Written by David Roberts
Reviewed by Lucas Walter
Updated
The top YouTubers in 2026 are MrBeast, Nick DiGiovanni, Stokes Twins, Airrack and Mark Rober. This list ranks 48 influencers by median views across their recent videos, not by subscriber count. Each one was found by searching across hundreds of thousands of top performing posts on YouTube.
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All 48, in rank order. Select a row to jump to the write-up.
| Rank | Creator | Subscribers | Median views | Engagement | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MrBeast @MrBeast | 521M | 84M | 2% | Big-budget challenges |
| 2 | Nick DiGiovanni @NickDiGiovanni | 47M | 27M | 1.6% | Cooking challenges |
| 3 | Stokes Twins @StokesTwins | 148M | 17M | 1% | Twin challenges and pranks |
| 4 | Airrack @airrack | 20M | 10M | 1.8% | Hidden-living challenges |
| 5 | Mark Rober @MarkRober | 84M | 7.7M | 1.9% | Engineering builds |
| 6 | Brent Rivera @brentrivera | 44M | 6.8M | 1.6% | Comedy sketches |
| 7 | Mrwhosetheboss @Mrwhosetheboss | 23M | 6.7M | 2.4% | Phone and tech reviews |
| 8 | IShowSpeed @IShowSpeed | 62M | 6.3M | 3.4% | IRL challenges |
| 9 | Marques Brownlee @mkbhd | 21M | 5.6M | 2.2% | Tech reviews |
| 10 | Sidemen @Sidemen | 23M | 5M | 2.4% | Group challenges |
| 11 | Topper Guild @topperguild | 95M | 4.8M | 1.4% | Family-friendly challenges |
| 12 | Max the Meat Guy @MaxtheMeatGuy | 10M | 4.1M | 1.9% | Food rankings and cooking |
| 13 | Vsauce @Vsauce | 25M | 3.6M | 6.2% | Science Shorts |
| 14 | NikkieTutorials @nikkietutorials | 15M | 3.6M | 5.1% | Makeup tutorials |
| 15 | Zach King @ZachKing | 44M | 3.5M | 2% | Camera-trick magic |
| 16 | Jeff Nippard @JeffNippard | 8.7M | 3.3M | 2.9% | Science-based training |
| 17 | Alan Chikin Chow @AlanChikinChow | 103M | 3.2M | 1.3% | Scripted skits |
| 18 | KSI @KSI | 19M | 3.1M | 2.1% | Game-show challenges |
| 19 | Ryan Trahan @ryan | 24M | 3.1M | 2.7% | Travel challenges |
| 20 | Zhong @zhong | 81M | 3.1M | 1.6% | Pranks and challenges |
| 21 | Joshua Weissman @JoshuaWeissman | 11M | 3M | 2.3% | Cooking and fast food |
| 22 | Veritasium @veritasium | 21M | 2.7M | 2.8% | Science explainers |
| 23 | Markiplier @markiplier | 39M | 2.7M | 3.2% | Horror let’s plays |
| 24 | Dude Perfect @dudeperfect | 63M | 1.9M | 2.1% | Trick shots |
| 25 | Linus Tech Tips @LinusTechTips | 17M | 1.8M | 1.6% | PC builds and reviews |
| 26 | jacksepticeye @jacksepticeye | 31M | 1.7M | 3.3% | Let’s plays |
| 27 | Jynxzi @Jynxzi | 7M | 1.4M | 1.4% | Rainbow Six Siege |
| 28 | Ludwig @ludwig | 7.1M | 1.4M | 2.3% | Stream highlights |
| 29 | Mark Wiens @MarkWiens | 12M | 1.4M | 2% | Street food travel |
| 30 | Jesser @Jesser | 50M | 1.4M | 1.4% | Sports challenges |
| 31 | Max Fosh @MaxFosh | 5.2M | 1.4M | 3.1% | Comedy stunts |
| 32 | Cleo Abram @CleoAbram | 8.9M | 1.4M | 3.7% | Science and tech explainers |
| 33 | Daniel LaBelle @DanielLaBelle | 35M | 1.3M | 2.1% | Wordless comedy |
| 34 | Unbox Therapy @unboxtherapy | 26M | 1.3M | 0.5% | Gadget unboxings |
| 35 | Kara and Nate @KaraandNate | 4.5M | 1.3M | 2.5% | Travel series |
| 36 | Fireship @Fireship | 4.3M | 1.3M | 1.7% | Coding and tech news |
| 37 | Steve Mould @SteveMould | 3.6M | 1M | 2.8% | Physics demos |
| 38 | VanossGaming @VanossGaming | 26M | 1M | 3% | Gaming funny moments |
| 39 | Logan Paul @loganpaulvlogs | 24M | 967K | 2.3% | Pokémon card vlogs |
| 40 | Preston @PrestonYT | 32M | 920K | 1.4% | Real-life game challenges |
| 41 | Jesse James West @JesseJamesWest | 11M | 875K | 1.5% | Fitness competitions |
| 42 | Duke Dennis @DukeDennisAMP | 3.6M | 869K | 3.3% | Lifestyle vlogs |
| 43 | KreekCraft @KreekCraft | 17M | 833K | 2.8% | Roblox news |
| 44 | JerryRigEverything @JerryRigEverything | 10M | 758K | 2% | Teardowns and durability tests |
