Vísir
One of Iceland's most visited news and video portals.
Vísir at a glance
Vísir is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Iceland, currently ranked #1 in the country. It was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland. Today Vísir is owned by Sýn hf.. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 9 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through advertising, video pre-roll, cross-media bundles. Its closest rivals include mbl.is, dv.is, ruv.is.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 8.5 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 8.7 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 9 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 9.5 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 Iceland, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Iceland86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 2.7 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
- Iceland
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| vísir | 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 Iceland 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 Iceland
Company information
- Website
- visir.is
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Sýn hf.
- Owner type
- Public company
- Founded
- 1998
- Headquarters
- Reykjavík, Iceland
- Ownership
- Sýn hf. controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Languages
- Icelandic
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- Not publicly disclosed
- Ownership
- Public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Vísir operates a news and media publisher focused on Iceland. One of Iceland's most visited news and video portals. Revenue comes mainly from advertising, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Advertising
- Video pre-roll
- Cross-media bundles
International presence
- Primary market
- Iceland
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Iceland)
- #1 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Iceland
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| mbl.is | ≈ 5.4 million / month | #2 class competitor | — |
| dv.is | ≈ 4 million / month | #3 class competitor | — |
| ruv.is | ≈ 2.7 million / month | #4 class competitor | — |
What is Vísir?
Vísir (visir.is) is a news and media publisher serving users in Iceland. One of Iceland's most visited news and video portals. It ranks #1 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Vísir?
The site is operated by Sýn hf.. The company was established in 1998 and is headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Vísir at roughly 9 million visits per month, about 0.3 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 Vísir makes money
Revenue comes primarily from advertising, alongside video pre-roll, cross-media bundles.
Competitors in Iceland
Its closest rivals include mbl.is, dv.is, ruv.is.
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
- 1998
Vísir is founded in Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #1 among the most visited websites in Iceland.
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 Vísir?
Vísir is operated by Sýn hf.. Public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Vísir headquartered?
Vísir is headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland.
When was Vísir founded?
Vísir was founded in 1998.
What is Vísir's revenue?
Vísir does not publish standalone revenue; income comes from advertising, video pre-roll, cross-media bundles.
Who are Vísir's competitors?
Main competitors in Iceland include mbl.is, dv.is, ruv.is.
How does Vísir make money?
Mainly advertising, video pre-roll, cross-media bundles.
Is Vísir publicly traded?
Vísir's ownership: Public company.
How many visitors does Vísir get?
Third-party estimates place Vísir at roughly 9 million visits per month, mostly from Iceland, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Vísir safe?
Vísir is an established news & media site founded in 1998 and ranked #1 in Iceland; use the official domain visir.is and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsvisir.is
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageIceland 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