The current industry of social networking, more particularly, in microblogging, has been rattled over the past months and years because of the 2022 acquisition by Elon Musk of the then-Twitter platform. Since then, many cases of mass exodus happened in search of alternative platforms where they would not have to deal with sharing the experience with Musk, especially with his leadership style and decisions.
However, there are also many reasons why users opted for alternatives, especially when Bluesky and Meta’s Threads came along, and one of the top reasons is because of Elon Musk’s subscription focus on the platform, as well as other controversial changes.
X vs. Bluesky vs. Threads: The Microblogging Saga Ensues
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, especially with microblogging platforms that offer one of the fastest ways to get updates on specific stories or updates, and many are still relying on it for news or to get the latest scoops on different topics. X/Twitter changed drastically under Musk’s leadership, especially when he stepped in as its CEO during its early days, with the feed, search, ads, and more already far from what Twitter people knew of.
The biggest change on X is how it prioritized free speech, and Musk previously shared that he is accepting even ‘extremist’ content as long as it focuses on engaging discussions, but later added a disclaimer that they will still focus on following the Community Guidelines. Alongside this, X switched to a subscription-focused platform despite having Twitter Blue before, and now, most of the top features on social media, including verification, are hidden behind the paywall.
The Mass Exodus to Other Platforms Leaving X
That being said, many users opted to move away from X and opt for the alternative or rivaling platforms available, with Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads and Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky being some of the top options for users.
These two platforms became prominent not only because of what they have to offer the social media world but also a place that is free of Elon Musk and his reign.
What Microblogging Platform Should You Use in 2025?
2024 was a pivotal point for Bluesky and Threads, particularly during the last quarter when the Musk-supported Donald J. Trump won the US elections, prompting users to flee X and head to its rivals. Threads were already growing during this time, with the platform seeing massive growth as more people joined the platform via Instagram, and Bluesky also became prominent.
Bluesky is still a growing social media platform, and while it already has millions joining the experience, its features are still limited as it is rolling these out from time to time but already offers enjoyable experiences like third-party moderation via Ozone, the new Trending topics feature, and more.
On the other hand, Threads has cemented its ground as one of the up-and-coming microblogging platforms at this time, and it already has 275 million users who joined it according to Meta last October 31. Instagram users can easily create their Threads account as it will use their profile on the media-focused platform to the text-based one, with the company regularly sharing updates and new features.
X may still be the most prominent among the three, but it is already losing footing in the microblogging industry, with Bluesky sharing a Twitter-like experience from when it started thanks to Dorsey (who already left the platform), and Threads sharing a connected experience to Instagram alongside other unique features to enjoy.
