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Guide to the Top Social Media Platforms of 2026: The Winners, the Wannabes, and the Weird New Stuff

Social media in 2026 is crowded, chaotic, and copy-pasted. We break down the platforms winning, fading, and quietly taking over.

CircuitSmith

20 Dec 2025 — 24 min read

As we approach 2026, the social media landscape is crowded, chaotic, and compelling. Giants like Meta and Google still dominate our feeds, but a crop of upstart networks is vying for attention (and our ever-dwindling screen time).

In this deep dive, we’ll tour the top social media players – from the household names to the emerging platforms you might start hearing about at parties (or more likely, on other social media). Strap in for a snarky yet informative guide to who’s who in social media circa 2025–2026, backed by the latest data and trends.

Facebook: The Undead King
Instagram: Influencer Paradise
YouTube: The Video Behemoth (and New-Age TV)
TikTok: The Addictive Upstart Turning Heads (and Necks)
X (Twitter): The Chaotic Town Square (Now with 100% More Elon)
Snapchat: The Comeback of the Vanishing Act
Reddit: The (Still) Front Page of the Internet
Twitch: Streaming King
Discord: The Quiet Giant of Communities
Other Notable Players (LinkedIn, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and More)
Emerging Social Media Platforms to Watch in 2026 (The Newcomers)
Threads: Meta’s Texty Twitter Clone
Bluesky: Decentralized Social with a Waiting List
Mastodon: The Federated Social Experiment
Lemon8: ByteDance’s Trendy New Blend
Kick: The Wildcard Live-Streaming Upstart
Honorable Mentions

These platforms are the juggernauts – the ones that have been around, conquered billions of users, and in some cases, become verbs (“Google it,” “TikTok made me buy it”). Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore them. Here’s a look at the biggest players and what they’re up to as 2026 looms:

Facebook: The Undead King

Facebook is the OG social network that your parents and grandparents still adore – and surprise, it’s very much alive. With about 3.07 billion monthly users worldwide[1], Facebook remains the largest social media platform on earth. It’s basically a digital phonebook meets town square, where you’ll find everything from baby photos and birthday reminders to heated comment wars. In the U.S., Facebook’s “cool factor” fizzled years ago (Gen Z would sooner be caught on MySpace than posting on their Timeline), but its sheer scale is unassailable. The platform’s growth now comes largely from outside the U.S., and from rolling out features like Marketplace and video content.

Snarky take: Facebook is like a zombie – even if younger folks think it’s dead, it just keeps shuffling on, devouring ad revenue and collecting your data. Businesses still can’t ignore its reach (hello, 3 billion eyeballs)[2], but if you’re under 30, you probably only open it to RSVP “maybe” to that event or see your aunt’s latest Minion meme.

Instagram: Influencer Paradise

If Facebook is the aging king, Instagram is the flashy crown prince of Meta’s empire. With around 2 billion monthly active users[3], Instagram is the place for visual storytelling – or let’s be real, flexing. From influencers shilling detox teas to your friend’s curated travel posts, Insta is all about the highlight reel of life. In 2025, Instagram remains wildly popular among Millennials and Gen Z, though it’s facing stiff competition from TikTok for young users’ attention. Meta’s strategy? Copy everyone. Instagram Stories were blatantly cloned from Snapchat, Reels were Meta’s answer to TikTok, and in 2023 they even launched Threads (a text-post side app tied to Instagram) to capitalize on Twitter’s chaos[4]. The result is that Instagram now does a bit of everything: photos, videos, disappearing stories, short-form Reels, private DMs, shopping, and more. It’s arguably too bloated, but we keep scrolling.

Snarky take: Instagram is the land of beautiful people and #ads, where originality comes second to whatever feature might stop you from defecting to a rival app. Still, for brands and creators, it’s a goldmine – few platforms mix shopping and influencing as seamlessly as Instagram does[5].

