March 06, 2026
, in technology
Is Anything Really Replacing Twitter?
After the shift to X, platforms like Threads and Bluesky stepped in. But has anything actually taken Twitter’s place? Let’s take a closer look.
X, Threads & Bluesky: Who’s Winning the Post-Twitter Era?
KEY POINTS
- Threads' Rise. Meta's Threads grew rapidly with 127.8% year-over-year increase to 115.1 million daily users by July 2025, appealing as a safe, Instagram-integrated alternative.
- Bluesky's Appeal. Bluesky, decentralized and open-source, drew users for transparency but slowed recently, adding only 1.6 million users monthly versus peak 5 million.
- Engagement Edge. X maintains dominance in real-time news due to four times higher user time spent compared to Threads (8 minutes daily).
- Fractured Market. No platform replaces Twitter; users split across X for reach, Threads for Meta ecosystem, and Bluesky for niches, creating specialized factions.
In October 2022, tech titan Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion, swiftly privatizing the popular app and rebranding it “X.” The move sent shockwaves through the social media landscape, not just for the significant aesthetic change, but for the radical departure from Twitter’s premise as a simple micro-blogging platform. Musk declared X an “everything app,” and soon began implementing a number of significant changes that ran the gamut from relaxing the platform’s stance on content moderation to turning it into what Axios described as “a strip mine for AI training data.”
As journalists and Twitter loyalists began expressing their dismay over these changes, usage began to drop, and by 2025, daily active users had fallen 15.2% over the previous 12 months, according to Backlinko.
Predictably, competitors rushed to fill the perceived void left by Twitter and capitalize on users’ upset — most notably Meta’s Threads and Bluesky, founded by Twitter’s original creator, Jack Dorsey. But have any of these emerging competitors managed to recreate the magic of the platform formerly known as Twitter? Let’s take a closer look.
The platforms vying for Twitter’s place
Threads
Just weeks before Musk announced that Twitter was becoming X, Meta debuted Threads, an Instagram-native feature “for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.” As Forbes notes, Threads doesn’t “offer anything so compelling that it would attract new users or people who are not even active on social media anymore.” But by keeping the platform simple, safe, and familiar, Threads has successfully positioned itself as a viable alternative for users fed up with X. By July 2025, TechCrunch reported that “Threads’ mobile app for iOS and Android saw 115.1 million daily active users, representing 127.8% year-over-year growth” - a total not far behind X itself as it continued to decline.
Bluesky
Publicly launched in 2024, Dorsey’s Bluesky emerged as another X challenger. Unlike Threads, which functions as an extension of Instagram, Bluesky sets itself apart from competitors by positioning itself as a decentralized alternative where users are in control of their experience. Following Bluesky’s public debut, TechCrunch described the platform as “completely open source, which gives people outside of the company transparency into what is being built and how.” For users frustrated by the lack of content moderation on X and Meta’s frequent algorithmic changes, Bluesky presents as an appealing, user-centric alternative — and for a time, user data reflected this appeal. Bluesky also benefited from the X exodus following Elon Musk’s public support of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Fortune reports that, “By December 2024, the platform (X) had lost about 2.7 million active Apple and Android users in just two months, with competitor Bluesky absorbing nearly all of those users.”
However, data from Social Media Today shows that Bluesky’s momentum has slowed recently, with the platform acquiring “around 5 million new users per month at peak, to adding 1.6 million per month more recently.” Post volume is also declining, indicating that “there’s just not enough there to make it a key focus, at least not as a significant driver of engagement.”
American Billionaire Mark Cuban has a different theory for why Bluesky users are dwindling. “‘The lack of diversity of thought here is really hurting usage,’” writes Fortune, quoting Cuban. “‘There used to be great give and take discussions on politics and news. Not so much any more.’”
