What happened to StumbleUpon? The alternatives that still work
StumbleUpon stopped recommending pages on June 30, 2018, and moved its users over to Mix. For a lot of people that was the end of pressing one button and landing somewhere unexpected.
The idea never really died. Here are the places that still do it, what each is good for, and where they fall short. Full disclosure: NexURLs is ours, so it is first, but the others are genuinely worth a look.
What happened to StumbleUpon?
StumbleUpon started in 2001 in Calgary, Canada. The idea was simple: tell it what you like, press one button, and it drops you on a page you would never have found yourself. For years it sent more traffic to websites than almost anything else.
eBay bought it in 2007 for 75 million dollars, and the founders bought it back in 2009. One of them, Garrett Camp, went on to co-found Uber. By the mid 2010s social feeds had taken over how people found things online, and on June 30, 2018 StumbleUpon shut down and moved its users to Mix.
If you are searching for StumbleUpon today, that is why you cannot find it. The good news is the idea is still alive, and these are the places doing it now.
NexURLs
nexurls.com
Press Next and land on a site a real person shared. Like and save to make your Next smarter, follow topics, watch short video reactions, and share your own finds. Free, works in the browser and installs as an app.
Cloudhiker
www.cloudhiker.net
A curated collection of interesting, weird and useful websites you click through one at a time. Free use is limited, with paid plans for longer sessions and history.
The Useless Web
theuselessweb.com
One button, one pointless website. No accounts and no personalisation, just pure fun for a few minutes.
Wiby
wiby.me
A search engine for simple, old-school web pages, with a surprise button that drops you on a random one. Great if you miss the early web.
Marginalia Search
search.marginalia.nu
An independent search engine that favours text-heavy, non-commercial sites, with an explore mode for wandering.
Kagi Small Web
kagi.com
Recent posts from independent personal blogs, one at a time. Good for reading real people instead of big publishers.
Neocities
neocities.org
Browse thousands of hand-made personal websites by tag, popularity or what is new.
Mix
mix.com
StumbleUpon's official successor, built around following interests and saving things into collections. You need an account to use it.
Why people still miss it
Feeds show you more of what you already watched. StumbleUpon did the opposite: it sent you somewhere new. That is the part people miss, and it is the part we built NexURLs around. Press Next and you land on a site a real person shared, not something an ad system picked.
Want to try it right now without signing up? Use the random website generator.
Questions people ask
What happened to StumbleUpon?
StumbleUpon closed on June 30, 2018 after about 16 years. Its accounts moved to Mix, a content curation site from the same founder.
What is the best StumbleUpon alternative?
It depends what you miss. For the one-button feeling with sites real people picked, try NexURLs or Cloudhiker. For pure randomness, The Useless Web. For the old personal web, Wiby, Marginalia and Neocities.
Is there a free StumbleUpon replacement?
Yes. NexURLs, The Useless Web, Wiby, Marginalia and Neocities are free to use. Cloudhiker has a limited free tier.
Is StumbleUpon coming back?
There has been no announcement of StumbleUpon returning. Its old address now points to Mix. The alternatives above are the closest thing to it today.
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