YouTube: The Video Behemoth (and New-Age TV)

YouTube isn’t always thought of as “social media,” but with 2.5+ billion users logged in monthly[1] and an endless sea of content, it absolutely is – comments section and all. Owned by Google, YouTube is the default platform for video, whether you’re looking up how to change a tire or procrastinating with cat videos. In 2025, YouTube’s reach is staggering: it’s the second-most visited website globally and often the second-largest search engine (after Google itself). People collectively watch billions of hours of content each day, and top YouTubers have followings that rival A-list celebrities. Importantly, YouTube has also muscled into TikTok’s territory with YouTube Shorts, its own short-video feature, to capture the scrolling addicts[6]. The company reports around 2.74 billion MAUs as of recent stats[7], meaning nearly a third of the planet is tuning in.

Snarky take: YouTube is basically the new cable TV – complete with drama (creator controversies aplenty), ads you can’t skip, and the occasional conspiracy theory rabbit hole. The comments are still a dumpster fire, but at this point we’re all YouTube addicts. Whether you’re a kid watching Minecraft streams or a grandma learning pie recipes, YouTube’s got you hooked[6].

TikTok: The Addictive Upstart Turning Heads (and Necks)

Ah, TikTok – the app that convinced everyone to broadcast themselves dancing, lip-syncing, or memeing in 60 seconds or less. In just a few years, TikTok has exploded to nearly 2 billion global users by 2025[8], and its growth hasn’t slowed. In fact, by some counts TikTok has about 1.9 billion monthly active users and ranks among the top 5 social platforms worldwide[8]. Its secret sauce is a scarily good algorithm that serves up an endless feed of hyper-engaging videos tailored to your interests – often before you even know you’re interested (hello, 2 a.m. deep dive into sea otter videos). The average TikTok user spends an eye-popping 95 minutes per day on the app[9], more than any other social network. This has made TikTok a cultural trendsetter: viral songs, dances, challenges, and memes almost all trace back to its feed. Of course, with great power comes great scrutiny – regulators in the U.S. have fretted over TikTok’s Chinese ownership (ByteDance) and its data practices. Yet despite periodic talk of bans, TikTok’s grip on Gen Z (and increasingly Millennials) remains firm.

Snarky take: TikTok is the attention-span annihilator that every other tech company wants to copy or kill. Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat – they’ve all aped TikTok’s vertical video format, with mixed success. But TikTok’s cultural cachet is unmatched: if Facebook is a chore and Instagram is an exhibit, TikTok is the wild party where everyone actually hangs out. Brands are here en masse, hoping to spawn the next viral hashtag challenge, and even influencers from other platforms begrudgingly learn the Renegade dance to stay relevant[10].

(Global side note: TikTok’s influence is global, but keep in mind its Chinese-market counterpart Douyin is a separate app with another ~750 million users of its own[11]. And beyond short video, China’s super-app WeChat still dwarfs most networks with 1.4 billion users glued inside its ecosystem[12] – proof that social media isn’t a one-app-takes-all game worldwide.)

X (Twitter): The Chaotic Town Square (Now with 100% More Elon)

Formerly known as Twitter, X has had a wild ride since late 2022 when Elon Musk bought the platform. It’s still the go-to for real-time news, snark, and fights on the internet – essentially the global town square where journalists, politicians, celebs and meme lords cross paths. Musk’s tenure brought a flurry of changes: verification checkmarks turned into a paid free-for-all, the name “Twitter” and iconic bird logo were dropped in favor of the edgy moniker “X,” and content moderation became the Wild West. How has that affected usage? According to Musk, X reached a “new high” of about 550 million monthly users in 2023[13]. Other estimates put it around 561 million MAUs as of early 2025[14]. (For context, old Twitter had ~330 million MAUs in 2019, so Musk claims growth – though what counts as a “user” might be generous.) Daily active users on X hover around ~132 million globally[15], but many will tell you a chunk of those are bots or burner accounts.

Snarky take: X is still the place to be for breaking news and dumpster-fire debates. It’s just now got an eccentric owner who sometimes shitposts alongside everyone else. Despite waves of users announcing #GoodbyeTwitter every time Musk makes a bizarre policy change, most of us are still there, doom-scrolling out of habit. However, the turmoil at X has opened the door for a swarm of Twitter alternatives (more on those in the Emerging Platforms section). For now, X remains indispensable for instant updates – whether it’s sports highlights, geopolitical conflicts, or the latest viral clapback. Just don’t be surprised if the feature set or algorithms change again the next time you log in.

