Today, do you get a better engagement rate on Twitter/X or on TikTok?

This comprehensive analysis has been written by the team who has mapped all the strategies and examples in our cheatsheets

TikTok delivers engagement rates 16 times higher than X (Twitter) across all account sizes and industries in 2025. While X's median engagement rate hovers at 0.15%, TikTok maintains a robust 2.5% median engagement rate, making it the clear winner for organic reach and social commerce conversions.

This data-driven comparison reveals exactly where each platform excels and which metrics matter most for your growth strategy. And if you need to fast-track your growth on X, check all our cheatsheets.

What are the current engagement rate averages for X versus TikTok across all account sizes?

TikTok maintains a median engagement rate of 2.5% while X struggles at 0.15%, creating a 16-fold performance gap that has widened significantly in 2025.

This massive difference stems from algorithm changes that prioritized TikTok's video-first format while X's engagement plummeted 48% year-over-year after late-2023 algorithm tweaks favoring reach over interaction. TikTok posts now average 3,092 likes, 66 comments, and 170 shares per post, completely dwarfing X's typical 31-40 likes, 1.5 comments, and 8-9 retweets.

The engagement disparity becomes even more pronounced when examining shares and viral potential. TikTok shares occur at 18-20 times the rate of X retweets, making content discovery exponentially more powerful on the video platform. X users spend only 34 minutes daily on the platform compared to TikTok's 95-minute average sessions, directly impacting how deeply audiences engage with content.

These baseline metrics reveal why brands increasingly allocate budget toward TikTok for awareness campaigns while reserving X for specific use cases like real-time customer service and B2B lead generation. The platforms now serve fundamentally different purposes in most marketing funnels.

How do likes, comments, and shares break down by account size on both platforms?

Micro-influencers (0-10k followers) achieve 7-10% engagement rates on TikTok versus just 0.3-0.5% on X, while macro accounts (100k+) still maintain 4-6% on TikTok compared to X's dismal 0.02-0.1%.

The follower-to-engagement relationship reveals TikTok's algorithm democratizes reach regardless of account size, while X's system increasingly favors established accounts with verified status or premium subscriptions.

Which niches perform best on each platform for engagement rates?

Education content dominates TikTok with 4%+ engagement rates while fitness leads X at 0.7%, revealing how each platform's algorithm rewards different content types.

Finance and tech sectors show the starkest contrast, with TikTok finance content averaging 1% engagement while X finance struggles at 0.05% despite being traditionally stronger for financial discourse. Beauty and health content performs worst on TikTok at 0.8% but remains practically invisible on X at 0.02% engagement rates.

Higher education and non-profit organizations represent the only segments where X consistently exceeds 0.5% engagement rates, making these the platform's last remaining strongholds. Comedy and media content achieves 1.4% on TikTok versus 0.06% on X, illustrating how video-first formats favor entertainment content.

Tech and software companies face particularly challenging dynamics on X, with engagement rates dropping to 0.03% despite the platform's history as a tech industry hub. These companies increasingly pivot to TikTok for product demonstrations and behind-the-scenes content that achieves 1.1% engagement rates.

If your engagement feels flat, we've mapped all the formats that get traction.

What are the conversion rate differences when promoting products or services?

TikTok delivers 3.4% average conversion rates compared to X's 0.77% for paid advertising, with TikTok's catalog ads generating 47% higher return on ad spend across all product categories.

Affiliate marketing performs significantly better on TikTok with 2-4% typical conversion rates reaching 5%+ for impulse consumer goods, while X affiliate links struggle to exceed 0.3-1% conversion rates. Direct e-commerce checkout flows show TikTok achieving 1.8-3% conversion rates versus X's 0.5-0.9% performance following recent advertising platform changes.

Subscription sign-ups reveal TikTok's live shopping advantage, with 4-6% conversion rates when creators use live streams combined with link-in-bio funnels. X subscription offerings plateau around 1% for newsletter and SaaS trial conversions, though this remains competitive for B2B software with longer sales cycles.

Email capture through lead generation shows TikTok's 6-10% conversion rates via gated lead ad forms dramatically outperforming X's 2-3% rates through in-tweet lead cards. TikTok's full-screen video format allows for more compelling lead magnets and clearer value propositions than X's character-limited environment.

