Topline
Threads, Meta’s text-based social media platform, widened its lead over Elon Musk’s X in the first few weeks of 2026 after first surpassing the rival platform in daily active users on mobile devices late last year, according to data shared with Forbes by Similarweb.
Meta’s Threads pulled further ahead of Elon Musk’s X in January. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Key Facts
Threads had an average of 143.2 million daily active users on mobile devices worldwide in the first 13 days of January, according to Similarweb, a considerable lead over X, which had an average of 126.2 million daily active users over the same period.
X has lost users over time, with its number of daily active users dropping 11.9% year-over-year as of January, while Threads has made massive gains, recording a 37.8% year-over-year boost in users as of January.
Threads surpassed X for the first time on Sept. 5, according to Similarweb data, on which date X had 129 million daily active users and Threads had 130 million.
X had a brief spike in daily active users on Jan. 3, according to Similarweb—possibly in response to the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro—jumping to 133.1 million daily active users, more than 7 million higher than the day before, though it still lagged 16 million users behind Threads.
Daily active users for Threads and X on mobile devices worldwide.
Similarweb
Where Does X Still Hold A Lead Over Threads?
X still beats Threads in the number of daily active users on U.S. mobile devices, but its lead has narrowed considerably. In the first 13 days of January, X had an average of 21.2 million daily active users on U.S. mobile devices, narrowly ahead of the 19.5 million daily active users for Threads. While X users on U.S. mobile devices have declined 18.4% year-over-year as of January, Threads’ number of daily active users has surged 41.8%. X also still holds a massive lead over Threads on the web. X’s website had an average of 149.4 million daily active users worldwide in the first two weeks of January, according to Similarweb, while Threads had just a fraction of that, with 8.9 million daily active web users worldwide.
What About Bluesky?
Once viewed as a possible competitor to Twitter after Musk’s takeover, Bluesky’s traffic has tanked over the past year, according to Similarweb data. In the first 13 days of January, Bluesky had an average of 3.6 million daily active users on mobile devices worldwide, a fraction of the users X and Threads have. Bluesky’s daily active users are down 44.4% year-over-year.
Key Background
Threads has posed a considerable challenge to X since launching in 2023, when it sought to capitalize on user discontent with the Musk-owned Twitter. Musk, after acquiring Twitter, sparked an exodus of some users after he overhauled many of the platform’s basic features, including verification and content moderation. Upon announcing Threads, Zuckerberg took jabs at Musk on X, posting the meme of two identical Spider-Mans pointing at one another. Musk was critical of Threads’ launch, calling the platform “just Instagram minus pics, which makes no sense,” while lawyers representing Twitter threatened to sue Meta for allegedly stealing trade secrets. Threads has likely benefitted from its close integration with Instagram, as users can sign into the text-based platform with their Instagram credentials. Mark Mahaney, senior managing director and internet research analyst at Evercore ISI, previously told Forbes Meta’s integration of Threads and Instagram is a “big advantage,” stating Meta can “siphon you off from that massive platform over to Threads.”
Tangent
Zuckerberg and Musk’s rivalry dates back at least a decade to when a SpaceX rocket that was carrying a Facebook satellite exploded in 2016. SpaceX called the explosion an “anomaly” at the time, though Musk claimed responsibility “for being an idiot” years later. The billionaires sparred over artificial intelligence regulation in 2017, with Zuckerberg dismissing Musk as a “naysayer” and Musk accusing Zuckerberg of having “limited” knowledge of AI. As Threads launched in 2023, Musk floated the idea of physically fighting Zuckerberg in a cage match, which UFC President Dana White pledged to organize, but plans were stalled after Musk said he needed surgery first. “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me,” Zuckerberg said.
Forbes Valuation
Musk is the richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $719.3 billion as of Friday, much of which comes from his 12% ownership of Tesla and his 42% stake in SpaceX. Zuckerberg is the world’s sixth-richest person as of Friday with an estimated net worth of $215.1 billion, mostly thanks to his 13% stake in Meta.
Further Reading
Threads Passes X In Key Monthly Metric For First Time In Zuckerberg Vs. Musk Battle (Forbes)
Threads Finally Passes X—Zuckerberg’s 2-Year-Old Platform Passes Musk’s In Daily Users (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/01/16/threads-widens-lead-over-musks-x-zuckerbergs-platform-adds-millions/