Snapchat: The Comeback of the Vanishing Act

Remember when Snapchat was the hot new thing and Facebook tried (and failed) to buy it? A decade later, Snapchat is no longer the shiny newcomer, but it’s far from irrelevant. In fact, Snapchat has about 900 million monthly active users as of 2025[16] – impressive for an app many predicted would be crushed by Instagram. Its core premise remains the same: send goofy “Snaps” that disappear, and share day-in-the-life videos via Stories (a feature so good that Instagram brazenly copied it). Snapchat’s strength is its young user base – it’s a staple for teens and young adults, especially in the U.S. and Europe. They love the privacy (no permanent feed of posts), the AR lenses (who doesn’t enjoy puking rainbows or swapping faces?), and the close-friends vibe. Snap has also leaned into curated content and shows in its Discover section and augmented reality experiences that keep users engaged[16]. Financially, the company has had ups and downs, but it continues to innovate with features like Snap Map and augmented reality glasses.

Snarky take: Snapchat is like the cool friend from high school who you’re surprised is still cool. Even as Instagram and TikTok stole some thunder, Snap keeps reinventing itself. It isn’t the all-consuming public platform that TikTok or Instagram are – and that’s precisely its appeal. It’s personal, it’s ephemeral, and it’s slightly chaotic (just try to decipher a teen’s Snap streaks). In 2026, Snapchat’s not going anywhere; it’ll keep ghosting the haters and catering to the Gen Z faithful.

Reddit: The (Still) Front Page of the Internet

Reddit defies neat categorization – it’s part forum, part social network, part meme factory. One thing’s for sure: it’s massive. Reddit draws about 695 million monthly users[17] and hosts communities (subreddits) on every topic under the sun. From r/worldnews to r/catsstandingup, there’s a subreddit for everyone, and users share and vote on content, creating a constantly updated pulse of the internet’s interests. Reddit’s influence in 2025 remains significant – it’s often where trends or news bubble up before hitting mainstream social media. It’s also an outlier in that it allows deep anonymity and long-form discussion, a contrast to the polished profiles of Facebook or the brevity of X. However, Reddit had its share of drama in 2023: a controversial decision to charge high fees for its API (impacting third-party apps) led to subreddit blackouts and user revolts. The discontent simmered, but ultimately Reddit is still here and kicking. Many power-users stayed, though some decamped to Reddit-like alternatives (which remain niche).

Snarky take: Reddit is the messy communal library of the internet – sometimes you find pure wisdom, other times you witness flame wars and trolling in equal measure. The platform’s design hasn’t changed much (still looks like a 2008 message board in many ways), but that hasn’t stopped it from being hugely popular. For marketers and meme-watchers, Reddit is gold: trends like WallStreetBets’ GameStop stock saga or countless viral AMAs (Ask Me Anything interviews) started here[17]. Just don’t expect Reddit’s admins to win any awards for community management – the users tend to remind them who really runs the place.

Twitch: Streaming King

If you’ve watched someone play video games online (or watched anything live-streamed) lately, you probably did it on Twitch. Amazon’s Twitch is the dominant live streaming platform, especially for gaming, with around 240 million monthly active users globally[18]. On any given day, ~35 million people tune in to Twitch streams[19] – from eSports tournaments with hundreds of thousands of viewers, to a random creator streaming “Just Chatting” with a dozen fans. Twitch’s cultural impact is huge among younger audiences; it’s created new celebrities (the Ninja and Pokimane types) and basically invented the idea that watching others play video games is entertainment on par with TV. As of 2025, Twitch still accounts for the majority of live-streaming hours watched, though its share slipped a bit with competition rising[20][21].

