Twitter has been the talk of the internet in the past few weeks. This follows massive changes imposed by the platform’s boss, Elon Musk, which irked the app’s loyal users. Twitter’s declining popularity as a leading microblogging platform was recorded days after Elon Musk acquired it.
Elon introduced a paywall that restricts access to essential features and daily posts, which was met with significant pushback from its user base that exceeded 450 million users. If you are a user looking for an alternative platform to create connections, share updates, or promote your business, read on.
- Threads
First on our list of the best Twitter alternatives is the recent launchers Threads by Meta. Since its launch on July 5, 2023, the app has taken the internet by storm, garnering about 30 million users within 24 hours.
Threads has over 100 million users today, making it a formidable rival to the microblogging giant Twitter. Threads founder Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in a post that all this popularity and following was organic and that they are yet to activate promotions for the app.
It is free and easy to join Threads. You can quickly sign in to the app using your Instagram credentials if you have an Instagram account. The best part is that you retain your verification status, followers, and profile information, though it’s optional.
Like Twitter, Threads allows you to create short posts of up to 500 characters. You can also include photos, videos, or links. It is available in over 100 countries but has yet to penetrate the European market following the European Union data-sharing concerns. Threads are available on PlayStore for Android and AppStore for iOS.
- Bluesky
Another app that is set to be a worthy replacement for Twitter is Bluesky. The decentralized social app was put together by the former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and is said to have similar functionality to Twitter.
While many upcoming apps are trying to fill the gap, Bluesky is close to Twitter. Its posts are much like tweets, and most fans use the app to throw shade at Twitter. It works like any other social media, as to start using it, you need to sign up for an account and choose a handle before you can start scrolling down its news feed.
As a decentralized platform, Bluesky will allow users to use the technology behind it to create communities and apps with customized rules and algorithms. While there have been concerns about whether Twitter owns Bluesky, Mr. Dorsey clarified that he only wanted Twitter to be Bluesky’s client.
While the app received financial support from Twitter, it is an independent platform with its own LLC in 2022. Initially, the app was meant for tech enthusiasts and developers behind it. But now, anyone can join the app by receiving an invite code from an existing user.
It is still in its invite-only beta stage, but you can also join the platform by signing up for its waitlist on the website.
- Mastodon
Lastly, we have Mastodon. Like Bluesky, Mastodon is a decentralized platform, meaning users can create and host communities using open-source software. The best part of this app is that there are no ads since it is not owned by one company.
Mastodon was released in 2016 but gained considerable popularity after Elon Musk acquired Twitter. Unlike Twitter, Mastodon allows its users to join a host of different servers run by individuals and groups rather than a single platform controlled by a significant company.
When you join Mastodon, you will be asked to choose a server. The servers review your request before accepting it. Mastodon has put a firm disclaimer on its homepage, claiming that it offers social networking not for sale.
In what seems to be pointing at its able rival Twitter, Mastodon further explains that your newsfeed should be filled with what matters to you, not what the corporation thinks is good for you. Like Twitter, it supports texts, audio, images, videos, polls, custom emojis, and more.
You can create an account with its web version or get an app on AppStore or PlayStore.
As the world continues to watch to see what happens to the once beloved microblogging app, there are still reliable ways of accessing news through mainstream media, reliable news websites, and blogs.
[…] has a long way to go in regard to winning user loyalty. Despite it performing way better than other Twitter alternatives, Threads is also yet to gain customers coming back […]