Compare UGC performance across TikTok, Reels, Shorts and Facebook
The same clip can do 5,000 views on TikTok and 800 as a Facebook Reel. You only learn that if the numbers line up: the same clip, the same units, the same window. Here's how to compare platforms fairly, and how UGC API does it per clip.
Updated
Why platform dashboards don't answer it
- Each platform counts differently: TikTok views, Reel plays, Shorts views, Facebook Reel plays.
- Some numbers don't exist everywhere. YouTube doesn't report shares; Facebook photo posts have no views. Treating missing as 0 drags averages down.
- A clip posted Monday on TikTok and Thursday on YouTube isn't comparable unless you look at the same age: views at 24 hours, not views today.
- With 30 creators per platform, you need averages and medians per post, not totals. One viral post shouldn't decide the platform.
A fair comparison
- Post the same clip to every platform, ideally the same day.
- Compare views per post (average and median), not totals.
- Compare views at the same age: 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days.
- Use engagement rate (likes + comments + shares + saves ÷ views) for quality, views for reach.
- Look at lift: a platform's average divided by the campaign's median result.
- Decide with at least a week and a few clips. Platforms favour different hooks.
With UGC API
Every post gets a clip_id from its media fingerprint, so the same file is the same clip on every account and platform. The campaign report does the comparison:
curl "https://ugcapi.dev/v1/campaigns/cmp_xyz/report?group_by=platform" -H "Authorization: Bearer ugc_live_...""groups": [
{ "key": "tiktok", "avg_views": 5200, "median_views": 4100, "engagement_rate": 0.089, "lift": 2.48, "views_at": { "1h": 300, "1d": 4160 } },
{ "key": "instagram", "avg_views": 2100, "engagement_rate": 0.105, "saves": 400, "reach": 18000 },
{ "key": "youtube", "avg_views": 1500, "shares": null },
{ "key": "facebook", "avg_views": 800 }
],
"winner": { "key": "tiktok", "times_runner_up": 2.5 },
"insights": ["tiktok led on views per post: 2.5× the next platform.", "instagram had the best engagement rate (10.5%)."]For one clip, GET /v1/clips/:clip_id puts every platform and account side by side. Switch group_by to account to find your best creators, or variant to compare captions. See reports.
FAQ
Which platform is best for UGC?
It depends on the content and audience, which is why you measure it. Post the same clips everywhere for a week and compare views per post and engagement rate per platform.
Are TikTok views and Reel plays the same thing?
Close enough to compare: both count plays of a short video. UGC API reports them as one views field and keeps metrics a platform doesn't have as null.
Do I need the same creators on every platform?
It helps. A creator who posts the same clip on TikTok and Instagram gives the cleanest comparison.