“Is Bluesky the new Twitter” is a question that’s been asked a lot this year, but this most recent burst of momentum could be what gets it there.
Driving the news: Bluesky is nearing 21 million users as a surge of sign-ups that began after the U.S. election continues. But the important stat is daily active users — people who actually use the app after making an account — which data firm Similarweb estimates now matches Meta’s Threads in the U.S. and narrowed the gap everywhere else.
- This is despite Bluesky having roughly 10% of Threads’ total users.
Catch-up: Bluesky has had smaller growth spurts after X’s various hiccups this year, like changing how blocking works or getting banned in Brazil. This time, users are responding to X scraping user data to train AI, as well as owner Elon Musk’s position in the incoming Trump administration.
Why it’s happening: This surge is different not just because of its size, but because new users are staying engaged. One factor is new Bluesky features like Starter Packs, user-created lists of people to follow so users can find the content they want to see, instead of algorithmically suggested posts that caused an initial drop-off on Threads.
- But there’s also FOMO: people want to see what the hype is about, and when they find that news outlets, comedians, and personalities they followed on X made the jump, it gives them a reason to keep checking the app.
Zoom in: Bluesky makes its money from custom domains — a user’s handle is tied to a web address, and if they don’t own one or want to use the free default, they can buy a URL from Bluesky. It also sells access to AT Protocol — the underlying code Bluesky is built on — to developers building new apps and interoperable services.
- The company is planning premium memberships with features like profile customization and higher-quality video uploads.
- Bluesky has said it wants to find a better business model than selling user data for ads, though it may turn there eventually. The company has taken a harder stance on AI, saying it won’t sell user data or content for training.
Bottom line: Time will tell if Bluesky or Threads becomes the preferred posting app for the chronically online. On one hand, users genuinely appreciate that Bluesky is breaking from the Big Tech playbook to create a positive experience. On the other hand, Meta has a track record of finding success by copying fledgling apps’ most popular features.