A subscriber to a channel on the American video-sharing platform YouTube is a user with an account who chooses to follow a channel's content by clicking on that channel's "Subscribe" button, and each user's subscription feed consists of videos published by channels to which the user is subscribed. The ability for users to subscribe was introduced in October 2005. YouTube began publishing a list of its most-subscribed channels in April 2006. An early archive of the list dates to May 17, 2006.
Since May 2006, when Smosh occupied the top position with just 2,986 subscribers, at least 11 other YouTube channels have held the top spot; these include the channel for the American fictional web series lonelygirl15, American comedian Brooke "Brookers" Brodack, American fictional character Fred Figglehorn, Swedish gamer Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg, American comedian Ryan Higa, American media personality Ray William Johnson, American public speaker Judson Laipply, English pensioner Peter Oakley, and the official channels for Indian music record label T-Series, as well as YouTube itself.
As of 31 March 2026, the most-subscribed YouTube channel is MrBeast, having 473 million subscribers, and gaining by an average of 133,000 subscribers per day.
100 most-subscribed channels
The following table lists the top followed 100 YouTube channels, as well as the primary language, country, date they joined YouTube, and content category of each channel. The channels are ordered by number of subscribers. Those whose displayed subscriber counts are identical, are listed so that the channel whose current growth rate indicates that its displayed subscriber count will exceed that of the other channel is listed first. Automatically generated channels that lack their own videos, such as Music and News, and channels that have been made effectively obsolete as a result of the transferral of their content, such as JustinBieberVEVO and TaylorSwiftVEVO are excluded.
As of September 2025, 32 of top 100 channels listed primarily produce content in English while 30 primarily produce content in Hindi. All 100 channels have surpassed 49 million subscribers. All Top 50 channels have surpassed 65 million subscribers. Fourteen of the channels have surpassed 100 million subscribers, of which three have surpassed 200 million (Cocomelon), two have surpassed 300 million (T-Series) and one has surpassed 400 million (MrBeast).
| Name | Link | Subscribers (millions) | Primary language | Category | Joined YouTube | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MrBeast | Link | 474 | English | Entertainment | February 19, 2012 |  United States | |
| T-Series | Link | 310 | Hindi | Music | March 13, 2006 |  India | |
| Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes | Link | 200 | English | Education | September 1, 2006 | United States | |
| SET India | Link | 188 | Hindi | Entertainment | September 20, 2006 | India | |
| Vlad and Niki | Link | 149 | English | Entertainment | April 23, 2018 |  Russia | |
| Kids Diana Show | Link | 138 | English | Entertainment | May 12, 2015 |  Ukraine | |
| Stokes Twins | Link | 138 | English | People | April 11, 2008 |  China | |
| Like Nastya | Link | 132 | English | Entertainment | December 6, 2016 | Russia | |
| 김프로KIMPRO | Link | 131 | Korean | People | November 11, 2017 |  South Korea | |
| Zee Music Company | Link | 122 | Hindi | Music | March 12, 2014 | India | |
| WWE | Link | 112 | English | Sports | May 10, 2007 | United States | |
| Alejo Igoa | Link | 111 | Spanish | Entertainment | January 17, 2014 |  Argentina | |
| PewDiePie | Link | 110 | English | Gaming | April 29, 2010 |  Sweden | |
| Goldmines | Link | 109 | Hindi | Film | January 21, 2012 | India | |
| Sony SAB | Link | 105 | Hindi | Entertainment | August 4, 2007 | India | |
| Blackpink | Link | 100 | Korean | Music | June 28, 2016 | South Korea | |
| Alan's Universe | Link | 100 | English | Comedy | February 3, 2020 | United States | |
| ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs | Link | 98.1 | Hindi | Entertainment | February 9, 2013 | India | |