Snarky take: Twitch is awesome, but it’s also facing a mid-life crisis. The platform has been criticized for its 50/50 revenue split with creators (meaning Twitch takes half of subscription revenue), and in mid-2023 it tightened some rules (like on gambling streams and partner exclusivity) that irked big streamers. Enter Kick – an upstart rival dangling a 95/5 revenue split and a looser content policy – which began poaching some of Twitch’s biggest names in 2023–2024. While Twitch still has far more viewers, creators’ loyalty is being tested. As we head into 2026, Twitch is like the established nightclub that suddenly has a flashy new competitor across the street. It’s still the place for live content, but to keep its crown, it’ll need to keep top streamers happy (or at least better paid) and continue innovating beyond just gaming.

Discord: The Quiet Giant of Communities

Not every social platform is about broadcasting yourself to the world. Discord thrives by doing the opposite: it’s all about closed communities and real-time conversation. Born from the gaming world, Discord now hosts all manner of groups – from crypto traders to study groups to K-pop fan clubs – in invite-only servers. As of 2025, Discord boasts 200 million+ monthly active users globally[22] and over 600 million registered accounts[23]. Those numbers would make it a top-tier social platform by users, yet Discord is often overlooked in “top social network” lists because it doesn’t fit the traditional mold (there’s no public feed or algorithm pushing viral content). Instead, it offers text chat rooms, voice channels, and streaming within communities. Discord really took off during the pandemic and hasn’t slowed down – if anything, it’s replacing old-school forums and group chats as the way people with common interests hang out online. Companies and creators have noticed: it’s now common for a brand or a YouTuber to run an official Discord server to engage their biggest fans.

Snarky take: Discord is like the underground speakeasy of social media – you have to know where to look, but once you’re in, it’s all about the vibe of that community. There’s no algorithm manipulating you (a refreshing idea, honestly). For tech-savvy users especially, Discord has become as essential as Slack is for offices – but way more fun, with custom emoji wars and the occasional ear-splitting voice chat chaos. Heading into 2026, Discord’s challenge is scaling up without losing its core charm (and beefing up moderation tools, because some private communities can get toxic or spammy). So far, it’s on track, quietly amassing millions of users without making too much noise in the press.

Other Notable Players (LinkedIn, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and More)

It’s a packed house, so a few big names deserve shout-outs even if they’re not in the limelight as much:

LinkedIn – The professional network that everyone loves to mock but can’t quit. It has around 310 million MAUs[24] and remains the go-to for résumé flexing, “thought leadership” posts, and awkward networking. Boring? Maybe. But as long as people want jobs, LinkedIn’s not dying.
Pinterest – The visual discovery and bookmarking site quietly chugs along with about 570 million users curating ideas[25]. It’s hugely popular for recipes, home decor, wedding planning – basically Pinterest is where people go when they’re sick of doom-scrolling and just want pretty things. E-commerce and advertising on Pinterest are strong, even if it’s not making daily headlines.
WhatsApp & Telegram – These messaging apps might not fit the “social media feed” model, but they’re social lifelines for billions. WhatsApp has ~3 billion users sending texts, pics, and voice notes[26] (especially outside the US), and Telegram (with ~1 billion users[26]) has become the secure messaging and group-chat platform of choice for many communities. They represent the more private side of social networking – encrypted, closed-group communication instead of public broadcasting.
WeChat (China) – We mentioned it earlier, but it’s worth repeating: with 1.4 billion users[12], WeChat is basically the internet for China – combining messaging, social feed (WeChat Moments), payments, gaming, and more. It’s a reminder that the social media universe is not just Western apps, and giants like WeChat, QQ, Weibo, and others command entire parallel universes of users in Asia.

Now that we’ve covered the heavyweights, it’s time to look at the new challengers trying to crack into this elite club. The last few years have seen major shake-ups (largely thanks to Twitter’s implosion under Musk) and rapid innovation (from AI-generated content to new takes on online communities). Here are the emerging platforms that could be tomorrow’s Instagram – or could flop spectacularly – but are definitely worth a look.

