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Screenshot 
The profile page of eggbug, the site's mascot, in dark mode | |
Type of site | Social media |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Key people | Colin Bayer, Jae Kaplan, Aidan Grealish, Kara |
| Employees | 4 |
| URL | https://www.cohost.org/ |
| Registration | Required |
| Users | 203,805 (November 2023) |
| Current status | Online |
Cohost (stylized in all lowercase letters as cohostorcohost!) is a social media website publicly launched in June 2022[1] that is currently in beta. It is owned by a not-for-profit software company named Anti Software Software Club that consists of four developers.[2] It has no advertisements or algorithm, instead displaying posts in a chronological order.[3] The website was previously invite only but now has open registration with a waiting period before users can post.[4]
The idea for Cohost was conceptualized in 2019, and the mascot for the website was created in 2020. It was launched in a closed beta in February 2022. Early access registration via invite code was allowed in June of that year.[5] Anyone was allowed to register around November, but new users must sit through a waiting period before their account is activated.[4][6]
Cohost was reported as having financial issues in March 2024 after temporarily losing contact with the person funding it, but the site is stated to have backup plans.[7][8]
Cohost features posts similar in style to Twitter but without a character limit.[3] Users can like, comment, and repost but interactions are hidden, including like counts on posts and the followers of users.[1] There is no trending timeline or algorithm-based timeline, instead featuring a chronological timeline and a tagging system where searchable hashtags can be attached to posts.[6] The website supports Markdown and editing of HTML and CSS within posts.[9] There is also a monthly subscription service called Cohost Plus which offers an increased file size limit and other features, but mainly serves as a way to support the development of the website.[10] There are plans to implement a tip jar feature and a subscription feature similar to Patreon, where users can subscribe to creators and other users on the site for access to exclusive posts.[4]
The active userbase was around 20,000 in February 2023[9] to 38,000 in July in 2023.[3] The February 2023 report gave the number of registered users at 130,000. A report by the staff on November 2023 gave the number of registered users as 203,805 and the number of monthly active users as 21,142.[11]
Cohost has generally received positive reception. The site has been praised for allowing users to edit HTML and CSS in posts, where users can make games and so-called "CSS crimes."[5] It has also been given praise for allowing users to edit posts after they are posted, a lack of ads, and navigable web design.[10] Criticism has been given for the lack of a proper search feature[6] and for the lack of a mobile app. Cohost Plus has also been criticized for not offering many unique features.[10]
