Toutiao
An AI-driven news aggregation platform from ByteDance with personalized feeds.
Toutiao at a glance
Toutiao is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in China, currently ranked #111 in the country. It was founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming and is headquartered in Beijing, China. Today Toutiao is owned by ByteDance. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 500 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through advertising. Its closest rivals include sina.com.cn, qq.com, baidu.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 470 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 485 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 500 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 530 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 China, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- China86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 150 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
- China
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| toutiao | 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 China 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 China
Company information
- Website
- toutiao.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- ByteDance
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- Zhang Yiming
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Beijing, China
- Employees
- 5,000+
- Ownership
- ByteDance controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $10 billion annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- Chinese
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $10 billion annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Toutiao operates a news and media publisher focused on China. An AI-driven news aggregation platform from ByteDance with personalized feeds. Revenue comes mainly from advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Advertising
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- China
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (China)
- #111 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in China
- Global rank
- 80
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| sina.com.cn | ≈ 300 million / month | #112 class competitor | — |
| qq.com | ≈ 225 million / month | #113 class competitor | — |
| baidu.com | ≈ 150 million / month | #114 class competitor | — |
What is Toutiao?
Toutiao (toutiao.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in China. An AI-driven news aggregation platform from ByteDance with personalized feeds. It ranks #111 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Toutiao?
The site is operated by ByteDance, founded by Zhang Yiming. The company was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Beijing, China. It employs around 5,000+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Toutiao at roughly 500 million visits per month, about 16.7 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 Toutiao makes money
Revenue comes primarily from advertising, alongside .
Competitors in China
Its closest rivals include sina.com.cn, qq.com, baidu.com.
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
- 2012
Toutiao is founded in Beijing, China.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #111 among the most visited websites in China.
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 Toutiao?
Toutiao is operated by ByteDance. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Toutiao headquartered?
Toutiao is headquartered in Beijing, China.
When was Toutiao founded?
Toutiao was founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.
How many employees does Toutiao have?
Toutiao employs approximately 5,000+ people.
What is Toutiao's revenue?
Toutiao's revenue: ≈ $10 billion annual revenue (est.).
Who are Toutiao's competitors?
Main competitors in China include sina.com.cn, qq.com, baidu.com.
How does Toutiao make money?
Mainly advertising.
Is Toutiao publicly traded?
No — Toutiao is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by ByteDance.
How many visitors does Toutiao get?
Third-party estimates place Toutiao at roughly 500 million visits per month, mostly from China, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Toutiao safe?
Toutiao is an established news & media site founded in 2012 and ranked #111 in China; use the official domain toutiao.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementstoutiao.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageChina 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