Threads vs X: Engagement and Reach Analytics in 2025

In 2025, the competition between Threads and X (formerly Twitter) has become one of the most discussed topics in the social media industry. While both aim to facilitate real-time communication, their approaches, audiences, and engagement patterns differ significantly. This article presents an in-depth analysis of average post engagement, audience behaviour, and available analytics tools as of June 2025.

Average Engagement Per Post: Threads vs X

Based on aggregated data from public profiles and social media tools, the average engagement rate per post on Threads has reached approximately 3.2%, compared to 1.8% on X. This figure includes likes, reposts, and comments. Threads shows particularly high engagement among users aged 18–29, while X continues to maintain a broader but less responsive audience.

The visual-first interface of Threads encourages quick interaction through native image and video embedding, which reportedly improves post visibility and dwell time. In contrast, X’s engagement model still heavily depends on text content and repost culture, which may not be as appealing to the younger segment.

Additionally, Threads’ introduction of limited-time polls and carousel updates has enhanced short-term engagement metrics, especially during events or trending discussions. These features foster higher retention and real-time feedback loops that are missing in X’s standard post structure.

Post Formats and Interaction Dynamics

Threads now supports inline story reactions, similar to Instagram, which encourages users to respond without the friction of creating new posts. This has led to a 40% increase in micro-engagements (likes and emojis) since Q1 2025. X, while experimenting with similar reactions, has faced criticism for inconsistent rollout and lack of discoverability.

The timing of posts also plays a role. Threads users achieve optimal engagement between 7 PM and 9 PM local time, whereas X still follows its legacy peak windows—12 PM to 2 PM. These trends are influenced by mobile behaviour patterns and app notification algorithms.

In terms of comment threads, Threads has introduced a hybrid reply system merging comment nesting with chronological sorting. This makes discussions more transparent, unlike X’s fragmented conversation views which often obscure initial context.

Audience Demographics and Behavioural Trends

Threads is rapidly growing among Gen Z and younger Millennials, especially in North America, Western Europe, and Southeast Asia. The app’s focus on mental wellness and minimalist design aligns with the preferences of a younger demographic that prioritises clean content feeds and controlled notifications.

As of June 2025, 62% of Threads’ active users are under the age of 35. X, in contrast, retains a more diverse age spread, with nearly 40% of its active user base aged 40 or older. This demographic shift affects content tone, trending topics, and user interaction style across both services.

The political and news-heavy environment on X makes it more attractive to media professionals, politicians, and analysts. Threads, however, leans toward lifestyle, culture, and visual storytelling, encouraging brands and creators in fashion, music, and wellness to invest more in their Threads presence.

Behavioural Patterns by Region

In the UK, Threads usage grew by 19% in Q2 2025, driven mainly by lifestyle influencers and local creators. X, though still relevant, shows signs of stagnation with a flat growth curve and increasing user churn due to controversial policy changes under its current ownership.

India and Brazil show a different pattern. While Threads is growing steadily, X still dominates the public discourse space, especially during sports seasons and elections. However, Threads is becoming a secondary channel for content repurposing.

In Japan and South Korea, where social trends often skew towards innovation and aesthetics, Threads has outperformed X in terms of average time spent per user session—up to 12 minutes versus X’s 7.3 minutes.

Analytical Tools and Data Accessibility in 2025

Threads has made notable progress in expanding its analytics dashboard for creators and brands. Since April 2025, the app supports integration with Metricool and Combin, offering multi-platform insights and automation capabilities. The Threads native dashboard now includes follower growth trends, interaction heatmaps, and audience segmentation by age and location.

X has maintained its legacy analytics for verified users but offers fewer real-time data breakdowns. While tools like Sprout Social and TweetBinder remain popular among X users, they often face API rate limitations and delayed data updates, reducing their effectiveness.

Another noteworthy development is Meta’s introduction of AI-powered suggestions in Threads analytics. These include optimal post timing recommendations, content style analysis, and engagement forecasts. X has not yet implemented equivalent predictive tools at scale, which could place it at a strategic disadvantage in influencer and brand marketing.

Third-Party Integrations and Workflow Automation

Threads integrates smoothly with Instagram Creator Studio and Facebook Business Manager, allowing seamless cross-posting and campaign coordination. This integration reduces workload for social media managers and streamlines multi-channel strategies.

Several external platforms, including Hootsuite and Buffer, have added Threads compatibility via the Meta API update in May 2025. This allows scheduling and analytics consolidation, a long-requested feature among content professionals.

X, meanwhile, has restricted access to several third-party services under its revised developer policy introduced in March 2025. This limits automation and data access unless users subscribe to premium tiers, a move that has frustrated smaller creators and agencies.