TikTok Personal Account vs Business Account: Which Is Better For You?

Are you struggling to decide whether to use a TikTok personal or business account? Do you know the differences between these two types of accounts? Don’t worry if you are not! In this blog, we will compare TikTok Personal Account vs Business Account, looking at the pros and cons of each account type.

So whether you’re a TikTok creator, influencer, or business owner, this blog post will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.

What is TikTok Personal account?

A personal account is the default type of account on TikTok, and it’s what most people use to create and share video content on the app. In the past, TikTok offered two types of specialized accounts – Business and Creator – that were separate from regular personal accounts. However, in 2021, they combined the Creator and Personal accounts. This means that all users now have access to the unique features that were previously only available to Creators.

Benefits of a TikTok Personal account

• Unlimited use of the audio library: One of the biggest advantages of having a TikTok personal account is that you get full access to the audio library. You can use any available sound from the whole music library to create your videos without worrying about copyright issues.
• Switch your account to private: With a TikTok personal account, you can switch your account to private. This means that only your followers can view your content, allowing you to maintain a level of brand exclusivity.
• Eligibility for TikTok Creator Next Program: All TikTok Personal accounts are eligible to join the TikTok Creator Next Program. This program is designed for TikTok creators to monetize as they grow their communities. Personal accounts can access monetization features including Creator Fund, Creator Marketplace, Video Gifts, Live Gifts, and Tips.
• Access to analytics: Both personal and business TikTok accounts have access to analytics and performance insights. As a personal account holder, you can access analytics by posting at least one public video.
• Ability to promote videos: As a TikTok creator, you have access to the Promote option just like brands and business accounts. However, you can only promote videos that use original audio that has been cleared for commercial purposes.

Limitations of a TikTok Personal account 

• Messaging limitations: As an e-commerce store, messaging is essential to promote your business on TikTok. However, with a Personal account, you can only message people who are your friends or who you follow. This means that you can’t stay in touch with your non-friend customers.
• Website link limitations: Using a Personal account can make it difficult to attach a website link to your profile. You need to reach 1,000 followers to do so, and there is no option to add an external link to your profile.
• Limited management tools: You cannot integrate your Personal account with third-party tools that you use to enhance your marketing effort.
• Analytics limitations: Analytics data cannot be downloaded by Creator accounts. Also, the in-app view is limited to a 60-day period, which can make it harder to analyze your business’ performance on TikTok. This means that identifying long-term trends or creating an overview to share with other team members can be challenging.

What is TikTok Business account?

A TikTok business account is a free public profile designed to help businesses grow through TikTok’s marketing tools. It’s different from a creator account and offers advanced performance metrics and creative tools. Business accounts are ideal for promoting products or services, engaging customers, and using commercial tools in the Business Creative Hub. They provide various features to help businesses build, manage, and monitor their brand’s activities on TikTok.

With analytics, creator studio, and third-party integration, businesses of all sizes can shape and improve their marketing strategies. Upgrading to a business account is easy and free, and you can switch back to a creator account anytime.

Benefits of a TikTok Business account 

• Availability of TikTok’s Business Suite: By using a TikTok business account, you get access to TikTok’s Business Suite, containing various support features, such as analytics that allow you to find and download data about your account, workspace, activity, and support, and a commercial music library of over 1,000,000 songs and sounds.

• Get access to TikTok Ads Manager: With a TikTok Business account, you have the flexibility to run diverse ad formats like Top-view Ads, In-feed Ads, Collection Ads, etc., without any restrictions. Your account will also be seamlessly connected to TikTok Ads Manager, enabling you to oversee all your ad campaigns.
• Messaging opportunities: A TikTok business account allows you to message anyone. You can also communicate with your audience by setting up Auto-Message for incoming direct messages.
• Third-party tools integration: Unlike the Personal account we just mentioned above, you can integrate a Business account with third-party tools to optimize your marketing efforts further. This integration can help you manage your account using a third-party platform and get verified badges to help users make informed choices about the accounts they choose to follow.
• Access to the in-app Business Creative Hub: TikTok provides a Business Creative Hub, where business accounts can build their content strategy by offering tips on content creation, shooting videos, and best practices for posting videos.