| Zee TV | Link | 97.4 | Hindi | Entertainment | December 11, 2005 | India | |
| A4 | Link | 92.7 | Russian | Entertainment | November 29, 2014 |  Belarus | |
| Topper Guild | Link | 85 | English | Comedy | July 8, 2014 | United States | |
| Baby Shark - Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories | Link | 84.3 | English | Entertainment | December 13, 2011 | South Korea | |
| BANGTANTV | Link | 83.1 | Korean | Music | December 16, 2012 | South Korea | |
| Toys and Colors | Link | 82.2 | English | Entertainment | March 17, 2016 | United States | |
| KL BRO Biju Rithvik | Link | 82 | Malayalam | Lifestyle Vlogs | July 21, 2020 | India | |
| Colors TV | Link | 81.9 | Hindi | Entertainment | June 13, 2008 | India | |
| ZAMZAM BROTHERS OFFICIAL | Link | 81.8 | Urdu | Entertainment | December 19, 2020 |  United Arab Emirates | |
| T-Series Bhakti Sagar | Link | 81.6 | Hindi | Music | February 13, 2011 | India | |
| Tips Official | Link | 80.8 | Hindi | Entertainment | May 22, 2007 | India | |
| 5-Minute Crafts | Link | 80.8 | English | How-to | November 15, 2016 |  Cyprus | |
| Hybe Labels | Link | 80.3 | Korean | Music | June 4, 2008 | South Korea | |
| UR · Cristiano | Link | 78.3 | Portuguese, English | Entertainment/Sports | July 8, 2024 |  Portugal | |
| Justin Bieber | Link | 77.2 | English | Music | January 15, 2007 |  Canada | |
| Aaj Tak | Link | 74.7 | Hindi | News | August 27, 2009 | India | |
| Shemaroo Filmi Gaane | Link | 74.3 | Hindi | Music | June 11, 2010 | India | |
| Mark Rober | Link | 73.7 | English | Education/Entertainment | October 20, 2011 | United States | |
| ISSEI / いっせい | Link | 73.5 | Japanese | Comedy | July 23, 2014 |  Japan | |
| Fede Vigevani | Link | 72.7 | Spanish | Entertainment | June 16, 2009 |  Uruguay | |
| Infobells - Hindi | Link | 72.1 | Hindi | Entertainment | June 6, 2014 | India | |
| HAR PAL GEO | Link | 72.1 | Urdu | Entertainment | January 2, 2008 |  Pakistan | |
| YRF | Link | 71.4 | Hindi | Music | June 7, 2006 | India | |
| Bispo Bruno Leonardo | Link | 71.1 | Portuguese | Nonprofit | April 10, 2016 |  Brazil | |
| El Reino Infantil | Link | 70.9 | Spanish | Music | June 2, 2011 | Argentina | |
| Sony Music India | Link | 70.2 | Hindi | Music | September 2, 2009 | India | |
| Wave Music | Link | 69.6 | Bhojpuri | Music | December 20, 2011 | India | |
| Anaya Kandhal | Link | 69.1 | Hindi | Entertainment | September 19, 2016 | India | |
| Zhong | Link | 68.5 | English | Entertainment | January 19, 2015 | China | |
| Canal KondZilla | Link | 68 | Portuguese | Music | March 21, 2012 | Brazil | |
| YOLO AVENTURAS | Link | 67.7 | Spanish | Entertainment | December 13, 2018 |  Venezuela | |
| ARY Digital HD | Link | 67.4 | Urdu | Entertainment | July 11, 2016 | Pakistan | |
| Eminem Music | Link | 66.5 | English | Music | February 8, 2007 | United States | |
| Movieclips | Link | 65.9 | English | Film | April 27, 2006 | United States | |
| Taylor Swift | Link | 63.1 | English | Music | September 20, 2006 | United States | |
| PANDA BOI | Link | 62.5 | English | Gaming | December 5, 2020 |  Italy | |
| LooLoo Kids - Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs | Link | 61.9 | English | Music | August 5, 2014 |  Romania | |
| Dude Perfect | Link | 61.8 | English | Comedy | March 17, 2009 | United States | |
| Shemaroo | Link | 61.4 | Hindi | Entertainment | September 1, 2007 | India | |
| Saregama Music | Link | 61.1 | Hindi | Music | January 4, 2013 | India | |
| Dangal TV Channel | Link | 60.5 | Hindi | Entertainment | August 2, 2017 | India | |
| आचार्य प्रशान्त - Acharya Prashant | Link | 60 | Hindi | Education | August 27, 2014 | India | |
| Маша и Медведь | Link | 59.8 | Russian | Education | May 31, 2011 | Russia | |
| ToRung | Link | 59.5 | Vietnamese | Comedy | October 18, 2017 |  Vietnam | |
| SonyMusicIndiaVEVO | Link | 59.6 | Hindi | Music | September 2, 2009 | India | |
| Ed Sheeran | Link | 59 | English | Music | August 8, 2006 |  United Kingdom | |
| Marshmello | Link | 58.4 | English | Music | April 6, 2015 | United States | |
| JioHotstar Kids | Link | 58.2 | Hindi | Entertainment | November 23, 2016 | India | |
