10 Top Social Media Platforms: User Stats & Revenue Rankings Revealed
What are the top social media platforms dominating the digital space in 2025—and how have they reshaped the way we connect, share, and communicate?
In today’s fast-moving digital age, social media isn’t just about staying in touch—it’s a powerful engine driving marketing, news, entertainment, and even commerce. Whether you're a brand strategist, a content creator, or just someone who loves to scroll, knowing which platforms are leading the charge is essential. The top social media platforms of 2025 have not only evolved in their features but also in their influence, reach, and user engagement.
Recent research underscores just how massive this digital ecosystem has become: As of 2024, Facebook leads with an impressive 3.1 billion monthly active users. YouTube follows with 2.5 billion, while Instagram and WhatsApp each boast 2 billion users, tying for third place. TikTok isn’t far behind, capturing the attention of 1.6 billion users worldwide. Not to be overlooked, WeChat maintains a strong presence with 1.3 billion users. At the forefront, Meta dominates the social media landscape with a combined 8.1 billion users across its platforms.
Over the past two decades, social media has transformed from a niche pastime into an integral part of daily life for billions worldwide. What began as simple platforms for connecting with friends and sharing personal updates has evolved into multifaceted ecosystems that influence how we communicate, consume information, and engage with the world around us.
Today, social media serves as a primary source for news, entertainment, education, and even commerce. The top social media platforms have become essential tools for businesses to reach audiences, for individuals to build personal brands, and for communities to mobilize around shared interests and causes.
According to the Digital 2024 Global Overview Report by DataReportal, the average internet user spends approximately 2 hours and 23 minutes per day on social media platforms. This accounts for about 35.8% of their total online time, underscoring the significant role these platforms play in daily digital activities.
While this represents a slight decrease from previous years, it's important to note that the methodology for measuring this time has evolved, potentially affecting year-over-year comparisons. Nonetheless, the data indicates that social media remains a dominant force in the digital landscape.
The report also highlights regional variations in social media usage. For instance, users in countries like Kenya and South Africa spend upwards of 3 hours and 40 minutes daily on social media, whereas users in Japan average just under an hour per day.
These statistics illustrate not only the pervasive nature of social media across different cultures and regions but also its adaptability to various user behaviors and preferences. As social media continues to evolve, its significance in shaping communication, information dissemination, and societal trends is likely to grow even further.
Source: DataReportal – Digital 2024 Global Overview Report
As of 2024, Facebook remains the undisputed leader among the top social media platforms, boasting a remarkable 3.1 billion monthly active users—the only platform to exceed the 3 billion mark.
In second place, YouTube holds a strong position with 2.5 billion users, still trailing Facebook by a notable 600 million.
Instagram and WhatsApp are locked in a tie for third place, each drawing in 2 billion active users. These platforms continue to thrive under the Meta umbrella, which showcases impressive reach across multiple services.
TikTok follows closely with 1.6 billion users, reflecting its rapid global expansion and increasing influence, especially among younger audiences.
WeChat commands a dominant role in China with 1.3 billion active users, although its global presence doesn't quite match that of Instagram or TikTok.
Facebook Messenger also holds firm with 1 billion users, reinforcing Meta’s grip with both its flagship social network and messaging app ranked within the top tier.
Other notable players include Telegram and Snapchat, with 900 million and 800 million users respectively.
Douyin (TikTok’s counterpart in China) and Kuaishou, two of the country’s top short-form video platforms, have amassed 755 million and 700 million users respectively.
X, formerly known as Twitter, maintains a user base of 611 million globally.
Weibo, another major Chinese platform, has 598 million users, and Pinterest, catering to inspiration and visual discovery, holds its ground with 498 million users.
Altogether, Meta platforms—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger—collectively engage a staggering 8.1 billion user accounts.
At the same time, China's digital ecosystem also exerts major influence, with platforms like WeChat, Douyin, Kuaishou, Weibo, and QQ combining for more than 3.9 billion users.
TikTok leads all platforms in user engagement, with the average person spending an impressive 34 hours each month—nearly 6 hours more than on YouTube.
YouTube holds second place, with users dedicating approximately 28 hours and 5 minutes per month watching content on the platform.
Facebook, despite having the largest user base, ranks third in terms of time spent, averaging 19 hours and 47 minutes per user each month.
WhatsApp Messenger comes in fourth, with users spending around 17 hours and 6 minutes monthly, reflecting the app’s ongoing importance in daily communication.
