Wattpad
A Toronto-founded storytelling community where users publish and read serialized fiction.
Wattpad at a glance
Wattpad is a social media website and one of the most visited sites in Canada, currently ranked #161 in the country. It was founded in 2006 by Allen Lau, Ivan Yuen and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Today Wattpad is owned by Naver Corporation. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 60 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through advertising, paid stories, premium subscriptions. Its closest rivals include webtoons.com, medium.com, goodreads.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 56.4 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 58.2 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 60 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 63.6 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct76%
- Organic search13%
- Referral6%
- Paid3%
- Email2%
Audience & demographics
- Men52%
- Women48%
- Age 18-2430%
- Age 25-3429%
- Age 35-4420%
The audience is concentrated in Canada, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Canada86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 18 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- Canada
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| wattpad | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| login | Top 10 | High | — |
| sign up | Top 10 | High | — |
| download app | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the Canada web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 88% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading social media apps in Canada
Company information
- Website
- wattpad.com
- Sector
- Social Media
- Owner
- Naver Corporation
- Owner type
- Subsidiary of public company
- Founders
- Allen Lau, Ivan Yuen
- Founded
- 2006
- Headquarters
- Toronto, Canada
- Employees
- 300+
- Ownership
- Naver Corporation controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English, many others
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, referral
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Wattpad operates a social platform focused on Canada. A Toronto-founded storytelling community where users publish and read serialized fiction. Revenue comes mainly from advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Advertising
- Paid stories
- Premium subscriptions
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- Canada
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Canada)
- #161 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading social media site in Canada
- Global rank
- 900
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| webtoons.com | ≈ 36 million / month | #162 class competitor | — |
| medium.com | ≈ 27 million / month | #163 class competitor | — |
| goodreads.com | ≈ 18 million / month | #164 class competitor | — |
What is Wattpad?
Wattpad (wattpad.com) is a social platform serving users in Canada. A Toronto-founded storytelling community where users publish and read serialized fiction. It ranks #161 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the social media category.
Who owns Wattpad?
The site is operated by Naver Corporation, founded by Allen Lau, Ivan Yuen. The company was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It employs around 300+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Wattpad at roughly 60 million visits per month, about 2 million per day. Around 88% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 11.4 pages per visit with an average session of 12 min.
How Wattpad makes money
Revenue comes primarily from advertising, alongside paid stories, premium subscriptions.
Competitors in Canada
Its closest rivals include webtoons.com, medium.com, goodreads.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 2006
Wattpad is founded in Toronto, Canada.
- Growth phase
Expands its social media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #161 among the most visited websites in Canada.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Very high daily engagement
- Strong creator and community ecosystem
- Free to use with broad reach
- Self-serve advertising for small businesses
Cons
- Moderation and misinformation criticism
- Privacy and data-use concerns
- Algorithm changes hurt organic reach
- Ad load increases over time
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Wattpad?
Wattpad is operated by Naver Corporation. Subsidiary of public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Wattpad headquartered?
Wattpad is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
When was Wattpad founded?
Wattpad was founded in 2006 by Allen Lau, Ivan Yuen.
How many employees does Wattpad have?
Wattpad employs approximately 300+ people.
What is Wattpad's revenue?
Wattpad's revenue: ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Wattpad's competitors?
Main competitors in Canada include webtoons.com, medium.com, goodreads.com.
How does Wattpad make money?
Mainly advertising, paid stories, premium subscriptions.
Is Wattpad publicly traded?
Wattpad's ownership: Subsidiary of public company.
How many visitors does Wattpad get?
Third-party estimates place Wattpad at roughly 60 million visits per month, mostly from Canada, with 88% mobile traffic.
Is Wattpad safe?
Wattpad is an established social media site founded in 2006 and ranked #161 in Canada; use the official domain wattpad.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementswattpad.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageCanada and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos