Were there any competitors to Instagram that had a similar original purpose?

Yes, there were competitors to Instagram that had a similar original purpose of sharing photos with friends, though none achieved the same level of success. Some notable competitors to Instagram in the early days included:

1. **Hipstamatic**: Hipstamatic was a popular photo editing and sharing app that allowed users to apply vintage-inspired filters and effects to their photos. It gained popularity for its unique filters and retro aesthetic but did not offer social networking features to the extent of Instagram.

2. **Picplz**: Picplz was a photo sharing app that allowed users to take photos, apply filters, and share them with friends and followers. It offered features similar to Instagram, including photo editing tools and social networking features, but it ultimately failed to gain traction and shut down in 2012.

3. **EyeEm**: EyeEm is a photo sharing platform that allows users to upload, edit, and share their photos with a community of photographers. It offers features similar to Instagram, including filters, hashtags, and social networking features, but it has primarily focused on building a community of photographers rather than mainstream social networking.

4. **Flickr**: Flickr is a photo sharing platform that predates Instagram and was popular in the early 2000s. It allowed users to upload, organize, and share their photos with friends and followers. While Flickr offered features similar to Instagram, including photo sharing and social networking, it did not gain the same level of popularity or cultural impact.

While these competitors had similar original purposes to Instagram in terms of photo sharing and social networking, Instagram's user-friendly interface, intuitive design, and focus on visual storytelling helped it stand out and ultimately dominate the market. Today, Instagram is one of the most popular and influential social media platforms globally, with over a billion active users.