In recent months the decline of Twitter has been accelerating, which is creating conditions for new social networks to emerge that can eclipse Twitter and dominate that space. We highlight five platforms that are widely considered alternatives to Twitter.
Over the past several months, Twitter, one of the most popular and influential social networks, has been in decline. Its subscriber base has been decreasing and ad revenues have also dropped by as much as 50% (Source: CNN). Although we all love a comeback story and rooting for the underdog, it is unclear whether Twitter has what it takes to overcome its currently dire situation.
Having said this, the social media landscape is highly dynamic. Although the more popular networks, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, are still dominating the space, new platforms are emerging that are hoping to establish a credible presence in the market and in consumers’ consciousness. It can thus be argued that the challenges Twitter has been experiencing are creating a vacuum that others are vying to fill. We highlight five platforms that are being seen as serious contenders to Twitter.
1. Threads
Created by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Threads is among the most talked about Twitter alternatives. Similar to Twitter, it allows users to post and share text, images, and videos, and to interact with other users’ posts through replies, reposts, and likes. To use Threads, users need to have an Instagram account and use the same Instagram handle, which can expedite access to the new platform and to some degree facilitate speedier development of your network of followers.
Launched on 5 July 2023, Threads reached 100 million users in a record five days and is reported to have over 116 million users as of 20 July (Source: Quiver Quantitative), and is considered to be at the forefront to replace Twitter. However, there are already reports that user engagement has slowed, so it remains to be seen whether Threads will be able to rise above these early challenges and growing pains.
2. BlueSky
Launched in 2021, BlueSky is an invitation-only social network that has over registered 330,000 users at the time of writing (Source: vqv.app). Unlike other platforms that consider their social networking protocols highly proprietary, BlueSky has made its code open source and so available to public scrutiny. It is thus trying to develop a new business model for social media that does not solely rely on ad revenues or commoditise users and their data.
Nevertheless, it should not be surprising that invitations to join BlueSky are in high demand, as it is still in beta testing. However, the platform is reported to have a Twitter-like feel, and so has been attracting a lot of former Twitter users.
3. Mastodon
Although not considered a true social media platform, Mastodon is considered an alternative to Twitter. Instead of just posting and reacting to tweets, Mastadon allows users to create and run their own websites known as Instances and facilitates microblogging.
According to Statista and as of March 2023, Mastodon had over 10 million registered users, with this growth occurring following the finalization of the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk in late October 2022. One of its greatest strengths, which increasingly has been plaguing Twitter, is its approach to content moderation. It is also strict about privacy and similar to BlueSky, it does not contain ads.
4. Spill
Created by former Twitter employees, Spill, a Black-owned social media app, aims to provide a space for some of the under-represented groups in our communities and to become “the de facto platform to discover and discuss culture worldwide” (Source: Apple). Over the past month the app has been gaining visibility and traction as Twitter becomes more restrictive and its users seek out alternatives.
At the time of writing, access to Spill is by invitation only, as it is still in Beta testing and is only available to Apple users. Although it is being heralded as an alternative to Twitter, it is not driven by text, but rather visuals. The focus of posts, which are called “spills”, are images, videos, or GIFs which can be supplemented with up to 90 characters of text.
As Spill becomes more readily accessible, it remains to be seen whether it has what it takes to maintain its appeal and to deliver on the inclusive yet safe space it would like to create.
5. Redditt
The community forum, Redditt, is almost 20 years old, having been launched in 2005. The platform has an estimated 55.79 million daily active users and 1.660 billion monthly active users in 2023, and is ranked as the 19th most visited website globally (Source: BankMyCell).
Redditt is a network of communities (or subreddits) based on a very broad range of topics and interests, which are organised by subject. Registered users (commonly referred to as “redditors”) submit content to the site which is then voted on by other members. Hence some of the benefits of Redditt are the diversity of the subjects discussed, the ease of interaction and the volume of content that is available.
Finally, it is noted that although the number of daily users may seem modest when compared with the more popular social networks, By 2025, it is projected that Redditt’s daily users will grow by 24.46% and premium Reddit users are expected to grow by 89.20% in 2025 (Source: BankMyCell), which speaks to the robustness of the platform.
In summary, Twitter is not yet dead and buried, but it is uncertain whether it can regain the cachet or esteem in which it was once held. However, creating a profitable, or even viable social media platform is not as straightforward as one might think. Further, issues related to privacy, harassment, and misinformation among others, need to be clearly and decisively managed. It will thus be interesting to see in the coming months and years the fate of the above platforms and even that of Twitter as well.
Image credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)
