Threads Just Opened Ads to Everyone — Is It Worth Your Budget?

Threads launched in July 2023 as Meta’s answer to X, and for its first two and a half years, it was advertising-free. That changed on January 21, 2026, when Meta announced it was opening the platform to global advertisers — giving brands access to an audience that had been building without commercial noise for years.

The timing matters. Threads hit 400 million monthly active users by early 2026, making it the third-largest text-based social platform behind X and Reddit. And early advertisers are finding an environment that looks meaningfully different from the saturated placements on Facebook and Instagram.

The Numbers That Matter

According to Similarweb data from January 2026, Threads recorded 141.5 million daily active mobile users globally, compared to 125 million for X. A Buffer analysis of 10.2 million posts found that Threads drives a median engagement rate of 6.25%, compared to 3.6% on X — a 73.6% difference.

For advertisers, the most interesting early data point is cost. CPMs on Threads are running 30 to 40% lower than Instagram, which makes sense: the platform is new to ads, competition among advertisers is still low, and Meta is deliberately keeping ad volume light during the initial rollout. That window won’t stay open indefinitely.

How Threads Ads Actually Work

If you’re already running Meta campaigns, the setup is straightforward. All eligible advertisers running Meta campaigns can now enable Threads as an ad placement. Threads is included within Advantage+ placements by default, with the option to manually opt out. Available formats include single-image ads, video ads, and carousel ads — the same formats you’d run on Instagram.

One important note: Meta is still testing ad volume on Threads intentionally low, so don’t expect Threads to dominate your Meta ad performance yet. Think of this as a test period, not a primary channel — the opportunity is in establishing presence and learning before the market matures.

What Kind of Creative Works

Threads is a text-first, conversation-driven platform. That changes what good creative looks like. Text-first creative performs best — Threads’ conversational format rewards authentic, engaging copy over polished visuals, and brands that lead with strong written hooks see higher engagement rates.

This isn’t a platform where the same creative you’re running on Instagram will translate directly. The content that performs well on Threads is closer to how a person actually writes — specific, opinionated, and built to start a conversation rather than stop a scroll.

Who Should Be Testing It Now

Threads skews toward users interested in lifestyle, culture, fashion, food, and entertainment — which makes it a better fit for some businesses than others. B2B brands with a strong editorial voice can work well there too, particularly those that have already been building a community around ideas rather than products.

The businesses that benefit most from testing Threads now are those already running Meta campaigns who can add the placement without significant additional budget. The learning opportunity is disproportionate to the cost. As the platform matures and CPMs rise — which they will, as more advertisers compete for the same inventory — early-movers will have both data and audience familiarity that late-movers have to pay to acquire.

Sources

• Digital Applied — Meta Threads Ads: Guide to Reaching 400M Users
• TechCrunch — Threads Rolls Out Ads to All Users Worldwide
• CNBC — Meta to Begin Rolling Out Threads Ads Globally
• Making Science — Threads Ads Go Global: What Paid Social Marketers Need to Know
• JumpFly — Threads Ads Go Global: What Meta Advertisers Need to Know

Explore What Paid Social Can Do for Your Business

Whether Threads belongs in your mix depends on your audience, your creative, and your current Meta setup. Talk to our team about what a paid social strategy built around your specific goals looks like.

Jairo Juarez heads the development team at Spring Digital, where he balances precision with progress. With a strong foundation in project management and code architecture, he focuses on building reliable systems that keep creative work running smoothly.