The Forum
Marketing Agency.
The English-speaking internet argues, recommends and decides on a few dozen forums. We get your brand into those conversations.
Most modern discourse happens in forum threads.
Before people buy, they ask other people. They search “best [product] reddit”, read the Mumsnet thread, check what Hacker News said about the launch. These forums are where opinions form, and where products get recommended or ruled out.
Most brands ignore them, or turn up once with a sales pitch and get downvoted. We treat forums as a channel in their own right: we start conversations, join the ones already happening and become a voice the community actually wants to hear from. Across dozens of communities, that adds up to real influence over how your category is talked about.
AI learns what to recommend from forums.
What the models are trained on
Reddit licenses its data to Google and OpenAI. Quora, Stack Overflow and the big forums are crawled constantly. When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for a recommendation, the answer is shaped by what real people have said in threads like these. If nobody is discussing your brand, AI has nothing to repeat.
ChatGPT · Gemini · PerplexityLinked to AI SEO, sold on its own
Forum presence is one of the fastest ways to show up in AI answers, which is why it sits at the heart of our generative engine optimisation work. But you don’t need an SEO retainer to use it. We offer forum marketing as a standalone service, with its own strategy, team and reporting.
Standalone serviceHow we ranked the internet’s forums.
Size alone doesn’t tell you where to spend your time. A million gamers with pocket money are worth less to most brands than a hundred thousand parents running a household budget. So we ranked every major forum by size, then by who is actually reading.
Rank by size
We listed the 50 biggest discussion forums on the internet, in any language, by estimated monthly users.
Keep the English
We removed forums that don’t operate in English or sit outside the markets our clients sell into. 27 remained.
Score the audience
We scored each forum’s audience on disposable income and on how likely they are to buy, then tagged its main country.
Map to niche
We mapped every forum to the categories it influences, so each brand knows exactly which conversations matter to it.
The 50 biggest forums on the internet.
Ranked by estimated monthly users. Faded rows are not English-language and are removed in the next step.
| # | Forum | Region / focus | Monthly users |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Global, everything | ~1B+ | |
| 02 | Quora | Global Q&A | ~300–400M |
| 03 | Baidu Tieba | China | ~300M |
| 04 | Steam Community | Global gaming | ~100M+ |
| 05 | Zhihu | China Q&A | ~80–100M |
| 06 | Stack Overflow / Stack Exchange | Global developers | ~50–100M |
| 07 | Naver Cafe | South Korea | Tens of millions |
| 08 | Douban | China | Tens of millions |
| 09 | Hupu | China, sport | ~30–50M |
| 10 | DC Inside | South Korea | ~30M+ |
| 11 | Microsoft Community | Global tech support | ~30M+ |
| 12 | Apple Support Communities | Global tech support | ~20–30M |
| 13 | 4chan | Global imageboard | ~20–30M |
| 14 | 5ch | Japan | ~20M+ |
| 15 | Dcard | Taiwan | ~15–20M |
| 16 | Kaskus | Indonesia | ~10–20M |
| 17 | PTT | Taiwan | ~10M+ |
| 18 | Mumsnet | UK parenting | ~10M+ |
| 19 | XDA Developers | Global Android | ~10M |
| 20 | Hacker News | Global tech | ~5–10M |
| 21 | Pantip | Thailand | ~5–15M |
