Threads, Twitter’s most formidable challenger, has launched, and the Threads vs. Twitter battle has finally started! Meta created the text-based discussion program, which enables real-time message creation and sharing. However, it does possess a number of features that Twitter does not.
The company is promoting Threads, a Twitter-like messaging service that Meta has introduced, as Instagram’s “text-based conversation app.”
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, and co-founder of Meta, announced the official launch of Threads, the company’s new text-focused messaging app, on Wednesday. Threads is Meta’s attempt to ward off the wave of users who have abandoned Twitter in response to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who has a reputation for being extremely unpredictable. What distinctions exist between Threads vs. Twitter?
Threads vs. Twitter: What are the biggest differences?
There are various ways in which Threads adapts Twitter features for Instagram users, even if it is clear that it is still a work in progress. We could even claim that Threads excels at a few tasks that Twitter does not. Here is what we will compare in this article:
- Character and video limits
- Sign up requirements
- Ad Policies
- Privacy
- Safety
- Pricing
- Verification
- Messaging
Threads is not a Twitter replacement, though, as there are a number of key distinctions between how you would use each site. Here is a deeper comparison of Threads vs. Twitter!
Character and video limits
Threads have a 500-character limit, according to Meta, whereas unverified Twitter users are limited to 280 characters. For Threads, users must have an Instagram account. They can import their followers and bio information from their Instagram profiles.
While Twitter only allows non-verified users to publish two minutes and 20 seconds of video, Threads allows users to post five-minute videos.
Sign up requirements
You need an Instagram account in order to sign up for Threads. You can download the Threads app for iOS or Android after creating your account.
You can select to automatically follow every account you now follow on Instagram when you first start the app, or you can pick only a few of them. How much of the content from Instagram accounts that you follow for their stunning images and accounts that you want to read for their prose or hot ideas on politics and TV overlap? This is something we’re interested in seeing how it plays out.
Instagram Threads is here to take Twitter’s throne
Since Twitter is a stand-alone social media tool, an account on any other site is not necessary. Although it doesn’t bother many people, this helps set the two platforms apart: Fediverse, a shared platform among the Meta apps, includes Threads. On the other hand, Twitter is a unique firm and is not shared with other platforms.
Ad Policies
Twitter has adverts, just like every other social media platform. It aids in financing the service and all employees at the business. The Meta-made platform offers a completely ad-free experience because it is a new technology.
We can presume that the business is operating at a loss on the platform to support its short-term expansion. Ad integration, though, might be on the horizon. It is not a mystery that most ads are unnecessary; in this part of the Threads vs. Twitter comparison, Meta’s new app is in the lead.
Threads sparks Musk’s fury: Legal consequences await
Privacy
You have the option of making your Thread account public or private, similar to Twitter. You may also specify who can react to a public post—either everyone, just the accounts you follow, or just the people you specify in the post.
However, Threads is just as interested in your personal data as Instagram is. It tracks where you are, what you look at, and what you do within the app, similar to Instagram. Assume that when you create a Threads account, Meta will have access to all the information that Facebook and Instagram have collected about you over time, both on and off their apps, in order to target advertisements and personalize your experience.
Safety
According to Meta, one advantage it has over Twitter is safety. The same guidelines for content that are already in place on Instagram will apply to Threads. As a result, users on Threads won’t be able to purchase weapons, threaten individuals or organizations, or assist terrorists or hate groups.
Additionally, users under the age of 16 are automatically assigned a private account. Additionally, users will be able to choose who can comment on their conversations by limiting it to those they follow or have explicitly named in a post. Safety is also an important thing to consider in this Threads vs. Twitter comparison.
Pricing
There are no features concealed behind a barrier because Threads is entirely free to download and use. There aren’t any adverts on Threads right now, but that will probably change. After all, Instagram has started to feature a lot of ads and shopping.
Twitter also includes advertising. However, a number of services on the website’s “Twitter Blue” subscription tier are only accessible to paying users. Twitter Blue is $8 per month or $84 per year.
Users of Twitter Blue can get new features on a regular basis. As of right now, subscribers can edit a tweet after it has been sent, change the way the Twitter app icon looks, and, most recently, increase the number of Tweets you can see every day.
Verification
Your Threads feed will likely have blue checkmarks next to select account handles as you navigate through it. These ticks signify that the user has been validated. Verification of threads is carried over from Instagram.
Therefore, if you are verified on Instagram, Threads will also verify you. Check Instagram’s policies to see if you meet the requirements for verification.
The authentication process on Twitter is a little more intricate. Twitter previously had verification requirements based on your public reputation, similar to Instagram, before Elon Musk gained control of the platform.
Twitter backtracks on strict login requirements
These days, a Twitter Blue subscription can be used to purchase a verification badge. The only exceptions are government accounts, which receive a grey check, and a few reputable organizations and news organizations, which receive a gold check.
Can you message your friends on both platforms?
The main messaging feature difference between Twitter and Threads is that Twitter offers in-app messaging, but Threads does not. So, Twitter is the absolute winner in this section of our Threads vs. Twitter comparison.
You can contact mutuals (or any user, depending on their privacy settings) using Twitter’s messaging tool in a number of different ways. You can send voice messages, photos, GIFs, and texts. A user can also easily share a tweet with another user via messages.
There is presently no in-app alternative to tagging someone in a post’s comment box, even though you can share a Thread with someone via text. Try their Instagram DMs first if you want to get in touch with a Threads user.
Featured image credit: Ravi Sharma on Unsplash
