Threads and Twitter comparison 2023

On 5th July 2023, Meta Platforms released Threads, a text-focused social media platform. Joining Meta's Family of Apps, Threads focuses on real-time conversations, giving users a similar experience to Twitter. Threads offers users 500 characters per post, in comparison to Twitter's 280 characters. However, for Twitter Blue subscribers, posts can be substantially longer. Threads users can also take advantage of longer video posts, and free verification through their Instagram accounts.

A bolt out of the (Twitter) blue

As the tech elite attempt to fill the Twitter-shaped hole that social media users are feeling since the platform’s recent changes, the company is offering users the chance to verify themselves on the platform. The famous blue check mark, once reserved for journalists, celebrities, and public figures, can be purchased for a monthly fee. As of April 2023, there 640 thousand people were subscribing to Twitter Blue, up from 290 thousand in February 2023.

Threads is off to a strong start

Creating a profile on Threads is easy for Meta product users who already have an Instagram account as the new and free-to-use platform is integrated into the widely used app. With around two billion monthly active users on Instagram, it is no surprise that Threads gained 30 million sign-ups within 24 hours of being launched. Although signing up for Threads is easy, quitting the platform is not so straightforward, as deleting a Threads account results in the deactivation of the linked Instagram account.