The 11 Best Twitter Alternatives Worth Trying (2023)

Whether you disagree with its current direction, or you’re sick of trolls, extremists, and over-exuberant censorship, you might be thinking of quitting Twitter.

But where should you go? Are there any realistic alternatives to Twitter, and if so, which one will suit you? While Twitter has many strengths, the best things about it are also available on other platforms. To help you choose, here are the best Twitter alternatives that you might switch to.

1. Substack Notes

Seemingly the result of a spat between Twitter and Substack, Substack Notes launched on April 5th 2023 and was warmly received. Intending reignite “a time when social media was fun more than frightening,” Substack Notes has been warmly received.

If you already subscribe to Substack, then the people you follow (I’m quite keen on food writers)will be pre-determined. However, you can always add more.

Because Substack is not free to use (subscribers pay to read), there are no adverts, and no desire for viral posts. Consequently, this is a more sedate, balanced experience, free from doom-scrolling and negativity.

Substack Notes can be access through your browser or via the Substack Reader mobile app.

Download: Substack Reader for iOS | Android

2. Post

Launched in late 2022, Post was set up by former Waze CEO Noam Bardin. Posing the question “Remember when social media was fun?” in his first post, the site is described in its FAQ as “a place for people to discover, read, watch, discuss and share premium news content without subscriptions or ads.”

So, pay to read long-form content, and can follow creatives from a wide selection of industries.

The layout of Post is similar to Twitter (particularly early iterations) and other microblogging services, so it shouldn’t take you long to get started. You can sign up with a Google or Twitter account.

Android and iPhone access to Post is only via your device browser. Post offers iOS users a browser home screen shortcut.

3. Aether

At first glance, Aether appears to be a sort of cross between Discord and Mastodon (see below). Your first visit to the website will display this: “Open source, self-governing communities with auditable moderation and mod elections.”

Less microblog and more discussion area, Aether has several key features:

• Peer-to-peer: there is no server, and as such it is private by default
• Only six months of posts are kept: you can save things, but not after that burn date
• Moderation is transparent: reasons for deletion are made public-facing
• Moderators can be elected and impeached: inappropriate mods can be disabled

Each of these features makes Aether a very interesting development in the online discussion space. Aether has versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux, but no mobile access is possible.

4. Clubhouse

What if your love of Twitter is nothing to do with sharing hot-takes and microblogging, but listening to speech conversations? Twitter Spaces is where live speech and lectures take place, but this was inspired by another network entirely, Clubhouse.

With Clubhouse installed on your phone, “it’s like an always-on dinner party” in which you can chat in “rooms” supporting either general chat or topical conversations.

Download: Clubhouse for Android | iOS | Windows and Mac

5. Micro.blog

One of the key purposes of Twitter as conceived was “microblogging.” This is a term given to the format of short blog posts published without a title. So, basically a tweet.

Micro.blog is less demanding and slower than Twitter. It’s ideal for short and long posts, photos, and engaging with readers. All of that sounds great, although there is one shortcoming: Micro.blog is available only with a monthly subscription, which starts at $5 a month. This basic subscription gives cross-posting to social networks, mobile apps, and other basic features, while upgrading gives you podcast and video hosting, as well as email newsletters.

A free 30-day trial is available if you want to try Micro.blog.

6. Mastodon

Mastodon is an open-source Twitter alternative that offers greater control over what you see and the conversations you have.

The real strength to Mastodon is that it can be used as individual "instances." This means that you can access specialized versions of the site, usually themed by topic. Star Trek fan? There's a Mastodon for you. And because Mastodon is open source, you can get your own instance, set it up, and essentially run your own social network.

Learn more in our guide to the Mastodon open-source social network.

Download: Mastodon for iOS | Android

7. Gab

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With an aim of putting "people and free speech first" Gab has become known as the "alt-right" alternative to Twitter; indeed, it was formed as an antidote to what CEO Andrew Torba described "the entirely left-leaning Big Social monopoly."

