Merkur.de
A regional and national news portal from Munich covering Bavaria, politics, sports and lifestyle.
Merkur.de at a glance
Merkur.de is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Germany, currently ranked #104 in the country. It was founded in 1946 by Dr. Felix Buttersack and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Today Merkur.de is owned by Ippen Digital. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 90 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital advertising, subscriptions, affiliate commerce. Its closest rivals include bild.de, t-online.de, tz.de.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 84.6 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 87.3 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 90 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 95.4 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
- ≈ 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| merkur.de | 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
- merkur.de
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Ippen Digital
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- Dr. Felix Buttersack
- Founded
- 1946
- Headquarters
- Munich, Germany
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- Ippen Digital controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $120 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- German
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $120 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Merkur.de operates a news and media publisher focused on Germany. A regional and national news portal from Munich covering Bavaria, politics, sports and lifestyle. Revenue comes mainly from digital advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Digital advertising
- Subscriptions
- Affiliate commerce
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)
- #104 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Germany
- Global rank
- 1700
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bild.de | ≈ 54 million / month | #105 class competitor | — |
| t-online.de | ≈ 40.5 million / month | #106 class competitor | — |
| tz.de | ≈ 27 million / month | #107 class competitor | — |
What is Merkur.de?
Merkur.de (merkur.de) is a news and media publisher serving users in Germany. A regional and national news portal from Munich covering Bavaria, politics, sports and lifestyle. It ranks #104 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Merkur.de?
The site is operated by Ippen Digital, founded by Dr. Felix Buttersack. The company was established in 1946 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Merkur.de at roughly 90 million visits per month, about 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 Merkur.de makes money
Revenue comes primarily from digital advertising, alongside subscriptions, affiliate commerce.
Competitors in Germany
Its closest rivals include bild.de, t-online.de, tz.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
- 1946
Merkur.de is founded in Munich, Germany.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #104 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 Merkur.de?
Merkur.de is operated by Ippen Digital. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Merkur.de headquartered?
Merkur.de is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
When was Merkur.de founded?
Merkur.de was founded in 1946 by Dr. Felix Buttersack.
How many employees does Merkur.de have?
Merkur.de employs approximately 500+ people.
What is Merkur.de's revenue?
Merkur.de's revenue: ≈ $120 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Merkur.de's competitors?
Main competitors in Germany include bild.de, t-online.de, tz.de.
How does Merkur.de make money?
Mainly digital advertising, subscriptions, affiliate commerce.
Is Merkur.de publicly traded?
No — Merkur.de is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Ippen Digital.
How many visitors does Merkur.de get?
Third-party estimates place Merkur.de at roughly 90 million visits per month, mostly from Germany, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Merkur.de safe?
Merkur.de is an established news & media site founded in 1946 and ranked #104 in Germany; use the official domain merkur.de and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsmerkur.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