When Instagram first debuted, the photo app exploded. Instagram is still the top dog in the photo app world. But, no app can remain on top for long. Snapchat and Cinemagram are quickly catching up to Instagram. The three photo apps are starkly different. You could download and use all three of these photo apps. Or, you could just pick one that you like the best. You’ll quickly be able to discern which app is worth your time and which one is a waste of time.

Cinemagram: One of These Things Is Not Like the Others

Cinemagram isn’t really an app for the serious photographer. This app allows users to take photos, and then turn those photos into animated pictures. For example, if you had a photo of a monkey in a zoo, you could make that monkey swing from a branch maniacally with Cinemagram. Cinemagram works best for those who like to mess around with photographs by adding bits and pieces of animation to the mix. Cinemagram comes with an easy to use interface, is relatively self-explanatory, and, admittedly, a lot of fun.

You can share your Cinemagram photos with your followers and post photos on social networking sites just like you can with Instagram. Take a look at some of the shots others are taking – sometimes, Cinemagram photos can get pretty wild! Cinemagram is free to download. This app is available on iOS only for now.

Snapchat: The Self-Destructing Photo

There’s an underlying James Bond thing happening with Snapchat. Using this app, you can take a photo and send that photo to an individual or a group of users (via text). Once that photo has been taken, you can set a time limit, say, six seconds. After the photo has been sent, your friends will only be able to view the photo for the period of time that you have allotted. After that time has expired, the photo will self-destruct (ok, it will just disappear).

Why self-destructing photos? The idea here is to prevent people from taking a photo of your photo or showing other people the photo that you’ve sent. So, you can easily take a shot of yourself in some strange, awkward, or risquГ© pose, send it to someone, and have total confidence that the photo will never be shown again. If someone tries to take a picture of the photo you sent, Snapchat will notify you. See how much fun this photo app could be? Snapchat is another free photo app. Right now, Snapchat is only available for iOS, but the developers behind Snapchat are working on an Android version of the app.

Instagram: Good Old Reliable

Instagram hardly needs an introduction. The gold standard of photo apps, Instagram lets you take photos and apply cool retro filters to those photos. You can then share the photos through social networks, post comments, and add/follow friends who use Instagram too. Instagram is a free photo app that’s available for both iOS and Android. The choice is yours: take great photos and add filters; take self-destructing photos; or add animations to your photos – all three apps are fun to use.