BeReal arrived in 2020 with a simple pitch: no filters, no follower counts, no highlight reel. Once a day, at a random moment, everyone gets the same notification and two minutes to post an unedited photo from both cameras at once. That idea made it Apple’s iPhone App of the Year in 2022 and one of the fastest-growing apps on the planet.
Then the buzz faded, downloads collapsed, and the company nearly ran out of money before mobile publisher Voodoo bought it in 2024. The most interesting part of the BeReal story now is the second act: a viral app that crashed, got acquired, and is quietly rebuilding around advertising instead of hype. Below are the latest BeReal statistics, refreshed from Voodoo’s own reporting, BeReal’s ad announcements and current usage data.
BeReal at a Glance
BeReal was founded in France by Alexis Barreyat, a former GoPro employee, and launched publicly in 2020. It grew explosively through 2021 and 2022, especially on US college campuses, before usage cooled and the startup began looking for a buyer.
BeReal Reports 40 Million Monthly Active Users
BeReal says it has around 40 million monthly active users in 2025, including roughly 5 million in the United States. It is worth being careful with this figure: when BeReal published it alongside its US ad launch, TechCrunch noted it could not independently verify the number, and third-party estimates of daily usage run much lower, closer to 3 million.
What is clearer is engagement among the people who stay. Voodoo says half of BeReal’s users in its top markets open the app at least six days a week, which is a strong retention signal even at a smaller scale.
Voodoo Bought BeReal for €500 Million
In June 2024, French publisher Voodoo acquired BeReal for €500 million, or roughly $537 million. Reporting at the time indicated only about one-third of that was paid in cash up front, with the rest tied to future performance.
The context matters. BeReal was losing money and shrinking when the deal closed, and it was running low on the venture funding that had carried it, including a $30 million Series A in 2021 and a $60 million Series B in 2022. Voodoo installed new leadership and set out to turn a viral hit into a durable business.
BeReal Usage and Downloads
BeReal Has Passed 115 Million Downloads
BeReal has been installed more than 115 million times since launch as of early 2025. Most of that volume came during the 2022 surge, and the pace has slowed dramatically since: BeReal drew roughly 10 million downloads across 2024, and early 2025 installs were down about 50% year over year.
The App Peaked at 73.5 Million Monthly Users in 2022
BeReal’s high-water mark was around 73.5 million monthly users in August 2022. The drop from that peak to today’s reported 40 million is the core of the BeReal narrative: an app that captured a cultural moment, then had to prove it was more than a fad.
Half of Users in Top Markets Open It Six Days a Week
Even as totals fell, the loyal core stayed loyal. In BeReal’s biggest markets, about 50% of users are active six days a week, according to Voodoo. That daily-ritual habit, one prompt, one post, is exactly what makes the audience attractive to advertisers now.
BeReal Demographics
About 85% of Users Are Gen Z
BeReal is overwhelmingly young. Roughly 85% of its users are Gen Z, concentrated in the 16 to 24 age band. That skew is a big part of the pitch to brands, since Gen Z is hard to reach on older, more crowded platforms.
The US, France and Japan Are the Biggest Markets
BeReal’s strongest markets are the United States, France and Japan. The US is the single largest audience, France reflects the app’s home-country roots, and Japan has been a bright spot for growth under Voodoo even as other regions flattened out.
The Audience Skews Female
Across its top countries, BeReal’s user base tilts toward women. In the United States the split is roughly 58% female to 42% male, and the female skew is even stronger in several European markets. That profile has held since the app’s earliest growth on campuses.
How BeReal Makes Money Now
For years BeReal had no real business model, relying on venture funding while it figured out monetization. Under Voodoo, that changed fast.
BeReal Launched US Ads in April 2025
BeReal rolled out its US advertising platform in April 2025, following earlier launches in Europe and Japan. The format keeps the app’s look: native in-feed ads styled like the dual-camera posts users already make, plus full-day brand takeovers. To lead the push, BeReal hired former TikTok executive Ben Moore to run its US operation.
More than 200 advertisers have run campaigns on BeReal internationally, including Nike, Netflix, Amazon and Levi’s. The timing is deliberate: BeReal is positioning itself as a home for Gen Z ad budgets that might otherwise go to a more uncertain TikTok.
Revenue Reached €30 Million in 2025
The clearest proof the strategy is working is the top line. Voodoo reported that BeReal generated about €30 million in revenue in 2025, up from essentially zero at the time of acquisition. Voodoo has described BeReal as breaking even with a stabilized audience and has laid out a path to full profitability by 2027.
It is a modest number next to giants like Instagram, but for an app that many people wrote off in 2023, going from no revenue to €30 million in a year is a real turnaround.
The Bottom Line
BeReal’s numbers tell a two-part story. Part one was the crash: from a 73.5 million-user peak in 2022 to a near-death search for a buyer. Part two is the rebuild: Voodoo’s €500 million bet, a reported 40 million monthly users, a Gen Z audience that opens the app almost daily, and €30 million in fresh advertising revenue.
The open question is whether “authentic” social media can hold an audience once ads and growth targets enter the picture, the very things BeReal was built to avoid. For now, the app that promised to keep it real is proving it can also keep the lights on. To see how it stacks up against the rest of the field, browse our roundup of the most popular social media platforms.
