Yes. That doesn't make it a substitute for the real thing. I either use a full ceramic burr grinder and Aeropress setup with some recently-roasted single-origin beans OR instant coffee if I only have a few minutes before I have to leave the house in the morning, in which case I do the full brew later in the day. I don't see them as sustainable substitutes any more than tea and coffee are substitutes.
Yeah, it's more like beer vs wine. Not really substitutes except in the narrow sense of delivering the active ingredient.
Instant coffee can be pretty great. I like the Japanese/Korean brands like UCC and Kanu.