Top three contenders in the race to replace Twitter

When Elon Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, he did not just buy a social media company — he began transforming a cultural touchstone. Under his ownership, Twitter became "X," lost many of its core developers and advertisers, and gained features that made users uneasy, such as allowing blocked accounts to see your posts.

As more unmoderated content flooded timelines and the platform veered towards unpredictability, millions of users began to look elsewhere.

Two and a half years on, the platform, once synonymous with real-time conversations, breaking news, and global movements, no longer feels like home to many.

While Musk continues to push his dream of an "everything app," X has not delivered on that promise. In the meantime, other platforms have stepped forward, hoping to reimagine the microblogging experience for those who still crave the community and immediacy that Twitter once offered.

There may never be a perfect one-to-one replacement. But three platforms — Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky — have emerged as the most promising alternatives, each with its approach to what social media can and should be.

Threads

When Threads launched in July 2023, it felt rushed and sparse. Many critics doubted whether it could stand up to X's established dominance. But within a year, Threads proved them wrong. By October 2024, it had already surpassed 300 million monthly users.

Created by Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, Threads benefits from deep integration with those platforms. Logging in is seamless for Instagram users, and posts can be easily shared across all three platforms. This creates a ready-made network, making the app feel populated from day one.

Threads also supports ActivityPub, the same protocol used by Mastodon and other decentralised services. This means that in the future, it may allow cross-platform interactions — an effort Meta has signalled it will continue to support.

However, Threads is not without its drawbacks. It is currently unavailable in the European Union due to concerns over data privacy, and the platform has notably distanced itself from political content. That makes it less useful for those seeking fast updates on current events or political discussions — historically one of Twitter's strongest suits.

While Threads has grown impressively, its reliance on Meta's algorithmic feed, rather than a chronological timeline, may not suit everyone. Still, for those seeking a friendly, connected alternative, Threads is a strong contender.

Mastodon

Mastodon was already around before Musk's acquisition, but it gained renewed attention during the initial Twitter exodus. Its open-source, decentralised model offers a refreshing alternative to the corporate-driven nature of most social media platforms.

Instead of one giant server, Mastodon consists of thousands of smaller communities, called instances, each with its own rules and moderation policies. Users can still interact across instances, but the structure encourages more thoughtful, niche interactions.

This decentralised approach offers a degree of autonomy that X no longer provides. If you dislike the moderation of your chosen instance, you can migrate to another. Posts on Mastodon can be up to 500 characters long — nearly double Twitter's original current limit — and users can edit their posts, a long-requested feature on X.

However, Mastodon's design comes with a learning curve. Choosing an instance, understanding federation, and selecting a mobile app can all feel overwhelming at first. Its direct messaging system is also less secure, as server administrators technically have access to private messages.

Despite these challenges, Mastodon remains one of the most community-friendly and intentional platforms available. It may take some getting used to, but for those seeking meaningful engagement without the noise, it can be worth the effort.

Bluesky

Bluesky feels the most like Twitter — and that is no accident. It was incubated inside Twitter and launched under the guidance of its former CEO, Jack Dorsey. The goal? A decentralised social network that maintains the familiarity of Twitter while avoiding its pitfalls.

Bluesky officially opened to the public in February 2024, and its user base surged soon after, crossing 10 million active users. With a design almost identical to Twitter's, it lets users post, reply, repost, and follow hashtags. It even lets users customise their feeds using keywords, hashtags, or curated starter packs.

What sets Bluesky apart is its use of the AT Protocol, which lets users eventually transfer their data across platforms. It also allows for third-party moderation services, giving users more control over their experience.

However, Bluesky's independence comes at a cost. It does not use the widely adopted ActivityPub protocol, making it incompatible with Threads and Mastodon. It also launched without key features like direct massaging and video support, though these were added later.

Bluesky offers a rare balance: the comfort of what Twitter once was, with the promise of user control and decentralisation. It may not be as interconnected as Threads or as freeform as Mastodon, but it delivers a smooth, familiar experience with fewer of X's headaches.

Today, Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky offer real, functional alternatives. None of them replicates Twitter perfectly, and perhaps that is a good thing. Instead, each encourages a different type of online experience — one that may be slow-paced, more focused, or simply more enjoyable.