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.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram Story apps help you create professional-looking content without needing a design degree. From customizable templates to fun stickers, these tools can transform your Stories into eye-catching visuals!
- Jump on viral sounds or templates to connect with your audience. Quick adoption can give your Stories a trendy edge and show you’re in the know.
- Apps like Hootsuite let you schedule your Stories and analyze their performance. Track replies and engagement to understand what resonates with your audience and optimize your strategy.
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 Instagram 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.
Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
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.