| 45 | Guga Foods @GugaFoods | 5.9M | 750K | 2.5% | Steak experiments |
| 46 | SSundee @SSundee | 26M | 667K | 1.9% | Modded Minecraft |
| 47 | James Charles @JamesCharles | 24M | 591K | 2.8% | Full-face makeup |
| 48 | Sturniolo Triplets @SturnioloTriplets | 7.7M | 566K | 5.3% | Life vlogs |
The best influencers on YouTube aren’t simply the channels with the most subscribers. YouTube shows videos to people based on how the video performs individually, not just based on who subscribes to the channel. As a result, a small or mid-sized channel can reach more people than one several times its size.
That’s why we rank YouTubers by median views of their videos (average number of people a typical video reaches). As of October 2026, the five most-watched are MrBeast, Nick DiGiovanni, Stokes Twins, Airrack and Mark Rober.
Grouped by the kind of video each channel is known for, from challenge shows to makeup. The number beside each name is the creator’s overall rank.
Competition videos built around a dare, a deadline or a cash prize, filmed with a cast of friends or strangers.
Competitions with cash prizes on built sets, such as eating everything in a grocery store to win $1,000,000. The Shorts recut the same challenges.
7 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in clothing, films and other categories.
Twin brothers Alan and Alex Stokes in survival challenges, pranks and big reveals, from the Backrooms to "24 hours in" stunts. Shorts cut from the same shoots outnumber the long videos.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Challenges in which the creator secretly lives or hides somewhere, from a mall to a hotel, with a crew helping. Long videos carry the channel; the few Shorts get a fraction of the views.
8 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in drinks, sports betting and other categories.
Seven friends in group challenges such as surviving a forest for 24 hours or last-to-leave games, often with celebrity guests. A new long video goes up every Sunday.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in cruises and social apps.
Family-friendly challenges with friends, such as secretly living in a zoo or going on 100 dates, plus toy and guessing-game Shorts. A new upload goes up about once a day.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in toys and sports teams.
Game-show challenges with guests, such as guessing games and strength tests, plus prank Shorts. Music and boxing come up, but in fewer than half of recent uploads.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
First-person pranks and challenges about hiding, secrets and school life, often tied to a running storyline. A new upload goes up more than once a day, most of them Shorts.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in sports events and sports merchandise.
Real-life versions of game and toy themes, from Minecraft to “100 layers” challenges, filmed with family and other creators. Shorts make up two-thirds of recent uploads.
4 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in snacks, phone plans and learning apps.
Cooking challenges, pizza rankings, fast-food remakes, steak experiments and street food eaten where it is made.
Cooking challenges that climb through levels of price, size or heat, often with other creators as guests. Between them come quick kitchen tips and food comparisons as Shorts.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Cooking and tasting videos, from ranking every pizza chain in America to cooking alligator and jellyfish. A two-person crew films long videos and Shorts in equal numbers.
7 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in health apps, sports events and other categories.
