What is X (Twitter) used for?

X (Twitter) is a social network for short public posts, news and conversation, with apps and a web client. It is a good fit for following news and public figures, and brands communicating with audiences.

Is X (Twitter) open source?

No. X (Twitter) is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to X (Twitter) include Mastodon, Bluesky and Misskey.

What are some alternatives to X (Twitter)?

X (Twitter) competes with Threads, Facebook and Reddit. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source X (Twitter) alternatives.

X (Twitter): features, pricing and alternatives

About X (Twitter)

X, formerly known as Twitter, is a social media platform where people post short messages, images and video, follow accounts and join public conversations. It is widely used by individuals, journalists, companies and public figures to share news and updates.

It is a proprietary service run by its owner and cannot be self-hosted. The site's robots.txt blocked automated access when this entry was prepared, so current features, subscription tiers and pricing should be confirmed on the official site. Open alternatives such as Mastodon and Bluesky are often mentioned in comparisons.

Key features

Short public posts
Following and timelines
Replies, reposts and direct messages
Web and mobile apps

Good fit for

→Following news and public figures
→Brands communicating with audiences

Tags: social-media; microblogging; news; social-network; short-posts; twitter

X (Twitter): questions and answers

What is X (Twitter) used for?: X (Twitter) is a social network for short public posts, news and conversation, with apps and a web client. It is a good fit for following news and public figures, and brands communicating with audiences.
Is X (Twitter) open source?: No. X (Twitter) is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to X (Twitter) include Mastodon, Bluesky and Misskey.
What are some alternatives to X (Twitter)?: X (Twitter) competes with Threads, Facebook and Reddit. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source X (Twitter) alternatives.