Digital Trends

What Digital Trends does

Digital Trends, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is an online technology publisher operating as a subsidiary of Designtechnica Company. The company produces editorial content spanning consumer electronics categories — AI and computing, phones, gaming, audio/video, smart home, autos, tablets, and wearables — delivering product reviews, buying guides, how-to tutorials, news, deal coverage, streaming recommendations, and original video series through its website (digitaltrends.com), a Spanish-language site (es.digitaltrends.com), YouTube channel, email newsletters, and a mobile app. It serves mainstream technology consumers seeking purchasing guidance and trusted editorial review of consumer electronics.

The company operates a content-led business model monetizing through three primary revenue streams: display advertising on its owned properties, affiliate commerce commissions earned when readers purchase products via embedded links to Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other retailers, and branded content partnerships in which brands (Wavytalk, Momcozy, INIU, Asus, Beatbot, Tineco, ESR, among others) pay for sponsored articles featuring product showcases and discount codes. Distribution spans organic search, eight social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flipboard, YouTube), email, and Google's Preferred Source program. Content is free to consumers; revenue is generated entirely on the advertiser and affiliate side.

The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform and editorial content management system; no proprietary AI, data, or technical moats are documented. The company employs 101–250 people and has raised $10 million in disclosed funding (October 2016, lead investor unknown). Leadership comprises founder Ian Bell (CEO), founder Dan Gaul (CTO), Jonathon Shaevitz (Chief Commercial Officer), and Nathan Bell (SVP, Data and Business Analytics). The business faces a structural risk: third-party SEO analysis (Growtika) documents a 97% peak-to-trough decline in monthly clicks, from 8.5 million to roughly 265,000, attributable to Google's mid-2024 AI Overviews rollout, which compresses the SEO-driven traffic that underpins the display and affiliate revenue model.

Name

Digital Trends

Legal name

Digital Trends Media Group

Website

https://digitaltrends.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Digital Trends is an online technology publisher producing consumer electronics reviews, buying guides, how-to tutorials, and deals content via its website, YouTube, and newsletters. It monetizes through display advertising, affiliate commissions, and branded content partnerships, serving mainstream tech consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Technology Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting) (MPAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles) (MPAJAKAE), Digital Publishing Analytics, Personalization & Ad-Tech (MPAJAMAI), Shopping/Deal & Affiliate Content Aggregators (MPACAKAK), Digital Publishing Platforms (News/Magazines) (BPAMAJAE)

Keywords

• Technology news publishing
• Consumer electronics reviews
• Product buying guides
• Original video content
• Tech deals coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Branded Content / Sponsored Articles: Digital Trends publishes paid promotional articles in partnership with brands like Wavytalk, Momcozy, and INIU, featuring discount codes and product promotions. These articles are disclosed as branded content or paid partnerships.
2. Affiliate Commerce Revenue: The company earns commissions when readers purchase products through affiliate links embedded in reviews and deal articles, directing traffic to Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other retailers.
3. Display Advertising: Digital Trends generates advertising revenue through display ads, sponsored content placements, and partnership promotions on its website and in newsletters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Digital Trends is an online technology publisher that produces daily editorial content, hands-on product reviews, curated buying guides and best-of lists, how-to tutorials, original video series, streaming recommendations, and deals coverage across consumer electronics, AI, gaming, smart home, and automotive verticals. Content is delivered free to consumers via the digitaltrends.com website, a Spanish-language edition, an active YouTube channel, social media, and email newsletters, and is monetized through advertising, branded content partnerships, and affiliate commerce commissions.

