Threads, the Twitter competitor owned by Mark Zuckerberg, saw an impressive surge in user numbers, reaching 10 million within a few hours of its launch on July 6. In a surprising move, Zuckerberg himself tweeted for the first time in over a decade, seemingly taunting Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, and expressing hope for the app's downfall. This follows a negative response to several new Twitter features introduced by Musk since he took charge, including a limit on the number of tweets users can read in a day.

Threads' rapid growth is noteworthy, particularly when compared to other platforms, especially its direct rival, Twitter.

Twitter

In 2008, Twitter took almost two years to reach one million users, having been launched in July 2006. However, it's important to consider that the digital landscape was significantly different in 2006, with limited computer and internet access for many individuals.

Facebook

On the other hand, Facebook experienced faster growth. Zuckerberg's original creation reached one million users just 10 months after he founded it in his Harvard University dorm room in 2004.

Instagram

Instagram, now part of the Meta empire, reached one million downloads within a mere two-and-a-half months after its October 2010 launch. Facebook later acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion.

TikTok

Notably absent from the comparison is TikTok, one of the most successful social media platforms in recent years. This is because TikTok had already surpassed the one million user milestone before it was even known by that name. Originally launched as Douyin in September 2016, it amassed over 100 million users in just over 200 days. The platform was later rebranded as TikTok for the international market in September 2017 and solidified its presence in our lives through a merger with Musical.ly two months later.