Instagram users average 15 hours and 50 minutes per month, slightly below WhatsApp. Although its visual content—photos, reels, and stories—drives consistent engagement, the shorter session lengths compared to video-centric platforms like YouTube may explain the difference.
Line, widely used in Japan and select regions, sees 8 hours and 14 minutes of monthly user activity.
X (formerly Twitter) users spend roughly 4 hours and 40 minutes per month on the platform, suggesting more brief, frequent interactions.
Telegram and Snapchat users show similar behavior, clocking in 3 hours and 45 minutes, and 3 hours and 33 minutes per month, respectively.
Facebook Messenger, while widely used, averages a relatively low 3 hours and 21 minutes of engagement monthly, well behind its sibling app, WhatsApp.
Pinterest users spend about 1 hour and 49 minutes per month exploring content, indicating shorter, often purpose-driven visits rather than prolonged use.
LinkedIn has the least time spent per user, with just 51 minutes per month, reflecting its more occasional, professional-oriented usage.
These figures shed light on how engagement varies across the top social media platforms, highlighting differences not only in user base size but also in how deeply users interact with each service.
Facebook stands out as the top revenue generator, bringing in a massive $80.7 billion annually. While it ranks third in user time spent, its enormous global audience and advanced ad targeting system make it the highest earner among social media platforms.
Instagram ranks second in earnings, generating $49.8 billion each year. Its blend of visual content and shoppable features has made it a favorite for advertisers.
YouTube secures the third spot, pulling in $31.5 billion annually. Its deep engagement through long-form and short-form videos contributes heavily to its strong monetization performance.
WeChat and TikTok are nearly neck and neck, earning $16.3 billion and $16.1 billion respectively. WeChat’s comprehensive suite of features—ranging from payments to everyday services—drives strong revenue in China. TikTok, meanwhile, is rapidly growing its ad revenue, thanks to its highly engaging video content and global reach.
LinkedIn, despite minimal user time spent, earns a notable $15.7 billion annually. Its professional focus and reliance on premium services and business-oriented advertising result in high revenue per user.
Snapchat generates $4.6 billion yearly, relying on its younger audience and multimedia messaging for ad engagement.
X (formerly Twitter) earns $3.4 billion annually, placing it in the mid-range despite a substantial global user base.
Pinterest follows closely, making $3.0 billion each year. Though users spend less time on the platform, it monetizes well through search and discovery-based shopping ads.
WhatsApp, with over 2 billion users, brings in a modest $1.2 billion annually, underscoring the difficulty in monetizing messaging apps compared to ad-driven platforms.
Reddit completes the list, earning $800 million annually. Despite high user interaction, its community-driven structure presents monetization challenges.
Meta (the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) dominates the revenue landscape, collectively generating over $131.7 billion annually across its platforms.
Video platforms like YouTube and TikTok highlight the earning power of visual content, both ranking in the top five for revenue.
LinkedIn’s performance emphasizes the potential of niche networks, showing that platforms targeting professionals can achieve strong revenue through specialized features and targeted advertising.
While some of the top social media platforms show strong user engagement, platforms like WhatsApp and Reddit highlight how monetization strategies greatly affect revenue, especially for messaging and community-based services.
Final Thoughts
As we navigate through 2025, it's clear that social media continues to shape not only how we interact but also how businesses connect with their audiences, how trends emerge, and how digital communities thrive. The data presented throughout this article paints a comprehensive picture of the dynamic nature of the top social media platforms, showcasing their dominance in user engagement, time spent, and revenue generation.
From Facebook’s unmatched global reach to TikTok’s time-consuming content and YouTube’s powerful monetization model, the top social media platforms have become foundational pillars of the digital world. Their impact extends beyond entertainment—into commerce, communication, and culture—cementing their role as essential tools in our daily lives and the broader digital economy. As user behaviors and technologies continue to evolve, so too will the platforms that keep us all connected.
1. What was the most used social media platform in 2024?
Facebook remains the most used platform with 3.1 billion monthly active users.
2. Which social media app do users spend the most time on?
TikTok leads in time spent, averaging 34 hours per user per month.
3. Which platform generates the most revenue?
Facebook earns the most revenue, totaling $80.7 billion annually.
4. Is YouTube still popular in 2025?
Yes, YouTube ranks high in users, engagement, and revenue.
5. How much time do users spend on social media daily on average?
Roughly 2 hours and 23 minutes per day globally.
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