If you have observed social media space, you will notice that several apps and competitors are poking up their heads threatening to outcompete Twitter, now called X. While the sky is big enough to accommodate anyone, some of these competitors are making attention-grabbing trends that have successfully switched some users from X to their websites.
Since I know how much of a hassle it can be to navigate this list of competitors, I’ve compiled a personal list to make the work swift. I have noted down more than five competitors that you might want to keep your eye on. Let’s go over it together.
Key Points
- Several new social media platforms are emerging as competitors to Twitter (X), each with unique features and capabilities that aim to attract users from established networks.
- Competitors like Mastodon, Threads by Instagram, Bluesky, Post News, T2 Social, and Spill offer varied features, such as decentralized networks, integration with other platforms, and specialized content focus (e.g., news, visual-first design).
- Each platform has distinct methods for user engagement, including decentralization, content sharing options, privacy settings, and monetization approaches, which can influence user preference and platform growth.
- The increasing number of alternatives to Twitter (X) suggests a shifting landscape in social media, driven by user dissatisfaction with existing platforms and the desire for new features and improved user experiences.
Who Are Twitter’s Competitors?
This recent times, the social media industry has truly experienced tremendous changes and drastic growth. Which of course includes websites trying to build alternatives to popular platforms. The most obvious one is the X platform. Personally, I can say that they have faced serious competition over the past decade and most of the said competitors have tried to key into the platform’s inadequacies, enjoying slimmer degrees of success over time. But then who are these Twitter competitors?
Most Popular Twitter Competitors 2024
Below, we are going to explore the top X competitors and provide basic information about each company highlighting how they differentiate themselves from Twitter.
#1. Mastodon
I want us to start on a very familiar foot. The origin of this particular competitor was as far back as 2016, but it sprung up when Elon Musk was in the process of taking over X. Mastodon is known as a decentralized social media platform that allows its users to create accounts for themselves in diverse communities while being in communication with others. Interesting right? The communities in question focus on unique factors like interests, themes, or topics.
Its decentralized nature made it an attractive alternative, boosting its rank as a competitor for Twitter. One thing this company promised was a unified feed. As I mentioned above, they make use of different services to communicate through one protocol. This was to enhance the sharing of information amongst users.
This server that permits users to form communities through the main platform without building the whole infrastructure from scratch is known as “instances”. To start your debut on this website, you will need to have access to the website, sign up and go ahead to pick the specific network you’d prefer to use, you have over 100,000 communities to choose from. If you wish to post on the platform, keep in mind that it allows users to publish 500-character posts, images, and videos.
For ads, Mastodon does not promote ads on its platform instead it allows you to share any advert you wish to share on the server, by yourself. How fascinating.
#2. Threads by Instagram
Threads by Meta has also been a big competitor to the X company. Being released on the 5th of July and with over 22 million users in its first 12 hours, it came about as a text-based social media platform designed to enhance public conversations, just like Twitter. The most creative feature of this website is that it was integrated with Instagram which literally allows users of both platforms to synchronise their logins with their Instagram account and share posts between the two platforms.
According to the Meta website, “Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.”
Just like Mastodon, this social media platform permits a text post of up to 500 characters, which is not similar to the black app which only permits a 280-character limit. Aside from the text character specifications, the app also allows users to share videos that are up to 5 minutes long. Threads by Instagram also support embedding links, photos, and GIFs within posts for richer content and better visuals.
Also, this platform is a big supporter of privacy hence it has options to either create a public or private account, giving you more control over your contents and who gets to see it. It also made room for visually impaired users by providing screen-reader support, AI-generated alt text for images, and text size and contrast adjustment options. This platform also wants to utilise the ActivityPub protocol to create a decentralized system.
For the monetisation plans, this website currently has none for now. Just because it integrated with Instagram, this platform has a better chance of attracting users to its website hence rubbing shoulders with X. Watch out for threads!
#3. Bluesky
Bluesky is definitely one of Twitter’s competitors and it is in constant space and level as Mastodon. These past times it has had a big boost and an increasing hype which can be linked to Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and former CEO, for being a co-sign on the ownership of the platform. Currently, it has been recorded to have over 50,000 registered users and over 375,000 downloads on the app, that’s massive.
