Vietnamese digital platforms, including messaging apps and social networks like Zalo and the Cốc Cốc browser, continue to compete strongly and hold high rankings against global tech giants.

DecisionLab's Q3 2024 Connected Consumer report revealed numerous data points and insights into the growth and emerging trends of Vietnam's digital consumer base.

According to DecisionLab, the leading social media platforms in Vietnam remain familiar names: Facebook, Zalo, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Facebook leads the sector with a 94% penetration rate among internet users.

Zalo follows closely at second place with a 90% penetration rate, making it the only domestic social media platform in the top five, holding its own against foreign tech giants.

Threads, although not in the top five, has seen slight penetration growth in Vietnam, driven primarily by Gen Z.

Gen Z, known for their tech-savviness, uses an average of three social media apps daily, compared to two for previous generations. While Facebook remains crucial for Vietnam’s youth, Zalo dominates among older users, particularly Generation X (born between 1960 and 1980).

Livestreaming has become a prominent trend in the e-commerce sector, revolutionizing the online shopping experience for internet users. Facebook leads with a 62% market share in livestreaming, but TikTok is rapidly closing the gap with a 53% penetration rate.

TikTok continues to dominate the short video sector in Vietnam with a 64% penetration rate, followed by Facebook, YouTube, Zalo, and Instagram. Zalo Video has maintained steady growth, with a 20% penetration rate, placing it fourth in this ranking.

In terms of internet browsers on PCs, the top three in Vietnam are Google Chrome, Cốc Cốc, and Microsoft Edge. For mobile browsing, the top three are Chrome, Safari, and Cốc Cốc.

DecisionLab noted that despite being a local browser, Cốc Cốc maintains a strong position alongside major international brands, with a penetration rate of 59% among internet users, second only to Google Chrome at 83%, and far ahead of other browsers. Although its mobile user base is smaller, Cốc Cốc boasts the highest net promoter score (NPS), indicating strong user satisfaction and loyalty.

This reflects the deep connection between domestic digital platforms and the local user base.

MoMo continues to lead Vietnam’s digital finance sector with a 69% penetration rate, followed by ZaloPay (44%), banking apps (35%), ViettelPay (27%), ShopeePay (26%), and VNPAY (17%).

DecisionLab highlighted that banking apps are growing across all generations in Vietnam, with Gen Z driving this trend.

When asked which websites or apps they use for news, 61% of Vietnamese users reported reading news via Facebook, and 40% through Google. Domestic news sites or apps are currently used by only 38% of users. However, DecisionLab notes that local newspapers and news sites are narrowing the gap to become the primary choice for news consumption, especially among Gen X and Gen Y (born 1981-1996). For Gen Z, domestic sources rank second, behind Facebook.

Trong Dat