DerWesten
A regional news portal for North Rhine-Westphalia covering local news, sports and the Ruhr region.
DerWesten at a glance
DerWesten is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Germany, currently ranked #105 in the country. It was founded in 2009 by Funke Mediengruppe and is headquartered in Essen, Germany. Today DerWesten is owned by Funke Mediengruppe. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 70 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital advertising, subscriptions. Its closest rivals include rp-online.de, ksta.de, bild.de.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 65.8 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 67.9 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 70 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 74.2 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in Germany, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Germany86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 21 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- Germany
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| derwesten | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the Germany web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in Germany
Company information
- Website
- derwesten.de
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Funke Mediengruppe
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- Funke Mediengruppe
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Essen, Germany
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- Funke Mediengruppe controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- German
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
DerWesten operates a news and media publisher focused on Germany. A regional news portal for North Rhine-Westphalia covering local news, sports and the Ruhr region. Revenue comes mainly from digital advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Digital advertising
- Subscriptions
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- Germany
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Germany)
- #105 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Germany
- Global rank
- 2000
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| rp-online.de | ≈ 42 million / month | #106 class competitor | — |
| ksta.de | ≈ 31.5 million / month | #107 class competitor | — |
| bild.de | ≈ 21 million / month | #108 class competitor | — |
What is DerWesten?
DerWesten (derwesten.de) is a news and media publisher serving users in Germany. A regional news portal for North Rhine-Westphalia covering local news, sports and the Ruhr region. It ranks #105 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns DerWesten?
The site is operated by Funke Mediengruppe, founded by Funke Mediengruppe. The company was established in 2009 and is headquartered in Essen, Germany. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place DerWesten at roughly 70 million visits per month, about 2.3 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How DerWesten makes money
Revenue comes primarily from digital advertising, alongside subscriptions.
Competitors in Germany
Its closest rivals include rp-online.de, ksta.de, bild.de.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 2009
DerWesten is founded in Essen, Germany.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #105 among the most visited websites in Germany.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns DerWesten?
DerWesten is operated by Funke Mediengruppe. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is DerWesten headquartered?
DerWesten is headquartered in Essen, Germany.
When was DerWesten founded?
DerWesten was founded in 2009 by Funke Mediengruppe.
How many employees does DerWesten have?
DerWesten employs approximately 500+ people.
What is DerWesten's revenue?
DerWesten's revenue: ≈ $100 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are DerWesten's competitors?
Main competitors in Germany include rp-online.de, ksta.de, bild.de.
How does DerWesten make money?
Mainly digital advertising, subscriptions.
Is DerWesten publicly traded?
No — DerWesten is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Funke Mediengruppe.
How many visitors does DerWesten get?
Third-party estimates place DerWesten at roughly 70 million visits per month, mostly from Germany, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is DerWesten safe?
DerWesten is an established news & media site founded in 2009 and ranked #105 in Germany; use the official domain derwesten.de and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsderwesten.de
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageGermany and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos