Meta Platforms’ Instagram spin-off Threads has racked up more than 100 million users in just five days, making the Twitter challenger the fastest growing app in history, beating ChatGPT’s recent record of 100 million users in two months. Threads was launched in 100 countries on July 5, and surpassed 100 million sign-ups on Monday. On Friday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote from his @zuck account on Threads that the app had already crossed the 70 million mark, performing “way beyond our expectations.” Ramping up the rivalry between Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta due to similarities in the two microblogs.

Forbes writes that despite constant and direct comparisons, “the user experience on Threads is different in many key ways” from Twitter: “Significantly, Meta’s app ditches Twitter’s reverse chronological timeline — which displays posts in real-time — with an algorithmic feed similar to Facebook and Instagram.”

Other distinctions include the fact that Threads is currently mobile-only, and posts displayed on its timeline are, a la TikTok, not limited to those from followed accounts.

“Another major departure from Twitter is Threads’ decision not to promote hard news or political content,” Forbes explains, noting “Instagram boss Adam Mosseri has defended this decision by saying ‘any incremental engagement or revenue they might drive is not at all worth the scrutiny, negativity (let’s be honest), or integrity risks that come along with them.’”

There are also similarities, including a reliance on text. “Meta said messages posted to Threads will have a 500-character limit” and “users can reply to, repost and quote others’ Threads posts,” CNN reports, adding that “the app also blends Instagram’s existing aesthetic and navigation system, and offers the ability to share posts from Threads directly to Instagram Stories.”

Users can make their Thread accounts public or private, and have the option to verify their account. Verified Instagram accounts automatically are verified on Threads.

Citing an unfavorable Insider Intelligence forecast that Twitter’s active user base would drop to 335.7 million in 2024 from 368.4 million in 2022, Forbes notes that “Threads’ signup numbers aren’t directly comparable to Twitter’s active user numbers, as many of the people signing up may not actively use the app,” but points out that “Meta’s other platforms like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp all boast active user bases of more than 2 billion.”

While Musk has taken several tactics to publicly blast Zuckerberg in their ongoing feud, Deadline has Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino touting that “last week we had our largest usage day since February. There’s only ONE Twitter. You know it. I know it.”

Related:
Threads Won’t Have Ads for Now; Fact-Checking Planned; Brands at Risk, 9to5Mac, 7/11/23
Branded Content Tools Coming to Threads, Axios, 7/11/23
The Rapid Rise of Threads Appears to Be Hurting Twitter, The Wall Street Journal, 7/10/23
How Threads’ Privacy Policy Compares to Twitter’s (and Its Rivals’), Wired, 7/8/23
Threads Becomes Most Rapidly Downloaded App, Raising Twitter’s Ire, The New York Times, 7/8/23
Meta’s Twitter Rival Threads Explodes to 70 Million Signups One Day After Launch, CNBC, 7/7/23
In Remaking Twitter, Elon Musk Created an Opening for Rivals, The Wall Street Journal, 7/7/23
Threads vs. Twitter: What’s the Difference?, The Wall Street Journal, 7/7/23