Every so often a new app or platform bursts onto the scene claiming to be “the next big thing”. Most fade away (RIP Google+ and Clubhouse 👋), but a few show real potential. Heading into 2026, several upstarts have momentum – whether through innovative tech, timing (i.e., capitalizing on other networks’ failings), or big backing. Let’s dive into the social media newbies and trendsetters making waves:

Threads: Meta’s Texty Twitter Clone

When Twitter started going off the rails in 2022–2023, Meta saw an opening. Enter Threads, launched in July 2023 as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app.” Basically, Threads is Meta’s Twitter clone, integrated with Instagram. The initial launch was explosive – over 100 million people signed up within 5 days, shattering records[27]. (Having Instagram’s billion-plus users just one tap away certainly helped juice the numbers.) By Q3 2025, Meta’s Threads was reportedly stabilizing around ~400 million monthly active users, which is not far off from X/Twitter’s user count[13]. Daily active users on Threads are estimated at 115+ million[28], which shows many who signed up have stuck around. Threads’ vibe is notably more positive (and bland) than Twitter – thanks to being tied to Instagram accounts, it has less anonymity and, so far, less trolling and politicized garbage. The app launched without some basic features (no desktop version, no trending topics at first, etc.), leading to a big early engagement drop. But over 2024–2025, Meta added missing features like a web client and search, aiming to improve retention.

Snarky take: Threads is like Twitter on Xanax – calmer, with more brand-friendly fluff and fewer pitchfork mobs. It’s also firmly in Meta’s walled garden, which irks the decentralization crowd. Still, given Meta’s resources and the integration with Instagram, Threads has a solid fighting chance to remain relevant. By copying Twitter’s core appeal (short text posts, follower model) while avoiding its PR nightmares, Threads might become the mainstream-friendly “public square” that Twitter once was. One big twist: Meta plans to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub (the protocol behind Mastodon), potentially letting Threads users interact with other decentralized social networks in the future[4]. In other words, Zuck is embracing the fediverse – a far cry from the siloed Facebook of old. We’ll see if that materializes, but it’s an intriguing play that could either unify social media or just confuse everyone.

Bluesky was literally born from Twitter’s blues. This invite-only network started as a project funded by Jack Dorsey (Twitter’s co-founder) to build a decentralized social media protocol. It spun out as its own company and app, and by 2024–2025, Bluesky became one of the buzziest Twitter alternatives. Think of Bluesky as Twitter, but federated – meaning there’s a underlying protocol (called AT Protocol) that in theory lets you move your account/data between servers or apps. In practice, the Bluesky app today feels a lot like classic Twitter: you follow people, post short text (currently called “skeets” instead of tweets – yes, really), and you get a chronological home feed. The vibe is a bit more community-oriented and techy, given the invite-only nature and decentralization ethos. Despite the closed sign-up, Bluesky grew fast in 2023–25: by late 2025 it boasted over 40 million registered users[29] after crossing the 1M mark early on. (It hit the 1 million user mark in just 5 days of going invite-only public – demand was high.) As of October 2025, Bluesky had about 3.5 million daily active users[30] – a fraction of Twitter’s activity, but not bad for a young upstart.

Snarky take: Bluesky is currently the “cool kids’ table” for ex-Twitter aficionados and tech folks who like the idea of decentralization but want something simpler than Mastodon. The invite-only aspect gave it a mystique (nothing like artificially scarce access to boost hype), and even some celebrities and journalists hopped on Bluesky during the worst of Twitter’s Musk-era chaos. The community is known for a goofy, somewhat insular humor (the term “skeet” itself is an inside joke gone official). Bluesky’s big test for 2026 will be scaling up: Can it maintain the friendly, user-first atmosphere as more people join? Also, it’s racing against Threads and others to poach disenchanted Twitter users. One advantage: Bluesky isn’t run by a tech giant, so it appeals to those tired of algorithmic feeds and corporate data grabs. But the flip side is resources – will Bluesky have the funding and infrastructure to support tens of millions of daily users? For now, it’s one of the most promising new social networks, proving there’s life after (or outside) Twitter.

