Twitter alternatives Spill and Post have been launched for iOS devices. Both apps are seen as potential rivals to the Elon Musk-owned micro-blogging platform. Post was announced shortly after Musk’s takeover of Twitter, while Spill is led by ex-Twitter employees.
Post: The Publishers-Focused Platform
Post was launched in beta last year and showed signs of becoming a tough rival to Twitter, and join the likes of Bluesky and T2. The platform allows users to explore between three different feed menus namely, Following, Explore, and News. The news section presents a curated collection of fresh articles from Post’s esteemed publishing partners, encompassing reputable sources such as Reuters, the Los Angeles Times, Wired, Yahoo Finance, Fortune, Insider, NBC News, and others.
In Post, it is free to see the news headlines and the first few lines of the article, but if someone wants to read the full story, they have to pay by making microtransactions or “Points”, the publishers are given 100% of the revenue from these microtransactions. Currently, the Post project is funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Scott Galloway, an author and marketing professor at New York University.
The number of points needed to access an article varies based on the specific outlet. The most affordable in-app transaction is priced at 300 points, which amounts to $4.29. The articles themselves commence at a mere 1 point, with the highest observed cost currently reaching approximately 29 points.
Spill: Twitter Competitor from Ex-Employees
A team of former Twitter employees came up with a new social media platform that has now become a potential alternative to the famous micro-blogging site. Spill CEO Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell, served as the global head of social and editorial at Twitter before he was laid off by the organization last year. Terrell then started a new company and raised a $2.75 million pre-seed round to build Spill, a visual-first, multimedia microblogging app that somewhat looks like Tumblr.
Six months, 10K+ lines of code, thousands of testers, our first advertisers and we’re just getting started ☕️
Proud to share the SPILL invite-only beta is now in the Apple App Store (https://t.co/tJga3QA7gF). More on where we’re at, what’s next & where to find invites 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/5B2LPjOA3L
— SPILL (@SpillMob) June 12, 2023
The Spill feed lets you see the recent posts from the people you are following, feed also brings you posts based on the app algorithm. From the top menu, users can see the trending posts and hashtags. From the bottom menu, you can post text, gifs, videos, photos, links, and polls. What distinguishes Spill from numerous Twitter competitors is its intentional mission to prioritize the creation of inclusive communities right from the start, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Spill made a conscious effort to actively engage and bring onboard Black and queer creators to their platform, recognizing that these users often play a vital role in shaping trends and memes that are eventually embraced by the wider internet. This outreach feels genuine and authentic because the individuals behind Spill are themselves, members of these communities, fostering a deep connection and understanding.
As Spill and Post now get launched for iOS devices, Twitter is surrounded by multiple controversies it will be interesting to see how people will perceive these new alternatives to their beloved micro-blogging platforms
Source: Spill Twitter
