Mediapart
An independent French investigative news site financed entirely by subscriptions.
Mediapart at a glance
Mediapart is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in France, currently ranked #110 in the country. It was founded in 2008 by Edwy Plenel, François Bonnet, Gérard Desportes, Laurent Mauduit and is headquartered in Paris, France. Today Mediapart is owned by Société Editrice de Mediapart. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 15 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through subscriptions. Its closest rivals include lemonde.fr, liberation.fr, lemonde.fr.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 14.1 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 14.5 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 15 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 15.9 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 France, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- France86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 4.5 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
- France
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| mediapart | 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 France 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 France
Company information
- Website
- mediapart.fr
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Société Editrice de Mediapart
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- Edwy Plenel, François Bonnet, Gérard Desportes, Laurent Mauduit
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Employees
- 150+
- Ownership
- Société Editrice de Mediapart controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $30 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- French, English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $30 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Mediapart operates a news and media publisher focused on France. An independent French investigative news site financed entirely by subscriptions. Revenue comes mainly from subscriptions, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Subscriptions
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- France
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (France)
- #110 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in France
- Global rank
- 6000
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| lemonde.fr | ≈ 9 million / month | #111 class competitor | — |
| liberation.fr | ≈ 6.7 million / month | #112 class competitor | — |
| lemonde.fr | ≈ 4.5 million / month | #113 class competitor | — |
What is Mediapart?
Mediapart (mediapart.fr) is a news and media publisher serving users in France. An independent French investigative news site financed entirely by subscriptions. It ranks #110 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Mediapart?
The site is operated by Société Editrice de Mediapart, founded by Edwy Plenel, François Bonnet, Gérard Desportes, Laurent Mauduit. The company was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Paris, France. It employs around 150+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Mediapart at roughly 15 million visits per month, about 0.5 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 Mediapart makes money
Revenue comes primarily from subscriptions, alongside .
Competitors in France
Its closest rivals include lemonde.fr, liberation.fr, lemonde.fr.
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
- 2008
Mediapart is founded in Paris, France.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #110 among the most visited websites in France.
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 Mediapart?
Mediapart is operated by Société Editrice de Mediapart. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Mediapart headquartered?
Mediapart is headquartered in Paris, France.
When was Mediapart founded?
Mediapart was founded in 2008 by Edwy Plenel, François Bonnet, Gérard Desportes, Laurent Mauduit.
How many employees does Mediapart have?
Mediapart employs approximately 150+ people.
What is Mediapart's revenue?
Mediapart's revenue: ≈ $30 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Mediapart's competitors?
Main competitors in France include lemonde.fr, liberation.fr, lemonde.fr.
How does Mediapart make money?
Mainly subscriptions.
Is Mediapart publicly traded?
No — Mediapart is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Société Editrice de Mediapart.
How many visitors does Mediapart get?
Third-party estimates place Mediapart at roughly 15 million visits per month, mostly from France, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Mediapart safe?
Mediapart is an established news & media site founded in 2008 and ranked #110 in France; use the official domain mediapart.fr and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsmediapart.fr
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageFrance 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