Which Platform Is Best For Your Needs in 2024?

Which is better in the battle of Reddit vs Twitter (now X)? Well, they both have passionate audiences behind them. In my research, I found that nearly as many people are on Twitter as on Reddit!

I love that both social channels have tight-knit communities that “ride or die” for the social network.

For example, if you break the rules on any popular subreddit on Reddit, other members will be lightning-fast to call you out and get your post taken down.

I’ve personally tried to promote my brand on Reddit before, and although I didn’t break any rules, some Redditors thought my post was a little too salesy, and ultimately, it got taken down anyway.

Likewise, on Twitter, you’ll see a lot of the same users in your niche tweeting over and over again. It’s serious to them, kind of like a job, and it feels like Twitter is a real extension of their life.

I could honestly argue for either social network, but which one really wins?

In this article, we’re going to uncover which one is truly the winner, Twitter or Reddit:

• Similarities vs differences
• Twitter and Reddit key features
• What makes Twitter and Reddit different from other social networks.

Let’s get into it!

Reddit vs Twitter (X): Similarities & Differences

Let’s quickly dive into these two social juggernauts’ important similarities and differences.

Similarities

• Social networks with global reach: Both are huge, thriving social network communities that operate on a global scale.
• Built on community engagements and conversations: The two platforms are built on community engagement and ongoing conversations happening. New messages and conversations are happening among users daily, 24/7.
• User-generated content: UGC drives both social networks. Twitter users post tweets, and Redditors submit posts.
• Real-time updates: Both platforms offer real-time updates where you can see recent and trending posts as they happen.
• An upvoting system: On Twitter, you can “like” a tweet, which signifies your acceptance, approval, and support of the message. Reddit has an upvoting/downvoting system where you “thumbs up” a message, signaling you like the post. You can also “thumbs down” a post, showing you disagree or don’t like the comment.

Differences

• Content format: Twitter is for microblogging. You can craft short messages to post along with links, videos, and photos if you wish. Reddit allows for long posts posted within individual communities versus the entire social network, like Twitter. Reddit posts are also subject to community approval and can be taken down if they don’t adhere to the community rules.
• Discussion Layout: You can discuss with the entire Twitter community on Twitter. Discussions are threaded and visible for everyone to see. Reddit discussions are created on a hierarchy system where each discussion can have multiple comment threads and be upvoted or downvoted, which impacts its visibility.
• Followers structure: Twitter has followers, and Reddit has community subscribers. On Twitter, you can follow other Twitter users. On Reddit, following users is not possible; instead, you follow communities.
• Focus: Twitter is very individualized and personalized, whereas Reddit is community-focused.

So, with all that being said, let’s take a closer look at each platform individually.

Twitter & Reddit Overview

Although they’re massively popular platforms,

What’s Twitter?

Twitter

(now X) is the social network many people commonly know by its little blue bird logo, now an X. 

It’s unlike any other social network that exists today.

How Does Twitter Work?

Twitter is a great place to connect with others in your niche, share information and insights, and learn from others. It’s a text-based social network where people communicate with short messages called tweets.

You can also share images, memes, and videos on Twitter.

It’s a great place to collaborate and network with like-minded people. 

Once you find your community on Twitter, I like that the network will optimize your feed to serve you the content that most interests you. It makes it easier to find other users, content, and information in your niche.

Surprisingly, Twitter is a great place to make money online, too. Here are 13 money-making strategies to check out to profit from on Twitter.

What Are Tweets?

Tweets are the short, text-based messages you see on Twitter, although, since the rebrand to X, Tweets are now called ‘Posts,’ and ‘Retweets’ are now Reposts.

The platform has really evolved over the years, now allowing for tweets to be up to 280 characters, double the length of the original 140-character limit.

What’s Reddit?

Reddit is a social platform and community made up of individual communities called subreddits. You can browse subreddits to find the information and content you’re looking for in niches like:

• Blogging
• Sciences
• Books
• Gadgets
• Entrepreneurship.

You’ll find Redditors exchanging information in the form of posts and storytelling, which includes text, links, videos, and images.

How Does Reddit Work?

When you land on Reddit, you can browse the various subreddit groups that exist, reading the conversations, case studies, and stories that users are sharing.

Contributing to the conversation by commenting or creating your own posts is a smart way to get the most out of the platform, but be mindful of the rules, which differ from subreddit to subreddit.

I browsed Reddit for years, absorbing all the information I learned from others on my favorite topics of interest before I prepared my first post.

Many users do this, appreciating this social network for the authentic, real conversations and experiences that are being discussed.

But, sharing your own story and joining in on conversations will give you a chance to raise your karma score, network with others, brand yourself as an industry expert, and make money.

What Is Karma?

Reddit karma is the point system they assign to all Reddit users. It reflects the amount of “approval” a user’s contributions (posts and comments) have received from other Reddit users.

The higher your karma score, the better. It shows you as being more helpful by contributing constructively to conversations happening on the platform.

Twitter vs Reddit: Key Features

It boils down to these main features:

• User interface, and
• User experience

Twitter’s User Interface

The user interface of Twitter vs Reddit is very different.

First, let’s look at Twitter.

