World Sites & Apps
Asia · #48 · 2025–2026

Nepal: internet and everyday apps

Nepal has about 18.5 million people online — a penetration rate of 61.7% and rank #48 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 26 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 18.5 million Penetration 61.7% World rank #48 Updated 2026-11-12
Language नेपालीEnglish
TL;DR
  • Nepal has roughly 18.5 million internet users (18,500,000 people) — about 61.7% of the population and rank #48 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Tools, Payments, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Gaming, Classifieds and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Nepal in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
18.5 million18,500,000 · #48
Penetration
61.7%#159
Population
30 million30,000,000 · #51
GDP
$43B#103
GDP growth
+3.7%#89
GDP per person
$1,443#186
Land area
147.2k km²#94
Capital
Kathmandu
Region
Asia
Official languages
Nepali

How Nepal goes online

Facebook is what a great many people in Nepal mean by the internet: the first tab opened in the morning, the place where a shop page, a news bulletin and a family photograph share one feed. TikTok has grown quickly among the young. eSewa and Khalti carry bills, top-ups and transfers, Daraz brings the parcel, and Pathao brings the ride or the meal, often within minutes.

Around 61.7%. With a population of about 30 million and 18.5 million online, roughly 11.5 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 26 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

26 Most-used apps

Messaging

1 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

1 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Daraz Shopping · Daraz（阿里巴巴旗下） · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
inDrive Mobility · inDrive · 2012

Tools

2 Most-used apps →
Google Tools · Google · 1998 Gmail Tools · Google · 2004

Payments

1 Most-used apps →
eSewa Payments · F1Soft Group · 2009

AI assistants

6 Most-used apps →
ChatGPT AI assistants · OpenAI · 2022 Gemini AI assistants · Google · 2023 Claude AI assistants · Anthropic · 2023 Microsoft Copilot AI assistants · Microsoft · 2023 Grok AI assistants · xAI · 2023 Meta AI AI assistants · Meta · 2023

Learning

5 Most-used apps →
Duolingo Learning · Duolingo · 2012 Coursera Learning · Coursera · 2012 Khan Academy Learning · Khan Academy · 2008 Udemy Learning · Udemy · 2010 Photomath Learning · Photomath (Google) · 2014

Health

1 Most-used apps →
Samsung Health Health · Samsung · 2012

Parcels

2 Most-used apps →
17TRACK Parcels · 17TRACK · 2010 DHL Parcels · DHL Group · 1969

Gaming

2 Most-used apps →
PUBG Mobile Gaming · Krafton · Level Infinite · 2018 Garena Free Fire Gaming · Garena · 2017

Classifieds

1 Most-used apps →
Hamrobazar Classifieds · Hamrobazar · 2012

Websites people in Nepal actually use

19

The 19 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News4Banking4Telecom2Shopping1Classifieds1Transport1Mail1Education1Sport1Government1Food1Jobs1
OnlinekhabarNewsonlinekhabar.comThe first news site many check after waking up, updated quickly. eKantipurNewsekantipur.comThe online Kantipur, with solid reporting on politics and society. SetopatiNewssetopati.comIndependent online news, with analysis and blogs you can actually read. The Kathmandu PostNewskathmandupost.comThe English daily of record. eSewaBankingesewa.com.npPaying electricity bills and topping up phones, used by almost everyone. KhaltiBankingkhalti.comAnother digital wallet, handy for booking tickets and paying online. Nabil BankBankingnabilbank.comNepal’s first private commercial bank, thickest branch network in Kathmandu. Nepal Rastra BankBankingnrb.org.npThe central bank: rupee rates and foreign-exchange rules. Nepal TelecomTelecomntc.net.npThe state telecom site for top-ups, internet packages and bill checks. NcellTelecomncell.com.npThe private mobile network. Daraz NepalShoppingdaraz.com.npThe place for online shopping, with cheap goods delivered to your door. HamrobazarClassifiedshamrobazar.comWhere people look for a used phone, a scooter or a room to rent. Nepal AirlinesTransportnepalairlines.com.npThe state carrier, including mountain routes out of Kathmandu. Nepal PostMailnepalpost.gov.npPost offices in every district, the way mail reaches the hills. Tribhuvan UniversityEducationtu.edu.npThe largest university. Cricket Association of NepalSportcricketnepal.orgFixtures and tickets. Department of Hydrology and MeteorologyGovernmentdhm.gov.npForecasts and flood warnings. FoodmanduFoodfoodmandu.comKathmandu delivery, and the momo shops. MerojobJobsmerojob.comKathmandu jobs, and the career advice column.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

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

About 18.5 million (18,500,000 people). That works out to roughly 61.7% of the population, which puts Nepal at #48 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 Nepal use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Tools, Payments, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Gaming, Classifieds. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Nepal?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Nepal?

Around 61.7%. With a population of about 30 million and 18.5 million online, roughly 11.5 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 Nepal?

The everyday ones are Onlinekhabar, eKantipur, eSewa, plus the other 19 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. “Nepal: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/np-en.html