The social media landscape is shifting rapidly as users seek alternatives to traditional platforms, whether due to privacy or… “X” other reasons. Bluesky and Threads have emerged as prominent new options, each offering unique approaches to online social interaction.
New Ways to Socialize
The exodus from traditional social media platforms has created space for fresh alternatives. Meta launched Threads in July 2023 as an Instagram companion app, using its massive existing user base to create instant momentum. Meanwhile, Bluesky, which dropped its invite-only system in February 2024, emerged from Jack Dorsey’s vision of a decentralized social network.
While both platforms share some DNA with X (formerly Twitter), they’ve taken distinctly different paths in their evolution. Threads builds upon Instagram’s established infrastructure and community, while Bluesky embraces an open-source, decentralized approach through its AT (Authenticated Transfer) Protocol.
Social (App) Design
The variances in user experience between these platforms reveal their different philosophies about how we interact online.
Bluesky: Blast From the Past & Present
Bluesky’s interface might remind you of Twitter circa 2015, with its straightforward, text-focused design. Posts (called “skeets” by users) can be up to 300 characters and support media attachments. The platform’s unique “Custom Feeds” feature lets users create and share their own algorithmic feeds, offering unprecedented control over content discovery.
Navigation feels more traditional, with separate tabs for your home feed, search, notifications, and profile. The platform also supports chronological viewing, which many users prefer for real-time discussions.
Threads: Instagram With Words
Threads feels at once familiar to Instagram users, with its clean, minimalist interface and smooth user experience. The app emphasizes visual content and keeps Instagram’s polished aesthetic. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and support multiple images, videos, and links.
The algorithmic feed on Threads prioritizes content from accounts you follow and posts that Meta thinks you’ll find engaging based on your Instagram activity. There’s currently no option for a chronological feed, which many users find frustrating.
Who You’re With
The social dynamics of these platforms differ significantly in both community building and interaction patterns. Threads’ integration with Instagram gives it a built-in advantage for finding friends and familiar faces. You can easily port over your Instagram following list and keep the same username. The platform especially appeals to creators, brands, and public figures who already have an established Instagram presence.
However, the platform sometimes struggles with community engagement. Conversations can feel disjointed, and the lack of robust search features makes it difficult to find discussions about specific topics or interests.
Bluesky takes a more ground-up approach to community building. While this means you might need to rebuild your social network from scratch, it has fostered tight-knit communities around specific interests. The platform’s invitation system (though no longer in effect) created an early culture of curation and intentional community growth.
The platform’s federated nature means users can potentially interact across different servers while maintaining a consistent identity, though this feature isn’t fully implemented yet.
Who is the Product?
Perhaps the most striking difference between these platforms lies in their approaches to monetization and user privacy. As a Meta product, Threads uses familiar data collection practices. The platform collects extensive user data, including:
- Device information
- Usage patterns
- Content interactions
- Connected accounts
- Location data
This data feeds into Meta’s advertising ecosystem, though Threads currently doesn’t display ads; this is expected to change in 2025. The platform’s privacy policy aligns with Instagram’s, meaning your data can be used across Meta’s family of apps for personalization and advertising purposes.
On a personal note, I have seen several reports of users’ accounts being suspended after making posts that referred negatively towards a (probable) future advertiser on Threads, and furthermore, I experienced this myself. Threads has not addressed these complaints, but it does, at minimum, suggest that advertisers will have significant influence over the community.
Bluesky takes a markedly different approach to user data and monetization. As a public benefit corporation, it prioritizes transparency and user control. In essence, the negative privacy traits of Threads can be inverted and listed as positives in Bluesky’s favor. Currently, Bluesky operates without ads and is funded through investment capital, though it plans to introduce paid optional services while maintaining its commitment to privacy and user control.
Which Platform Is Right for You?
Your choice between Bluesky and Threads might come down to a few choice factors. Bluesky might make the most sense if:
- You value data privacy and transparency.
- You want more control over your home page and feeds.
- You enjoy being part of smaller, focused communities.
- You’re interested in decentralized social networking.
On the other hand, Threads may be a better fit if:
- You’re already active on Instagram.
- You value seamless content sharing across platforms.
- You want to reach a larger, more mainstream audience.
- You prefer a polished, familiar user experience.
Both platforms continue to evolve, adding features and refining their approaches. While Threads offers a more familiar and polished experience backed by Meta’s resources, Bluesky presents an interesting experiment in user-controlled social networking. The choice ultimately depends on what you value most in your social media experience.
