Vietnam’s Pinterest Clones and Why They Suck

Pinterest is now valued at US$2.5 billion. Whether you use it or not, this is a staggering number for a website that just lets users collect and share pictures. But I’m a big fan of Pinterest, and with a valuation that high, I thought I’d take a look at the Pinterest clones that never really made it in Vietnam. It’s a trend that never took off.

I think when Pinterest finally translates to Asian languages – I’m surprised they haven’t already – it will be all over for many Pinterest clones across Asia, though the Chinese pinboard clones (like Mogujie) will be unaffected. To date, Pinterest only supports English, Spanish, French, Portugese, Dutch, and German.

In Vietnam, there are a handful of knockoffs, and none of them have gained significant traction. There are also a few newer players that are replicating Pinterest’s style. Let’s take a quick look at their specs. Most are clearly lacking traction, and a few are very new to the scene.

Note: Alexa Ranks are in Vietnam.

Pinspire

Alexa Traffic Rank: 70,907

Of course, the first on my list has to be Pinspire.vn by Rocket Internet. On a list of imitating followers, Rocket’s bound to make it to the top with its copycatting reputation. Despite its almost identical and pretty design, the site is rife with 404 errors. The Vietnamese version isn’t even working right now; while the Chinese site that’s linked from the main Pinspire.com site doesn’t even actually exist. Very bizarre. Why claim to have a Chinese version of the site when it clearly doesn’t exist?

Last year, TechCrunch uncovered Pinspire’s user tampering, and spamming practices. Suffice it to say, Pinspire will never make it.

Hotpin.vn

Alexa Rank: 35,082

One of the first movers last year, launching last February, is Hotpin.vn. Although it ranks higher than Pinspire, there’s clearly no activity on the site. Most of the posts are from admin and users who are fishing in an empty swimming pool. Being first doesn’t mean anything.

Gim.vn

Alexa Rank: 2,202