While a free speech-focused service might not seem unreasonable, Gab was banned in 2016 from the Apple App Store. In 2017, meanwhile, Google removed the app from the Play Store, noting that Gab failed to "demonstrate a sufficient level of moderation, including for content that encourages violence and advocates hate against groups of people."

All this controversy is a shame, as the Gab platform is pretty useful, with 300 character status updates and a comfortable user interface.

8. GETTR

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Claiming to be “A marketplace of ideas,” GETTR offers multiple sign-up options, from phone or email to Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Twitch, and many others.

This makes it really easy to get started using a social network “founded on the principles of free speech, independent thought and rejecting political censorship.” You can think of GETTR as a less conservative Gab or Parler.

GETTR is available for mobile devices and through your browser. It even has a “TikTok” feature, called Gtoks.

Download: GETTR for iOS | Android

9. Cohost

A social network still in its early days, ad-free Cohost is built for sharing whatever you want. A monthly or annual subscription affords enhanced access to the site (larger uploads, customization options).

As a relatively new platform (at the time of writing), Cohost has a slow sign-up process, with posting restricted until your account is fully verified. On the plus side, this means you have the time to explore conversations and topics, bookmark hashtags, and set up a profile.

Cohost has pledged that it “will never sell your data, sell ads, or sell the company to anyone who might change these policies to make a quick buck.”

Currently, no mobile app is available for Cohost.

10. CounterSocial

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With a desktop user interface that resembles TweetDeck, CounterSocial aims to offer its community four “unique protections.” These are:

• Deepfake detection: uploaded content is analyzed to determine the use of deepfakes.
• Botsentinel integration: intended to detect bots.
• Identity breach alerts: a useful way for account holders to find out if their account has been hacked and misused.
• Factlayer integration: color-coded links to demonstrate how reliable a news link is.

Accounts have a 500-character limit per post, media can be uploaded, polls conducted, and warnings employed to hide text. Paid accounts add enhanced features, such as changing status, and posts that expire and “explode.” There is also a VR metaverse (although this is not available in the mobile app).

CounterSocial offers a good experience, although some topics are underserved. If you’re fond of discussing news and topical events, however, it should be high on your list of Twitter alternatives.

Download: CounterSocial for iOS | Android

11. WT.Social

If the whole idea of social networks on mobile apps and the fast pace of a news feed is giving you a headache, WT.Social (conceived by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales) could be the antidote.

Also known as WikiTribune, the network includes recommended subwikis on fighting misinformation and starting with WT.Social. A vast number of topics you are covered, the latest posts from which you will find listed under your subscribed subwikis. Meanwhile, your updates can be shared to your followers or in a subwiki that you have joined.

It’s early days for WT.Social, so there is currently only the browser-based interface. However, there does seem to be an intelligent discourse around WT.Social that is lacking in other networks.

Upcoming Alternatives to Twitter

All the Twitter alternatives listed above are currently available to use. While some might be in beta, access to them is open to anyone.

Some other Twitter-like social networks are in varying states of access.

For example, Bluesky Social is a network currently in private beta. You can sign up for access, but approval is very slow. This social network aims to give “creators independence from platforms, developers the freedom to build, and users a choice in their experience.”

Meanwhile, popular right-wing Twitter alternative Parler is unavailable to access at the time of writing. This is due to its purchase by Starboard which will likely change the scope and intent of Parler.

What's Your Twitter Replacement?

Whether you plan to get off Twitter today, or think it's better to leave it until the people you follow jump ship, these alternatives are currently the best options:

1. Substack Notes
2. Post
3. Aether
4. Clubhouse
5. Micro.blog
6. Mastodon
7. Gab
8. GETTR
9. Cohost
10. CounterSocial
11. WT.Social

Which one you prefer depends on what you hope to get out of a microblogging/social networking experience. Although Post and Micro.blog look nice, and Mastodon is popular, if you're already using Substack, then Substack Notes could be the best Twitter alternative.