Most Followed Accounts on Social Media (2025)

09/16/25
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TL;DR Summary of The Most Followed Social Media Accounts in 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo leads with over 1 billion combined followers across platforms, dominating Instagram, Facebook, and X. Music artists and athletes dominate the top spots, with Instagram hosting the largest followings overall. TikTok’s most followed creators differ greatly from other platforms, while newer networks like Threads and Bluesky have much smaller audiences. MrBeast is the fastest growing on YouTube, now the top channel by subscribers.

Optimixed’s Overview: Deep Dive into 2025’s Social Media Powerhouses and Platform Trends

Top Social Media Influencers by Platform

The social media landscape in 2025 showcases a striking dominance of a handful of celebrities across multiple platforms. Cristiano Ronaldo is the unrivaled leader with a combined following surpassing 1 billion, fueled by massive Instagram (662M), Facebook (171M), and X (115M) audiences. Following him are Selena Gomez, Lionel Messi, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift, each boasting hundreds of millions of followers spanning TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, and emerging platforms like Threads.

Platform-Specific Highlights

  • TikTok: Khabane Lame leads with 161.6 million followers, though TikTok’s top creators like MrBeast and Charli D’Amelio do not always overlap with other platforms’ top lists, reflecting TikTok’s unique content ecosystem.
  • Instagram: Still the heavyweight in follower counts, Instagram’s top accounts mostly belong to individuals, with Ronaldo, Messi, and Selena Gomez commanding massive audiences.
  • X (formerly Twitter): Elon Musk holds the top spot with 224 million followers, followed by politicians, music artists, and Cristiano Ronaldo representing sports.
  • Facebook: Shows less overlap with other platforms; Ronaldo remains the most-liked personality, but many popular pages are brands or entertainment figures unique to Facebook.
  • YouTube: MrBeast leads as the most subscribed channel with 422 million subscribers, followed by music and kids’ content dominating the top ranks. Cristiano Ronaldo’s YouTube debut broke records with 28 million subscribers in the first 24 hours.
  • Twitch: Ibai recently surpassed Ninja as the most-followed streamer with 19.8 million followers, highlighting shifting trends in live streaming audiences.
  • New Entrants (Bluesky & Threads): Bluesky, a decentralized platform, has grown to 38 million users with official and celebrity accounts gaining traction. Threads, launched in mid-2023, remains smaller with Neymar and Selena Gomez as the leading creators.

Insights and Trends

The data underscores the prominence of established celebrities, especially athletes and music artists, who maintain multi-platform dominance. Instagram continues to be the platform with the deepest engagement and largest followings, while TikTok’s ecosystem is somewhat siloed with different top creators. YouTube’s rapid growth, driven by creators like MrBeast, confirms its role as a central content hub.

Emerging platforms such as Threads and Bluesky, though still modest in size, signal ongoing diversification and experimentation in social media. Brands and entertainment franchises maintain strong presences on Facebook and YouTube, balancing the celebrity-driven focus on Instagram and TikTok.

Recommendations for Social Media Growth

  • Leverage tools like Semrush to automate posting and analyze trending topics to boost engagement.
  • Create platform-specific content strategies, recognizing that TikTok audiences differ from those on Instagram or YouTube.
  • Stay informed on emerging networks to capitalize on early growth opportunities.
  • Engage with multimedia formats such as video and live streams, which dominate platforms like YouTube and Twitch.