The Most Subscribed YouTubers in 2023

The most subscribed YouTubers will probably not come as a surprise. Big names like MrBeast and PewDiePie have sat at the top of the list for years. But when it comes to channels with the most subscribers, kidfluencers and Hindi-language entertainment channels beat the biggest names on the platform.

This only goes to show that while having a high number of subscribers is important, it’s not the only number YouTubers should be looking at. In fact, many of the wealthiest YouTubers don’t even appear on the top 50 most-subscribed channels. Instead, the most financially successful YouTubers have another thing in common: A strong and loyal fanbase.

What is a subscriber?

A YouTube subscriber is someone who has signed up to receive a channel’s content by clicking the “subscribe” button. Subscribe buttons appear under YouTube videos and on YouTube channel pages.

When someone subscribes to your YouTube channel, they will see your new videos in their subscription feed on their YouTube home page. Subscribers will also receive notifications about highlights to your channel — unless they turn notifications off.

Building a subscriber base is important because it can help increase your views by getting more eyes on your thumbnails. It’s also a requirement to make money from ad revenue on your channel.

Top 50 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels

According to Social Tracker, the YouTube channels with the most subscribers worldwide are predominantly brand channels, with only a few individual YouTubers making the list.

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Top 10 Most Subscribed YouTubers in the U.S.

These individual YouTubers — not brand channels — have the most subscribers in the United States, according to Social tracker. Most specialize in educational content and entertainment for young children and include a combination of challenges, stories and vlogs.

1. Cocomelon specializes in 3D-animated nursery rhymes and educational content for young children. Jay Jeon created the channel in 2005 with his wife to help teach his kids the alphabet. It’s since grown into one of the most widely-streamed children’s entertainment programs across all platforms.
2. MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is the most popular YouTube personality in the US and internationally. He mainly makes challenge videos where subscribers compete for cash prizes — including one video recreating challenges from the popular Netflix series Squid Games.
3. Kids Diana Show stars kidfluencer Diana Kidisyuk in a variety of videos for young children, from challenges to educational content like why you need to brush your teeth. Kidisyuk’s parents started the channel when she was a one-year-old to share home videos with relatives.
4. Like Nastya is another kidfluencer channel that follows Anastasia Radzinskaya, aka Nastya, as she grows up. She posts vlogs, songs, stories, and educational content for children.
5. Vlad and Niki follows two brothers in a mix of live-action and animated content for preschool-aged children, similar to other kidfluencer channels. The brothers have several spin-off channels in a wide range of languages.
6. 5-Minute Crafts shows viewers life hacks and simple DIY projects. Several people have accused the channel of publishing inaccurate and even dangerous content — including the BBC — and popularity may have more to do with the channel’s aesthetic than the quality of its craft tips.
7. Dude Perfect is a five-person sports and comedy group that posts videos of competitions, trick shots, stunts and stereotypes. Their “Overtime” series landed the Dude Perfect in the Guinness Book of World Records for stunts like the longest barefoot lego walk.
8. LooLoo Kids is an education and entertainment channel for young children in the same niche as Cocomelon. While there are many similarities, LooLoo Kids offers more multilingual options.
9. Markiplier, aka Mark Fischbach, is one of the most popular gaming YouTubers in the world. While he’s best known for playthrough videos of horror games, he’s branched out to other types of content like sketch comedy, vlogs and collaborators with other YouTubers.
10. Ryan’s World is a channel centered around the life of kidfluencer Ryan Kaji. He rose to fame with unboxing videos but has since moved on to other content — most notably, toy reviews.

Who are the highest earning YouTubers?

These are the five highest-paid YouTubers, according to the latest numbers from Forbes.

1. MrBeast earned $54 million in one year, putting him in the company of celebrities outside of the streaming platform, such as the Kardashians and Billie Eilish.
2. Jake Paul may not have the most subscribers but he brought in the second most, earning $45 million.
3. Markiplier raked in $38 million thanks in part to an uptick in hoodies and other merch sales.
4. Rhett and Link brought in $30 million, despite the comedy duo’s relatively low subscriber base. Their high earnings was thanks in part to a livestream event where the YouTubers charged $50 to attend.
5. Unspeakable, a gaming channel, broke into the Forbes list by selling off his Youtube catalog and bringing in $28.5 million

One main take away from this list? Having a high number of subscribers doesn’t automatically mean you’ll make the most money on YouTube.

What most of these YouTubers have in common is a strong fan base, which allows them to take advantage of revenue sources beyond advertising, such as merch and paid live streams. And unlike many of the channels with the highest number of subscribers, none of these channels make content for young children.

What’s the difference between a subscriber and viewer?

A subscriber is someone who has signed up to see videos from your channel in their feed, while a viewer is someone who has watched a video. Most subscribers are viewers — otherwise they wouldn’t have made sure to know when you release more videos. But while there is some overlap, subscribers haven’t necessarily watched all of your videos and viewers aren’t necessarily subscribed to your channel.

How to Get More YouTube Subscribers

There are several strategies you can use to get more viewers to click that subscribe button. Here are a few common tactics:

• Ask your viewers to subscribe to your video in the intro or end of your videos. Often this is all it takes for someone who enjoys your content.
• Build community by responding to comments and interacting with other YouTubers in your niche. Making sure your audience feels heard can turn passive viewers into loyal subscribers.
• Brand your thumbnails so that it’s easy for viewers to recognize your channel in their feed. This makes it easier for them to notice when they’ve watched several of your videos.

Shooting for more views is also a great way to grow your subscriber numbers, since the two tend to go hand in hand.

Bottom Line

Brands, Hindi-language entertainment and children’s edutainment may be the types of channels that get the highest number of subscribers. But that doesn’t mean your channel needs to fall into these niches to be a success. Top YouTubers have a recognizable style and an audience that feels like they’re a part of something when they watch their videos.

Read our guide to starting a YouTube channel to learn about what it takes to succeed on the platform.