stern
The online presence of a weekly German news magazine covering politics, society, lifestyle and investigative stories.
stern at a glance
stern is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Germany, currently ranked #101 in the country. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Today stern is owned by RTL Deutschland / Gruner + Jahr. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 100 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through digital advertising, subscriptions, print sales. Its closest rivals include spiegel.de, focus.de, zeit.de.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 94 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 97 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 100 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 106 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
- ≈ 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| stern | 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
- stern.de
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- RTL Deutschland / Gruner + Jahr
- Owner type
- Subsidiary of public company
- Founders
- Henri Nannen
- Founded
- 1948
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, Germany
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- RTL Deutschland / Gruner + Jahr controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $200 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- German
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $200 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
stern operates a news and media publisher focused on Germany. The online presence of a weekly German news magazine covering politics, society, lifestyle and investigative stories. Revenue comes mainly from digital advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Digital advertising
- Subscriptions
- Print sales
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)
- #101 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Germany
- Global rank
- 1600
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| spiegel.de | ≈ 60 million / month | #102 class competitor | — |
| focus.de | ≈ 45 million / month | #103 class competitor | — |
| zeit.de | ≈ 30 million / month | #104 class competitor | — |
What is stern?
stern (stern.de) is a news and media publisher serving users in Germany. The online presence of a weekly German news magazine covering politics, society, lifestyle and investigative stories. It ranks #101 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns stern?
The site is operated by RTL Deutschland / Gruner + Jahr, founded by Henri Nannen. The company was established in 1948 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place stern at roughly 100 million visits per month, about 3.3 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 stern makes money
Revenue comes primarily from digital advertising, alongside subscriptions, print sales.
Competitors in Germany
Its closest rivals include spiegel.de, focus.de, zeit.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
- 1948
stern is founded in Hamburg, Germany.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #101 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 stern?
stern is operated by RTL Deutschland / Gruner + Jahr. Subsidiary of public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is stern headquartered?
stern is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
When was stern founded?
stern was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen.
How many employees does stern have?
stern employs approximately 500+ people.
What is stern's revenue?
stern's revenue: ≈ $200 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are stern's competitors?
Main competitors in Germany include spiegel.de, focus.de, zeit.de.
How does stern make money?
Mainly digital advertising, subscriptions, print sales.
Is stern publicly traded?
stern's ownership: Subsidiary of public company.
How many visitors does stern get?
Third-party estimates place stern at roughly 100 million visits per month, mostly from Germany, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is stern safe?
stern is an established news & media site founded in 1948 and ranked #101 in Germany; use the official domain stern.de and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsstern.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