In the ever-evolving social media landscape, the competition between platforms is fierce. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X) has only intensified this rivalry, with Bluesky emerging as a leading alternative for users seeking refuge from X’s controversial changes. While Meta’s Threads gained traction early on, Bluesky, with its decentralised nature and user-centric ethos, has positioned itself as a viable competitor, particularly in light of recent X policies.
Moreover, Elon Musk’s latest announcement about the block feature and non-consent AI training on artists work on X has reignited the migration to Bluesky. For context, under this new change, blocked users will still be able to see your posts, though Twitter restricts them from interacting with them directly. Framed as a “freedom of speech” initiative, many criticised the update for potentially enabling harassment by allowing blocked users to continue viewing content and engaging with followers and other users.
This perceived threat to user safety led to a surge in sign-ups for Bluesky, with over a million new users joining the platform shortly after the announcement. It mirrors previous exoduses to Bluesky, such as when X was briefly banned in Brazil, sparking a similar rush.
Bluesky’s Growth From Beta to Millions of Users
Initially, invite-only, Bluesky opened to the public in February 2024, resulting in a significant user spike. By October 2024, Bluesky had amassed over 10 million users, a testament to its growing appeal as a decentralised alternative to X. While it still lags behind Threads’ 175 million users, Bluesky’s trajectory demonstrates its potential to challenge the status quo.
The platform’s user interface is strikingly similar to Twitter’s, with familiar features like timelines, posts, replies, likes, and reposts. However, Bluesky enhances user interaction with customizable feed algorithms, personalised Discover tabs, and post-interaction settings that give users more control over who can engage with their content. Bluesky’s recent additions, including one-to-one DMs and email verification for improved security, further signal its commitment to user-focused development.
However, despite recent controversies surrounding Twitter’s block feature and non-consent AI training on artists’ work, Twitter is still the preferred platform for many due to monetization and advanced engagement tools. Below, we will break down the crucial differences between Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter), comparing features and philosophies that might sway users toward one platform.
Bluesky vs Twitter: Where Do the Differences Lie?
1) Decentralised Approach vs. Centralised Model
Firstly, Bluesky is built on the decentralised AT Protocol, offering users greater control over their data and online experience. This decentralisation means users can select or even create their servers (similar to Mastodon) with community-specific rules, or they can customise the algorithms they interact with.
Users also have the freedom to port their data across different apps built on the same protocol, providing flexibility in managing their social media presence.
On the other hand, X/Twitter remains a centralised platform where the company controls all data, interactions, and user experiences. While X offers more polished features due to its size, users have limited control over their content management. It is a crucial feature that sets Bluesky apart as it moves away from the “black-box” algorithms that dominate X.
2) Content Interaction Customization, Blocking and Safety
Moreover, Bluesky offers unique features for customising how other users interact with your content. When posting, users can adjust interaction settings, allowing replies from everyone, nobody, or only specific users. This flexibility lets users tailor interactions post-by-post, offering more personalised control.
In contrast, X allows users to “protect” their tweets, limiting interactions to approved followers, but this setting affects all posts globally rather than on a per-post basis.
However, X’s recent update to the block function has caused controversy. Now, blocked users on X can still view posts but cannot interact, leading to concerns about safety and harassment. As for Bluesky, the block feature remains traditional, where blocked users cannot see or interact with your posts. This difference heavily sways users toward Bluesky in this privacy-needed world.
3) Monetization and Verification
As for positives for Twitter, the platform offers various monetization tools through its X Pro subscription, which allows content creators to earn from their posts through ads, tips, or subscriptions. For example, users encounter promoted posts and advertisements regularly, helping to drive the platform’s revenue but can detract from the experience for some users. Additionally, users can verify their accounts by subscribing to X Pro, which comes with a blue verification badge and priority in conversations.
On the other hand, Bluesky does not yet offer monetization tools or paid subscriptions. Verification is handled uniquely by allowing users to link custom domains to their profiles, proving their authenticity. This personal verification method enhances trust without relying on badges tied to paid accounts.
In addition, Bluesky is notable for being free of ads, creating a more organic user experience where posts come only from other users rather than advertisers. Bluesky’s CEO, Jay Graber, has emphasised that the platform will avoid compromising user experience with ads.
4) Features for Content Creators
Besides monetization benefits, X offers a robust suite of tools for creators, including detailed analytics, the ability to post long-form content and editing features. These tools, available through X Pro, provide creators with valuable insights to refine their content and better engage their audience.
Bluesky currently lacks these advanced tools. While its simplicity may appeal to casual users, creators seeking more robust tools to measure engagement and performance may find X a better option for growing their platform.
On the topic of posting, both platforms have character limits on posts, but X offers more flexibility. X Pro subscribers can post tweets up to 25,000 characters long, while standard users are limited to 280 characters. Bluesky users can post up to 300 characters per post.
X also allows users to schedule posts in advance, a beneficial feature for businesses or influencers maintaining a regular posting schedule. Bluesky, however, does not yet offer native scheduling, meaning you must post in real-time.
5) Discover Tab and Content Discovery
Lastly, Bluesky offers a more customizable content discovery experience. Its “Discover” feed is algorithmic and personalised but still decentralised. Users can explore trending posts or follow suggested accounts based on their preferences.
X’s Discover Tab, driven by its central algorithm, showcases trending topics, curated content, and promoted tweets. While X’s system is more advanced in its suggestions, Bluesky provides users with better control over what they want to see.
Overall Verdict
With everything considered, while Bluesky may not yet have the scale or feature set of X, its focus on decentralisation and user autonomy presents a compelling vision for the future of social media. The platform plans to allow users to jump between various instances (servers) while keeping their followers, data, and handles.
It adds a new layer of flexibility and control, as users won’t be bound to a single platform or community, reducing the power of any one company over their social experience. This federated future is a massive departure from X’s current model, where the platform retains control over user data, content, and interactions.
Before ending, the choice between Bluesky and X depends on what users seek in their social media experience. X offers a robust feature set, especially for creators and businesses, while Bluesky provides a more user-driven, decentralised alternative that focuses on privacy and customization.
Final Thoughts
Will people migrate to another social network? It’s a big ask for users who still refer to X as Twitter, despite the rebranding. After all, people have evolved from MySpace to Orkut to Facebook, adapting to the platform of the moment. During this transition, the internet also evolved in terms of access and functionality. However, not everyone can succeed in social media; it’s a challenging business reliant on user-generated content and monetization.
Take India’s Koo, for example, which launched amid the pandemic as a desi alternative to Twitter. Initially, Koo gained significant traction due to India’s spat with Twitter and its vernacular appeal. However, despite global expansions and substantial VC funding, the platform failed to sustain momentum in the long run. Such gains are often fleeting.
For instance, people briefly shifted to Threads when Musk took over Twitter, and now Facebook’s Twitter rival seems to be hanging by a thread. There was also a brief surge in traction for platforms like Mastodon. For now, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat remain the dominant forces in social media. Disruption is likely, but as of now, the status quo is unlikely to change.
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