Bluesky

Open, Twitter-style social network on the AT Protocol, with custom feeds and portable accounts.

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Bluesky

Bluesky is a microblogging network that feels like early Twitter but is built on the AT Protocol, an open standard designed so that accounts, followers and posts aren't locked to one company. You can choose between chronological, algorithmic and community-built custom feeds, subscribe to moderation lists and labelers, and use your own domain name as your handle, which also acts as a form of verification. Because the network is open, other apps such as video and photo clients can use the same account, and technically minded users can host their own data server and move without losing followers. It grew quickly as people left X and now has tens of millions of users. The service is free, run by Bluesky Social PBC, a public benefit company funded by investors, with paid extras planned. It runs on the web, Android and iPhone. Most users still depend on Bluesky's own infrastructure, so decentralisation is more promise than practice for now.

Best for: People leaving X who want a familiar microblog with feed choice and more control.

What works

Choose or build your own feeds and moderation lists
Use your own domain as a verified handle
Account portability on an open protocol

Why people leave

Most users still rely on Bluesky's own servers
Smaller audience than X or Threads in many niches
Investor-funded, with monetisation still taking shape

Top Bluesky alternatives

See all 5

1
Mastodon
Fully decentralised today, with thousands of independent servers and no investors.
66.5
2Th
Threads
A bigger mainstream audience, if you don't mind Meta's ownership.
62.6
3
X (Twitter)
Still where many public figures and news breaks first.
59.6
4
Damus
Even more decentralised, using Nostr keys and relays rather than a company's servers.
57.2
5
Ivory
If you move to Mastodon, a polished client for iPhone and Mac.
55.3

Why people left Bluesky

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Bluesky, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Bluesky

Your rating of Bluesky

Name

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

Title

Your review

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

Did you switch from another app?

Why did you leave it?

How can we verify you use it? (optional)

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

I received money, credit or a gift for writing this review. (Incentivized reviews are shown but don't count toward rankings.)

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

Bluesky: common questions

Is Bluesky free?

Yes, Bluesky is free to use.

Is Bluesky open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at bluesky-social/social-app.

What platforms does Bluesky run on?

Bluesky is available for Web, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Bluesky?

The highest-ranked Bluesky alternatives right now are Mastodon, Threads and X (Twitter). See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Bluesky alternatives

Bluesky facts

5 of 5 verified

Protocol: AT Protocol; Checked Oct 25, 2026bsky.social(opens source in a new tab); “We've done this by building Bluesky on the AT Protocol”
Account portability: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026bsky.social(opens source in a new tab); “It is a federated network with account portability.”
Custom domain handles: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026bsky.social(opens source in a new tab); “You can use your own domain name as your username, and continue participating from anywhere your account is hosted.”
App license: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Users: Over 43 million; Checked Oct 25, 2026bsky.social(opens source in a new tab); “Since our Series A, we've grown from 13 million to over 43 million global users.”