Threads vs Twitter: Which social media app is better?

There are two big, similar social media apps out there, but which is better? We take a look at Threads vs Twitter, and pick out which platform really rules the roost.

Threads, the newest social media platform, looks to duke it out with Twitter for social media supremacy. This Instagram-linked app resembles Twitter in multiple ways, and most of its features are so “heavily inspired” by Twitter that the Musk-led company has threatened legal action.

While Threads is still a work in progress, it has sorted out its basic features, like profile verification, user name changes, a privacy policy, and more.

In the middle of all this lies the Elon Musk-led Twitter, which is now 16 years old. Though, since Musk’s takeover, the new regime has pushed out significant changes to the platform. This has pushed away many users, seeking alternatives to the platform.

Thread vs Twitter: Differences & similarities

Accessibility

Twitter is over a decade old, but it has evolved dramatically of late. It was introduced as a website back when it first launched when mobile apps were not a thing. Threads, on the other hand, follows the path Instagram took and is a mobile-first platform, and the website only redirects users to the relevant app stores.

Content limits

Both platforms allow you to share images, videos, GIFs, and links in the posts. However, you can only share GIFs on Threads if saved in your phone’s gallery. While you can share a text post with up to 500 characters on Threads, Tweets have a limit of 240 characters on a basic account. Twitter allows Blue subscribers to Tweet up to 25,000 characters.

Similarly, Twitter lets you add four items to your post. On the other hand, Threads allows you to share up to 10 items, similar to Instagram, in your post. With Threads, you can be more creative while sharing your content thanks to the carousel posts; Twitter isn’t as fun with additional content since it’s a text-first platform.

Is Threads reliant on Instagram?

Twitter is a standalone platform governed by its policies and principles. Musk has revealed his plans to transform Twitter into a super app with many additional features and even allow users to make payments.

Threads, on the other hand, is highly dependent on Instagram. Everything, including its policies, log-in credentials, user acquisition, and more, depends on Instagram. While this dependency has ensured that Threads becomes the fastest to reach 100 million active users, it limits users in a closely-knit ecosystem which could be frustrating.

User interface

Both Threads and Twitter have very similar user interfaces. Users have a similar text box to share their thoughts and similar ways to react and re-tweet/re-share posts.

Even the way to tag your friends and followers on a post and comment on posts is similar. Though Twitter relies on hashtags to make the post reach relevant people and increase an account’s reach, Threads is still working on such a feature, and the virality of a post depends if your friends have reacted to it.

Deactivating the account

If you want a social detox or want to register your protest against Musk’s policies, you can log out and deactivate your Twitter account. However, with Threads, you can’t do that. Since your Threads account is linked to Instagram, once you join Threads, you cannot leave the platform without quitting Instagram.

You have a choice of deleting the app from your phone to stop using it for good; however, this doesn’t result in deleting your account details from Meta’s servers.

Direct messaging

Apart from Tweeting or tagging someone on a tweet, Twitter lets you slide into their DMs and have a 1-on-1 private chat. You can share links, images, GIFs, and emojis apart from text messages in Twitter’s message box.

Conversely, Threads doesn’t have an option to send a direct message. Meta already offers a direct chat feature on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. The social media behemoth seems to have decided not to add to the inbox clutter. Most of your friends or followers are already on Instagram, so sending them direct messages isn’t difficult.

Search

Twitter is the fastest medium for sharing news globally. It has a powerful search option that lets you search for trending news, keywords, people, hashtags, people, and usernames. In contrast, Threads search is limited. It only lets you search for accounts as of now. Though this might change soon, we’re unsure how soon Meta plans to add platform-wide search capabilities to Thread.

Feed

Currently, the Threads feed is very basic. It only lets you see posts from users you follow or trending posts. There is no option to customize the feed to suit your preference. At best, Threads lets you mute words or people helping you declutter their feed on the new social media platform.

Conversely, Twitter allows you to customize the content you see on your feed heavily. If you want to see content only from the accounts you follow strictly, you can choose “Following.” If you relax slightly and want to see more relevant stuff, you can select “For You” from the settings to see a mix of relevant content and posts from the accounts you follow.

Advertisements

Since Meta and Twitter heavily depend on advertisement revenues, they collect vast user data from all the relevant platforms. Your Twitter feed is always full of ads and sponsored content though Blue subscribers see relatively fewer ads.

In fact, Twitter is also introducing ad revenue-sharing options with influencers and content creators.

However, Threads is ad-free right now. This means that while your feed is free of advertisements, you cannot promote any posts to reach more users.

Check out our other guides on Threads

What is the Threads app? Instagram’s Twitter competitor explained | Does Threads work on desktop? Web app explained | How to find Threads badge on Instagram | How to get verified on Threads | How to enable dark mode for Instagram Threads on Android and iOS | Does deleting Threads account delete your Instagram too? | How to download Threads