When the deal to acquire Twitter was finalized, several Twitter alternatives were floated for those that did not like Musk’s politics, his ideas for Twitter, or just wanted a new microblogging platform. Bluesky has been one of the few to maintain steady growth since the acquisition, with a new surge post US election.
Bluesky was formed inside of Twitter by the then-CEO Jack Dorsey, as a potential way to decentralize Twitter. After two years in development and consultation, the ‘Authenticated Data Experiment’ was started with $13 million funding from Twitter. Jay Graber, the current CEO of Bluesky, was put in charge of this development. One of the first moves was to incorporate Bluesky as an independent company from Twitter, and to make it a public benefit LLC.
When the Musk deal was finalized, Twitter severed all ties to Bluesky. By this point, Bluesky was a fully independent company, but still relied on Twitter as its primary backer. As it has grown into a viable alternative to Twitter, it has also seen Jack Dorsey leave the board and publicly side with Twitter.
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Learn MoreBluesky, like other Twitter-alternatives, has bouts of activity typically around elections or changes to Twitter. A few of Musk’s changes to Twitter have resulted in surges of interest and activity at Bluesky. Some journalists and news organizations have started to boycott Twitter over Musk’s influence on the algorithm and his support from Trump, switching over to Bluesky.
Even with this surge in usage, Bluesky is still far behind Twitter in total users. Bluesky reached 20 million users in November 2024, while Twitter has over 350 million active users. Instagram Threads, another microblogging alternative, has 275 million users.
We have collected data and statistics on Bluesky. Read on below to find out more. Want to dive deeper? Check out our social app report.
Bluesky Key Statistics
- Bluesky reached 20 million users in November, doubling its userbase in two months
- The Bluesky app has been downloaded over 13 million times
- Bluesky has received $28 million in funding
Bluesky Overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | February 2023 |
| HQ | Seattle, Washington |
| People | Jay Gruber (CEO) |
| Business type | Private |
| Industry | Social networking |
Bluesky Users
Bluesky doubled its users in the space of two months, as more people leave Twitter following the US election results.
Bluesky users 2023 to 2024 (mm)
| Date | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| Sept 2023 | 1 |
| Feb 2024 | 4 |
| Sept 2024 | 10 |
| Nov 2024 | 20 |
Source: Jaz’s Bluesky Index
Bluesky Downloads
Bluesky has seen its downloads spike in the second half of 2024, from 1.5 million to 9.1 million.
Bluesky downloads 2023 to 2024 (mm)
| Date | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| H2 2023 | 2.5 |
| H1 2024 | 1.5 |
| H2 2024 | 9.1 |
Sources: Appfigures, AppMagic
Note: H2 2024 taken from 1st July to 19th November. Sources: Appfigures, AppMagic
Bluesky vs Twitter: Users
Even with Bluesky’s impressive growth in users, it still lags far behind Twitter on total users.
Bluesky and Twitter active users 2023 to 2024 (mm)
Want to learn more? Check out our Social App Report
Bluesky FAQ
How does Bluesky make money?
Bluesky currently does not generate any meaningful revenue from its product. It plans to do this through domain registration and potentially a subscription service
Who are some major figures on Bluesky?
Lizzo, Barbra Streisand, Jamie Lee Curtis, AOC, James Gunn, Guillermo del Toro, Ben Stiller, and Hank Green are a few celebrities that use Bluesky
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