While Bluesky and Threads grabbed headlines, Mastodon had been quietly building a decentralized social world years prior. In fact, Mastodon’s network (the “Fediverse”) surged in late 2022 when many Twitter users, upset with Musk, sought refuge. Mastodon is an open-source, non-profit social platform where anyone can run a server (instance) and users across different servers can follow and interact, Twitter-style. It’s more complex to onboard to (you have to pick a server, for one thing), but it embodies the ideal of a user-controlled social media. As of mid-2025, Mastodon had about 8–9 million registered accounts across its network[31] – a far cry from Twitter’s user count, but a big leap from pre-2022 levels. Active users are lower; some estimates put Mastodon’s monthly active users around 1–2 million, though exact figures vary. The largest server, mastodon.social, had a few hundred thousand active users[32]. The Mastodon community skews tech-savvy, with a strong presence of journalists, academics, and open-source enthusiasts.

Snarky take: Mastodon is like Linux of social media – powerful, customizable, and a tad geeky. It had its moment in the sun when #TwitterMigration was trending, but many casual users bounced off due to its less intuitive experience. Those who stayed love it, though. You get to escape the algorithms and ads, and instead see posts (sorry, “toots” in Mastodon parlance) in chronological order from people you follow. Moderation is community-driven (each server can set its own rules or even block other servers entirely), which led to a relatively civil environment – though it also means your experience can differ greatly depending on where you sign up. Going into 2026, Mastodon isn’t likely to conquer the masses, but it proved that decentralized social networks can work at scale – enough that even Meta (with Threads) is taking notes. If you’re fed up with corporate social media, Mastodon offers a glimpse of a user-driven alternative. Just be ready to explain to your friends why your social handle has an “@” in the middle of it and what an “instance” is – that part, Mastodon hasn’t solved yet.

Sora: The “TikTok of AI” by OpenAI

One of the wildest new entrants in 2025 is Sora, a social media app from OpenAI (yes, the creators of ChatGPT) that revolves around AI-generated videos. Imagine a TikTok-like feed, but every video you see is created by AI. Users type a prompt (e.g., “a cat skateboarding in Times Square”) and Sora’s generative model (the latest is Sora 2) whips up a short video clip that looks surprisingly realistic – or surreally fake, depending on the prompt. Users can then share these clips in the app for others to watch, like, and remix. Sora launched on September 30, 2025, in an invite-only beta and blew up almost overnight: it garnered over 1 million users in just 5 days post-launch[33], an even faster uptake than ChatGPT’s viral debut. Early adopters have been obsessed with the creative possibilities. The content on Sora is intentionally fantastical – think “every video is a deepfake” – and that’s part of the appeal. It’s a social network where imagination is the limit, not whether you have a ring light or editing skills. OpenAI positioned Sora as a fun experiment in AI-meets-social-media, and its initial success suggests people are eager for novel, AI-driven entertainment.

Snarky take: If TikTok sometimes feels like an algorithm is feeding you content, Sora makes that literal – the algorithm creates the content too. Sora might herald a new era of “generative social media,” where human creativity is augmented (or replaced?) by AI. Of course, it raises many questions: Will people tire of obviously synthetic videos? Could it exacerbate issues with misinformation or just devolve into absurdist spam? For now, early feedback is that Sora is weirdly addictive and delightfully bizarre – a place where you might see an AI-generated President dancing with aliens set to a dubstep track, and think, “yeah, that’s Sora for you.” Keep an eye on this one; if it continues to grow, TikTok may have to worry about not just competing with Facebook or YouTube, but with an entirely different kind of platform where reality need not apply. Sora’s “fake but fun” formula could either be a fad or the future – 2026 will be its proving ground.

Lemon8: ByteDance’s Trendy New Blend

ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) isn’t content with just one hit app. Meet Lemon8, a social platform the company has been quietly grooming which combines elements of Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. Lemon8 is described as a “lifestyle content community”, and it’s very much oriented towards aesthetic photos, product recommendations, and trendy micro-blogs. Think curated posts about fashion, beauty, travel, fitness – all laid out in a cute, magazine-like grid. If TikTok is about raw short videos, Lemon8 is about polished images and text, appealing to those who love Instagram’s aspirational vibe but maybe want more substantive captions or tips. Launched globally around 2020, Lemon8 didn’t catch fire until it started gaining traction in early 2023, especially among Gen Z users looking for the next cool app. By 2025, Lemon8 saw a surge of downloads, reportedly hitting 15+ million downloads worldwide by mid-2025[34]. Its strongest markets so far include parts of Asia (it’s big in Japan, for instance) and it made some inroads in the U.S. when TikTok influencers cross-promoted it.