| 22 | Jeuxvideo.com forums | France | ~5–15M |
| 23 | Pikabu | Russia | ~5–15M |
| 24 | 4PDA | Russia | ~5–15M |
| 25 | FMKorea | South Korea | ~5–15M |
| 26 | Gutefrage.net | Germany | ~5–15M |
| 27 | NGA | China, gaming | ~5–15M |
| 28 | Nairaland | Nigeria | ~5–15M |
| 29 | Google Help Community | Global tech support | ~5–15M |
| 30 | Blizzard forums | Global gaming | ~5–15M |
| 31 | GameFAQs | Global gaming | ~2–8M |
| 32 | TripAdvisor Forums | Global travel | ~2–8M |
| 33 | City-Data | US | ~2–8M |
| 34 | The Student Room | UK students | ~2–8M |
| 35 | Theqoo | South Korea | ~2–8M |
| 36 | Ruliweb | South Korea | ~2–8M |
| 37 | Forocoches | Spain | ~2–8M |
| 38 | HardwareZone Forums | Singapore | ~2–8M |
| 39 | Inven | South Korea | ~2–8M |
| 40 | Habr | Russia | ~2–8M |
| 41 | MacRumors Forums | Global Apple | ~1–5M |
| 42 | Tom’s Hardware Forums | Global PC hardware | ~1–5M |
| 43 | Linus Tech Tips Forum | Global PC and tech | ~1–5M |
| 44 | RedFlagDeals | Canada | ~1–5M |
| 45 | Whirlpool | Australia | ~1–5M |
| 46 | ResetEra | Global gaming | ~1–5M |
| 47 | Digital Spy Forums | UK entertainment | ~1–5M |
| 48 | PistonHeads | UK cars | ~1–5M |
| 49 | Head-Fi | Global audio | ~1–5M |
| 50 | BlackHatWorld | Global SEO and marketing | ~1–5M |
Leng Media estimates, October 2026, combining published platform figures with third-party traffic data. Below the top ten, neighbouring forums are often within the margin of error of each other.
The 27 English-language forums that matter.
Still ranked by size, now with each forum’s main country, the income of its audience and how likely that audience is to buy.
| # | Forum | Main country | Monthly users | Audience income | Buying intent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | US, then UK, Canada, Australia | ~1B+ | High | High | |
| 02 | Quora | India and US, then UK | ~300–400M | Mid | Mid |
| 03 | Steam Community | US, then global | ~100M+ | Low-mid | Low |
| 04 | Stack Overflow | US and India, then global | ~50–100M | High | Mid |
| 05 | Microsoft Community | US, then global | ~30M+ | Mid | Low-mid |
| 06 | Apple Support Communities | US, then UK | ~20–30M | High | Mid |
| 07 | 4chan | US | ~20–30M | Low-mid | Low |
| 08 | Mumsnet | UK | ~10M+ | High | Very high |
| 09 | XDA Developers | US and India | ~10M | Mid | Mid |
| 10 | Hacker News | US, then UK and Europe | ~5–10M | Very high | High |
| 11 | Google Help Community | US, then global | ~5–15M | Mid | Low-mid |
| 12 | Blizzard forums | US | ~5–15M | Low-mid | Low |
| 13 | GameFAQs | US | ~2–8M | Low-mid | Low |
| 14 | TripAdvisor Forums | US and UK | ~2–8M | High | High |
| 15 | City-Data | US | ~2–8M | Mid-high | Mid-high |
| 16 | The Student Room | UK | ~2–8M | Low | Low |
| 17 | HardwareZone Forums | Singapore | ~2–8M | High | Mid-high |
| 18 | MacRumors Forums | US, then UK | ~1–5M | High | High |
| 19 | Tom’s Hardware Forums | US | ~1–5M | Mid | Mid-high |
| 20 | Linus Tech Tips Forum | US and Canada | ~1–5M | Low-mid | Mid |
| 21 | RedFlagDeals | Canada | ~1–5M | Mid-high | Very high |
| 22 | Whirlpool | Australia | ~1–5M | Mid-high | High |
| 23 | ResetEra | US | ~1–5M | Mid | Low-mid |
| 24 | Digital Spy Forums | UK | ~1–5M | Mid | Mid |
| 25 | PistonHeads | UK | ~1–5M | Very high | High |
| 26 | Head-Fi | US, then global | ~1–5M | High | High |
| 27 | BlackHatWorld | Global | ~1–5M | Mid | Mid |
Want to know which of these forums your customers use?
Book a CallRanked by disposable income and buying intent.