What content formats and audience behaviors drive the most engagement in 2025?

TikTok's algorithm prioritizes 1-minute+ storytelling videos with three-second hooks while X rewards long-form threaded content and vertical video in 1080×1920 format.

Episodic content series, creator duets, and live shopping sessions generate the highest watch-time metrics on TikTok, with AI-generated captions becoming essential for accessibility and algorithm optimization. The platform's "three-second hook" rule remains critical, as content failing to capture attention immediately faces severe reach limitations.

X users respond best to threaded discussions, quote-tweet debates, and Spaces audio recap content that encourages deeper engagement through comment trees. Vertical video adoption on X has improved click-through rates, though the platform still struggles with video engagement compared to text-based content.

Live streaming emerges as TikTok's conversion catalyst, with live shopping sessions achieving double-digit conversion rates in Southeast Asian markets. X's equivalent, Spaces, builds thought leadership but generates minimal direct conversions, serving primarily as a community-building tool rather than a sales driver.

Where does X clearly outperform TikTok in engagement and monetization?

X dominates real-time discourse and B2B networking with superior link click-through rates and 30-50% lower advertising costs, making it ideal for thought leadership and professional relationship building.

• Real-time relevance for breaking news and industry trend spotting, where financial services and tech sectors saw year-over-year engagement gains despite platform-wide decline
• Cost efficiency with median CPCs ranging $0.03-0.27 and CPMs often 30-50% below TikTok's advertising rates
• Superior link click-through rates benefiting newsletter subscriptions, white-paper downloads, and SaaS trial funnels
• Threaded thought leadership discussions that foster expert positioning through deeper comment engagement despite lower like counts
• Professional networking capabilities that TikTok cannot replicate due to its entertainment-focused algorithm and younger demographic

B2B software companies particularly benefit from X's professional context, where decision-makers actively seek industry insights and vendor recommendations. The platform's text-first format allows for detailed product explanations and technical discussions that video content cannot efficiently convey.

Where does TikTok clearly dominate over X?

TikTok excels in viral potential with 18-20x higher share rates than X, plus 10-50k accounts achieve 4-6% monthly follower growth compared to X's stagnant growth rates.

• Virality multiplier through shares occurring at 18-20 times the rate of X retweets, creating exponential reach potential
• Follower acquisition with 10-50k accounts adding 4-6% new followers monthly, the fastest growth rate across all social platforms
• Watch-time dominance with 95 minutes daily versus X's 34 minutes, enabling deeper brand messaging and product education
• Social commerce leadership where 67% of users report purchasing after seeing products, with live-shopping conversion rates hitting double digits
• Organic reach that remains largely unthrottled compared to X's increasingly pay-to-play algorithm structure

TikTok's demographic advantage shows 67% of users making purchase decisions directly through the platform, compared to X users who primarily use the platform for information gathering rather than shopping inspiration.

How much does fake engagement affect each platform's reliability?

Both platforms struggle with 13-15% fake engagement, with X hosting approximately 48 million bot accounts while TikTok faces view-farming operations that inflate vanity metrics but rarely pass watch-time filters.

X's bot problem centers on automated accounts that generate likes and retweets without meaningful engagement, making follower quality assessments crucial for brand partnerships. External audits estimate 15% of X's total accounts are automated, though Elon Musk's bot reduction initiatives have eliminated some obvious spam accounts while more sophisticated bots remain undetected.

TikTok's fake engagement typically manifests as view farms that generate high view counts with sub-2-second watch times, making average watch percentage a more reliable metric than raw view numbers. Automated engagement on TikTok is easier to identify through watch-time analysis, as genuine engagement correlates strongly with 50%+ video completion rates.

Brands now prioritize watch-through rates on TikTok and link-click rates on X as north-star metrics since these behaviors are significantly harder to fake than surface-level likes and follows. Advanced analytics tools can identify fake engagement patterns, making authentic influence measurement increasingly sophisticated despite persistent bot activity.

How have algorithm changes affected engagement trends throughout 2025?

