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Bluesky ended its invite-only barrier on February 6, 2024. Anyone could create an account from that date, after roughly a year in which invite codes helped the service control growth while it built moderation tools and custom feeds. You still do not need an invite: Bluesky’s current FAQ directs new users to bsky.app to sign up.
What changed on February 6, 2024?
In its announcement, “Join Bluesky Today (Bye, Invites!),” Bluesky said anyone could join beginning February 6, 2024. The company reported that more than 3 million people were already using the service at the time. That was an opening-day figure, not a current user total.
Bluesky had used invite codes for about a year to manage growth while developing moderation tooling, custom feeds and other infrastructure. Ending invites was therefore a change from controlled access to public registration, not the launch of a brand-new network.
How do I join Bluesky?
- Go to bsky.app.
- Choose the sign-up option and follow the account-creation prompts.
- Complete any verification requested by the service.
Bluesky’s current FAQ says an invite is not required. Its FAQ reported more than 44 million users as of May 2026; that is a dated, company-reported figure and may change.
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What could users expect when Bluesky opened?
Feeds you could choose
Bluesky’s service used a default timeline of posts from accounts you followed, while also allowing users to switch to timelines created by other users. Custom feeds were one of the features the company said it had been building during the invite period.
More control over moderation
The company presented moderation tooling as another reason for the invite-only phase. Bluesky also discussed labeling services and subscriber-selected moderation as part of its developing approach. Those federation and moderation plans should not be read as a guarantee that every element was available on opening day.
Feature details were time-specific
The Associated Press’ February 2024 report described Bluesky as similar to X in some respects and said direct messaging was not yet available then: AP coverage from February 6, 2024. That is a launch-era snapshot, not a description of the app’s features in September 2026.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIs Bluesky an alternative to X (Twitter)?
Bluesky can serve as an alternative for people who want a short-post social network with a familiar follow-based timeline, but the services are not identical. The practical differences are clearer when separated by feature:
| Area | Bluesky | X |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding | Public sign-up began February 6, 2024; no invite is currently required. | Not established by the cited Bluesky sources. |
| Feeds | Default following feed plus user-created or custom feeds. | Not established by the cited Bluesky sources. |
| Moderation | Bluesky built moderation tooling and described labeling services and selectable moderation as part of its model. | Not established by the cited Bluesky sources. |
| Underlying protocol | Built on the AT Protocol, an open protocol intended to support interoperability. | Not established by the cited Bluesky sources. |
| Portability | Bluesky describes account and data portability as goals and supports alternative data hosting, subject to technical limits. | Not established by the cited Bluesky sources. |
This makes “alternative” a useful description of use case, not a claim that the platforms have equivalent audiences, features or policies.
What is the AT Protocol?
Bluesky says the AT Protocol provides a common format for identity, follows and data across social applications. Its stated goals include interoperability and account portability. In a February 22, 2024 explanation, Bluesky said users could select another data host or self-host and described moving data while retaining posts, likes and follows: Bluesky’s “An Open Social Web” explanation.
These are protocol and service goals, not a promise that one Bluesky account can move seamlessly to every other social network. Bluesky also noted that self-hosting then required technical know-how, so it is an advanced option rather than a sign-up requirement.
How Bluesky differs from Mastodon
Bluesky’s own comparison notes that the services use different protocols and differ in server organization, feeds, moderation and account portability. A reader choosing between them should focus on those axes rather than assume one is universally better:
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Onboarding: Bluesky’s public registration is direct at bsky.app; Mastodon commonly involves choosing an instance.
- Feeds: Bluesky emphasizes selectable custom feeds; Mastodon’s feed and discovery experience is shaped by its server and broader federation.
- Moderation: Their server, labeling and moderation models are not the same.
- Ecosystem: They run on different protocols, so compatibility should not be assumed.
- Portability: Both discuss decentralization in different ways, but the mechanics and guarantees differ.
What the opening did—and did not—mean
- It removed Bluesky’s invite-code requirement on February 6, 2024.
- It followed about a year of controlled growth while moderation and feed features were developed.
- The reported “more than 3 million” figure belongs to that announcement and should not be used as a current count.
- Today’s sign-up status and user total are best checked against Bluesky’s FAQ, which says no invite is needed and reported more than 44 million users as of May 2026: Bluesky FAQ.
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