Snarky take: Lemon8 is ByteDance basically saying, “Hey, Instagram, nice app you got there – we’ll take it from here.” The app’s name hints at “Lemonade” (as in something fresh), and indeed it’s serving up a refreshed take on the photo-sharing playbook. The content feels a bit more earnest and informative than influencer-heavy Instagram – imagine lots of listicles and how-tos along with glossy pics. It’s too early to tell if Lemon8 will grow into a household name or remain a niche community. But with TikTok’s backing and a focus on shopping-friendly content, don’t be surprised if you start seeing Lemon8 links in your feeds. For brands, it’s an intriguing new channel – kind of like Pinterest with a social follower model. For users, it’s one more app to siphon away hours as you scroll through “10 cute winter outfits” posts. One thing’s for sure: ByteDance is aiming to build an empire beyond TikTok, and Lemon8 is a key piece of that puzzle, courting the lifestyle influencer crowd that might be a bit out of place on TikTok’s frenetic stage[35].

Kick: The Wildcard Live-Streaming Upstart

When we talk live-streaming, the narrative for years has been Twitch vs YouTube (with Facebook Gaming as a distant third). But in 2023, a new player “Kicked” down the door. Kick is a live-streaming platform launched by a consortium that includes streamer Trainwreckstv and is backed by the crypto gambling site Stake. Its claim to fame? A creator-friendly model with 95% subscription revenue going to streamers (compare that to Twitch’s typical 50%) and a lax approach to content moderation. Kick basically positioned itself as “Twitch, but we won’t ban you for stuff and we’ll pay you more.” This attracted some big-name Twitch streamers who were disgruntled with Twitch’s policies – notably, stars like xQc and Amouranth signed lucrative deals to stream on Kick exclusively, shaking up the industry. By late 2024, Kick had reportedly amassed over 50 million registered accounts[21] and was gaining viewership particularly in certain regions (it’s noted to have strong uptake in Spanish and Arabic-speaking markets[21]). It still trails Twitch in total hours watched, but its growth rate outpaced Twitch’s in 2024[36][37], indicating it’s not just a flash in the pan.

Snarky take: Kick is the upstart casino-funded streaming free-for-all that has Twitch sweating bullets. It’s kind of the Wild West – early on, Kick allowed content like live gambling streams, NSFW material, etc., that Twitch had curtailed. This gave it a “no rules” reputation (whether that’s good or bad depends who you ask). The platform is still developing features and could use some more moderation if it wants mainstream appeal (it’s hard to sell ads if too much sketchy stuff is on the site). But for creators, Kick’s pitch is irresistible: keep almost all the money your fans pay. In 2025, Twitch responded by improving its revenue splits for top partners and cracking down on simulcasting rules to keep streamers from jumping ship. The live-stream war is officially on. For viewers, Kick’s existence is largely positive – it forces Twitch and others to up their game. Just don’t be shocked if, while browsing Kick, you stumble on streams that would make Twitch’s admins faint. As 2026 nears, Kick will either continue to steal market share (potentially carving a permanent space in the streaming ecosystem) or it might flame out if the revenue (or tolerance for wild content) isn’t sustainable. It’s one to watch – possibly at 3 a.m., with a bizarre streamer gambling away crypto while blasting music (because on Kick, why not?).

