Two years after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, now rebranded as X, Bluesky has emerged as a significant alternative, surpassing 30 million users as of February 2025. The decentralized social app, conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has been gaining traction due to its distinct features and Twitter's policy changes, which have driven users to seek out new platforms.

Bluesky's growth can be attributed to several factors, including Twitter's heavily criticized changes to its block feature and its decision to allow third-party companies to train their AI on users' posts. The app also saw a significant boost following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, which contributed to an exodus of users from Twitter, including fans of Taylor Swift. While Bluesky's growth has slowed, it still has a long way to go to compete with Meta's Threads, which boasts 275 million monthly active users.

So, what is Bluesky? It's a decentralized social app with a Twitter-like user interface, algorithmic choice, federated design, and community-specific moderation. The app is built on an open-source framework, the AT Protocol, which provides transparency into its development and allows outside developers to contribute. Bluesky is now an independent public benefit corporation, led by CEO Jay Graber, after Jack Dorsey stepped down from the board in May 2024.

Using Bluesky is similar to using Twitter, with users able to create a handle, post updates, and engage with others. The app features a "Discover" feed, which offers personalized content, and a "Starter Pack" feature, which helps new users find interesting content. Bluesky has also introduced a vertical video feed, similar to TikTok, and is developing a photo-sharing app called Flashes, set to be released in beta soon.

Notable figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Cuban, and Weird Al Yankovic, have migrated to Bluesky, along with news organizations like Bloomberg and The Washington Post. The platform has also opened up to heads of state, allowing them to sign up and join the platform for the first time.

Bluesky differentiates itself from Twitter in several ways, including its decentralized protocol, AT Protocol, and its stance on user data and AI training. The platform has no intention of using user content to train generative AI tools, unlike Twitter. Bluesky is also developing a subscription service, Bluesky+, which will offer premium features, but will not follow Twitter's "pay to win" model.

In terms of security, Bluesky has added email verification and has allowed users to opt out of a change that would expose their posts to the public web. The platform is also customizable, with users able to create custom feeds and algorithms. Bluesky has a strong focus on moderation, with features like user lists, moderation lists, and a tool that lets users limit who can reply to posts.

Despite its growth, Bluesky has faced controversies, including moderation issues and accusations of failing to protect marginalized users. The platform has been working to address these concerns, including updating its impersonation policy and exploring alternatives to its domain handle verification process.

As Bluesky continues to grow and evolve, it's clear that it's become a viable alternative to Twitter, offering users a unique set of features and a decentralized approach to social media. With its strong growth and commitment to user privacy and security, Bluesky is poised to remain a significant player in the social media landscape.