With X sinking into a swamp of bile and Instagram alienating users due to low reach and opaque AI policies, many creatives have been searching for a new social media platform that better meets their needs. The anti-AI Cara social media platform has been one of the most promising candidates so far, but another app called Cosmos has been gaining traction.
Cosmos is being billed as a "Pinterest for creatives". Isn't Pinterest already for creatives? I hear you ask. Many designers and photographers use the platform for moodboarding and for saving inspiration. But Cosmos appears to be more specifically aimed at the creative sector, and it's clean UI is winning it new users: in the past couple of weeks, it's hit number one in the graphics and design category in the Apple App Store in 22 countries and has grown by 100,000 users. So what is Cosmos, and what makes it different?
The Cosmos social media app was launched in 2023, initially with access by invitation. It's been gaining more attention in recent months after opening access to all. It aims to position itself as a "discovery engine for creatives". Users can save anything from the web, curate things into clusters, and share with the world.
It balances a clean UI design with a refreshing absence of the usual social media trapping that we're familiar with (there are no 'likes' and no adverts). "Zero noise or distractions. No likes, comments, or ego. Just pure, harmonious expression," the platform promises in its 'manifesto'
"Creativity exists at the core of every universe, and here is no different. Cosmos is a sanctuary for imagination; a digital garden waiting to welcome you," it goes on to say.
And AI? There's no sign of any official policy. Cosmos says its search feature is AI powered. This allows users to find content by color, phrase, or subject. Cosmos says users find the experience "grounding and immersive, like a form of digital mindfulness amid their daily routines."
Two of the first questions we often have with any new social media platform is who owns it and what are they going to do with the data? The owner of Cosmos is listed as Cosmos Entity, Inc, which is registered in New York and was co-founded by Andy McCune, who was the co-founder of Unfold, a mobile design app that was acquired by the web design platform Squarespace back in 2019. Andy also founded Galerie Was, a vintage furniture gallery in New York City.
I also wonder how Cosmos is planning to make money, or even cover its costs if it has no adverts. There appears to be a premium subscription option for $8 a month.
