diff --git a/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx b/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
index b8966748..dddb6391 100644
--- a/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/[locale]/layout.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { MainSwitcher } from '@/components/header/MainSwitcher';
 import { AppChrome } from '@/components/header/AppChrome';
 
 import { CookieBanner } from '@/components/shared/CookieBanner';
+import { OnlineCounterPopup } from '@/components/shared/OnlineCounterPopup';
 
 export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ export default async function LocaleLayout({
             {children}
           </MainSwitcher>
         </AppChrome>
+        <OnlineCounterPopup />
 
         <Footer />
         <Toaster position="top-right" richColors expand />
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/sessions/activity/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/sessions/activity/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cce640f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/app/api/sessions/activity/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
+import { db } from '@/db';
+import { activeSessions } from '@/db/schema/sessions';
+import { cookies } from 'next/headers';
+import { randomUUID } from 'crypto';
+import { sql, gte, lt } from 'drizzle-orm';
+
+const SESSION_TIMEOUT_MINUTES = 15;
+
+export async function POST() {
+  try {
+    const cookieStore = await cookies();
+    let sessionId = cookieStore.get('user_session_id')?.value;
+
+    if (!sessionId) {
+      sessionId = randomUUID();
+    }
+
+    await db
+      .insert(activeSessions)
+      .values({
+        sessionId,
+        lastActivity: new Date(),
+      })
+      .onConflictDoUpdate({
+        target: activeSessions.sessionId,
+        set: { lastActivity: new Date() },
+      });
+
+    if (Math.random() < 0.05) {
+      const cleanupThreshold = new Date(
+        Date.now() - SESSION_TIMEOUT_MINUTES * 60 * 1000
+      );
+
+      db.delete(activeSessions)
+        .where(lt(activeSessions.lastActivity, cleanupThreshold))
+        .catch(err => console.error('Cleanup error:', err));
+    }
+
+    const countThreshold = new Date(
+      Date.now() - SESSION_TIMEOUT_MINUTES * 60 * 1000
+    );
+
+    const result = await db
+      .select({
+        total: sql<number>`count(distinct session_id)`,
+      })
+      .from(activeSessions)
+      .where(gte(activeSessions.lastActivity, countThreshold));
+
+    const response = NextResponse.json({
+      online: Number(result[0]?.total || 0),
+    });
+
+    response.cookies.set('user_session_id', sessionId, {
+      httpOnly: true,
+      secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production',
+      sameSite: 'lax',
+      maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 30,
+    });
+
+    return response;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Join error:', error);
+    return NextResponse.json({ online: 0 }, { status: 200 });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/app/globals.css b/frontend/app/globals.css
index 957b9c02..d819bc31 100644
--- a/frontend/app/globals.css
+++ b/frontend/app/globals.css
@@ -164,6 +164,23 @@
   }
 }
 
+@keyframes progress {
+  from {
+    width: 100%;
+  }
+  to {
+    width: 0%;
+  }
+}
+@keyframes shrink {
+  from {
+    transform: scaleX(1);
+  }
+  to {
+    transform: scaleX(0);
+  }
+}
+
 /* Shop theme: scoped overrides (must not affect platform pages) */
 .shop-scope {
   /* keep shop rounding slightly tighter than platform */
diff --git a/frontend/components/shared/OnlineCounterPopup.tsx b/frontend/components/shared/OnlineCounterPopup.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4dddd1d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/shared/OnlineCounterPopup.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { Users, Sparkles } from 'lucide-react';
+
+export function OnlineCounterPopup() {
+  const [online, setOnline] = useState<number | null>(null);
+  const [show, setShow] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (sessionStorage.getItem('shown')) return;
+
+    fetch('/api/sessions/activity', { method: 'POST' })
+      .then(r => r.json())
+      .then(data => {
+        setOnline(data.online);
+        setTimeout(() => setShow(true), 500);
+        sessionStorage.setItem('shown', '1');
+        setTimeout(() => setShow(false), 10000);
+      })
+      .catch(() => setOnline(null));
+  }, []);
+
+  if (!online) return null;
+
+  const getEmoji = (count: number) => {
+    if (count === 1) return '🎯';
+    if (count === 2) return '💼';
+    if (count <= 5) return '🚀';
+    if (count <= 10) return '⚡';
+    return '⭐';
+  };
+
+  const getText = (count: number) => {
+    if (count === 1) return 'на крок до цілі';
+    if (count === 2) return 'йдуть до мрії';
+    if (count <= 5) return 'на шляху до оффера';
+    if (count <= 10) return 'ближчі до dream job';
+    return 'крокує до успіху';
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="fixed bottom-12 right-12 z-50 max-w-md">
+      <div
+        className={`
+          transition-all duration-500 ease-out
+          ${
+            show
+              ? 'translate-y-0 opacity-100 scale-100'
+              : 'translate-y-4 opacity-0 scale-90'
+          }
+        `}
+      >
+        <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-400/20 via-purple-400/20 to-pink-400/20 dark:from-blue-500/30 dark:via-purple-500/30 dark:to-pink-500/30 blur-2xl animate-pulse" />
+
+        <div className="relative inline-flex items-center gap-3 px-5 py-3.5 rounded-2xl bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-500 via-purple-500 to-pink-500 dark:from-blue-600 dark:via-purple-600 dark:to-pink-600 shadow-2xl">
+          <div className="relative flex-shrink-0">
+            <div className="w-10 h-10 rounded-xl bg-white/30 dark:bg-white/25 backdrop-blur-sm flex items-center justify-center">
+              <Users className="w-5 h-5 text-white" />
+            </div>
+            <Sparkles
+              className="absolute -top-1 -right-1 w-4 h-4 text-yellow-300 dark:text-yellow-200 animate-spin"
+              style={{ animationDuration: '3s' }}
+            />
+          </div>
+
+          <div className="flex items-baseline gap-2">
+            <span className="text-xl">{getEmoji(online)}</span>
+            <div className="flex items-baseline gap-1.5">
+              <span className="text-2xl font-black text-white dark:text-yellow-100 drop-shadow-sm">
+                {online}
+              </span>
+              <span className="text-base font-semibold text-white/95 dark:text-white/90 whitespace-nowrap">
+                {getText(online)}
+              </span>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+
+          <div className="ml-1 flex-shrink-0">
+            <span className="relative flex h-2.5 w-2.5">
+              <span className="animate-ping absolute inline-flex h-full w-full rounded-full bg-purple-300 dark:bg-purple-200 opacity-75" />
+              <span className="relative inline-flex rounded-full h-2.5 w-2.5 bg-purple-400 dark:bg-purple-300" />
+            </span>
+          </div>
+
+          <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 h-1 bg-white/25 dark:bg-white/20 rounded-b-2xl overflow-hidden">
+            <div
+              className="h-full bg-white/60 dark:bg-white/50"
+              style={{ animation: 'shrink 8s linear forwards' }}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <div className="absolute -top-1 left-6 w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-blue-400/60 dark:bg-blue-300/70 animate-ping" />
+        <div
+          className="absolute -top-2 right-8 w-1 h-1 rounded-full bg-purple-400/60 dark:bg-purple-300/70 animate-ping"
+          style={{ animationDelay: '0.5s' }}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}