top 50 social media sites

Right then—picture this: you’re scrolling through your feed, and suddenly you wonder, *“Blimey, how many of these ‘social’ places actually count as ‘media’… and why does LinkedIn keep asking if I’ve ‘recently changed jobs’ when my biggest promotion this year was upgrading from Tesco Value to Proper Salted crisps?”* Welcome, dear digital wanderer, to the chaotic, glitter-bombed carnival that is the top 50 social media sites—where platforms rise, fall, pivot into NFTs, and sometimes reappear like a pigeon with a grudge. Not all 50 are still breathing (looking at you, Vine—still in our hearts, like that one jumper with the hole you refuse to bin), but each one tells a story: of connection, oversharing, cat influencers, and, occasionally, accidental career launches. So grab your cuppa, mute your notifications, and let’s dive—*no lifejacket required, but highly recommended*.

Good question—and no, your Smeg’s Bluetooth connection doesn’t qualify (yet). A true top 50 social media sites entrant must let users **create**, **share**, and **interact**—not just *consume*. So YouTube? In. BBC iPlayer? Out—it’s telly, not *chat*. WhatsApp? Technically yes (2 billion users don’t lie), but because it’s *private* by default, some rankings slot it under “messaging”, not “social media”. To keep it clean, we’re using the Ofcom-ish benchmark: if it’s got profiles, feeds, comments, *and* the ability to accidentally tag your nan in a meme about hangovers, it’s in the running for the top 50 social media sites. Bonus points for platforms where you can argue about football *and* post your sourdough loaf in the same thread.

According to the latest Ofcom report (2025), the most used social media in the UK looks a bit like this:

Fun fact? WhatsApp’s used by 81%—but again, it’s semi-private, so it often sits *just* outside the main leaderboard. Still, if your gran’s sending voice notes titled *“URGENT: Sainsbury’s has 2-for-1 Jaffa Cakes”*, it’s doing something right. And yes—TikTok’s now ahead of X. The internet *does* move fast, love. Faster than a kebab van spotting a pub emptying at 11 pm.

“Hottest” isn’t just about users—it’s about *buzz*, *growth*, and *cultural pull*. And right now? Three platforms are stealing the show:

• Threads — Meta’s X-beater. Grew from 0 to 150 million users in *10 days*. Still feels like Twitter’s slightly posher cousin who owns a record player and says “*cheers, mate*” unironically.
• BeReal — Two daily prompts. No filters. Raw, awkward, *real*. Feels like showing up to a Zoom call with bedhead—and everyone’s weirdly into it.
• Bluesky — Decentralised, invite-only (for now), and buzzing with ex-Twitter nerds debating *federated protocols* over virtual pints. Think: indie record shop, but for social graphs.

The top 50 social media sites list isn’t static—it breathes. And right now, it’s hyperventilating with excitement (and mild anxiety) over what comes *after* the algorithm. Also worth a shout: Discord (not *just* for gamers anymore) and Lemon8 (TikTok’s Pinterest-y cousin, big with Gen Z interior designers and sourdough enthusiasts alike).

Let’s get real: 50’s a lot. So we’re starting with the heavyweights—the ones whose logos you could sketch blindfolded after one too many at the pub quiz. These are the platforms that *define* the top 50 social media sites landscape—for better or worse:

1. Facebook — Still the OAP of socials. 3 billion users. Owns Instagram & WhatsApp. Runs on nostalgia, marketplace scams, and group chats titled *‘Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Watch (No Fly-Tipping!)’*.
2. YouTube — 2.5 billion logged-in users *monthly*. Home of tutorials, rants, and people unboxing *literally anything*.
3. Instagram — 2 billion users. Visual dopamine. Reels now gets 30% *more* watch time than feed posts. If it’s not vertical, it’s irrelevant.
4. TikTok — 1.8 billion MAUs. Algorithm so sharp, it knows you want cottagecore *before* you’ve finished typing “wicker basket”.
5. X (Twitter) — 580 million MAUs. Still the town square—just now with more bots, fewer blue ticks, and *way* more crypto bros.
6. LinkedIn — 1 billion members. Where people post “*Humbled to announce…*” while side-eyeing redundancy notices.
7. WhatsApp — 2 billion users. Technically social? Debatable. Practically essential? Undeniable.
8. Snapchat — 750 million MAUs. Still king of ephemeral fun. Also: AR lenses that turn you into a dragon *and* a pensioner simultaneously.
9. Pinterest — 450 million users. Less social, more *aspirational hoarding*. (“I’ll *totally* make that vegan Wellington one day…”)
10. Reddit — 1.3 billion logged-in users. The internet’s id—equal parts genius, chaos, and niche obsession (“r/UKPersonalFinance” is low-key life-changing).

These ten alone account for ~85% of global social engagement. The remaining 40? Oh, they’re *spicy*.

Don’t sleep on the dark horses—the ones flying under the radar but packing serious punch. In the top 50 social media sites, these gems are where subcultures thrive:

• Discord — 200 million MAUs. Started for gamers, now hosts book clubs, language exchanges, and *actual* support groups. Channels > DMs.
• Nextdoor — Hyperlocal. “Who took my bin?” meets “Free rhubarb if you can carry it”.
• Vero — Ad-free, chronological, and *very* design-conscious. The Soho House of apps.
• Mastodon — Decentralised Twitter-alternative. Servers = “instances”. You pick your vibe: *queer.art*, *scholar.social*, or *toot.cafe* (yes, really).
• Goodreads — 90 million users. Where “*currently reading*” hides behind “*War and Peace*” while secretly binging *Bridgerton* fanfic.
• Letterboxd — Film buffs’ heaven. Rate, review, and obsess over aspect ratios. “*4 stars, but docked half for unnecessary slow-mo*”.
• Strava — More than fitness tracking—it’s *social competition*. That hill you walked up? Someone’s just set a KOM on it.
• DeviantArt — 46 million users. Still alive! Still weird! Still where you found your first “edgy” avatar in 2007.
• Untappd — Rate beers, earn badges (*Hoppy Hunter*, *Cask Connoisseur*), and subtly flex your IPA knowledge.
• Ello — “The anti-Facebook”. Minimalist, ad-free, and weirdly poetic. (“*Post less. Mean more.*”)

These may not trend on X, but they’re *culturally vital*—like finding a proper pie & mash shop in Shoreditch.