Product overview

Digital Trends is a technology media and publishing company operating a content platform that delivers technology news, product reviews, buying guides, how-to tutorials, and original video series across multiple verticals including AI/computing, phones, gaming, entertainment/audio-video, smart home, autos, tablets, and wearables. The company publishes daily editorial content, hands-on product reviews, curated best-of lists, streaming guides, and deal coverage. Digital Trends Media Group also produces original video series and branded/sponsored content in partnership with consumer technology brands. The platform is ad-supported and earns commissions through affiliate links. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the company is part of the Designtechnica corporate group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Trends News & Editorial Daily technology news coverage, investigative features, and editorial commentary published across multiple technology verticals including AI, computing, phones, gaming, entertainment, smart home, autos, tablets, and wearables for mainstream tech consumers.
• Product Reviews Hands-on testing and expert evaluation of consumer technology products including headphones, speakers, soundbars, projectors, TVs, laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, and other gadgets, with detailed specifications and buying recommendations for consumers.
• Buying Guides & Best-Of Lists Curated recommendations including best-of product roundups (best headphones, best TVs, best laptops, etc.), buying guides, and product comparisons designed to help consumers make purchasing decisions across consumer electronics.
• How-To Guides Practical tutorials and instructional content covering technology topics such as how to use AI tools, how to set up home theater systems, how to troubleshoot devices, and how to optimize software for general consumers.
• Tech Deals Coverage Reporting on sales, discounts, and promotional offers across consumer electronics, including Black Friday, Prime Day, and other retail events, with deal curation and price tracking that links to retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
• Original Video Series Proprietary video content including Trending Forward (technology trends), QuickCharge (EV news), Weekend Watchlist (streaming recommendations), Tech for Change, and Genius Home series, distributed via the Digital Trends YouTube channel and website.
• Streaming Guides Curated recommendations for movies and TV shows across Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other streaming platforms, including what's new and what's popular, aimed at consumers selecting streaming content.
• Branded Content Sponsored and paid promotional articles created in partnership with consumer-tech brands, clearly disclosed as paid content, featuring product showcases and exclusive discount codes for readers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WavytalkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2026Digital Trends published a paid promotional article featuring Wavytalk's Bare It IPL hair removal device with a discount code (XALZ9648) reducing the price from $199 to $118.99 on Amazon, representing approximately 40% off. The article describes product features and is disclosed as sponsored content.
• MomcozyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2026Branded content partnership featuring Momcozy's BM08 smart baby monitor, highlighting contact-free monitoring technology, AI features, and a Prime Day promotional deal reducing the price from $249.99 to $179.99. Disclosed as paid promotional content.
• INIUminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Paid promotional article reviewing the INIU Cougar P63 100W portable power bank, positioning it as a compact charging solution for hybrid workers, creators, and gamers. Disclosed as paid promotional content.
• AsusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership label 'In partnership with Asus' featured on the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI router review, indicating a branded content or sponsored review arrangement.
• BeatbotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership label 'In partnership with Beatbot' for content about AI-powered pool robots, indicating a branded content or sponsored article arrangement.
• TinecominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership label 'In partnership with Tineco' for deals content, indicating a branded content or sponsored article arrangement.
• ESRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership label 'In partnership with ESR' for Prime Day productivity accessories deals, indicating a branded content or sponsored article arrangement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CNET: CNET is a flagship consumer-tech publisher producing reviews, news, and buying guides across categories that overlap one-for-one with Digital Trends (TVs, phones, laptops, smart home, autos). Both monetize primarily through display ads, affiliate links, and branded content, and both have been visibly affected by Google AI Overview traffic disruption.
• Engadget: Engadget is a consumer-tech and gadget review site covering phones, gaming, smart home, and entertainment, with similar editorial format (reviews, how-tos, news) and similar display-plus-affiliate monetization. Direct competitive overlap with Digital Trends' core verticals.
• TechRadar: TechRadar is a global consumer-tech publication producing buying guides, reviews, and deals content across phones, computing, audio/video, and smart home. Closely comparable to Digital Trends in editorial format, vertical mix, and reliance on affiliate and display revenue.
• Tom's Guide: Tom's Guide is a consumer-tech review and how-to site covering phones, laptops, TVs, streaming, and smart home. Operates with the same review-plus-buying-guide-plus-affiliate playbook as Digital Trends.
• PCMag: PCMag is an established consumer-tech publication producing hands-on reviews, best-of lists, and how-to content across computing, mobile, audio/video, and smart home. Highly comparable editorial product and revenue mix to Digital Trends.
• The Verge: The Verge is a tech, science, and culture publication covering phones, computing, entertainment, EVs, and AI, with a stronger news/feature tilt than Digital Trends but the same core audience of mainstream tech consumers and the same advertising-driven model.
• Android Authority: Android Authority is a mobile-focused tech publisher producing reviews, news, and deals for Android phones, tablets, and accessories. A narrower but directly comparable competitor on the phones vertical that Digital Trends also prioritizes.
• Ars Technica: Ars Technica publishes deep-dive tech news and reviews across computing, phones, gaming, and AI. Different in tone (more technical) but directly comparable in editorial format and audience overlap with Digital Trends.
• Gizmodo: Gizmodo is a tech and science publisher covering consumer electronics, gadgets, and culture with reviews and news content. Comparable audience and editorial format to Digital Trends, though with a broader culture-and-science remit.

Broad incumbents

• Wired: Wired is a much larger and more established tech-and-culture publication that overlaps Digital Trends on consumer-tech reviews, deals, and buying guides as part of a wider editorial portfolio. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same space rather than a head-to-head niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/digitaltrends
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/digitaltrends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digitaltrends-com
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitaltrends
• TikToktiktok.com/@digitaltrends
• Pinterestpinterest.com/digitaltrends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digital Trends