Looking for inspiration and easy ways to level up your Stories? Instagram Story apps may be the answer you’re looking for.

While Instagram Stories content may be temporary, their impact isn’t. Stories offer social media marketers and brands a golden opportunity to reach and engage with Instagram’s 2 billion monthly active users.

We’ve compiled a list of top 20 apps that will make designing, editing, and animating your Instagram Stories a breeze. And to make the most of these tools, we spoke to Halley Morlock, the Co-founder of Halehaven Media, and Celine Rosalina, Marketing Lead at Villa Ventures, for their top tips on creating engaging Instagram Stories.

What are Instagram Story apps?

Instagram Story apps are software tools that allow you to create next-level content for Instagram Stories.

These apps help marketers, brands, and content creators produce high-quality, professional-looking Stories with cohesive themes and styling, without hiring a designer.

Instagram Story apps usually offer features like:

• Customizable templates – To quickly create designs
• Text tools – With various fonts and styles
• Filters & effects – To enhance photos and video clips
• Stickers/graphics – To make Stories more fun and inviting
• Video edit features – Including trimming, cutting, adding transitions, or music
• Animations – To make videos more dynamic

Using apps to create more dynamic and visually appealing Stories gives your Instagram posts a better chance of standing out from other users and more importantly, competitors.

20 of the best Instagram Story apps for social media

1. Hootsuite

With Hootsuite, you can plan and create your Instagram Story content in advance, then find the perfect time to post it.

Psst: Learn all about how you can schedule Stories with Hootsuite, here.

Plus, Hootsuite’s user-friendly interface makes it simple to manage all your social media in one place, saving you tons of time and hassle.

You can even use Canva right inside your Hootsuite dashboard to design your Stories before you post them.

But that’s not all! In addition to publishing, Hootsuite also offers powerful analytics to understand the impact of your Instagram Stories.

Within your Hootsuite dashboard you can see metrics like replies, exits, and tap forwards to help you understand how well your Stories are engaging your followers.

TL;DR: When it comes to story tools, Hootsuite has you covered. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a larger team, Hootsuite elevates your Instagram Stories effortlessly.

Best for: Scheduling Stories, analyzing results

Key features:

• Create content in advance to post at your own pace
• Edit your images directly in the dashboard
• Create designs with Canva integration
• Upload Stories from desktop or mobile

Price: From $99/month (30-day free trial)

Download: Desktop, iOS, Android

2. Filmora

Source: App Store

Filmora is a user-friendly video editor that offers a range of editing tools for Instagram Stories.

The app has a variety of AI-powered features including auto cut, object remover, copywriting, video effects, and more. If you’re looking to up your social media videos game, look no further than Filmora.

Best for: Professional video editing capabilities on your phone

Key features:

• Remove unwanted elements from videos
• Create voiceovers from text
• Generate music & sound effects
• Sync videos to rhythms and beats

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

3. Unfold

Source: App Store

Unfold calls itself as “a toolkit for storytellers.” The app features a variety of photo and text layout templates that make every Story look like a mini digital magazine.

This Instagram Stories template app gives your content a cohesive look and feel.

Best for: Creating a cohesive brand presence

Key features:

• 400+ template options (some paid)
• Advanced text tools & AI (some paid features)
• Add your brand kit (paid feature)
• Publish your Stories to the web with permalink (paid feature)

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

4. Storyluxe

Source: App Store

Storyluxe is a great app for users who want to give their Instagram Stories a vintage film aesthetic.

Source: Celina Rosalina

The app has over 700 templates that mimic the look of film strips or taped-together photos. Plus, neon elements to give your Stories some extra punch.

Best for: Emulating the Stories of your fave influencers and celebrities

Key features:

• Themed templates from categories like “paper,” “collage,” and “tape”
• Add text and patterned backgrounds
• Export directly to Instagram Stories
• Custom branding watermark (paid feature)

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS

5. Hype-Type

Source: App Store

Add a little drama to your Stories with this text animator app.

Hype-Type has one primary purpose: to make adding motion typography to your videos easy. Plus, Hype-Type can automatically generate interesting and meaningful quotes to give context to your Stories, too.

Best for: Adding animated text

Key features:

• Combine multiple video clips or apply to single photo or video shots
• Control of text placement
• A wide variety of font styles and animations

Price: $20/year (7-day free trial)

Download: iOS, Android

6. Tezza

Source: App Store

Tezza is one of the best apps for creating aesthetic photos.

