Mastodon Says App Downloads Up 47% on iOS Amid Twitter Exodus

As many users seek alternatives to X, rival social network Mastodon says that its official app downloads are up 47% on iOS.

Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko said that downloads on Android are also up 17%, while total monthly sign-ups rose approximately 27% to 90,000 in a post on the platform. 

The open-source X rival functions much like its competitor, the site formerly known as Twitter, on the outside. However, unlike the centralized Twitter, Mastodon consists of thousands of different social networks, which are integrated into a web it calls the “fediverse.”

“We may not be the biggest by numbers yet, but Mastodon (and the fediverse) has proven itself to be an effective and reliable communications platform over the course of the last 8 years and does not depend on venture capital to survive,” said Rochko. 

A record number of X users closed down their accounts on Nov. 6, which may have been in opposition to owner Elon Musk, who was a vocal proponent and multi-million dollar donor to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. This trend may have been fueled by reports of misinformation spreading on the platform, and the reinstatement of the accounts of highly controversial right-wing figures.

Internet traffic analyzer Similarweb, says 115,000 US-based web visitors deactivated their X accounts after Election Day, the ever one-day biggest drop since Musk first took over the platform in October 2022.

Users seeking greener pastures aren’t just trying out Mastodon; all the major X alternatives are reporting more sign-ups than ever before. Bluesky claims it had 1 million sign-ups in one day during the week following the election. An app put together by Bluesky shows its user base is now almost 18 million people.

Not to be outdone, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently claimed that Meta-owed Threads had more than 15 million signups in November, and has had days with over one million sign-ups every month for the past three months.