Bold home cooking, remakes of fast food and cook-offs with other YouTubers. Half the recent uploads are Shorts, but the long videos get more views.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Street food and local dishes eaten on location, from Afghanistan to the Philippines, often with local hosts. Long videos and Shorts split the channel evenly.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Steak experiments such as dry-aging beef in jerky, wine or pho, cooked with friends. The long videos fill the channel, but the few Shorts get several times their views.
9 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in kitchen gear, supplements and other categories.
Engineering builds, physics demos and explainers on everything from the Enigma machine to the sun.
A former NASA engineer’s builds, experiments and competitions, filmed with a team. Short clips explain one piece of science at a time.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in design software and personal care.
Short explainers on maths, physics, perception and language, built around props, puzzles and illusions. Every recent upload is a Short.
1 sponsored post in the last 90 days, in desk toys.
Science and engineering explainers built on research and demonstrations, from the Enigma machine to glass fibres. Shorts clipped from the long videos make up most uploads.
6 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in data removal, learning apps and other categories.
Optimistic explainers on frontier science and technology, filmed in labs and on location with animated diagrams. Most uploads are Shorts, but a long episode gets several times their views.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in phone plans and banking apps.
Physics and engineering explained through hands-on demos and gadgets built at a home workbench. Uploads are rare, six in the last 90 days, and the long videos get far more views than the Shorts.
4 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in desk toys, trading firms and other categories.
Sketches with a recurring cast, wordless slapstick, camera-trick magic and social experiments. All five post mostly Shorts.
Comedy sketches and pranks with friends and family, many built on a "Levels" format. Shorts make up most of the channel, and the occasional long video gets about three times their views.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Camera-trick "magic", where objects vanish or change through seamless editing. Almost all of it comes as Shorts.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Scripted skits with a recurring cast of actors, such as role swaps and takes on trends. All but one of the last 30 uploads is a Short.
4 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in AI assistants and department stores.
Comedy stunts and social experiments, such as hiring strangers for odd jobs, filmed in the UK and abroad. Most uploads are Shorts.
5 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in banking apps, AI assistants and other categories.
Physical comedy with no words about everyday moments, from sprinting gags to a very fast robbery. Every upload is a Short.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in films and home appliances.
Phone reviews, unboxings, teardowns and PC builds, plus fast coding news for programmers.
Phone and gadget reviews, hands-ons and tests of new tech, from the latest iPhone to AI assistants. Long reviews and Shorts come out in about equal numbers and get about the same views.
12 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in VPNs, phone accessories and other categories.
Polished reviews, first impressions and opinion pieces on phones and consumer tech. Nearly everything is a long video, though the few Shorts draw more views.
4 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in wallets and electronics stores.
Tech reviews, PC builds and setup videos from a team of presenters. The channel uploads more than once a day, nearly all of it long videos.
20 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in tech accessories, cybersecurity software and other categories.
Unboxings and first impressions of phones, laptops, cameras and gadgets, filmed at a studio desk. Shorts outnumber the long videos and get more views.
34 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in phones, cameras and other categories.
Fast, densely edited tech news and coding explainers, narrated over screen recordings and graphics, usually under seven minutes. Every recent upload is a long video.
28 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in developer tools, AI tools and other categories.
Durability tests and teardowns of new phones, plus engineering and workshop projects. The long videos get several times the views of the Shorts.
27 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in phone cases, robot vacuums and other categories.
Let’s plays, Minecraft and Roblox series and funny-moments edits, plus stream highlights and IRL stunts from two streamers.
Loud IRL challenges and collaborations with other creators, from tug of war to blindfolded stunts, filmed like a live stream. The Shorts get far more views than the long videos.
12 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in insurance, fast food and other categories.
Let’s plays of horror and indie games, plus reaction videos. Every recent upload is a long video.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in video games and wallets.
Let’s play series and reaction videos, from Happy Wheels to Silent Hill. None of the last 30 uploads is a Short.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Rainbow Six Siege clips, rank-guessing games and fan-mail openings with viewers. Most uploads are long videos.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days.
Stream highlights, game shows with other streamers and IRL stunts such as a Streamer Olympics. Shorts go up nearly every day.
5 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in gaming PCs, video games and other categories.
