{"id":928561,"date":"2026-01-20T09:39:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T14:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/similarwebs-annual-digital-100-report-finds-serious-utility-powers-the-fastest-growing-websites-and-apps\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T09:39:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T14:39:01","slug":"similarwebs-annual-digital-100-report-finds-serious-utility-powers-the-fastest-growing-websites-and-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/similarwebs-annual-digital-100-report-finds-serious-utility-powers-the-fastest-growing-websites-and-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Similarweb\u2019s Annual Digital 100 Report Finds \u201cSerious Utility\u201d Powers the Fastest Growing Websites and Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Similarweb\u2019s Annual Digital 100 Report Finds \u201cSerious Utility\u201d Powers the Fastest Growing Websites and Apps<\/b><\/p>\n

Annual ranking of websites and apps finds ChatGPT a winner among large websites and apps, while AI-augmented productivity and economic utility gives others an advantage.<\/i><\/p>\n

TEL AVIV, Israel & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–
\nMany of the fastest-growing websites and apps in 2025 were those that deliver \u201cserious utility\u201d to the user, according to the Sixth Annual<\/a> Digital 100 Report<\/a> from Similarweb (NYSE: SMWB). Every year, Similarweb ranks the businesses that have achieved the greatest momentum based on digital audience growth. The rankings for 2025 include the fastest growing businesses by industry category, as well as an analysis of the largest websites and apps producing substantial growth.<\/p>\n

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20260120673409\/en\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\nAmong the large websites and apps in the US, ChatGPT was #1, with estimated web visitors up 57.5% and mobile app users up 127.9% over the last year. ChatGPT was also the only US winner recognized for both web and app growth. Similarweb has also been reporting recently on the rapid growth of Google Gemini, which accelerated toward the end of 2025, and the Digital 100 report includes supplemental analysis of the major AI platforms.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThe rising popularity of generative AI continues to be a growth engine, not only for ChatGPT but for apps like Canva that have baked AI-augmented productivity into their platforms,\u201d said Laurie Naspe, Director of Market Insights for Similarweb. \u201cThe digital businesses gaining the most traction are finding practical uses for the technology. In general, The most common theme we saw among the big winners is that they promise users greater productivity or economic utility \u2013 in contrast with the time-wasting apps we have sometimes seen among the winners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nWinners do not apply for or lobby for these awards. Instead, this premium ranking is powered by an objective, rigorous analysis of billions of digital signals across more than 100 million companies. The Digital 100 ranks web domains and mobile apps based on their performance over 12 months versus the previous 12 months. Websites are ranked by growth in estimated desktop and mobile web unique visitors, while apps are ranked by growth in estimated monthly active users for iOS and Android.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cAny company that can sustain growth by double digits or more over the course of a year deserves immense respect, and the Digital 100 is our way of recognizing those companies,\u201d said Or Offer, founder and CEO of Similarweb. \u201cMeasuring websites and apps according to common metrics is a great way of recognizing excellence and providing inspiration to all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nThis year\u2019s report on the US market includes category rankings of the top 10 websites and apps in Fashion & Apparel, Beauty & Health, Consumer Electronics, Food & Hospitality, Games, Home & Lifestyle, Media & Entertainment, Financial Services, and Travel and Tourism, plus a \u201cBig Winners\u201d category for the largest websites and apps. The industry category winners generally achieved larger percentage gains than the Big Winners, but on a smaller scale.<\/p>\n

\nHere are the megatrends the Similarweb Insights Team identified, followed by a summary of the winners.<\/p>\n

\u201cSerious utility\u201d has replaced time-killing as a growth engine<\/b><\/p>\n

\nAcross the Large Sites and Large Apps lists, growth is concentrated in products that reduce friction, save time, or offload cognitive effort.<\/b> AI powers search, creation, planning, and decision-making. Digital growth is increasingly concentrated in tools that do work for people. AI is no longer experimental \u2014 it\u2019s everyday infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\nLast year, the #1 app was NYT Games and #2 was the Brawl Stars game. This year, playful apps are less prominent compared with entries like Indeed Job Search, Substack, and Google Home.<\/p>\n

Discovery is shifting from search to feeds, creators, and networks<\/b><\/p>\n

\nGrowth in media, commerce, and utilities appears to be increasingly driven by algorithmic and social distribution, not intent-based search<\/b>. Examples include: Substack scaling through creator networks, not homepage traffic; commerce and lifestyle brands benefitting from creator-led recommendation; Threads, Bluesky, and user-generated video apps growing via feed-based discovery. The fastest-growing brands aren\u2019t waiting to be searched \u2014 they\u2019re being surfaced through feeds, creators, and communities.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle growth is powered by habit engines, not aspiration<\/b><\/p>\n

\nAcross wellness, fitness, and games, the fastest growers are not premium or aspirational \u2014 they are lightweight, repeatable, and habit-forming<\/b>. Examples include walking, sleep, cycling, and recovery apps, micro-workouts, and wearable companions. The most successful games are casual and simple, built on simple, sticky loops \u2013 not big, IP-heavy projects but habit machines.<\/p>\n

\nThese products succeed because they fit into daily routines, often using streaks, rewards, and gamification as reinforcement. Growth is strongest where products blur the line between self-improvement and play, using game mechanics to power everyday habits.<\/p>\n

The Digital 100 Winners<\/b><\/p>\n