TikTok's engagement rate declined from 3.1% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2025 due to feed densification, while X suffered a 48% year-over-year engagement drop following algorithm changes that prioritized reach over follower timeline interactions.

X's algorithm restructuring in late 2023 increased impressions by 300% but failed to maintain proportional engagement increases, creating an illusion of improved performance while actual interaction rates plummeted. The platform's shift toward "For You" timeline prominence reduced organic reach for accounts without premium subscriptions, fundamentally altering content distribution dynamics.

TikTok's gradual engagement decline reflects increased content volume and competition rather than algorithmic punishment, with the platform maintaining relatively democratic reach distribution. The introduction of TikTok Shop integration has pushed both platforms toward vertical video plus affiliate storefront combinations, changing content strategy priorities for creators and brands.

Both platforms now emphasize conversion-focused metrics over vanity engagement, with creator monetization shifting toward direct sales through integrated shopping features rather than traditional brand sponsorship models. Algorithm updates increasingly reward content that generates purchases rather than passive engagement.

Don't waste time guessing what converts. Steal all the proven strategies instead.

What does the typical conversion funnel look like from views to sales?

TikTok achieves 3-5% view-to-like conversion rates compared to X's 0.3-0.6%, with TikTok's 0.5-0.8% view-to-follow rate dramatically outperforming X's 0.05% across all account tiers.

The conversion funnel data reveals TikTok's superior performance at every stage, from initial engagement through final purchase, making it the more efficient platform for direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns.

How does time spent on each platform translate to engagement depth?

TikTok users spend 95 minutes daily in deep scroll sessions while X users average 34 minutes across multiple brief visits, creating different engagement patterns that favor TikTok for brand storytelling and X for real-time updates.

TikTok's extended session length enables repeated exposure to the same brand or creator, building familiarity and trust that translates to higher conversion rates. Users often watch the same video multiple times or engage with series content across several sessions, creating multiple touchpoints within a single day.

X's fragmented usage pattern sees users checking the platform multiple times daily for news updates and professional networking, but spending less time per session consuming content. This behavior favors timely, newsworthy content but limits the platform's effectiveness for complex product education or brand storytelling.

Watch-time metrics show TikTok users complete 50-70% of videos on average, while X users rarely spend more than 10-15 seconds engaging with individual posts. The depth difference explains why TikTok drives more emotional connection and purchase intent despite X's historically stronger conversion reputation.

How should you choose between X and TikTok based on specific business goals?

Choose TikTok for brand visibility and direct sales with Gen-Z audiences, while X excels for B2B thought leadership and real-time customer engagement in professional contexts.

Most successful brands now operate dual-platform strategies: TikTok for top-funnel awareness and viral content, X for middle-funnel thought leadership and customer retention through professional discourse.

Running out of viral post ideas? We've got hundreds mapped in our cheatsheets, just steal what works.

Conclusion

Sources

1. Social Insider - Social Media Benchmarks
2. RivalIQ - TikTok Benchmark Report
3. The Influencer Marketing Factory - TikTok Instagram Engagement Rates
4. Impulze.ai - Influencer Engagement Rates
5. TweetPeek.ai - Twitter Engagement Rate Guide 2025
6. Business Dasher - Average Conversion Rate Benchmark
7. Cropink - TikTok Catalog Ads
8. Backlinko - TikTok Users Statistics
9. The Social Shepherd - Twitter Statistics
10. RivalIQ - Social Media Industry Benchmark Report
11. EarnKaro - Twitter Affiliate Marketing
12. Digital Dasher - TikTok Shop E-commerce 2025
13. Automation Links - X Twitter Ads Cost 2025
14. TikTok Ads - Basic Data Help
15. Saffron Edge - Affiliate Marketing on X
16. Hootsuite - TikTok Engagement
17. Sprout Social - Social Media Metrics
18. Circleboom - Twitter Follow Ratio
19. AdsPolar - TikTok E-commerce Southeast Asia 2025
20. Social Media Curve - Twitter Statistics
21. Click Patrol - TikTok Bots Explained
22. LinkedIn - TikTok Bots and Fake Engagement
23. Buffer - Average Engagement Rate