Setlog draws 7 million users as young Koreans ditch Instagram for unfiltered video app

The SNS app Kim, 27, uses most these days is not Instagram — it is Setlog, an app that lets users post two-second video clips every hour. Kim shares daily life clips in a group room with five college classmates. The ability to like each other's videos and send replies has made checking Setlog a habit she returns to whenever she has a free moment.

"After starting work, I couldn't meet my college friends as often, and Instagram only shows the polished version of people's lives — it was hard to know what they were really up to," she said. "Setlog is run on a small scale, unlike Instagram where tens of thousands of people are watching, so we can share our raw daily lives with each other, which is why I keep coming back to it."

Setlog, which has gained popularity among people in their 20s and 30s this year, attracted an average of 7.33 million monthly users in the first half of this year and ranked second among domestic apps with the largest year-on-year user growth over the same period.

According to market research firm WiseApp·Retail·Goods, Setlog averaged 7.33 million monthly active users in the first half of this year (January through June). In terms of year-on-year user growth, it ranked second only to ChatGPT, which added 9.86 million users.

Setlog is an SNS app where users record their day by posting two-second unedited video clips every hour. The app provides no video editing tools beyond simple text captions, enabling users to share their lives in a raw vlog format. In group rooms where multiple users participate, each member's clips are automatically merged into a split-screen view, giving everyone an intuitive look at the whole group's day.

Unlike conventional SNS platforms, Setlog is not designed for content to go viral. Videos can only be shared among contacts the user has personally invited, and group rooms are capped at 12 members. Features that broadcast content to a wider audience — such as algorithmic recommendations, follower counts and public feeds — are not supported.

The industry has taken particular notice of Setlog surpassing 7 million users within six months of its launch. That figure represents roughly 30 percent of Instagram's average monthly user base of 28.2 million in the first half of this year, making Instagram the top SNS platform in South Korea.

Industry observers also find it notable that Setlog is a homegrown Korean app. It was developed by Newchat, a startup with offices in Seoul and the United States. In May, Setlog topped the free download charts not only in South Korea but also in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Its rise has drawn attention to whether a Korean-made SNS can become a turning point in a domestic and international market long dominated by foreign platforms.