13 ’90s Websites That Were Wildly Popular and Now Gone

These 13 websites were massive hits in the 1990s but eventually disappeared as the internet evolved.

Sophia Zapanta
June 19, 2025
4 min read

13 ’90s Websites That Were Wildly Popular and Now Gone — Lisa from Pexels on Pexels

The 1990s saw the birth of many iconic websites that helped shape the early internet. At the time, they attracted millions of users and became digital landmarks. Today, most are either shut down or forgotten, replaced by newer platforms and changing online habits.

1. GeoCities

GeoCities on Wikimedia Commons

Launched in 1994, GeoCities enabled users to create their own web pages using basic tools. It became a hub for personal sites, fan pages, and hobby blogs. Yahoo! bought it in 1999, but it shut down in 2009 due to low demand and outdated features. It’s now remembered as a symbol of the early web’s creativity.

2. Ask Jeeves

Schierbecker on Wikimedia Commons

Ask Jeeves launched in 1996 as a question-based search engine featuring a cartoon butler as its mascot. It allowed users to type full questions instead of keywords. While it was popular early on, it couldn’t compete with the rise of Google. It was rebranded as Ask.com and later phased out as a true search engine.

3. AltaVista

AltaVista Webseite on Wikimedia Commons

AltaVista was one of the first powerful search engines, debuting in 1995. It was fast, user-friendly, and widely used before Google’s rise. Yahoo! acquired it, but traffic declined sharply in the 2000s. It officially shut down in 2013.

4. Napster (Original Version)

Rpresser on Wikimedia Commons

Napster launched in 1999 and changed how people accessed music by allowing peer-to-peer sharing. It became extremely popular but also faced major lawsuits from the music industry. The original service was forced to shut down in 2001. It later returned in a legal form, but the original free-sharing model was gone.

5. AOL Hometown

Yahoo! Inc. on Wikimedia Commons

AOL Hometown gave users space to create personal websites within the AOL ecosystem. It was easy to use and widely adopted in the late 1990s. The service shut down in 2008 as AOL shifted away from web hosting. Much of the content was lost, though some has been archived.

6. HotBot

HotBot on Wikimedia Commons

HotBot launched in 1996 as a fast and colorful search engine. It partnered with Wired magazine and attracted tech-savvy users. Over time, newer search engines offered better results and cleaner interfaces. HotBot faded from use and was eventually shut down.

7. Tripod

Tranmautritam on Pexels

Tripod started in 1995 as a platform for young adults to build their own web pages. It offered free hosting, templates, and early blogging tools. It competed with GeoCities but saw a sharp drop in traffic as new platforms emerged. The service was discontinued and largely forgotten.

8. Excite

Isabella Mendes on Pexels

Excite was a major web portal that offered search, email, news, and more, starting in 1995. It was one of the biggest internet brands in the late 1990s. Poor business decisions and a failed merger hurt its growth. It still exists in a minimal form but is no longer relevant.

9. Lycos

Lycos on Wikimedia Commons

Lycos was launched in 1994 as a search engine and later added email, news, and games. It became a strong competitor in the early web space. Over time, its influence declined, and it was sold to multiple owners. Though the name exists, its popularity never recovered.

10. Xanga

Owner, 犯得上 on Wikimedia Commons

Xanga started as a blogging platform in 1999 and gained popularity among teenagers and college students. It allowed users to post journal entries, photos, and comments. Social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace eventually took over. Xanga shut down most of its services by the mid-2010s.

11. TheGlobe.com

Adnen Kadri on Wikimedia Commons

TheGlobe.com launched in 1995 as one of the first social networking websites. It allowed users to create profiles and join communities. The site gained attention for its record-breaking IPO in 1998, but it soon declined due to business struggles. It went offline and is rarely mentioned today.

12. NetZero (Free Internet Access)

NetZero on Wikimedia Commons

NetZero offered free dial-up internet access in exchange for viewing ads, starting in 1998. It attracted millions who wanted to get online without monthly fees. As broadband became more common, NetZero lost users quickly. The company still exists but no longer holds the same place in internet history.

13. ICQ

Sebastian Wallroth on Wikimedia Commons

ICQ was launched in 1996 as one of the first widely used instant messaging platforms. It assigned users unique ID numbers instead of usernames and included features such as offline messaging and file sharing. It was hugely popular during the late 1990s but lost ground to AIM, MSN Messenger, and later, modern apps like WhatsApp. Although it technically still exists, most people have long stopped using it or even remembering it.