Der Spiegel
Germany's flagship investigative news magazine online.
Der Spiegel at a glance
Der Spiegel is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Germany, currently ranked #7 in the country. It was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Today Der Spiegel is owned by Spiegel-Verlag. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 120 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through advertising, digital subscriptions. Its closest rivals include bild.de, faz.net.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 113 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 116 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 120 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 127 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
- ≈ 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| der spiegel | 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
- spiegel.de
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Spiegel-Verlag
- Owner type
- Private media company
- Founded
- 1994
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, Germany
- Employees
- 1,000+
- Ownership
- Spiegel-Verlag controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Languages
- German
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- Not publicly disclosed
- Ownership
- Private media company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Der Spiegel operates a news and media publisher focused on Germany. Germany's flagship investigative news magazine online. Revenue comes mainly from advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Advertising
- Digital subscriptions
International presence
- Primary market
- Germany
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Germany)
- #7 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Germany
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bild.de | ≈ 72 million / month | #8 class competitor | — |
| faz.net | ≈ 54 million / month | #9 class competitor | — |
What is Der Spiegel?
Der Spiegel (spiegel.de) is a news and media publisher serving users in Germany. Germany's flagship investigative news magazine online. It ranks #7 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Der Spiegel?
The site is operated by Spiegel-Verlag. The company was established in 1994 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. It employs around 1,000+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Der Spiegel at roughly 120 million visits per month, about 4 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 Der Spiegel makes money
Revenue comes primarily from advertising, alongside digital subscriptions.
Competitors in Germany
Its closest rivals include bild.de, faz.net.
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
- 1994
Der Spiegel is founded in Hamburg, Germany.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #7 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 Der Spiegel?
Der Spiegel is operated by Spiegel-Verlag. Private media company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Der Spiegel headquartered?
Der Spiegel is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
When was Der Spiegel founded?
Der Spiegel was founded in 1994.
How many employees does Der Spiegel have?
Der Spiegel employs approximately 1,000+ people.
What is Der Spiegel's revenue?
Der Spiegel does not publish standalone revenue; income comes from advertising, digital subscriptions.
Who are Der Spiegel's competitors?
Main competitors in Germany include bild.de, faz.net.
How does Der Spiegel make money?
Mainly advertising, digital subscriptions.
Is Der Spiegel publicly traded?
No — Der Spiegel is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Spiegel-Verlag.
How many visitors does Der Spiegel get?
Third-party estimates place Der Spiegel at roughly 120 million visits per month, mostly from Germany, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Der Spiegel safe?
Der Spiegel is an established news & media site founded in 1994 and ranked #7 in Germany; use the official domain spiegel.de and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsspiegel.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