| Billion Surprise Toys | Link | 58 | English | Education | October 25, 2013 | United Arab Emirates | |
| Mikecrack | Link | 58.1 | Spanish | Gaming | July 13, 2015 |  Spain | |
| Alfredo Larin | Link | 57.9 | Spanish | Entertainment | April 9, 2017 |  El Salvador | |
| Billie Eilish | Link | 57.8 | English | Music | February 6, 2013 | United States | |
| Get Movies | Link | 57 | Russian | Entertainment | December 16, 2006 | Russia | |
| Ariana Grande | Link | 57 | English | Music | January 21, 2007 | United States | |
| StarPlus | Link | 56.3 | Hindi | Entertainment | May 19, 2006 | India | |
| MrBeast 2 | Link | 56.3 | English | Entertainment | August 21, 2020 | United States | |
| shfa | Link | 55.6 | Arabic | People | March 29, 2015 | United Arab Emirates | |
| Juan de Dios Pantoja | Link | 55.5 | Spanish | People | June 9, 2014 |  Mexico | |
| JuegaGerman | Link | 55 | Spanish | Gaming | May 18, 2013 |  Chile | |
| Celine Dept | Link | 55 | English | Sports | May 3, 2023 |  Belgium | |
| MrBeast Gaming | Link | 55 | English | Gaming | April 7, 2020 | United States | |
| Masha and the Bear | Link | 54.8 | English | Film | September 17, 2014 | Russia | |
| ABS-CBN Entertainment | Link | 54.7 | Filipino | Entertainment | July 15, 2008 |  Philippines | |
| Jess No Limit | Link | 54.4 | Indonesian | Gaming | September 6, 2017 |  Indonesia | |
| HUM TV | Link | 53.7 | Urdu | Entertainment | May 25, 2011 | Pakistan | |
| LUCCAS NETO - LUCCAS TOON | Link | 53.4 | Portuguese | Entertainment | July 30, 2014 | Brazil | |
| shfa2 - شفا | Link | 53.2 | Arabic | People | November 6, 2017 | United Arab Emirates | |
| Ishtar Music | Link | 52.9 | Hindi | Music | September 22, 2005 | India | |
| Real fools shorts official | Link | 52.6 | Hindi | People | June 14, 2021 | India | |
| Bad Bunny | Link | 52.4 | Spanish | Music | June 8, 2014 |  Puerto Rico | |
| T-Series Bollywood Classics | Link | 52.1 | Hindi | Film | April 2, 2012 | India | |
| BETER BÖCÜK | Link | 51.9 | Turkish | Gaming | December 13, 2012 |  Turkey | |
| IShowSpeed | Link | 51.3 | English | Entertainment | 21 March, 2016 | United States | |
| Sierra & Rhia FAM | Link | 50.7 | English | Entertainment | February 5, 2020 | Canada | |
| Techno Gamerz | Link | 50.5 | English | Gaming | August 13, 2017 | India | |
| IndiaTV | Link | 50.3 | Hindi | News | August 26, 2006 | India | |
| Maria Clara & JP | Link | 50.1 | Portuguese | Entertainment | September 6, 2015 | Brazil | |
| PowerKids TV | Link | 50.1 | English | Entertainment | August 6, 2014 | India | |
| Fernanfloo | Link | 50.1 | Spanish | Gaming | May 2, 2011 | El Salvador | |
| ABP NEWS | Link | 50.1 | Hindi | News | June 1, 2012 | India | |
| Shakira | Link | 50 | Spanish | Music | October 16, 2005 |  Colombia | |
| Karla Bustillos | Link | 50 | Spanish | Entertainment | July 25, 2019 | Mexico | |
| As of February 2026 | |||||||
- TheSoul Publishing is currently based in Cyprus; it was originally based in Russia and is still Russian-owned.
- He was originally in Moscow during birth. Shortly after, he would be immediately sent to China after to live with his grandparents.[citation needed]
- Masha and the Bear
Historical progression of most-subscribed channels
The following table lists the 20 distinct runs as the most-subscribed YouTube channel recorded since May 2006. Only runs lasting at least 24 hours are included. Twelve different channels have held the position, with PewDiePie holding the title a record four times. He also holds the records for the longest time as the most-subscribed channel (1,920 days in his third run), the shortest time as the most-subscribed channel (four days in his second run), and the longest overall combined time as the most subscribed channel (2,017 days). In second place is Smosh, which held it three times, while third place is tied between nigahiga, T-Series, and YouTube's own channel, which have all held it twice each. YouTube's own official channel, then known as "YouTube Spotlight", briefly held the title in late 2013; one factor that contributed to the channel's rise to the top spot was the site's autosuggestion for new users to subscribe to the channel upon registration.