Edited funny moments from GTA, Call of Duty, Minecraft and party games, played with a regular group of friends. Nearly every upload is a long video.
10 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in video games, shopping apps and mobile games.
Roblox news, updates and drama, talked through on camera with a chapter for each story. The channel posts almost twice a day, mostly Shorts.
5 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in gaming tablets, learning apps and other categories.
Modded Minecraft and Roblox series, played for laughs. A new long video goes up almost every day.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Full-glam tutorials, skin prep and beauty hauls from two makeup artists.
Full-glam makeup tutorials, skin prep and favourite products from a makeup artist based in the Netherlands. Every recent upload is a Short.
1 sponsored post in the last 90 days, in skincare.
Full-face makeup videos, beauty hauls and vlogs. The long videos get several times the views of the Shorts.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Strength contests between fitness creators, and training advice built on published research.
Training and fat-loss advice built on published research, from a natural bodybuilder with a biochemistry degree. New videos are rare, seven in the last 90 days, and most are Shorts.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Gym competitions between fitness creators, athletes and strangers, such as a $20,000 contest for the strongest fitness YouTuber. Shorts cut from the same events make up most uploads, but the long videos get many times their views.
5 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in nutrition apps, fitness equipment and other categories.
Travel races, city trips and daily life, from a couple driving toward Asia to Pokémon card hauls.
Travel and endurance challenges against the clock, such as how many countries fit into seven days. In between come personal Shorts with friends and family.
2 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in fast food and online store software.
A married couple’s travel series, now driving a converted school bus from Europe toward Asia in the Mongol Rally. Weekly long episodes, some over an hour, make up most of the channel.
9 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in supplements, therapy apps and other categories.
Personal vlogs, mostly expensive Pokémon card buys and pack openings, plus lifestyle and wrestling storylines. Most uploads are long videos.
4 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in prediction markets.
Long lifestyle and travel vlogs with friends, framed as trips and events such as 24 hours in New York. Uploads are rare: one in the last 30 days.
No sponsored posts found in the last 90 days.
Three brothers filming daily life, trips and big news, such as getting a dog. Every recent upload is a long video.
3 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in event tickets and clothing.
Trick shots and sports with the rules changed, often with pro athletes as guests.
Five friends known for trick shots, battles and sports with the rules changed, often with pro athletes as guests. Shorts go up almost daily, and the long videos get about three times their views.
6 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in drinks, cars and other categories.
Basketball and football challenges and trick shots, often with pro athletes. Shorts outnumber the long videos about three to one.
16 sponsored posts in the last 90 days, in online marketplaces, sports betting and other categories.
We analyzed the 528 videos these 48 creators published on YouTube in the last 30 days. Of those, 34 beat their creator’s usual views by 3× or more.
Here are the hooks that are working, read from each post’s caption, title, or on-screen text.
“Can The World’s Strongest Man Break Out Of Prison?”
10 of the 34 breakouts ask something in the title, from which AI is smartest to whether the world’s strongest man can break out of prison. They come from 8 channels: tech, travel, gaming, sport, fitness, science and family challenge videos.
Topper Guild 56M views · 11.7× their usualEach question can be answered in a word or a number, and the video is the answer. The viewer knows what they will learn before pressing play, which is what a title has to do on a phone screen.
“iSHOWSPEED TUG OF WAR CHALLENGE!”
These titles name the contest and its stakes: a tug of war, $10,000 for the last cheater standing, a bar bend against fitness creators, 100 layers of a squishy toy against candy, and buying every abandoned toy to be found.
IShowSpeed 26M views · 4.1× their usualThe format is clear from the title alone, so the video can start straight in. For a sponsor it is also the format where a product can be the prize, the tool or the obstacle.
“iPhone 18 Pro TEARDOWN: They aren’t going to like this...”
These titles promise a surprise without saying what it is: “It’s not what it looks like…”, “The Sun Is Weirder Than You Think”, “I THOUGHT IT WAS FAKE” and a phone teardown that “they aren’t going to like”. Half of them come from JerryRigEverything.
JerryRigEverything 10M views · 13.2× their usualThe title only sets up the question; the first seconds of the video have to answer it. It suits channels that test or explain things, where the surprise is a real result.