This Instagram Stories filter app allows you to create stunning images that will draw your audience in. If you’re a fan of grainy, vintage film-type visuals, then Tezza is the app for you.

Best for: Vintage film aesthetic photo editing

Key features:

• 40+ presets
• Vintage photo editor & video effects
• 150+ templates
• Texture and dimension overlays (dust, light, shadows, grain, etc)

Price: $6.99 per month/$39.99 per year (free trial)

Download: iOS

7. A Design Kit

Source: App Store

When it comes to Instagram Stories, design matters. Between the stickers, fonts, brushes, and collage templates, A Design Kit might be your ultimate design toolkit.

Its sister app, A Color Story, is a great companion if you’re looking for influencer-approved Insta filters and effects.

Best for: Adding pretty collage-like elements to static images

Key features:

• Tons of fun custom stickers
• 60+ fonts, 200+ designs (some paid)
• Realistic brushes to add texture and color
• Bold background options like metallics and marble

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS

8. Adobe Express

Source: App Store

Adobe Express is an all-in-one content creation tool powered by AI. You can generate images, text effects, or templates, all from a text prompt.

Adobe Express also includes advanced image and video editing features like background removal, generative fill, and convert to GIF.

Best for: Generative AI content creation

Key features:

• Insert, remove, or replace people and objects
• Remove background from images
• Create videos from templates
• Add text effects
• Transform images into GIFs

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android, Desktop

9. InShot

Source: App Store

InShot is a powerful Instagram Story editor app that helps you create professional-grade video Stories with ease.

InShot has all the features you’d expect from a basic video editor, and more. From auto background removal to speed ramping to picture-in-picture clips, InShot will make you look like a pro video editor.

Best for: Advanced video editing

Key features:

• Speech-to-text auto captions
• Add music, filters, effects, transitions, voiceovers
• AI-powered editing tools
• Remove background in videos

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android, Huawei

10. GoDaddy Studio

Source: App Store

GoDaddy Studio (formerly Over) lets anyone be a graphic designer with its easy-to-use design tools built for social. Use the GoDaddy Studio app for Instagram Stories to build from templates, add graphics to content, and make your Stories stand out with stickers.

Best for: Easy graphic design tools

Key features:

• Remove background tool
• Template, font, and image library
• AI-powered video creation
• Create branded videos

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

11. PhotoGrid

Source: App Store

PhotoGrid is an app for Instagram Stories that helps you create collages in a variety of layouts. The collages allow you to mix and match photos and videos, to give your Stories a professional feel.

Source: Celina Rosalina

Plus, add custom fonts, text, and colors to make your content stand out.

Best for: Crafting custom collages

Key features:

• 20,000+ custom layouts
• 1,000+ fonts
• Add blurred backgrounds
• Photo and video grid options
• Custom stickers, backgrounds, borders, and more

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

12. Canva

Source: App Store

Canva is an easy-to-use design tool that allows users of all levels to create beautiful graphics for social media and more.

There are thousands of templates that are kept up-to-date with today’s popular design trends, which can be used for photos and videos. Even professional graphic designers use Canva to save time. The best part? It’s available right inside Hootsuite.

Best for: Beginner-friendly design options with templates

Key features:

• 250,000+ free templates
• AI photo editing tools
• Add filters, text, stickers, and branded elements
• Crop, split, or adjust speed of videos
• Sync video clips to music beats

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, Desktop

13. StoryArt

Source: App Store

From highlight covers to animations, StoryArt is an end-to-end design tool for Instagram Stories.

Choose from over 3,000 templates to kickstart your Story designs, including over 300 animated templates. You can also edit your photos right in the app, to make each Story picture-perfect.

Best for: Designing Stories with matching highlight covers

Key features:

• 3000+ static and animated templates
• 500+ Story highlight covers
• Add animated text
• Cinematic presets

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

14. Mojo

Source: App Store

Mojo is a social media video and content creation app design with small businesses in mind. This Instagram Stories app lets you create engaging, animated Instagram Stories using customizable templates.

Best for: Creating animated Stories

Key features:

• 1,200+ animated story templates
• Add auto captions, text effects, and filters
• Add trending sounds from TikTok & Instagram
• Add your brand kit (paid feature)

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

15. Patternator

Source: App Store

Use Patternator to create playful animated backdrops for your Instagram Stories using a library of GIFs and quirky images. Or, add your own photo stickers to create your own backgrounds.

You can fully customize the animations, including placement, spacing, layout, speed, and more.

