In March, Twitter announced that it would be discontinuing popular TweetDeck smartphone apps this coming May.
TweetDeck for Android and iPhone will be removed from their respective app stores and will stop working shortly after.
It seems that a number of big social sites are having a thorough spring cleaning effort to sweep away older products which aren’t working for them financially or ones that don’t fit with their vision of the future. Also in March, Google announced that it would be killing off Google Reader on 1 July 2013, much to the despair of its sizeable user base.
However, there’s no need to wail and gnash your teeth, TweetDeck fans! These days, there’s no such thing as a vacuum in social media; if there’s a service that tech-savvy people want, you can bet that there will be a number of replacements if the leading option is killed off.
Here are 5 viable alternatives to soothe your aching social media heart and help you get over the loss of TweetDeck.
1: HootSuite
Price: Free
Available For: iOS/Android/BlackBerry
Perhaps one of the cleanest and easy to use social media management dashboard apps available today. You can quickly keep track of multiple SM accounts at a glance with HootSuite’s easily manageable user interface. The price is right too!
2: TweetCaster
Price: Free
Available For: iOS/Android/BlackBerry/Windows Phone
With a clean and easily navigable interface similar to HootSuite, TweetCaster has the advantage of allowing you to post simultaneously on Facebook and Twitter as well as a couple of extra little tricks and features.
3: Sprout Social
Price: App itself is free but you have to pay for a monthly plan costing between £25-£65 depending on your usage.
Available For: iOS/Android
Sprout Social is a smart and slick SM management platform that is primarily designed for businesses looking to keep track of their social media engagement, but it’s a viable option for individuals too.
With its suite of advanced publishing features and real-time monitoring tools, Sprout Social can be very handy for people who are aiming to utilise social networking as part of their search for a job. Whether you want to keep track of major job portals, or get socially specific with sites such as www.theitjobboard.co.uk, you’ll be able to spot real-time opportunities as well as build your own social profile to impress those employers.
The advanced nature of Spout Social is reflected in its monthly price range but if you’re looking for something that goes a long way beyond what most free apps will offer, this is the one for you.
4: Twitterrific
Price: £2.00
Available For: iOS
Twitterific is an excellent TweetDeck replacement for iOS at a very reasonable price. It features a clean, minimalist design along with a significant number of features that allow for control over changing themes, fonts and even voiceover control.
5: Plume
Price: Free (Pro version for £3.30)
Available For: Android
Finally, for an inexpensive Android Twitter client, Plume is one of the best-looking and most customisable platforms in its price range. You can categorise your tweets by colour, which will allow you to sort and identify your most important tweets in record time. You can also manage your timeline and Twitter conversations the way you want to by tweaking the app to suit your needs.
