have more flexibility and customizability, then Facebook ads could be a better choice.

Example: A tech startup can leverage Facebook ads’s precise targeting option to promote a new mobile app, reach potential customers, educate users, and drive app installs.

Instagram ads vs Facebook ads: Our verdict

For beginners, we recommend you experiment with both platforms and do A/B tests to see what fits your business.

It’s not necessary that you must choose one over the other. Instead, think of them as complementary weapons for your brand. 

Example: An e-commerce startup can run both Instagram and Facebook ads to drive traffic and convert sales by showcasing their products with compelling content.

How To Amplify Instagram And Facebook Ads? 4 Effective Tips We Swear By

Looking to combine Instagram ads and Facebook ads in your marketing plan? Take our tips and watch your sales soar. 

Research market and competitors

Before starting any campaigns, make sure you carry out enough market research and competitor analysis. By knowing what other businesses are doing and what users love to see and tend to engage with the most, you have more chances to compete with them in bid wars. 

Tip: You can easily find ads of competitors in your industry in Meta Ad Library.

Understand target audiences

Your target audiences determine how you make ad content for ads. It should be around them and resonate with them. Thus, you need to define your target audiences, write out their persona, understand their pain points, and help them solve their problems. 

Test different content

Content testing is the next step and also the most important part. Experiment with different content, ad copy, photos, videos, concepts, etc. to see what resonates with your target audiences the most. By continuous testing, you can find winning content and win this battle.

Track campaigns regularly

Last but not least, regularly track key ad metrics to make on-time decisions. If the CPC is getting high, you should optimize ads or turn campaigns off. If the performance is great, you can scale your budget gradually to optimize results and drive more sales.

Tip: Obtain a Facebook agency ad account for rent to optimize ad metrics like CPC, CPA. 

Closing Thoughts

Both Instagram and Facebook ads can benefit your business with vast user bases, precise targeting options, quick results, and real-time feedback. By understanding the dissimilarities between Instagram ads vs Facebook ads and with practical experiments, businesses can map out the best advertising strategies and conquer the platforms. And don’t miss the chance to get premium agency ad accounts from GDT Agency to maximize your achievements.

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