Although X introduced new features under the new ownership and made significant changes, not everyone liked the transformation. Some believe Twitter’s current evolution is heading in the wrong direction, while others think otherwise. If you’re in the former camp, you’ll want to test new waters to see what else is there, like X. In other words, is there a worthy Twitter app alternative you must try?
2023 was the year of Twitter copycats, as several platforms similar to X gained significant popularity. If you don’t want to create a new account and try out each site, this article is for you. It does all the groundwork so that you can pick a social network that aligns with your preferences.
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Why Are People Looking for the Next Twitter?
How is Twitter, aka X, different from other social networks in terms of user engagement and real-time updates? Many people are searching for ways to view Twitter without an account as they seek alternatives to the platform’s current model. People who are unhappy with X have several reasons to look for the next Twitter, as highlighted below.
1. Changes in the Legacy Verification System
Before Elon Musk’s acquisition, the social network had a different verification system. The iconic blue tick was only for high-profile public figures. You can apply for the checkmark as a celebrity, athlete, musician, politician, actor, or any other famous figure. It was a way of informing other users that the account holder with the blue tick was the real deal.
After the takeover, the new ownership changed the verification system. They rebranded the program to X Premium and made it a subscription service. In other words, you can get the blue tick as a subscriber, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. As a result, there was a belief among several users that the verification system lost its meaning.
2. API Pricing Changes Killed All Third-Party Alternatives to X’s App
At the end of March 2023, the social media platform made an important announcement. It informed users and brands about the change in the application protocol pricing (API). The current free tier only allows third-party apps to post up to 1,500 posts monthly.
Before the pricing change, this tier offered developers at least 500,000 monthly posts. As you can see, the new package is significantly lower than what was available earlier.
Due to this reason, all third-party Twitter apps had to shut down their service. Why? The new free tier wasn’t enough to support their user base. They had to jump to the Pro plan, which is $5,000 every month. The latest pricing was unaffordable for every third-party social media app.
3. Introduction of Rate Limits: Restricting How Many Posts People Can Read
There was a sudden outage on X in July 2023. Several users were unable to use the platform and came across the “rate limit exceeded” error. After a few hours, Elon Musk informed users that the social network had introduced rate limits.
These restrictions were in place to combat bots and artificial intelligence (AI) data scrapers affecting user experience. According to the new owner, these bad actors were placing a significant strain on X’s infrastructure.
The rate limit restricted how many tweets people can read. This depends on whether they are a new user, an unverified account, or an X Premium subscriber. As expected, this didn’t go well with a portion of the platform’s user base.
4. Increase in Bots, Hate Speech, and Reactivation of Several Suspended Accounts
According to multiple users, there was an increase in hate speech and bots after the change in ownership. This is partly due to the new leadership’s significant reduction of Twitter employees. They fired several members of the content moderation and trust and safety teams.
Also, the new ownership reactivated the accounts of several suspended accounts belonging to high-profile public figures.
What Is Replacing Twitter: Will Threads Succeed or Become Unpopular Over Time?
Although there are several Twitter competitors, only Threads from Meta are a real threat. Also, a TweetDeck alternative is gaining popularity as users seek new platforms to replace Twitter’s features.
Launched in July 2023, the new social network had a huge ripple effect in the digital space. Within 24 hours, 30 million users signed up to join the platform.
Threads reached another milestone in five days — 100 million people created their accounts. One of the many reasons for the sudden spike was the changes introduced by X’s new ownership. Although this is nothing short of astonishing, the new user wave didn’t last long.
Within 15 days, Meta’s X clone user traffic dropped by 75%. This was due to the lack of key features, the platform’s algorithm, and its initial stance against politics and news.
Despite the drop in traffic, the developers of Threads continued to work on the social network. They introduced several key features to make it more attractive to current and new users. These functions are similar to what you find on X, making it a replacement for Twitter. Also, it became available in the European Union (EU) in December 2023.
How different is Threads from what it was on launch day? The section below highlights these changes and explains why this is the alternate Twitter.
1. You Can Now Access Threads From a Desktop Browser
When Threads launched, it was only available as a mobile app. People didn’t like this restriction as X worked on all devices. Several users asked Meta to release the web version, and the social media giant obliged. You can access Threads on any desktop browser, just like X.
2. The Edit Threads Feature Is Available to Everyone
If you make a mistake while crafting your post on X, you better notice it before you publish the tweet. Otherwise, there are only two solutions:
- You don’t change the mistake, which people will promptly point out.
- You delete the post and publish a new one with the correction.
This changed with the introduction of X Premium, which offered the edit feature. Subscribers can make changes to their tweets within a specific timeframe.