The X factor
Despite proliferating fake news and hate speech — and the increasingly concerning behavior of its AI engine, Grok — X has not disappeared as many pundits predicted. TechCrunch reports that, “X’s user base is still 65% larger than Meta’s Threads and 10 times larger than its next-biggest rival, Bluesky.” TechCrunch posits that X is holding onto users because of its “prominent web presence” and strong “user engagement and loyalty.”
User engagement is the key metric here. Threads’ base might be growing, but users are spending significantly less time in the app: “X users spent an average of 31 minutes per day on the platform in the second quarter of 2025, which was nearly quadruple that of Threads, at 8 minutes per day.” Because of this high level of engagement, X has retained Twitter’s status as the place for breaking news and hot takes.
Which platforms are best for brands and advertisers?
User volume and behavior are the principal metrics for benchmarking a social media platform’s success, but for brands and advertisers, additional considerations come into play.
Engagecoders breaks down the specific benefits businesses should consider when deciding where to invest ad spend:
- “X — X excels in delivering real-time engagement and reaching a vast audience. With comprehensive advertising tools and detailed analytics, it’s a powerful platform for data-driven campaigns, trendspotting, and building thought leadership.”
- “Threads — Threads is a smart pick if you want to expand your presence within Meta’s ecosystem. Its seamless integration with Instagram makes it easy to connect with a broad audience, and its future advertising capabilities show strong marketing potential.”
- “Bluesky — Bluesky is a solid choice for businesses aiming to connect with niche communities and foster personalized interactions. Its decentralized structure empowers users with greater control over their content, making it ideal for brands that value organic growth and privacy-focused engagement.”
The final verdict on the micro-blogging landscape
Do any of these platforms have what it takes to replace Twitter? The short answer is no. Twitter remains in a league of its own when it comes to capturing the cultural zeitgeist and retaining loyal users.
Instead, the micro-blogging landscape has fractured into disparate and competing factions. Threads is the popular choice for those seeking the familiarity and safety of Meta’s other products — especially for advertisers who are already well-acquainted with Meta’s Business Suite. Bluesky’s decentralized structure provides a safe haven for users seeking a feed populated by like-minded individuals; it might not have mass appeal, but it does offer users, and advertisers, a clearly defined, values-driven space. While X, despite its many issues, has managed to retain its place in the center of discourse, an undeniably appealing position for those seeking real-time engagement.
Without a single platform to replace the bird-shaped hole left by Twitter, it’s really no surprise that users are flocking to the alternatives that suit them best. A viable contender might still emerge, but for now, it looks like the future of social media will be increasingly fractured.
FAQ: AI and Young Journalists
How much has X's user base declined?
By 2025, X's daily active users had fallen 15.2% over the previous 12 months.
What is Threads, and who created it?
Threads is Meta's text-based social platform, launched as an Instagram-native feature for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.
How fast is Threads growing?
By July 2025, Threads had 115.1 million daily active users — representing 127.8% year-over-year growth.
What makes Bluesky different from Threads and X?
Bluesky is a decentralized, open-source platform where users have more control over their experience, offering greater transparency into how the platform is built and run.
Has Bluesky's growth held up over time?
Not entirely. Bluesky's growth has slowed from a peak of around 5 million new users per month to roughly 1.6 million per month more recently, with post volume also declining.
If X is declining, why hasn't a competitor fully replaced it?
X users still spend four times as much time on the app compared to Threads, keeping it the dominant hub for real-time news and public discourse despite its struggles.
How are advertisers choosing between these platforms?
It depends on their goals — X suits real-time reach, Threads benefits brands already in the Meta ecosystem, and Bluesky appeals to niche communities.
Has any single platform successfully replaced Twitter?
No. Rather than one app filling the void, the micro-blogging world has fragmented into specialized platforms serving different audiences and needs.
About Eidosmedia
Eidosmedia is a global supplier of advanced content-management and digital publishing systems.
Its products are used by large news-media groups for print and digital publishing.
Customers include business dailies The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal , as well as generalist news publications like The Times of London, The Washington Post and Le Figaro .