You see that you land on Twitter’s feed, which is curated based on your interests/activity on the platform. 

Scroll through the tweets, find conversations you find interesting, save, like, and/or comment on that discussion, and move on.

You can also use Twitter’s search feature to find specific tweets and conversations happening around a particular topic.

Here are some additional key features Twitter has:

• Tweets: The short, text-based messages that fuel the platform.
• Retweets: This is a social share.
• Likes (hearts): Showing support for a tweet.
• Trending topics: A list of trending topics like news, media events, etc., happening at the time.
• Followers and Following: Twitter users have the ability to have others follow them (followers) and follow other users (following).
• Direct Messages: The ability to send private messages to Twitter users.

Reddit’s User Interface

Next, Reddit, while a different-looking interface, has a similar structure when you first land on the site. You’ll be met with a feed that you can scroll, filled with posts from various subreddit communities.

You can click on a post, which will take you to where that post lives in a subreddit. Or, you can go directly to subreddits to see the conversations happening.

Then, you get a chance to upvote, downvote, or reply in a comment to the post.

Here are more key features you’ll experience while browsing Reddit’s user interface:

• Subreddits: Communities around a niche that drive the Reddit platform. Examples are blog, art, books, and gadgets.
• Posts: Social posts that users can post in subreddits.
• Karma: Your “popularity” score, showing others how helpful your contributions have been to the community. The higher the score, the better.
• Upvotes and downvotes: The ability to support or show your disapproval on posts.
• Moderators: People who enforce the rules for the subreddits.
• Reddit chat and messages: The chance to privately contact Reddit users.

Twitter’s User Experience

Twitter is one of the only text-based social networks online. It’s a much different experience than what you might encounter with more of an image-forward platform like Instagram or TikTok.

Twitter is dynamic and fast-paced.

As you’re browsing your home feed scanning tweets, new messages that are posted in real time are added to your feed. 

You’re notified of this while you scroll, which makes it tempting to scroll to the top to see those new tweets.

In terms of how to use Twitter, it’s pretty similar to other social networks you’re probably on.

First, you create a Twitter account. You can write your profile description, add a photo, and link to your website. Then, you get instant access to start tweeting and creating posts on the platform.

From there, you can start building community, network with your peers, and follow, like, and retweet posts to show your support.

If you’re consistent with this kind of schedule, you may start to see your followers on Twitter grow, bringing benefits like:

• Increased engagement
• Email newsletter growth
• Increased sales and website visits.

Reddit’s User Experience

On Reddit, you’ll be able to partake in the hundreds of community-based discussions in subreddits. Discussions will be diverse and authentic. 

Users are pretty politically correct on other platforms, but you’ll see that on Reddit, it’s quite different, and users will give you their opinions raw and real.

This is a refreshing take on social networking. It’s one of the features that makes Reddit different from other social platforms.

It can be more challenging to gain an audience and build your brand directly, compared to Twitter, but if you’re patient and offer truly helpful advice, and share your opinions consistently, your efforts can be rewarded.

There’s also Reddit marketing, which can be extremely effective if you do it the right way!

A recent Reddit post I made garnered nearly 20,000 views in the span of a few days and landed nearly a dozen outreach messages to my inbox, asking about opportunities to work with me.

These results aren’t typical, but when it happens, the impact can be huge and create endless opportunities!

Is Twitter Better Than Reddit?

The short answer is it depends. To find real, authentic, and raw conversations about specific topics, Reddit wins, hands down. 

This can include product reviews, experiences at restaurants, lounges, or stores, or opinions on politics, society, religion, etc.

You can talk about virtually any topic under the sun on Reddit.

Twitter is definitely one of the most liberal social networks compared to others, like Instagram or TikTok. That means you can talk about NSFW (not safe for work) topics without fear of getting flagged or suspended. 

But even with this, it’s still nothing like Reddit, in my opinion. 

Twitter is the place to connect with others in your industry, similar to LinkedIn. I think Twitter is an easier place to promote your brand and products. 

It’s a place to network with others online, and you get to learn more about the people you’re talking to, by perusing their profile, checking out their website, following their tweets and discussions, etc. 

That’s not happening on Reddit, where following users isn’t possible, and you’re contributing more towards a community effort than your individual needs.

Two very different platforms.

Both are excellent in their own right.

Reddit vs Twitter: Bottom Line

You came here to find out about Twitter vs Reddit and which network is better.

The truth is, they tie!

In terms of growing your personal profile or following, it’s easier on Reddit, I think, even though there are no follower metrics for individuals. 

But you do have karma.

And it’s easy enough to grow your karma by hundreds of points every day or every week if you’re active and contributing to the platform.

In one week, I grew my karma by nearly 200 points just by posting two discussions and responding to questions and comments from it!

In contrast, on Twitter, where you do have followers, it’s like most other social networks, where there will be some challenges in growing your follower count despite activity and contributions. 

It’s an easier effort with Reddit.

For the community, Reddit wins hands down.

For networking and connecting with peers, Twitter is the winner.

For building your online reputation and personal brand, it’s a tie.

Both are good social networks and can be used to your benefit, depending on your needs, despite the differences present.

Our final consensus?

Use both!

Which platform wins for you, Twitter or Reddit?