Threads, Instagram’s competitor to Twitter, is struggling to retain users after its highly anticipated launch, according to data from Insider Intelligence. The data suggests that Threads will have significantly fewer monthly active users compared to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok by the end of this year. However, it may still have a chance to close the gap with Elon Musk’s X platform.
Insider Intelligence predicts that Threads will have approximately 23.7 million active monthly users in the US by the end of 2023. This number pales in comparison to the projected user base of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, which are expected to have 177.9 million, 135.2 million, and 102.3 million active monthly users, respectively, by the same time.
Surprisingly, Elon Musk’s X platform is forecasted to have 56.1 million active monthly users in the US by the end of 2023. However, Insider Intelligence cautions that this figure may not remain high for long. The agency anticipates a decline to 47 million users by 2025 if users continue to defect from the platform. In contrast, Threads has the potential to reach 30 million users by 2025.
Insider Intelligence’s principal analyst, Jasmine Enberg, notes that Threads initially benefited from Twitter’s missteps but cannot solely rely on defectors from X to fuel its growth. Enberg further warns that if Elon Musk implements his plan to charge users for access to X, it could further alienate its user base, exacerbating the potential for declining numbers on the platform.