Jesse James West: “Who Is The Strongest Fitness Youtuber? ($20,000 Competition)” reached 9.4M views, 10.7× their usual.
Zhong: “Zhong HATES Mystery Dumplings? 🥺” reached 22M views, 7.2× their usual.
Veritasium: “The Insane Real Engineering of the Nazi Enigma Machine” reached 19M views, 7× their usual.
What the channels on this list do at each size on YouTube. Use it to judge whether a creator’s numbers are strong for their tier.
| Tier | Subscribers | Median views | Engagement | Posts a week | Sponsored posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega | Under 20M | 1.4M | 2.3% | 1.2 | 22% |
| Mega | 20M to 50M | 2.7M | 2.3% | 1.8 | 21% |
| Mega | Over 50M | 4.8M | 1.6% | 3 | 11% |
Medians across these 48 accounts, from each account’s recent videos. “Sponsored posts” is the share of posts in the 90 days to Oct 12, 2026 that carry a paid-promotion label or a stated sponsor, or are part of a brand campaign.
If you want a YouTuber for a brand and haven’t settled on a kind of channel yet, these checks narrow the field faster than subscriber counts do.
A channel’s long videos and its Shorts can get very different views, in either direction. Ask for the median views of each format over the last 30 uploads, and judge the price on the format your brand will appear in.
A sponsor read inside a long video and a mention in a Short are different products, even on the same channel.
Several of the biggest channels sell their own snacks, drinks, coffee or clothing and link to them from the channel page. A creator with a candy brand will not read an ad for someone else’s, so check the links and the last few video descriptions first.
Most sponsors are named in the video description. Read the last ten: they show which categories a creator accepts, which brands come back, and which competitors you would sit beside in the same month.
YouTube Analytics shows a channel’s viewers by age. If your product has an age limit, such as betting or alcohol, ask for that screen before you book; the kind of content alone won’t tell you who watches. YouTube also lets a creator limit a branded video to adult viewers.
YouTube asks creators to select the paid promotion setting when a video includes a sponsor, which adds a disclosure label at the start of the video. Put the label in the contract, along with a spoken mention of the sponsor.
We identified and ranked these creators by searching hundreds of thousands of top performing posts across YouTube with Klint.
We rank by median views across each channel’s recent videos, long videos and Shorts together, so one viral video can’t lift a channel up the list. Any channel from any country qualifies if it posts in English or with no words.
To get this list or a similar one for yourself, describe the creators you’re looking for in the Klint web app, or paste this prompt into any AI agent connected to Klint:
Find the top 48 English-language YouTubers, ranked by median views across their last 30 videos or last 90 days, whichever is lower. For each: subscribers, engagement, uploads a week, best video this month, and sponsored videos.
Klint is trusted by 1,000+ marketers for AI-native influencer marketing.
As of October 2026 the top five YouTubers by median views are MrBeast, Nick DiGiovanni, Stokes Twins, Airrack and Mark Rober. The next five are Brent Rivera, Mrwhosetheboss, IShowSpeed, Marques Brownlee and Sidemen.
MrBeast, by both measures on this list. The channel has 521M subscribers, more than three times the next largest here (Stokes Twins, 148M), and a typical video reaches 84M views.
The list leaves out channels with fewer than six uploads in the last 90 days, because their median would rest on old videos. PewDiePie uploaded 3 times in that window, and Kai Cenat once.
32 of the 48 channels set the United States as their country, 4 the United Kingdom and 2 Canada. Ireland and the Netherlands have one each, and 8 channels set no country.
By hand, search YouTube for your product’s topic, filter by upload date, and note the channels whose recent videos get views, not only their old hits. Klint runs that search across channels in one request, for example "cooking YouTubers with over 500K median views and no snack sponsors in the last 90 days".
Price follows the format and the views a channel can show for it: a read inside a long video, a mention in a Short, and a video built around your product are priced differently. Exclusivity in your category, the right to reuse the clip in your own ads, and the number of videos all move the price, so ask for rates per format.
Yes. Any creator can ask to be taken off Klint’s lists, and the request applies to every page they would otherwise appear on.
On this list and would rather not be? Write to privacy@tryklint.ai and Klint will take you off.