Honorable Mentions

Mastodon and the Fediverse – We covered Mastodon, but note there’s a whole constellation of federated apps (like Pixelfed for photos, Peertube for videos, etc.) slowly growing. Also, Twitter-founder Jack Dorsey has been promoting Nostr, another decentralized protocol with apps like Damus (for Twitter-like use). These are niche but embody the push toward user-owned networks.
Substack Notes – Substack, the newsletter platform, jumped into the social fray in 2023 by adding a Twitter-like “Notes” feed for writers and readers. It caused a spat (Twitter temporarily blocked Substack links out of fear). While Notes hasn’t taken over the world, it’s become a hangout for journalists and authors – essentially a mini social network built atop newsletters[38][39]. It’s an interesting example of how content platforms are adding social features (and vice versa). Expect more blending of publishing and social in the future.
BeReal (Past its 15 Minutes) – No emerging apps list is complete without mentioning BeReal, the “authenticity” photo app that everyone downloaded in 2022. BeReal sends a daily prompt at a random time for users to snap a quick front-and-back camera pic – no filters, no glam, just real life. It went viral as an antidote to Instagram’s fakeness. However, novelty wore off, and by 2024 its growth stalled. In fact, BeReal was acquired by a French mobile games company (Voodoo) for €500M in mid-2024[40]. This might actually give it a second wind (or just turn it into ad-infested adieu). Moral: the hype cycle is brutal – a hot new app can go from boom to acquisition in ~2 years.
New Kids on the Block – A flurry of other apps are vying for niche communities. For instance, Spill (started by ex-Twitter staffers to build a space for Black Twitter culture), Hive Social (briefly popular as a simpler Twitter alternative), Post.News (news-focused Twitter alternative), Artifact (an AI-curated news feed with social features, from Instagram’s founders), and Clubhouse clones (remember when everyone from Facebook to Spotify had live audio rooms?). Most of these have settled into their niches or faded, but who knows – a left-field hit could emerge. The pattern lately is clear: if users feel underserved by the big platforms, they’ll flock to new ones that promise a better experience. And there’s always some startup willing to take that bet.

If there’s one certainty heading into 2026, it’s that social media never stays still. Giants like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok might seem unassailable, but we’ve seen how quickly user sentiment can shift – and how rapidly new challengers can scale when the right opportunity strikes. The platforms we’ve listed – both the titans and the upstarts – will continue jostling for our attention (and ad dollars) with new features, algorithms, and the occasional rebranding fiasco.

From a snarky perspective, it’s easy to be cynical: every platform copies every other, nobody reads terms of service, and we’re all just rats pushing the dopamine lever of infinite scroll. Yet, on an informative note, social media in 2025 is also incredibly diverse. You want ultra-polished influencer content? Go to Instagram or Lemon8. Crave unfiltered memes and real-talk? Twitter… err X… still has you, or maybe try Threads or Bluesky. Want community chats about your hyper-niche hobby? Discord or Reddit are there. Prefer algorithms to surprise you with viral craziness? TikTok and Sora are eager to comply. The ecosystem is fragmenting in interesting ways – no one network can dominate every demographic or content type anymore, and that might be healthier for both users and the internet at large.

As a tech-savvy reader, you’ll know to keep an eye on user trends and the ever-evolving features (looking at you, Meta, copying whatever threatens you next). It’s also worth watching the broader shifts: the push for decentralization and user control, the impact of AI-generated content, and the ongoing tug-of-war between moderation and free expression. Social media in 2026 will definitely not be boring. So whether you’re doom-scrolling on your phone at 2 a.m., or checking the latest invite-only app to see if it’s worth the hype, remember: in the social media world, change is the only constant – and maybe, just maybe, we’ll all finally agree on what the next “tweet” is called. (Until then, enjoy the chaos and keep posting those snarky comments – the internet wouldn’t be the same without them.)

Sources: The user counts and stats cited above come from the latest available data and reports as of 2025, including DataReportal’s global social media rankings[1][41], company disclosures and analyses (e.g. Meta investor reports, Reuters coverage of X/Twitter users[13], Semrush/Backlinko stats for new platforms like Threads[28], Bluesky[29], etc.), and industry research on emerging platforms (such as OpenAI’s Sora launch figures[33] and Kick’s growth data[37]). These give a snapshot of where each platform stands heading into 2026 – a year that’s sure to bring its own surprises in the social media saga.

[1] [8] [9] [11] [14] [41] TikTok Statistics You Need to Know in 2025

https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users

[2] [3] [5] [6] [7] [10] [12] [16] [17] [24] [25] [26] Social Media Networks List: Top 20 Platforms that Dominate in 2025 - RecurPost