Breaking Records: Russia’s Max Messenger Nearly Doubles Its Daily Audience
The Russian national messenger Max is on a rapid growth trajectory. From September 1 to 16, its average daily audience nearly doubled compared to August, reaching 13.7 million users.
Growth Momentum Continues
The Max messenger and digital platform is quickly gaining traction. According to Mediascope, between September 1 and 16, its daily reach nearly doubled compared to August, hitting 13.7 million users. The peak came on September 11, when daily activity hit 16.4 million. In total, 34.5 million users engaged with the platform in just half a month. VK CEO Vladimir Kirienko noted that the service now handles about 15 million calls per day—a hundredfold increase over the past month.
From Online Shops to Group Chats
The beta version of Max launched this fall. Users can create personal and group chats, make free voice and video calls (even with weak internet), send stickers and reactions, and use mini-apps and bots. Starting an online store or setting up a delivery service menu has been made easy.
The messenger integrates with VK’s AI assistant GigaChat, enabling users to generate text and images, transcribe audio, and summarize articles. A built-in digital ID functions as an electronic passport for identity and age verification.
Max is available on App Store, RuStore, and Google Play, ensuring wide accessibility. This strengthens its role as a Russian alternative to foreign platforms, reducing the risks of restrictions or service blocks.
A Magnet for Content
The sharp rise in daily usage indicates Russia is building a mass-market communication platform.
For the IT sector, Max’s success expands VK’s advertising inventory and ecosystem reach. While many have downloaded the app, current ratios of monthly to daily active users suggest adoption is still in early stages. Analysts expect engagement to grow rapidly in the near term.
Igor Demidov, CEO of digital agency D-Agency, predicts monthly reach could grow another 15–25% by year-end. This expansion paves the way for monetization—more ad spending and new services that will accelerate product development.
One key driver has been the rapid growth in channels: within the first 24 hours of open testing, the number of channels increased 3.5 times, with 1,500 new channels launched. This positions Max as a critical tool for media and bloggers, turning it into a magnet for diverse content.
Security has also been prioritized. Two-factor authentication boosts user trust and makes the app suitable for corporate use.
Audience Growth as the Key to Success
Currently, Max primarily serves Russian- and Belarusian-registered numbers. But in the future, it could evolve into an export-ready IT product for neighboring markets.
Nearly doubling its daily audience in just two weeks of September, as confirmed by Mediascope, marks a decisive step toward becoming Russia’s “number one national messenger” in growth pace.
WhatsApp still dominates with entrenched family and work chats, but the landscape is shifting. According to Mikhail Yeliseykin, director of trading and media partnerships at Group4Media, by 2026 Max’s average daily audience could reach 20% of Russia’s population.
