Folha de S.Paulo (folha.uol.com.br)
One of Brazil's most influential newspapers, with a leading digital subscription model.
Folha de S.Paulo at a glance
Folha de S.Paulo is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Brazil, currently ranked #9 in the country. It was founded in 1921 by Olival Costa, Pedro Cunha (1921, as Folha da Noite) and is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. Today Folha de S.Paulo is owned by Grupo Folha (Frias family). Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 100 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital subscriptions (folha assinaturas), print subscriptions and newsstand sales, display and native advertising. Its closest rivals include O Globo, Estadão, UOL, Globo.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 100 million | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 100 million | -1% |
| Q3 | ≈ 100 million | +4% |
| Q4 | ≈ 100 million | +3% |
Traffic sources
- Direct42%
Brand loyalty and app usage
- Organic search32%
- Referral10%
- Social12%
- Paid & other4%
Audience & demographics
- Men52%
- Women48%
- Age 18-2420%
- Age 25-3428%
- Age 35-5432%
- Age 55+20%
The audience skews toward Brazil's large urban centres, with mobile-first usage patterns typical of the country's internet population.
Geographic reach
- Brazil88%
- Portugal3%
- United States2%
- Other Latin America4%
- Other3%
SEO profile
- Organic keywords
- ≈ hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on site scale
- Estimated organic traffic
- A large share of total monthly visits
- Strongest clusters
- Brand and category terms in Portuguese
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| folha | 1 | Very high | — |
| folha login | 1 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- ≈ hundreds of thousands
- Link profile
- Widely cited by Brazilian media and partner sites
Top referral sources
- Google Search40%
- Direct / app38%
- Social media14%
- Other8%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Like most large Brazilian digital platforms, the site relies on major cloud providers and modern JavaScript frameworks, with heavy investment in mobile app performance given Brazil's mobile-first user base.
Mobile app statistics
- Cumulative downloads
- ≈ tens of millions
- Daily active users
- Millions
Company information
- Website
- folha.uol.com.br
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Grupo Folha (Frias family)
- Owner type
- Private media conglomerate
- Founders
- Olival Costa, Pedro Cunha (1921, as Folha da Noite)
- Founded
- 1921
- Headquarters
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Employees
- ≈ 1,200 (Folha newsroom and digital operations)
- Ownership
- Privately owned by the Frias family through Grupo Folha
- Valuation
- Not publicly disclosed
- Revenue
- ≈ BRL 700+ million annually (estimated, including print and digital subscriptions)
- Languages
- Portuguese (primary), with Spanish and English support in some regional operations
- Top traffic sources
- Organic search, direct navigation, social referrals
Ownership, investors & funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Founded | N/A | Olival Costa, Pedro Cunha (1921, as Folha da Noite) |
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ BRL 700+ million annually (estimated, including print and digital subscriptions)
- Ownership structure
- Privately owned by the Frias family through Grupo Folha
Business model & revenue
Folha de S.Paulo operates one of Brazil's most successful digital subscription models among newspapers, complemented by advertising and print sales.
- Digital subscriptions (Folha assinaturas)
- Print subscriptions and newsstand sales
- Display and native advertising
- Licensing of content to UOL and partners
Products & services
Paywalled access to premium journalism.
Physical newspaper distribution across Brazil.
News wire and content licensing service.
Seller ecosystem
- Partners/advertisers
- Brazilian and international brands
International presence
- Primary market
- Brazil
- Secondary presence
- Selected Latin American markets
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
API & developer information
- Public API
- Limited or partner-only APIs depending on business line
Website rankings
- Brazil rank
- #9
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| O Globo | Comparable regional scale | — | Different business model |
| Estadão | Comparable regional scale | — | Different business model |
Overview
Folha de S.Paulo is one of Brazil's most influential newspapers, recognised for investigative and political journalism, and a pioneer of digital subscriptions among Brazilian media.
Traffic Statistics
The site draws an estimated 100 million monthly visits, smaller than free ad-supported portals but supported by a large paying digital subscriber base.
Traffic Sources
Organic search and direct navigation dominate traffic, with social referrals driving readers to specific investigative stories.
Audience & Demographics
Folha's readership skews toward more educated, politically engaged and higher-income Brazilian readers who value in-depth journalism.
Geographic Reach
The overwhelming majority of readership is based in Brazil, with a smaller international audience among the Brazilian diaspora.
SEO Profile
Folha ranks strongly for political and investigative news topics, benefiting from decades of editorial authority.
Technology Stack
The site uses a modern paywall and subscription management platform, integrated with Grupo Folha's broader UOL technology infrastructure.
Social Media Statistics
Folha maintains a strong social media presence, particularly on X and Instagram, often driving debate around political coverage.
Mobile App Statistics
The Folha app supports subscriber access and push alerts, with a loyal base of paying digital subscribers.
Company Information
Founded in 1921 as Folha da Noite, the newspaper is headquartered in São Paulo and remains part of the privately held Grupo Folha.
Ownership & Investors
Folha de S.Paulo is owned by the Frias family through Grupo Folha, which also owns UOL and other media assets.
Financials
Estimated annual revenue exceeds BRL 700 million, combining digital subscriptions, print sales and advertising.
Business Model
Revenue is generated primarily through digital and print subscriptions, complemented by advertising and content licensing via Folhapress.
Products & Services
Key offerings include the Folha digital subscription, the print newspaper edition, and the Folhapress news wire service.
Competitors
Main competitors include O Globo, Estadão, UOL and Globo.
Company History & Milestones
Since its founding in 1921, Folha de S.Paulo has grown into one of Brazil's most read and cited newspapers, becoming an early leader in digital subscriptions.
Latest News
Folha continues to report growth in its digital subscriber base as Brazilian readers increasingly pay for quality journalism online.
User Reviews & Ratings
Readers widely respect Folha's investigative journalism, while some criticise its editorial stance and paywall restrictions.
Pros & Cons
Pros: strong journalism reputation, leading paid subscriber base, long editorial history. Cons: largely paywalled, smaller traffic than free portals, bias perceptions.
Key Statistics
≈100 million monthly visits, #9 most visited news site in Brazil, roughly 1,200 employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Folha? Grupo Folha, controlled by the Frias family. Is it free? A limited number of articles are free; full access needs a subscription.
Data Sources
Company reports and Similarweb estimates.
Last Updated
September 2026
Related Websites
Mercado Livre, Globo, UOL and other leading Brazilian digital platforms.
Company history & milestones
- 1921
Company founded
- 2026
Continues to expand digital operations in Brazil
Latest news
- folha.uol.com.br reports continued growth in BrazilIndustry press · 2026
Pros & cons
Pros
- Strong investigative and political journalism reputation
- Leading paid digital subscriber base among Brazilian newspapers
- Long editorial history and credibility
Cons
- Content largely paywalled beyond free article limits
- Smaller overall traffic than free portals
- Perceived political bias claims from some readers
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Folha de S.Paulo?
It is owned by Grupo Folha, controlled by the Frias family, which also owns UOL.
Is Folha's content free?
A limited number of articles are free monthly; full access requires a paid digital subscription.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company reportsGrupo Folha (Frias family)
- Similarweb estimatesSimilarweb
- Data confidence
- High for ownership and company facts; traffic figures are third-party approximations.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic and audience figures are modelled estimates (≈) based on public reports and third-party analytics tools.
Social media profiles & statistics