This is the ranking we plan campaigns from. Hacker News and PistonHeads are small, but their readers earn and spend more than anyone else’s. Mumsnet’s readers control household budgets. Reddit combines high income with huge scale. Steam and The Student Room sit near the bottom today, but they reach people at an earlier stage of life, and the brands they trust now are the ones they buy from later.
| # | Forum | Audience income | Buying intent | Main country | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hacker News | Very high | High | US, then UK and Europe | Tech, SaaS, startups, developer tools, media |
| 02 | PistonHeads | Very high | High | UK | Cars, watches, property, money |
| 03 | Mumsnet | High | Very high | UK | Household, parenting, home, family finance, travel |
| 04 | High | High | US, then UK, Canada, Australia | Everything: tech, finance, products, hobbies | |
| 05 | TripAdvisor Forums | High | High | US and UK | Travel, hotels, experiences |
| 06 | MacRumors Forums | High | High | US, then UK | Apple, premium tech |
| 07 | Head-Fi | High | High | US, then global | Premium audio |
| 08 | HardwareZone Forums | High | Mid-high | Singapore | Tech, property, cars, money |
| 09 | Stack Overflow | High | Mid | US and India, then global | Developer tools, SaaS, APIs |
| 10 | Apple Support Communities | High | Mid | US, then UK | Apple devices, accessories, software |
| 11 | RedFlagDeals | Mid-high | Very high | Canada | Deals, retail, personal finance |
| 12 | Whirlpool | Mid-high | High | Australia | Broadband, tech, finance, property |
| 13 | City-Data | Mid-high | Mid-high | US | Property, relocation, local services |
| 14 | Tom’s Hardware Forums | Mid | Mid-high | US | PC components, peripherals |
| 15 | Quora | Mid | Mid | India and US, then UK | Q&A, education, B2B, health, finance |
| 16 | XDA Developers | Mid | Mid | US and India | Android, phones, gadgets |
| 17 | Digital Spy Forums | Mid | Mid | UK | TV, streaming, entertainment |
| 18 | BlackHatWorld | Mid | Mid | Global | Marketing tools. Brand risk. |
| 19 | Microsoft Community | Mid | Low-mid | US, then global | Windows, Office, PC support |
| 20 | Google Help Community | Mid | Low-mid | US, then global | Google products, small business tools |
| 21 | ResetEra | Mid | Low-mid | US | Gaming, entertainment |
| 22 | Linus Tech Tips Forum | Low-mid | Mid | US and Canada | PC builds, gadgets |
| 23 | Steam Community | Low-mid | Low | US, then global | Gaming, in-game items, PC hardware |
| 24 | 4chan | Low-mid | Low | US | Not brand-safe. Monitor only. |
| 25 | Blizzard forums | Low-mid | Low | US | Gaming |
| 26 | GameFAQs | Low-mid | Low | US | Gaming |
| 27 | The Student Room | Low | Low | UK | Education, first bank accounts, careers |
Income and intent are Leng Media’s assessments of each audience, based on its demographics, main country and what is discussed there. Quora scores lower than its size suggests because a large share of its traffic comes from India, but its answers rank in Google and get cited by AI worldwide.
Where each market talks.
English-speaking doesn’t mean one audience. Each country has its own forums, and its own subreddits within Reddit.
United Kingdom
- MumsnetHousehold spend
- PistonHeadsAffluent buyers
- Digital SpyEntertainment
- The Student RoomFuture buyers
- Reddit (r/UnitedKingdom, r/UKPersonalFinance)Reach
United States
- RedditReach and income
- Hacker NewsTech decision makers
- MacRumorsPremium tech
- City-DataProperty and relocation
- Head-FiEnthusiast spend
- Tom’s HardwarePC components
Canada
- RedFlagDealsReady to buy
- Reddit (r/PersonalFinanceCanada)Reach
- Linus Tech TipsTech
Australia
- WhirlpoolTech, broadband, money
- Reddit (r/australia, r/AusFinance)Reach
Singapore
- HardwareZoneTech, property, cars
Global (English)
- QuoraSearch and AI visibility
- Stack OverflowDevelopers
- TripAdvisor ForumsTravel
- Apple Support CommunitiesApple users
- Steam CommunityGaming
The right forum for your category.
