Facebook Properties Dominate Global Social Networking

This article originally appeared on the Motley Fool.

A network effect is arguably one of the most powerful competitive advantages a business can have. While network effects can come in different forms, the concept is simple: A business benefits from a network effect when the value of its platform increases with each additional user that joins.

Social networks are great examples of businesses with network effects. But which social networks are the largest? Measured by their monthly active users, the top 10 social networks range from user counts of 313 million all the way to an impressive 1.9 billion. Here are world's top social networks, along with some interesting takeaways about this list.

1. Facebook (1.9 billion users)
2. WhatsApp (1.2 billion users)
3. YouTube (1 billion users since 2013)
4. Messenger (1 billion users since 2016)
5. WeChat/Weixin (889 million users)
6. QQ (869 million users)
7. Qzone (638 million users)
8. Instagram (600 million users)
9. Twitter (319 million users)
10. Weibo (313 million users)

(Data is culled from SEC filings and company press releases. Youtube hasn't shared any recent updates but is likely larger than Messenger today. Platforms without reliable user data or insignificant social characteristcs were excluded)

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