To launch successful TikTok ad campaigns without any prior expertise or experience, we suggest using NestAds, a simple and user-friendly platform that offers an easy way to run ads on TikTok. With NestAds, you can be sure that your ads will reach the right audience and generate the desired results.

Limitations of a TikTok Business account  

• Limited sound library: Business accounts on TikTok have access to only commercial sound clips, not the entire music library. This means that you may not be able to participate in all audio-based trends. However, you can create your own sound bytes to tell your brand’s story.
• Don’t have access to creator programs: Business accounts do not have access to all Creator Programs, which limits your monetization opportunities. While you can still connect with creators and find influencers through the Creator Marketplace, you won’t have access to programs like the Creator Fund or Creator Next.
• Limited stitching or duet options: Due to the limited library of sounds, businesses with TikTok business accounts are not allowed to stitch or duet with videos that use non-commercial audio. This limits the options available to participate in trends using audio.

Comparison between TikTok Personal and Business account

To help you decide whether to go with a Personal or Business account, it’s crucial to understand their differences. Let’s take a look to see how these two account types are similar and different, giving you a comprehensive overview.

Similarities between TikTok Personal and Business account

Personal and Business TikTok accounts share essential features, making it easy for you to create and share content. Despite differences in user focus, both account types are dedicated to supporting creative content creation and sharing. Key functions found in both account types include Analytics, Live features, Live Analytics, Q&A, LIVE Q&A, Creator Playlist, Promote, and Branded Content Toggle.

So, whether you’re using a Personal or Business account on TikTok, you’ll have access to a full tools set for your creative journey. TikTok has got you covered—from grasping audience insights to using TikTok resources for content creation and easy content promotion. With both account types, TikTok ensures you can achieve your basic results seamlessly.

Differences between TikTok Personal and Business account

As the two account types cater to different users and usage purposes, they come with some distinct features. The Personal account offers basic features for monetizing your efforts and sharing content. While you get full access to the TikTok library, Analytics reports are limited to the last 60 days, and you can’t use deep branding tools like messaging strangers, linking to a website, or integrating third-party tools.

On the flip side, a Business account is designed to enhance businesses marketing efforts on TikTok. It provides essential marketing tools like TikTok Ads, offering various advertising options for creativity and engagement, such as TopView ads and Brand Takeover. The TikTok Ads Manager provides in-depth analysis, including customer conversion information. Additionally, businesses can directly sell on TikTok through the TikTok Shop integration.

To wrap up the comparisons we just discussed, here’s a summary table to give you a clearer picture of their similarities and differences.

What is better – Personal or Business account on TikTok?

The decision on which TikTok account is better for you depends on your purposes. If you’re focused on building personal content and spreading your personal brand, a TikTok Personal account is ideal. However, if you aim to engage new customers and commercialize your creative efforts, then a TikTok Business account is definitely the way to go.

So TikTok Business or Personal account? Have you made your own decision? If you still need more information, we’ve prepared a short video that gathers all the pros and cons of these 2 accounts. Give it a try to choose the one that totally aligns with your goals!

How to switch between TikTok personal account & business account?

TikTok enables users to switch from personal accounts to business accounts and vice versa. Therefore, if you want to change your account type, follow the 4 simple steps below.

• Choose Profile in the bottom right to access your profile.
• Click the 3-line icon in the top right and choose Settings and Privacy.
• Tap Manage Account.

• Click Switch to Business Account or Switch to Personal Account to choose and then follow the next instructions to finish. 

However, please note that it is not highly recommended to switch from a business to a personal account and back. If you aim to promote your business on TikTok and your personal image at the same time, it is advised to use separate accounts to achieve your goals.

Let’s start making your mark on TikTok today!

Now that you know the pros and cons of TikTok personal accounts and business accounts, you can make an informed decision about which type of account is best for you. Whichever you choose, TikTok always has enought tools to help you create, share, and grow your content. So get started today and start making your mark on TikTok!