Platform Comparison
List of Social Media Apps in 2026: The Big Ones and the New Ones
Quick Answer
The most used social media apps in 2026 are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, Threads, Telegram and Discord. Newer apps that do something different include Bluesky, BeReal, Locket, Lapse, Cara and Rawly, a photo and video challenge app where the community picks the winner.
Most lists of social media apps stop at the famous names. That is useful if you want to know where everyone is. It is less useful if you are looking for something different: a feed without an algorithm, a place without AI images, or an app where your photos can win something.
This list covers both. First the big platforms and what each one is actually for, then the newer apps worth a look, then which of them pay creators and on what terms.
Top 10 social media apps
Most lists of the top 10 social media apps include Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Telegram, Pinterest, X and Reddit, with LinkedIn, Threads and Discord close behind. The best social media apps for you depend less on size and more on what you want to do: talk to friends, build an audience, or try something new.
The latest social media apps rarely try to beat these on size. They pick one thing the big apps do badly, such as the algorithm, AI images or the pressure to perform, and build around fixing it.
The most popular social media apps
| App | Best for | How the feed works |
|---|---|---|
| Groups, events, Marketplace, family | Ranked by an algorithm | |
| YouTube | Long videos and Shorts | Recommendations |
| Messaging, groups, channels | Chats, no ranked feed | |
| Photos, Reels, Stories | Ranked, with an optional Following view | |
| TikTok | Short videos | For You recommendations |
| Snapchat | Messaging friends with photos | Friends first, Spotlight is recommended |
| Ideas and inspiration | Recommendations | |
| X | News and short posts | For You plus a Following tab |
| Communities on every topic | Community votes and ranking | |
| Work and careers | Ranked by an algorithm | |
| Threads | Text posts and conversation | For You plus a Following feed |
| Telegram | Messaging and broadcast channels | Chronological channels |
| Discord | Communities, gaming, voice chat | Chronological chat |
New and different social media apps
Rawly
A photo and video challenge app. Every day there is something to shoot: challenges, RAW NOW and a Daily Event where everyone gets the same object. Everything is taken live in the app, with no gallery uploads and no filters, and the community votes on the winners. Some challenges carry a prize pool. Free on iOS and Android.
Bluesky
A text-first network in the style of X, where you can choose or build the feeds you see instead of getting one ranking for everyone.
Mastodon
A network of independent servers that talk to each other. The home feed is chronological, from the accounts you follow.
BeReal
Once a day, at a different time, everyone posts a photo taken with the front and back camera at once. Mostly among friends.
Locket and Lapse
Two close-friends photo apps. Locket puts your friends' photos on your home screen. Lapse works like a shared disposable camera: photos develop 24 hours later.
Cara
A portfolio and social app for artists that does not allow generative AI images in portfolios.
Looking for more like these? See apps like BeReal, AI-free social media apps and social media without an algorithm.
Which social media apps pay creators?
| App | Programme | What you need (as reported, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Partner Program | 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in a year, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days, for ad revenue |
| TikTok | Creator Rewards | 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in 30 days, age 18+, videos over one minute |
| X | Original Content Rewards | Premium plus reported thresholds on verified followers and impressions; replaced revenue sharing in September 2026 |
| Snapchat | Monetization Program | Invitation only; reported floor of 50,000 followers plus view-time targets |
| Subscriptions, gifts, bonuses | No ad revenue share on posts or Reels | |
| Rawly | Challenge prize pools | No follower threshold; win a challenge that carries a pool |
Thresholds change often, so check each platform's own help pages before planning around them. Actual Rawly earnings depend on challenge outcomes. More detail: social media apps that pay real money.
How to choose a social media app
- To keep up with friends and family: WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat or Locket.
- To grow an audience: YouTube, TikTok or Instagram, where recommendations can show you to strangers.
- To avoid an algorithm: Mastodon, Bluesky with a chronological feed, or Rawly.
- To compete with your photos: Rawly, where everyone shoots the same challenge and the community votes.
- To share art without AI next to it: Cara.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular social media apps in 2026?
Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok are the largest, followed by Snapchat, Pinterest, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, Threads, Telegram and Discord.
What are some new social media apps?
Newer apps that do something different include Bluesky, Locket, Lapse, Cara and Rawly. Rawly is a photo and video challenge app where everything is shot live and the community votes on the winners.
Which social media apps pay you?
YouTube, TikTok, X and Snapchat have creator programmes with follower or view thresholds, and Instagram pays through subscriptions and bonuses. Rawly pays from challenge prize pools with no follower threshold. Actual earnings depend on challenge outcomes.
Which social media apps do not use an algorithm?
Mastodon shows a chronological feed of the accounts you follow, Bluesky lets you pick a chronological feed, and Rawly has a chronological feed where challenge winners are decided by community votes.
Is there a social media app just for real photos?
Rawly only accepts photos and videos taken live in its own camera, so there are no gallery uploads, filters or AI images. BeReal and Locket are also built around photos taken in the app.
Try the one where photos compete.
Free on iOS and Android.
Get the app →On a computer? Scan the QR code