Twitter is irreplaceable. It’s the microblogging site that has seen all your personalities in full glory– from the emotional gal who tweets sad song lyrics at 3 AM to the obsessive fangirl who posts about her K-pop bias’ fingernails in a thousand tweets per minute. But as it stands, the social media site is in shambles after its billionaire owner Elon Musk decided to get rid of half of the longtime staff. It’s a looong story. In case Twitter actually dies, here are other alternatives which might not be as solid but can still fill the bird-shaped hole in our hearts.

Hive Social

Hive is the Number 1 Twitter alternative and you’ve probably already heard about people waxing poetic about it online. The mobile-only social media app was created in 2019 by a 22-year-old and, in the wake of Musk’s shenanigans, has recently reached 1 million users.

What’s in Hive Social? It works the same as Twitter — you can post, like, and repost but it’s devoid of blue check marks and your timeline is actually in chronological order. Folks also love how your page is customizable, down to connecting your Spotify so visitors can hear songs. Is that you, MySpace?!

Hive is definitely worth checking out. You can download the app for iOS or Android.

Mastodon

Mastodon is one of the best twitter alternatives, according to Twitter users who flocked to the app the minute the blue bird seemed unreliable. But Mastodon could take some getting used to. It was launched in 2016 as more of a decentralized version of Twitter.

Mastodon is made up of servers called “instances.” Pick an instance you’re interested in, sign up for it, and start posting as if it’s Twitter. Posts on the app are called “toots” and instead of re-tweets, they have “boosts.” And if you’re still confused, you can try going through a beginner’s guide. You should try it out right now to get a feel of it while it’s still ad-free.

Check out Mastodon via the website here or access it via the mobile app available for iOS and Android.

Tumblr

Did any of us actually ever leave Tumblr? This microblogging and social networking site had a chokehold on everyone in the 2010s — it peaked at 100 million posts a day in early 2014. Tumblr was then associated with emo blog posts and used by eyeliner-fishnet-stockings e-girls. Nonetheless, everyone loved the platform. It allows users to easily customize their blogs, upload photos, and videos, and post long and short-form blogs. It’s still popular in 2022 and we suspect that if Twitter ever goes down, Tumblr is there to catch broken hearts.

If you haven’t already made an account (or you forgot the password to yours), you can sign up here or download it on your phone.

Discord

Although Discord is an instant messaging social platform, it could fill the Twitter void in your personal daily social media consumption quota. Discord operates on servers designed for specific communities — fan clubs, friends, family — where each member can send messages and videos and even do voice and video calls. Users can also send private chats with the same features.

Everything in Discord happens in real-time and there are a lot of “bots” users use to manage their communities. Overall, it’s a super organized and useful social platform (if community managers know how to use it) which is why it has appealed to a huge community of gamers.

Discord could be overwhelming for those trying it for the first time but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Here’s a quick tutorial you can watch to get a feel of what awaits you. Discord can be accessed via its mobile app available for iOS and Android or via the website.

Reddit

Reddit is a social news website and forum that houses thousands of subreddits or small forums/communities. You can find subreddits for anything under the sun. From daily news in the Philippines and finance advice for Pinoys to pictures of wolves with watermelons to bread stapled to trees. Reddit is a whole different world, but anonymous people there range from being the most helpful ones on the planet (Ask Reddit, Explain Like I’m Five) to being downright rude Internet users. But trust us, once you fall down the Reddit rabbit hole, Twitter will be a thing of the past.

You can download Reddit on your phone or visit the website here.

Cohost

As its website description says, Cohost is a social media platform similar to Twitter but built and is being run by a small team of developers and designers. They are also currently in the beta or testing phase which means you shouldn’t expect much. What sets Cohost apart from the rest is that it doesn’t operate on an algorithm — the posts on your feed are in chronological order (like how Instagram used to be!). Posts on your feed are displayed much like how Twitter operates and you can also follow or request to follow another person’s page.

Sign up for Cohost here.

CounterSocial

If you’re absolutely done with fake news, you’ll love CounterSocial (CoSo). This social network platform is serious about keeping its spaces clear from trolls, bots, ads, and fake news. In fact, it has blocked certain countries for being “points of origin” for bots and trolls: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, and Syria.

Many CoSo users have been pleased with the platform so far, especially with how it truly fosters a safe space for everyone to air out their thoughts. As for the interface, using it on a desktop will remind you of Tweet Deck with all the columns but it’s not as overwhelming as it looks. On mobile, it’s the same old feed you have to scroll through.

Check out CounterSocial here. It’s also available for download on iOS and Android.

WT.Social

WT.Social (WikiTribune) describes itself as a “non-toxic” social network where “advertisers don’t call the shots.” An ad-free timeline? That sounds like paradise. But the site is still in its beta phase even though it was founded in 2019. You can join “subwikis,” which are smaller forums for a specific topic or make a subwiki yourself. You can also follow other people. It’s a pretty straightforward platform with a timeline that’s similar to Facebook.

Check out WT.Social here.

Remember: Be cautious before you sign up

My dear friend, Fortunato, there is a delicious new Twitter alternative in the basement, if you will just follow me

— Caoimhe Montgomery (@EmpressOfKashyr) November 22, 2022

It’s cool to discover new platforms run by small teams like Hive Social or Cohost but remember to be cautious. In the same way, we don’t talk to strangers in real life let alone give them personal information, we have to do the same online. Be careful in giving random new companies your main email accounts, contact numbers, and similar passwords. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t sign up for it. We love a good Twitter alternative but sometimes it’s not worth the trouble.

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