This platform works as a decentralised social network which encourages it users to share short texts or stories through different providers instead of a huge central one. It works so much like Mastodon, which also uses a decentralised provider to transmit updates from users.
Want to know a more interesting factor? Bluesky uses an invite-only mode of sign-up, which uses an invite code system. Their reason is that invite codes help control growth as they build moderation and curation tools while providing insight into the budding social graph. They don’t plan on dropping the invite code method, rather they would increase the number of codes it gives out.
The text character range for this platform is 300, with the addition of links, images and videos and the app can be downloadable on either Android or iOS apps. As a user, you can also block, restrict, mute or filter content cause the platform pays attention to content moderation. Bluesky’s commitment to transparency and openness is also a defining characteristic.
#4. Post News
Being known for living up to its name, Post News is built strictly for news. It is one of the biggest Twitter competitors with claims to replace the trusted news resources that Twitter allegedly lost, along with the changes to how verification works.
It came about in November 2022 and since then it has accrued over 440,000 active users across the platform. The good part of this app is that it accommodates diverse professions and personalities including journalists, experts on different subjects, academics, and premium publishers who have found their way to the app. News carries even a wider wave.
To monetise, the platform wants to promote a space where publishers can easily generate revenues from micropayments, in other words saying that readers will have to pay publishers to access their individual news items. Overall, the platform allows users to choose specific pieces they wish to access instead of buying several subscriptions.
Unlike other platforms, Post News allows long-form posts to allow people to engage by liking, replying, or reposting. The users or readers also have to pay stipends in points before accessing an article. A single post ranges for about 50 points, which you automatically get after you sign up to the website and then you purchase afterwards. One point costs $0.01.
#5. T2 Social
Pebble, formerly called T2 Social, founded by Gabor Cselle and Sarah Oh, is one of the closest competitors to Twitter with reference to its user interface, post style and the general social media platform. This similarity stems from Sarah Oh’s experience as the Human Rights Advisor at Twitter.
Among the social media services considered to be X’s rival, Pebble has the smallest number of users. As of June 2023, it had about 7500 active users. According to the website, it aims to provide a safe, kind and fun area for public discourse.
For the posting that goes on in the platform, the post character ranges from 280 characters or less. On the website you can also share photos, videos, links and publish replies. Most times their feed contains different content, sometimes in multiple languages. Lastly, for now, Pebble is only available on desktops and the web.
#6. Spill
Spill is another app from an ex-Twitter employee. However, it differs from X as its visual-first design is similar to that of Tumblr based on its looks and feel.
When you first open/launch the app, it places you on a feed that contains recent posts from people you’re sipping. “Sipping” is its following feature, taken from the kermit frog meme. You can also access posts the platform recommends via its algorithm. The users can see what’s trending on X, and users can also pull down a top menu displaying posts and hashtags. On the bottom menu, users are also allowed to post texts, GIFs, videos, photos, polls and links.
The company’s unique selling point is its attractiveness to different classes of users. Spill is still in beta and is invite-only, just like Bluesky is. One interesting feature to look forward to about the website is its plans to include blockchain-based attributes that would facilitate the process of rewarding users.
You’d also notice a rep score on the platform which increases with time when the user has been keeping a decent behaviour on the app, regardless of having a large following or not. Offline and online occasions being referred to as “tea parties” are occasionally planned out by users and at the end of the day, you might end up with bonuses that will cover up for in-app purchases. Finally, Spill is compatible with iOS for now.
In order to thrive on these new platforms and maximize your reach, consider implementing the following strategies:
Engagement Boosting Strategies for New Platforms Template.PDF
Conclusion
If you are observant enough, you would notice that a common theme that these Twitter competitor apps have on their list is the constant focus on running decentralised providers and servers. To me, I feel the reason why there was this much increase in Twitter’s competitors is from Elon Musk’s takeover to the different changes that have characterized the microblogging platform since then. Now a lot of competitors are coming up, trying to prove that they can be a better option than Twitter.
You can take your time to explore these changes and these apps but the big question is, can they really beat X?
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