| # | Category | Where to be | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Household, family and home | Mumsnet, Reddit | Mothers control or influence most household purchases. Mumsnet is where UK parents compare them. |
| 02 | Tech, SaaS and developer tools | Hacker News, Stack Overflow, Reddit | Engineers and founders who choose the tools their companies pay for. |
| 03 | Media, podcasts and apps | Hacker News, Reddit, Quora | Early adopters who try new products and tell people about them. |
| 04 | Cars, watches and luxury | PistonHeads, Reddit | The highest disposable income of any UK forum audience. |
| 05 | Premium consumer tech | MacRumors, Head-Fi, Apple Support Communities | Enthusiasts who pay for the best version of a product. |
| 06 | Travel and hospitality | TripAdvisor Forums, Reddit, Mumsnet | Holidays are planned in threads, with budgets already set. |
| 07 | Property and relocation | City-Data, HardwareZone, Whirlpool | The biggest purchase most people make, researched for months. |
| 08 | Deals and retail | RedFlagDeals, Reddit | People who arrive with their card out. |
| 09 | Personal finance | Reddit, PistonHeads, Whirlpool, Quora | High-value products, researched heavily before anyone signs up. |
| 10 | PC hardware and gaming | Tom’s Hardware, Linus Tech Tips, Steam, ResetEra | Younger and lower income, but loyal and vocal. Worth it for hardware and in-game spend. |
| 11 | Education and early careers | The Student Room, Quora | Low spend today. Influence them now and you win the buyer they become. |
Shaping the conversation, at scale.
Open about who we are. Useful in every reply.
Disclosed, rule-following accounts
We post from clearly identified brand, founder and staff accounts, and we follow each community’s self-promotion rules to the letter. Forums punish anything that looks like astroturfing, and UK law treats undisclosed promotion as misleading advertising. Openness is what keeps your accounts alive and your reputation intact.
Value first, product second
Most of what we post doesn’t mention you at all. We answer questions, share expertise and take part in the conversation about your industry. That builds the standing that makes a recommendation land when your product is the right answer.
Forum marketing, explained.
Forum marketing means getting your brand into the conversations people already have on Reddit, Quora, Mumsnet, Hacker News and other forums. Instead of paying for an ad slot, you take part: you start threads, answer questions and recommend products where they genuinely help. Done well, it builds trust, referral traffic and visibility in Google and AI answers.
No. Reddit Ads and Quora Ads are paid placements, and we can run those too. This service is organic: real participation in the community, which keeps working long after an ad budget runs out.
Large language models learn from public conversations, and Reddit licenses its data to both Google and OpenAI. Forum threads are among the sources AI answers cite most often. If people aren’t talking about your brand on forums, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity have very little to say about you.
It works hand in hand with our ecommerce SEO and generative engine optimisation (GEO) work, but you can buy it as a standalone service. Plenty of brands start here because forum mentions move faster than link building.
Yes. We post from clearly identified brand, founder and staff accounts, and we follow each community’s rules on self-promotion. Undisclosed promotion breaks platform rules and, in the UK, consumer protection law. It also gets accounts banned, which helps nobody.
It depends on who buys from you. Use the tables on this page as a starting point: household brands belong on Mumsnet, tech and media products on Hacker News and Reddit, luxury and automotive on PistonHeads. On a call we will map the exact communities and threads for your category.
Replies on high-traffic threads can send referral traffic within days. Building a reputation in a community, and having AI tools pick up on it, takes three to six months of consistent activity.
Join the conversation.
Book a free call. We will map the forums and threads that matter for your brand.
Book a Free Strategy CallNo lock-in contracts. Response within 24 hours.