It’s a decentralized social media platform that serves as an alternative to X and Twitter. If you’re looking for a simple and user-friendly interface, this platform is recommended for you. By November 13, 2024, the demand for Bluesky has reached over 15 million. Currently, there are 35.98 million accounts registered, and the daily users in the UK and US are around 3.5 million.
How Bluesky Is The Alternative to X (Twitter)
After understanding the core structure, you’ll get an idea of how Bluesky is an alternative to X (Twitter) or if it’s better than X.
Control Over Your Data & Activity
Bluesky is decentralized and built on the open-source AT Protocol. In this, users can control their own data, and companies do not have control over it. On the other hand, X is a centralized platform where everything is controlled by Twitter itself. Twitter has the authority to control content and performs tasks like moderating data.
Privacy and Your Personal Information
When it comes to data privacy, nothing beats Bluesky. This is because it collects very little of your data. You can infer this from the fact that if you are already a Bluesky user, you will have noticed that you see very few targeted ads, indicating that it collects minimal data about you.
Conversely, X heavily relies on data. It collects user data and uses that data for ads. They track what you like, share, and even how much time you spend on specific posts. This information helps them to show you relevant ads. So essentially, this is how they learn about your personal preferences.
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The Process of Moderation of Content
Content moderation happens to be like reverse strategy on these platforms. Bluesky allows various communities to decide what is acceptable to them. An example can be a photography community with strict rules regarding posting of only original work but a meme community would definitely be freer. The users are at liberty to select the kind of moderation they want.
X applies the same regulations to all the individuals on the platform. It does not mean that content rules apply to all users equally. News reporters, teenagers sharing memes, and business owners are all treated the same way. It would make it consistent, but fail to consider the varied needs of the communities.
User Experience and Timeline Design
Bluesky shows posts in your timeline in the order they were posted, starting with the most recent ones. This is like a bulletin board where the latest announcements are at the top. This layout gives you a clear and straightforward experience.
X uses an algorithmic timeline that combines new posts with old popular content.
You might see a post from last night that is getting a lot of attention mixed in with posts from an hour ago. The site also indicates popular topics and attempts to individualize your feed based on your previous use.
Business Features and Marketing Opportunities
For companies and creators, they provide diverse benefits. Bluesky prioritizes natural growth and real community participation. No ads interfere with the process, so companies must build real relationships with their customers. That’s something that is suitable for specialized brands or firms that would like to reach certain communities, such as a local bookstore reaching book lovers.
X offers more conventional marketing features such as in-depth analytics, advertising opportunities, and monetization. Big businesses tend to favor X since they can reach millions of users in a matter of seconds through sponsored posts and get in-depth insights regarding their audience’s behavior and demographics.
Developer Access and Platform Openness
The technological base of Bluesky and Mastodon highlights yet another significant contrast. Bluesky is based on open-source technology, so other developers can develop their apps that work with the platform. You might be able to use a different app to use your Bluesky account and still be connected to the same network. It’s similar to having different email apps but still emailing the same people.
X carefully decides how people can use their site. They limit what outside developers can build and choose who is allowed to create apps that connect to their service. That means you’re largely limited to using X’s official app or site.
Today, these platforms are used by various kinds of users. Bluesky has been increasing among privacy-conscious individuals and those desiring greater control of their social media experience. You will have tech-savvy users, journalists who want ad-free spaces, and people who have left X looking for alternatives.
X still has a much broader user base and is still the default choice for breaking news, celebrity news, and mainstream discussion. Many media outlets, politicians, and big businesses are on X to reach a larger audience.
Challenges Facing Bluesky and Its Users 
Challenges Blue Sky Face
1. It Grow Too Fast
There are a lot of fast-paced users being added to this, and its rapid growth is a major issue. The problem is that the server cannot handle so many users at once, which causes crashes or lag issues. There was even news about this platform experiencing a major outage that caused millions of users to lose access to their accounts for several hours.
2. Dealing with Bad Content
As the population increased, so did the number of troublemakers. In 2024, spam, fake accounts, and offensive posts rose by 17 times. With a small staff working to watch over millions of users, it’s hard to catch all the bad content quickly. It’s difficult for Bluesky to balance free speech and protecting users compared to big companies that have sophisticated AI systems.
3. Money Problems
Bluesky doesn’t advertise or make users pay, which is wonderful but leaves a huge question: how exactly will they fund everything? Keeping servers running, hiring staff, and creating new products all require funding. To keep a platform running, it needs money for servers, hiring staff, and developing new products. If there isn’t a clear way to earn this money, the platform might fail in the long run.
4. Not Decentralized Yet
Although Bluesky refers to itself as decentralised, the majority still utilize the primary app and servers. Therefore, if those servers crash, everyone is impacted. The platform would need more self-sufficient servers and communities to be classified as decentralized.
5. Missing Features
Bluesky has yet to catch up with established platforms. The audience demands features such as trending, improved video capabilities, and business functions. Developing these features requires time and resources, and hence, it is challenging to compete with established platforms.
Bluesky Challenges For Users
1. It’s Confusing at First
New members feel lost when they initially join Bluesky. The decentralized configuration and Custom feeds can feel overwhelming compared to simple platforms like Twitter or Instagram. Most people quit before they realize how the whole thing operates.
2. Not Many People Yet
Though increasing rapidly, Bluesky currently has much fewer users than Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You might not have your friends, favorite celebrities, or local shops there yet. Fewer people result in fewer conversations and less intriguing content.
3. Safety Problems
Sometimes, users come across imposter accounts claiming to be celebrities or offensive content that has not yet been deleted. The tiny moderation staff cannot catch everything, making some users feel unsafe.
4. App Crashes
The site still has tech issues. The users had a significant outage in 2024 that lasted more than an hour, and they were unable to access their accounts. Such interruptions are annoying and make the site seem unreliable.
5. Limited Tools
If you’re an entrepreneur or content producer, Bluesky is not providing much in the way of resources to help you. There are no ad options, limited analytics, and no direct revenue from your posts like on other platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bluesky
How do I sign up for Bluesky?
You can sign up by going to bsky.app or downloading the Bluesky app on iOS or Android. you dont need any invite code.
How does Bluesky handle moderation?
Bluesky combines a dedicated moderation team with tools that let the community help moderate. It helps various communities to establish their own rules and norms of safety & content control.
What features is Bluesky offering?
Users can publish text, images, and videos, follow others, make personalized feeds, block or mute accounts, send direct messages, and personalize their feed and privacy settings.
How is Bluesky different from Twitter (X)?
Bluesky is decentralised in that there is no single company owning it. Users have greater control over their data, feed algorithms, & moderation preferences, whereas Twitter is a centralized platform with company-managed data and algorithms.
Is Bluesky available for desktop and mobile use?
Bluesky is a mobile application available on iOS and Android platforms. You can also use it on desktop browsers via bsky.app.
