Threads vs Twitter: What's the difference? [Comparison]
In the Threads vs Twitter war, Threads could be the winner.
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Key notes
- Threads is not so different from Twitter, after all.
- However, they have some important differences, for now.
- Threads could borrow some of the best Twitter features and improve on them.
Threads is riding a very popular wave right now. Over 100 million users sign up in the first 5 days of its release. Even Windows users are hooked because they learned how to download it and use it on Windows 11. Scammers find it very easy to scam by stealing other people’s identities before they have the chance to claim their names there.
However, the app is not without controversy. For now, you can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account. However, Meta is working on a feature that will allow you to do it. And it seems the app is a privacy nightmare because it asks for too much information.
This has made it impossible for Threads to be released in Europe, for now. The European legislation is very clear when it comes to digital privacy. And, it seems Threads is bound to share the market with Twitter. Some agree Threads will be the dominant app in this market.
However, some specialists agree that Threads might be offering too much, and while the app is still in its infancy, this would be the perfect time to correct it. By borrowing the best elements that the other social media platforms have and then addressing their limitations, experts think Threads might be that rare app that makes it.
And with this in mind, we’ve decided to make a comparison between Threads and Twitter, since the two social media platforms will most likely have begun a battle of domination that will last for months to come.
Threads vs Twitter
We’re taking a closer look at how specific features compare in Threads and Twitter. We’ve created this table below where we can better visualize the differences:
| Feature | Threads | |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Character limit | 500 | 280 – for unpaid users; 25000 – for paid users. |
| Video limit | 5 minutes | 2 minutes and 20 seconds |
| The following list | Doesn’t show | It shows when you follow |
| Verification | Yes, if you’re verified on Instagram | $11 a month for mobile |
| Private account option | Yes | Yes |
| Trending list | It doesn’t have one | It has a trending list |
| Deleting accounts | Yes, but you’ll have to delete Instagram too | Yes |
| Usage limits | None | Temporarily |
| Feed option | Main thread | Trending, chronological, followers, and people you follow |
| Post drafting | No | Yes |
| Editable posts | No | Paid subscribers only |
| Direct messages | No | Yes |
| Desktop options | No (but you can use it on Windows 11’s WSA) | Yes |
| Ads | No (for now) | Yes |
| Hashtags | No | Yes |
| Android/iOS | Both | Both |
| NSFW content allowed | No | No |
For now, one of the best things about Threads is that it doesn’t have Ads on its feed, though Meta will probably implement it in the following weeks.
Threads doesn’t have a Trending list, which is one of Twitter’s most popular features, because it revolves around what’s popular around the world, and it gives you an idea about what to post. And most importantly, it helps you engage in conversations.
This is what can Threads do better to surpass Twitter
There is, naturally, the conversation around which will win in the long run. Threads or Twitter? Twitter is still very much a product of the time, and it manages to become such a cultural platform every time something important is going on in the world. Twitter is also democratizing the conversation, meaning everyone can start it, theoretically.
However, Twitter still doesn’t cater to the regular user. The platform is a broadcast one, and public persons with a large following will always start a conversation. So do the paying subscribers who are promoted in the feed. But the regular user can’t start a conversation at all.
Threads can take this part of Twitter, and focus on the regular user. This way, they will be far more motivated to use Threads for sharing news about their lives. The Meta app can even further democratize the conversation by giving regular users a more powerful voice than Twitter does.
Meta should do it now and position it as a worthy rival to Twitter’s stance on who can start a conversation. However, Threads should also allow for more options on the platform, while still retaining its policies.
A better feed for Threads?
Yes, definitely. For now, Threads’ feed feels overwhelming because it is. You have a lot of content from everyone regarding everything without an apparent filter.
It’s true, Threads is still in its infancy, so the algorithm will be updated in the following weeks, but Meta must update it. It must make it flow, according to what you want to see. So we’re talking about a curated feed, that will permanently adapt to your content choices.
We’ll keep this article updated, as Threads becomes more updated in the following weeks. However, we’d like to know what you think about it. Is Threads better than Twitter, or could it be better in the long run?
Let us know in the comments section below.
