From PewDiePie to Shane Dawson, these are the 23 most popular YouTube stars in the world

YouTube has become the de-facto launchpad for the next generation of celebrities, personalities, and big stars.

Well-known names like PewDiePie, Shane Dawson, and Smosh have racked up millions of subscribers over the years by uploading videos on YouTube and forming seemingly personal relationships with their fans. From comedians to gamers to vloggers of all kinds, YouTubers have harnessed the video-sharing platform to build their followings and brands from nothing more than a video camera and a solid internet connection.

To get a closer look into which stars rule YouTube, we looked at the SocialBlade rankings to see which channels have the most subscribers. We focused on independent YouTube stars, disregarding YouTube channels from mainstream celebrities and music record labels.

These are the YouTube personalities with the most subscribers: