Threads Sees Higher Engagement Than X, New Research Suggests

New data suggests that Meta’s Threads is generating significantly higher engagement than X, raising questions about where brands should be focusing their social media efforts. According to a recent Buffer analysis of 10.2 million posts across both platforms, engagement on Threads posts was found to be 73.6% higher than on X, signaling a shift in user interaction patterns.

This follows Threads’ continued growth, with 320 million active users and rising momentum that exceeds its own growth expectations. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed confidence in the platform’s potential, predicting it could become a billion-user app in the future – while that remains to be seen, the growing engagement metrics are drawing attention from marketers, who are increasingly including Threads in their content strategies.

A Sprout Social Pulse Survey further supports this trend, showing that 53% of marketers are currently posting on Threads, with another 23% planning to join in 2025. Meanwhile, X has been making significant changes under Elon Musk, with a greater emphasis on its subscription-based model, which some believe is limiting organic reach.

While these engagement numbers are promising, the long-term viability of Threads as a marketing channel remains a point of discussion. Meta has historically boosted early engagement on new platforms, only to adjust algorithms later, potentially limiting reach for brands. However, in the current landscape, Threads presents an appealing alternative to X, offering better engagement without requiring a subscription model.

X, which reports 570 million monthly active users, still holds a larger audience. However, with Threads gaining traction, brands may need to reassess their approach to social media engagement – X has historically always been a safe bet compared to smaller or more recently-founded platforms, but this may not be the case for much longer.