Top 10 Most Visited Websites Worldwide

Twitter is an online microblogging service that allows users to exchange short messages with groups of followers via personal computers or mobile phones. Twitter combines aspects of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook with real-time messaging to create a platform where users can communicate throughout the day with concise messages known as ‘tweets.’ Users type tweets on their mobile keyboards or computers and send them to Twitter’s servers, which then distribute them to followers, who receive the tweets via text message on their phones or instant messages on their computers.

Additionally, users can follow specific topics, join conversations, and increase the number of followers in a particular Twitter feed to millions. Tweets can be about anything, from jokes to news or dinner plans, but they cannot exceed 140 characters. Since its inception, Twitter has primarily been a free SMS messaging service with social networking elements. As a result, it lacked a clear revenue model that one might find on websites earning income from banner ads or subscription fees.

However, perhaps the most significant milestone in Twitter's development has been its increasing use by amateur journalists. Twitter established itself as a new medium for spreading information during the Iranian presidential election protests in June 2009. In September 2013, Twitter filed for its initial public offering (IPO) and raised $1.8 billion by November, bringing its market value to $31 billion.

Website: https://twitter.com/

Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to upload and share photos and videos with a global audience. Launched in 2010, it was later acquired by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) in 2012. With over two billion monthly active users, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media networks worldwide.

Instagram offers a variety of features such as Stories, Reels, IGTV, Live, Shopping, Direct, and Explore. Users can follow accounts ranging from celebrities, brands, and content creators to their friends and family. Interaction is encouraged through comments, likes, shares, and saves. Additionally, Instagram provides tools like filters, effects, and stickers to enhance posts and make them more engaging.

Not only is Instagram a platform for sharing personal moments, but it also serves as a powerful marketing tool for businesses and advertisers. In 2022, Instagram generated an estimated $51.4 billion in revenue, accounting for nearly 45% of Meta Platforms' total revenue. As one of the most visited websites globally, with 4.25 billion monthly visits, Instagram remains a must-use platform for anyone seeking to engage with a vast online community.

Website: https://www.instagram.com/

Baidu.com is the leading search engine in China, operated by Baidu, Inc. Much like Google, Baidu offers a massive index, including over 740 million websites, 80 million images, and more than 10 million multimedia files. It also shares various multimedia content such as MP3 music and films. In China, Baidu enjoys the same level of trust and popularity as Google does in other parts of the world.

Baidu provides a wide range of services, including Baidu App, Baidu Search, Baidu Feed, Haokan, Quanmin, Baidu Post Bar, Baidu Knows, Baidu Encyclopedia, and Baidu IME (Input Method Editor). Baidu Core focuses on keyword-based marketing, while iQiyi, a segment of Baidu, offers online advertising services. Over the past two decades, Baidu has expanded its product and service portfolio, with more than a billion devices accessing its services each month.

Today, Baidu is a leading AI company with a robust Internet platform. It is one of the few companies globally to offer a complete AI system, including infrastructure such as AI chips, deep learning frameworks, and core AI capabilities like natural language processing, knowledge graphs, speech recognition, computer vision, and augmented reality. Baidu's cutting-edge AI powers its products and services and supports a broad range of creative applications.

Website: http://www.baidu.com/

Wikipedia is widely known as an open-source online encyclopedia, available in multiple languages. Launched in 2001, it operates under a collaborative open-source model and is overseen by the non-profit organization Wikimedia. Wikipedia allows anyone to write, edit, and improve its articles, and it has grown to include over 15 million articles. Although it still faces criticism, it has become a widely trusted reference source used by millions of people worldwide.

Initially launched as a feature of Nupedia.com, Wikipedia was soon re-launched as an independent site after objections from the editorial board. In its first year, Wikipedia expanded to include around 20,000 articles in 18 languages, including French, German, Polish, Dutch, Hebrew, Chinese, and Esperanto. By 2003, Nupedia ceased operations, and its content was merged into Wikipedia. By 2006, the English version of Wikipedia had over a million articles, and by its 10th anniversary in 2011, it surpassed million articles.

Debate over the reliability of Wikipedia continues, particularly among scholars and educators concerned with citation accuracy. While many schools discourage or forbid the use of Wikipedia for research purposes, in 2010, the Wikimedia Foundation collaborated with public policy professors to develop a course where students contribute content to Wikipedia. Since its founding on January 15, 2001, Wikipedia has grown into the largest reference site in the world, attracting 1.8 billion unique visitors per month as of August 2021.

Website: https://vi.wikipedia.org/

The Russian tech company Yandex operates the popular search engine Yandex, which is widely used in Russia for web searches, holding a dominant market share over its competitors. In addition to search, Yandex offers a variety of online services, including email, maps, news, video, images, and advertising.

In 2022, Yandex ranked as the 8th most visited website globally according to SimilarWeb, with nearly 3.4 billion visits. On average, users spent 9 minutes and 6 seconds per session, viewing about 9.3 pages per visit. Only about a quarter of users left the site after viewing just one page, indicating the strong appeal of its content.

Yandex represents the technological innovation and progress in Russia’s tech industry. Not only does it meet the search needs of users efficiently, but it also provides them with engaging and useful experiences. Yandex is a formidable competitor to global giants like Google and Facebook in the race for internet user attention.

Website: https://yandex.com/?

In the 1990s, Yahoo was one of the leading online news platforms globally. Yahoo.com, the official site of Yahoo! Inc., was founded by two graduate students at Stanford University. People commonly visited Yahoo to search for information across various fields like sports and finance. Its Mail and News services were also highly regarded. Yahoo had a strong presence in regions like the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific.

