We’re all sick of X. Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter this time last year, users of the bluebird social network have been watching our favorite app turn into something different… something worse.
For all those who, like me, are beginning to tire of the ups and downs of Elon Musk’s app, today’s industry offers plenty of similar options not managed by the most controversial CEO of our time.
The X may be the final straw that buried Twitter, but only time will tell. In the meantime, here are five alternatives to the little blue bird in case you want to give it a try:
Bluesky
Of all the alternatives that have emerged, Bluesky is the one that most closely resembles Twitter. Bluesky, a spinoff of the company before Musk took over, even has Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey on its board of directors.
It seems like a good option if you miss the old days of just posting harmless tweets between friends, but be aware that Bluesky’s terms and conditions state that it owns everything you post.
Other than that, the main problem will most likely be creating an account on Bluesky. The social network only accepts invitations during its beta period, a decision that has prevented it from becoming overrun with brands and spambots, but has also prevented its user base from growing as fast as it could.
Threads
It was only a matter of time before Meta came out with a Twitter copycat. Launched this July, Threads arrived without a ton of features that people have come to expect, such as emoji, hashtags, trending topics, or even a follow feed.
Threads is also technically a feature of Instagram rather than a completely separate platform, meaning you can’t delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account.
Fortunately, Meta has said it is working to fix this problem, as well as the various missing features in Threads, and has begun rolling out a follower feed later this month.
Threads has the advantage of having gained a significant user base almost immediately, with over 10 million new accounts registered within the first seven hours of its launch. However, it has since suffered a significant decline in users, who complain that the platform lacks functionality and is dominated by brands.
SPILL
Like Bluesky, SPILL also has some former Twitter employees behind it. But unlike Bluesky, SPILL is explicitly focused on building a safe and diverse community for “culture boosters.”
The social network defines them as the creators who originate the memes and vernacular that permeate the Internet. They usually belong to the black community and are often uncredited.
Apart from age limits, SPILL imposes no restrictions on creating an account. SPILL is still in beta testing, so if you want to join you will have to get an invitation code or join the waiting list.
Mastodon
Although Mastodon launched in 2016, it came back into prominence in 2022. Millions of new users flocked to Mastodon in the wake of Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, and for a moment it looked like it would become the next microblogging app.
However, Mastodon’s multi-server system can be confusing and off-putting to new users, and is just one of several features that have hindered the platform’s growth.
Since then, Mastodon’s user base has dwindled considerably from that initial Twitter-driven surge of interest. But with the appeal of X rapidly diminishing with each new unpopular change announced, some people may be tempted to give it another chance.
Hive
Hive was another competitor that benefited from Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Hive, a relatively small platform created by a small team of three women, announced that its user base had grown to one million accounts just a month after the acquisition. One Direction, K-pop, Star Wars and video game fan groups signed up for Hive.
Like the old MySpace pages, Hive allows users to customize their profile by adding songs or changing its color. It also distinguishes itself by placing more emphasis on images, and imposes no length limits on users.
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