World Sites & Apps
Asia · #17 · 2025–2026

Iran: internet and everyday apps

Iran has about 73 million people online — a penetration rate of 79.3% and rank #17 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 22 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 73 million Penetration 79.3% World rank #17 Updated 2026-11-12
Language فارسیEnglish
TL;DR
  • Iran has roughly 73 million internet users (73,000,000 people) — about 79.3% of the population and rank #17 globally.
  • The apps people open most: Telegram, WhatsApp, Bale, Signal. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Maps and more.
  • The one to know first: Telegram — Cloud messaging focused on speed and privacy.

Iran in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
73 million73,000,000 · #17
Penetration
79.3%#115
Population
92 million92,000,000 · #17
GDP
$475B#34
GDP growth
+3.7%#87
GDP per person
$5,166#140
Land area
1.65M km²#18
Capital
Tehran
Region
Asia
Official languages
Persian (official)

How Iran goes online

Iran is young, well-educated and heavily online — inside a restricted internet. Local services fill the gap: Digikala for shopping, Snapp and Tapsi for rides, Aparat for video, while Telegram and Instagram remain the social channels people reach for.

Around 79.3%. With a population of about 92 million and 73 million online, roughly 19 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 22 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

22 Most-used apps

Messaging

4 Most-used apps →
Telegram Messaging · Telegram FZ-LLC · 2013 WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Bale Messaging · Bale · 2017 Signal Messaging · Signal Foundation · 2015

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Instagram Social · Meta · 2010 OK.ru Social · VK 集团 · 2006

Video

4 Most-used apps →
Aparat Video · Saba Idea · 2011 Netflix Video · Netflix, Inc. · 1997 Filimo Video · Filimo · 2014 Namava Video · Namava · 2014

Shopping

3 Most-used apps →
Digikala Shopping · Digikala · 2006 Basalam Shopping · Basalam · 2017 Torob Shopping · Torob · 2015

Mobility

2 Most-used apps →
Snapp Mobility · Snapp Group · 2014 Tapsi Mobility · Tapsi · 2017

Music

2 Most-used apps →
Spotify Music · Spotify AB · 2008 YouTube Music Music · Google · 2015

Travel

1 Most-used apps →
Alibaba.ir Travel · Alibaba Travels · 2014

Tools

2 Most-used apps →
Google Maps Tools · Google · 2005 Cafe Bazaar Tools · Cafe Bazaar · 2010

Classifieds

1 Most-used apps →
Divar Classifieds · Divar（Hezardastan） · 2012

Maps

1 Most-used apps →
Balad Maps · Balad · 2019

Websites people in Iran actually use

14

The 14 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Shopping2TV & media2News2Transport2Banking2Classifieds1Sport1Telecom1Mail1
DigikalaShoppingdigikala.comIran’s largest online store, from phones and laptops to kitchenware. TorobShoppingtorob.comThe price-comparison step before anyone buys electronics. AparatTV & mediaaparat.comPersian video: tutorials, comedy, vlogs and clips from everywhere. IRIBTV & mediairib.irThe state radio and television organisation. ISNANewsisna.irThe students’ news agency, often a step ahead of official outlets. IRNANewsirna.irThe official state news agency, where speeches and statements get published in full. SnappTransportsnapp.irRide-hailing that became normal in Tehran and the larger cities. Iran AirTransportiranair.comThe flag carrier, still flying one of the oldest active fleets. ZarinpalBankingzarinpal.comThe payment gateway small shops use to take money online. Central Bank of IranBankingcbi.irThe central bank: exchange rates and monetary policy. DivarClassifiedsdivar.irClassifieds for flats, cars and second-hand goods — where everyone looks first. Varzesh3Sportvarzesh3.comLive football scores and sports news — the servers struggle on derby days. MCITelecommci.irThe country’s largest mobile operator. Iran PostMailpost.irThe national post, with offices in every city.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Iran are online?

About 73 million (73,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 79.3% of the population, which puts Iran at #17 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Iran use most?

Mostly Telegram, WhatsApp, Bale, Signal — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Maps. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Iran?

Telegram, WhatsApp, Bale, Signal dominate this space. The best-known is Telegram — Cloud messaging focused on speed and privacy.

How high is internet penetration in Iran?

Around 79.3%. With a population of about 92 million and 73 million online, roughly 19 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Iran?

The everyday ones are Digikala, Divar, Aparat, plus the other 14 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Iran: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/ir-en.html