GIPHY is a visual search engine for GIFs, Clips, and Stickers, designed for social media users on iOS.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#62
▼5Photo & Video · free
Sentiment
4.8
683k reviews
Nemesis
Sticker.ly - Sticker Maker
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
It removes the cognitive friction of text-based communication by providing a massive, searchable library of expressive visual reactions.
For Social media users and mobile communicators seeking to enhance text-based conversations with visual reactions.
What does it look like?
Key features
Centralized search interface for a library of animated GIFs, Clips, and Stickers
System-wide keyboard integration allowing GIF search and insertion directly into third-party messaging apps
In-app camera and editing suite for generating custom GIFs, stickers, and face filters
How much does it cost?
The app operates as a free, ad-supported utility with no visible subscription or IAP gates.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentperformanceopaqueShow more...
With 3 releases over the last 90 days, the app maintains a maintenance-level cadence of approximately one update per month. Development is focused exclusively on code cleanup and stability, as the publisher provides no information regarding new features or content. The release notes remain consistently opaque, suggesting that any functional changes are either minor or managed via server-side updates rather than store-distributed builds. The development trend is stable but reflects a focus on long-term maintenance rather than active feature expansion.
Who built it?
Giphy
4 apps tracked · Photo & Video
GIPHY Capture. The GIF Maker
GIPHY Sticker Extension
GIPHY: GIFs, Stickers & ClipsUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews mixed. Users appreciate extensive library of funny and expressive content helps users communicate feelings without needing words and simple and intuitive interface allows even senior users to easily find and share content, but report intrusive video advertisements appearing in the keyboard tray disrupt the user experience and feel spammy.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Extensive library of funny and expressive content helps users communicate feelings without needing words
- Simple and intuitive interface allows even senior users to easily find and share content
- Intrusive video advertisements appearing in the keyboard tray disrupt the user experience and feel spammy
74 of 98 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for GIPHY: The GIF Search Engine
How's the Photo & Video market?
GIPHY maintains a #61 rank in the US Photo & Video category. The reliance on ad-supported search without a subscription tier creates a high-volume, low-margin monetization model that is highly sensitive to ad-placement friction.
The rivals identified
By NAVER Z Corporation
Sticker.ly directly competes for the same user intent of creating and sharing short-form visual reactions, with a massive, highly active user base.
- Focuses heavily on user-generated sticker packs rather than just a search-and-share library.
- Integrates directly with messaging platforms to allow one-tap export of custom sticker creations.
- Provides robust AI-powered background removal tools for creating custom stickers from personal photos.
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for GIPHY: The GIF Search Engine
Where is it heading?
The visual reaction market is consolidating around creator-led platforms, and GIPHY's maintenance-mode update cadence leaves it exposed to rivals with faster feature iteration. Unless the ad-placement strategy is pivoted to protect the core keyboard utility, the platform risks losing its daily active habit to competitors that prioritize user-generated content over ad-inventory density.
- Aggressive video ads in the keyboard tray drive immediate uninstalls, which compounds the sentiment drag already visible in recent reviews.
- Technical instability during content creation discards user work, which prevents the platform from capturing the high-retention creator demographic.
The SWOT
- Massive licensed content library sustains daily usage
- Keyboard integration embeds service into messaging habits
- Manual cache management reduces power-user churn
- Dedicated creator gallery captures original-content segment
Next best moves
Pivot ad-placement strategy because keyboard video ads are the #1 driver of uninstalls → reduce churn rate
+ 2 more prioritized movesThe counter-intuitive read
GIPHY's massive library is a liability in the creator economy…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
AI-powered background removal (available in Sticker.ly but absent here) +1
Since the last report: Development velocity has transitioned to a maintenance-only cadence, while user sentiment has improved slightly from negative to mixed despite persistent churn risks from keyboard advertisements.
Bottom line
Aggressive keyboard advertising is eroding the core utility that drives GIPHY's retention, necessitating a pivot toward less intrusive ad formats to stabilize the user base. Prioritizing technical stability and cache management would unlock the creator segment that currently churns due to editing failures.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is GIPHY free to use?
How does GIPHY compare to Sticker.ly?
Does GIPHY have intrusive ads?
What is a good alternative to GIPHY?
Sources
Report last updated