Yahoo! made waves with the launch of Yahoo! Instant Messenger and its acquisition of the photo-sharing site Flickr. It also bought a 40% stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Despite these bold moves, Yahoo faced increasing competition. In February 2008, Microsoft made a $44.6 billion acquisition offer, which Yahoo rejected, and Microsoft ultimately withdrew the offer. In 2017, Yahoo became part of Oath, a newly formed subsidiary, valued at about $4.48 billion, but continued to operate as a separate brand.

Recently, Yahoo sold its core internet assets to Verizon Communications for $4.83 billion, marking the end of an era. Yahoo had been a nostalgic staple for users, and its sale to Verizon brought a sense of loss. Yahoo is now owned by Apollo Global Management, managed independently by Apollo Funds, with Guru Gowrappan as CEO.

Website: https://www.yahoo.com/

Since its launch in 2009, WhatsApp has grown to become one of the most widely used messaging apps globally. Initially available only on iOS, it expanded to Android users in 2010. In just four years, WhatsApp attracted over 200 million monthly active users. Its success led to Facebook acquiring it for $19 billion in 2014, a sum 12 times greater than its 2013 valuation.

WhatsApp offers users more than just a cost-effective alternative to traditional SMS. It provides a range of exciting features, including the ability to send text, images, videos, voice messages, and even make video calls. WhatsApp also introduced a dedicated version for businesses, called WhatsApp Business, allowing companies to communicate securely and easily with their customers.

More than just a simple messaging platform, WhatsApp is a hub for connection and entertainment. Users can create chat groups, share emojis, stickers, GIFs, and even music to express themselves. They can also update their statuses, stay updated on the latest news, and protect their accounts with security features such as end-to-end encryption and two-step verification. WhatsApp is a versatile, user-friendly app that is beloved worldwide, which is why it ranks among the most visited websites globally.

Website: https://www.whatsapp.com/

Google.com is widely regarded as the most powerful and useful search engine on the Internet. Officially known as Google LLC, it was founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, originally as Google Inc. (1998–2017), and is now a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Google processes over 70% of global online search requests, making it central to the Internet experience for most users. Based in Mountain View, California, Google remains the cornerstone product of the tech giant. Although it was the most visited website worldwide as of mid-2016, recent statistics from Score.com indicate that Google has dropped to second place behind Facebook. Beyond its functionality, Google is admired for its clean design and rapid search capabilities.

Initially launched as a search engine, Google now offers more than 50 online services and products, ranging from email and document creation to mobile and tablet software. Its acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012 led the company into the hardware market, particularly mobile phones. With such a vast product lineup, Google ranks among the top four tech giants, alongside Apple, IBM, and Microsoft.

Google went public in 2004 with an IPO that raised $1.66 billion, instantly turning Brin and Page into billionaires. By 2012, Google’s market capitalization positioned it as one of America’s largest companies. In January 2005, Google launched Google Video, allowing users to search for captioned text from television shows. However, Google struggled to compete with the rapidly rising YouTube, which became the go-to site for uploading video content after its debut in 2005.

Website: https://www.google.com/

YouTube is known as a video-sharing platform where users can upload, download, and share video clips. Initially created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees, YouTube quickly became the go-to place for online video content. In 2006, Google acquired YouTube, solidifying its position as the world's leading video-sharing network. Beyond being a platform for entertainment, YouTube has also served as a launching pad for many talents, with creators from around the world, including Vietnam, gaining global recognition. Today, YouTube is one of the most visited websites, with users collectively watching over 6 billion hours of video each month.

What makes YouTube so appealing is the sheer volume of new content uploaded daily. On average, 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, ensuring there's always something new to watch! Additionally, YouTube's focus on user-generated content has made it a popular platform. Unlike traditional TV networks or movie studios, YouTube allows anyone to create and share their own videos, fostering a highly creative and interactive community.

However, with such a vast array of content, it's important to note that not all videos on YouTube are suitable for all audiences, especially children under 13. When YouTube launched on December 15, 2005, it served over two million video views per day, and by January 2006, that number had surged to 25 million. By the summer of 2006, YouTube was serving more than 100 million views daily, and the volume of videos uploaded continued to grow at a rapid pace.

Website: https://www.youtube.com/

Facebook is the world's largest social network, originally created exclusively for Harvard University students but later expanded to other universities, high schools, and now anyone can join from anywhere around the world. It is a free-to-use website owned and operated by the tech giant Facebook, Inc. Users on Facebook can connect with others, make friends, send messages, and update their personal profiles so that their friends can keep up with their activities. Facebook is the most widely used social media platform, with MySpace and Twitter following behind.

Facebook has grown into the largest social media platform globally, with nearly three billion users by 2021, half of whom log in daily. The company's headquarters is located in Menlo Park, California. Facebook is free for users, and the company generates most of its revenue from advertising on the site. New users can create profiles, upload photos, join existing groups, or create new ones. The website includes a timeline, a personal space on each user's profile where they can post content, and friends can share updates; Status updates allow users to notify their friends about their current location or mood, while the News Feed keeps users informed about changes in their friends' profiles and statuses. Users can also chat and send private messages to each other.

In February 2012, Facebook filed for an initial public offering (IPO) to become a global company, raising $16 billion in May, which valued the company at $102.4 billion. In October 2021, Facebook announced that it would rebrand its parent company to Meta Platforms, signaling its focus on the "metaverse", a virtual space where users will interact in an immersive, 3D environment.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/