Threads also allows users to edit their posts, as long as it is within five minutes after publishing their content. The only difference is that you don’t need to be a subscriber.
3. Search and Polls Are Finally Available on Meta’s Version of X
A poll on X is a great way to engage with your followers. Threads, understanding the potential of this function, also made it available on their platform.
It is similar to the one on X. You ask a question and request your followers to choose from four options. However, there is one significant difference — you can’t change how long you want to run the poll.
X allows you to run this type of post for seven days. However, Threads will prevent users from voting after 24 hours.
Did you know Meta’s version of Twitter didn’t have a search utility until December 2023? You can now look for posts from users. While this is a welcome move, you must know it isn’t nearly as powerful as the one on X.
4. There’s Tags Instead of Hashtags
Hashtags are synonymous with social networks as they help categorize content. However, Threads took a different approach by replacing it with tags.
On a surface level, it is similar to a hashtag. In other words, it also classifies content based on topics. However, the difference is — you no longer have to use the ‘#’ symbol before the keyword. Also, Threads doesn’t allow you to add more than one tag per post.
All these changes make Threads quite similar to X. This is why people say it is the ideal Twitter replacement app. However, only time will tell if this platform will still be around. Or will it be another network everyone will forget, like Google+?
2 Platforms Like Twitter You Must Try
Meta’s Threads is not everyone’s cup of tea, mainly because of privacy issues. Also, people don’t want to be on another social network run by Facebook, now Meta. Are there other social media platforms like Twitter? Yes, several networks offer features similar to or better than X, as highlighted below.
1. Mastodon: An X Competitor Since 2016
Mastodon is a decentralized social network, meaning no mega-corporation controls this platform. Instead, it consists of several servers or communities for different interests.
The platform introduced several new features since its popularity rose after X’s missteps. For starters, it improved the search feature, making it easier to find content. There are search operators similar to Twitter’s search settings to enhance the search results quality.
There are more privacy controls for users. People can prevent their posts from appearing on the search results page. They can decide the visibility of their content in other sections, like the platform’s Explore page.
Like Twitter, there are now Lists on Mastodon. This allows you to create custom timelines, just like on X. You can ensure the accounts you see in your lists don’t appear in your regular feed.
It also introduced several changes to the reply function as an experiment. Depending on how people respond, Mastodon will keep them as is, make slight tweaks, or remove them entirely.
For instance, the platform will let you know if you try to comment on a post older than three months. Why? This is because posts this old aren’t active.
Similarly, you can’t reply to a user you don’t know without coming across a popup. This message will let you know the account belongs to a stranger. Also, it provides some information about this account, as you didn’t connect with them.
2. Bluesky: A Jack Dorsey Project
Jack Dorsey, a co-founder of Twitter, now X, started Bluesky as a project in 2019. Like Mastodon, this platform also runs on a decentralized network.
As of January 2024, you still need an invitation code to join this network. However, this didn’t stop over two million people from creating an account on the platform.
There are several similarities to X. For instance, the character limit on Bluesky is 256 characters per post. People can like, retweet, follow people, and search for accounts.
There’s a separate section where it recommends various accounts to follow. Also, it shows you the latest trending posts.
The platform changed its logo to a blue butterfly on a white background. Also, it introduced Deck.blue, which is similar to TweetDeck, now X Pro.
The interface of Deck.blue will feel like home if you’re a Twitter user. Why? It also shows posts in the iconic column format. If you have multiple accounts, you can use them with this tool.
What if you don’t know anyone on this platform? Well, you can join Bluesky’s waitlist to receive the code.
Use TweetDelete Before Jumping Ship to a Twitter App Alternative
If there is a replacement for Twitter you like in this article, give it a shot. It may feel different initially, but you’ll grow to like it.
Before you leave X permanently, make sure you clear everything from your profile. This is essential, as your posts on Twitter are visible to the public. Anyone can find them, and they will let everyone know if they come across something controversial.
This means unnecessary backlash from people you may or may not know. Also, if your future employers come across such tweets, they may not hire you at all.
What if you don’t want to go this route, as you plan on returning to X? With TweetDelete, you can easily remove specific posts from your profile. This tool has a custom filter to catch controversial, insensitive, and offensive tweets on your account page.
Unlike X, where you must manually remove posts, this tool can delete thousands in a few minutes. It has an auto-delete utility in case you miss a few tweets. Set the date range, feed it specific Twitter keywords and hashtags, and let TweetDelete do the spring cleaning.
If this isn’t enough, there’s also a like remover. This is useful for removing likes from posts you know will attract unnecessary attention.
Use TweetDelete today to ensure your profile is clean before you leave X, and try a Twitter app alternative!