Overall of the twelve channels who have held the record, seven featured individual males (including MrBeast); one (Brookers) featured an individual female; three have been operated by brands as opposed to individuals (T-Series, YouTube Spotlight, and MrBeast); one (Smosh) was a duo of males which later became a collective and production company; and one (lonelygirl15) was a web series. Nine of the channels were based in the United States, one (geriatric1927) was based in England, one (T-Series) was based in India, and one (PewDiePie) was based in Sweden, and later in England.
| Channel name | Date achieved | Days held | Ref.(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smosh (1) | c. May 9, 2006 | ~34 | |
| Judson Laipply | c. June 12, 2006 | ~21 | |
| Brookers | c. July 3, 2006 | ~43 | |
| geriatric1927 | August 15, 2006 | 28 | |
| lonelygirl15 | September 12, 2006 | 226 | |
| Smosh (2) | April 26, 2007 | 517 | |
| nigahiga (1) | September 24, 2008 | 12 | [failed verification] |
| FЯED | October 6, 2008 | 318 | [failed verification] |
| nigahiga (2) | August 20, 2009 | 675 | |
| Ray William Johnson | June 26, 2011 | 564 | |
| Smosh (3) | January 12, 2013 | 215 | |
| PewDiePie (1) | August 15, 2013 | 79 | |
| YouTube Spotlight (1) | November 2, 2013 | 36 | |
| PewDiePie (2) | December 8, 2013 | 4 | |
| YouTube Spotlight (2) | December 12, 2013 | 11 | |
| PewDiePie (3) | December 23, 2013 | 1,920 | |
| T-Series (1) | March 27, 2019 | 5 | |
| PewDiePie (4) | April 1, 2019 | 13 | |
| T-Series (2) | April 14, 2019 | 1,876 | |
| MrBeast | June 2, 2024 | 668 | |
| As of April 2026 UTC | |||
Timeline
Timeline of the most-subscribed YouTube channels (May 2006 – present)
Milestones and reactions
| Channel | Subscriber milestone | Date achieved | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookers | 10,000 | July 7, 2006 | |
| geriatric1927 | 20,000 | August 18, 2006 | |
| lonelygirl15 | 50,000 | October 13, 2006 | |
| Smosh | 100,000 | May 15, 2007 | |
| FЯED | 1 million | April 7, 2009 | |
| nigahiga | 2 million | March 13, 2010 | |
| RayWilliamJohnson | 5 million | November 15, 2011 | |
| Smosh | 10 million | May 25, 2013 | |
| PewDiePie | 20 million | January 9, 2014 | |
| 50 million | December 8, 2016 | ||
| T-Series | 100 million | May 29, 2019 | |
| 200 million | November 30, 2021 | ||
| MrBeast | 300 million | July 10, 2024 | |
| 400 million | June 1, 2025 |
Following the third time that Smosh became the most-subscribed YouTube channel, Ray William Johnson collaborated with the duo. A flurry of top YouTubers including Ryan Higa, Shane Dawson, Felix Kjellberg, Michael Buckley, Kassem Gharaibeh, the Fine Brothers, and Johnson himself, congratulated the duo shortly after they surpassed Johnson as the most-subscribed channel.
PewDiePie vs T-Series
In mid-2018, the subscriber count of the Indian music video channel T-Series rapidly approached that of Swedish web comedian and Let's Player PewDiePie, who was the most-subscribed user on YouTube at the time. As a result, fans of PewDiePie and T-Series, other YouTubers, and celebrities showed their support for both channels. During the competition, both channels gained a large number of subscribers at a rapid rate, and surpassed each other's subscriber count on multiple occasions in February, March, and April 2019. T-Series eventually permanently surpassed PewDiePie, and on May 29, 2019, it became the first channel to reach 100 million subscribers.
In 2024, when MrBeast surpassed T-Series, he tweeted that his fans had "avenged" PewDiePie. In the lead-up to MrBeast's channel becoming the most-subscribed, T-Series issued a call for subscribers. Meanwhile, MrBeast urged his fans to not see the competition between his channel and T-Series as "this country versus that country", while also warning against anyone becoming hateful.
See also
- List of most-viewed YouTube channels
- List of most-viewed YouTube videos
- List of most-liked YouTube videos
- List of most-disliked YouTube videos
- List of YouTubers