Best for: Created pattern-based images

Key features:

• Created patterned images for wallpapers, lockscreens, and Instagram Stories
• Make stickers from your photos
• Created animated wallpapers
• Adjust background color, sticker spacing, and pattern layout

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

16. CutStory

Source: App Store

CutStory is a simple tool for trimming and splitting longer videos into shorter clips for Instagram Stories.

Keep in mind that the max length for Instagram Stories is currently 60 seconds. The app also allows you to add music and text.

Best for: Editing longer videos into shorter segments

Key features:

• Export videos as fragments of any length
• Add music and text
• Export clips in chronological order

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS

17. VSCO

Source: App Store

Often thought of as the gold standard for photo editing, VSCO offers professional photography presets and powerful tools for adjusting color, texture, light, and perspective.

Source: Halley Morlock

You can import RAW photos from your professional camera and edit them on the go, so your Instagram Stories can look good even if your phone-tography skills aren’t perfect.

Best for: Adding filters and edits to Stories

Key features:

• 15 free presets (200+ available on paid plans)
• Photography editing tools
• Video editing, including color control
• Build montages with videos, photos and shapes

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: Desktop, iOS, Android

18. BeautyPlus

Source: App Store

BeautyPlus is an image editing app that offers a variety of features for enhancing your photos and videos for Instagram Stories.

The app includes AR effects, filters, stickers, and retouching tools. If you’re a content creator or business that requires showing faces in your Instagram Stories, this will be a useful app to add to your toolbox.

Best for: Enhancing portraits and selfies

Key features:

• Add AR makeup
• Remove specific objects and touch up backgrounds
• Enhance hair, eyes, and skin
• Transform people and pets into artistic portraits

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

19. PicPlayPost

Source: App Store

PicPlayPost is a versatile video and photo collage maker that allows you to create slideshows, GIFs, and collages for Instagram Stories.

If you’re a content creator or brand that regularly creates how-tos, side-by-side comparisons, and travel or event recaps, then video collages are a great format to use.

Best for: Creating video-based collages

Key features:

• Combine videos, photos, and GIFs
• Add music and transitions
• Create automated slideshows
• Add up to 12 frames with videos and photos

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android

20. Easil

Source: Easil

Easil is a web-based design tool with drag-and-drop features, making it easy to create beautiful Instagram Stories.

It’s great for users who want professional results without extensive design knowledge. Easil has an extensive template library, with over 2,000 templates for Instagram Stories alone.

Best for: Quick & easy designs using templates

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop design interface
• Add filters, transparency, masks, GIFs, stickers, and more
• 2,000+ social media design templates
• Use Easil’s free fonts or upload your own brand fonts

Price: Free, with premium features on paid plans

Download: iOS, Android, Desktop

5 tips for using Instagram Story tools from social media managers

1. Start with your strategy

Before downloading a dozen apps to your phone, consider the goals of your marketing strategy.

Rosalina shares, “I always consider current trends and my overall content strategy before choosing which app to use. This helps me decide which tool best suits my content’s practical needs and aesthetic goals.”

2. Take your audience behind-the-scenes

Stories are a good place to get real with your audience. The ephemeral nature of Stories lends well, too. “Show ’em what your life really looks like” says Morlock.

“Share your story. It’s a goldmine for showcasing your personality, your hot takes, and sneaking in reminders about your offers while giving that BTS peek” notes Morlock.

Source: Halley Morlock

3. Add a little rizz

Despite the casual nature of Instagram Stories, don’t forget that they’re a key tool for educating your audience about your brand and products.

Using insta Story apps to add elements like stickers, text effects, and animated transitions can give your content a polished edge and stand out from the sea of Stories from everyday users.

4. Jump on trends

Just like on other platforms, joining social media trends is a good way to engage your audience on Stories.

However, sometimes it can take longer to create content and get it approved than the lifespan of a trend. Luckily, many Instagram Story apps like Tezza and Mojo are constantly releasing updates that include trending templates and sounds.

“If you’re falling short on ideas, riffing on a trend is a good option. Is there a viral article, meme, or video making waves? Jump on Stories and share your take” says Morlock

Source: Tezza

5. Keep things simple

Rosalina says that even with many tools at your fingertips, you should be careful not to overcomplicate your Stories.

“Create content that is bite-sized, visually engaging, and authentic. Keep things simple—Instagram Stories are about building a connection with your audience, so keeping the content real and relatable is important.”

Source: Celina Rosalina

Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. Publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage your audience, measure results, and more — all from one dashboard. Try it free today.

The post 20 top Instagram Story apps for better engagement in 2024 appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.