About r/explainlikeimfive
r/explainlikeimfive is one of the largest safe-for-work communities on Reddit, ranked #26 on SubMouse with 23,693,569 subscribers.
In its own words:
Explain Like I'm Five is the best forum and archive on the internet for layperson-friendly explanations. Don't Panic!
The community was created on Jul 28, 2011, which makes it 15 years old. Since Oct 19, 2026, it has gained 7,095 subscribers (+0.03%). It sits just behind r/GetMotivated (#25) and ahead of r/LifeProTips (#27) in our ranking.
How to join
Open reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive and press “Join”. Read the community rules in the sidebar before you post: every subreddit is run by its own volunteer moderators.
Stats from public data (data updated Oct 29, 2026). SubMouse is an independent directory and is not affiliated with Reddit or the moderators of r/explainlikeimfive.