What The Spruce does

The Spruce is a privately held digital content publishing platform focused on home and garden topics for U.S. consumers, headquartered in New York and founded in 2017. The company operates a website organized across six core content categories — Decor, Garden, Home Improvement, Cleaning, Celebrations, and What to Buy — alongside a daily email newsletter and a podcast ("In the Weeds With Plant People"). Editorial differentiation is built around three expert Review Boards (Gardening, Home Improvement, Cleaning) and a dedicated 10,000 square foot Spruce Lab that conducts hands-on product testing, reportedly accumulating more than 100,000 hours of annual testing across hundreds of products per month. The site also maintains a 1,000+ entry Plants A to Z database and a Spruce Approved product endorsement program with direct affiliate purchase links.

The underlying technology is a conventional digital media publishing stack: SEO-optimized evergreen articles, category navigation, commerce product roundups, newsletter distribution, and embedded affiliate links to retailers (notably Amazon). The Spruce makes money primarily through affiliate referral commissions on product recommendations and through digital advertising (display ads, sponsored content, branded partnerships) distributed via its parent company's ad networks. Content is free to readers; there are no subscription or direct-payment pricing models. The company is a subsidiary of People Inc., a diversified media conglomerate, and operates within that parent's corporate infrastructure rather than as an independent venture-backed entity. No external funding rounds or standalone financial disclosures are available.

Name

The Spruce

Legal name

The Spruce

Website

https://thespruce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Spruce is a New York-based digital media platform providing expert-reviewed home, garden, and lifestyle editorial content to U.S. consumers, monetized through affiliate commissions and advertising as a subsidiary of People Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Marketing/Commission Revenue: The Spruce earns commission when readers click on product links and make purchases from retailers like Amazon. The site clearly discloses: 'If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.' This is the primary revenue mechanism for product recommendations.
2. Advertising and Sponsorships: Digital advertising inventory including display ads, sponsored content, and branded partnerships. The site is part of People Inc. publishing family, enabling cross-promotion and ad network monetization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Spruce is a digital content publishing platform that delivers home and garden editorial articles, expert-vetted product reviews, how-to guides, and product recommendations across categories including Decor, Garden, Home Improvement, Cleaning, Celebrations, and What to Buy. The site monetizes via affiliate marketing commissions when readers purchase products through embedded retailer links and through display advertising and sponsorships.

Product overview

The Spruce is a home and garden content publishing platform that provides editorial articles, product reviews, and recommendations across categories including home design, decorating, gardening, cleaning, home improvement, and celebrations. The site operates as a content media brand under People Inc., offering curated product recommendations with affiliate links, expert guidance through review boards (Gardening Review Board, Home Improvement Review Board, Cleaning Review Board), and newsletter subscriptions. The Spruce Lab conducts product testing to support editorial recommendations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Spruce Website and Editorial Content Platform A free home and garden content publishing platform delivering editorial articles, product reviews, roundups, and expert recommendations across categories including Decor, Garden, Home Improvement, Cleaning, Celebrations, and What to Buy, targeted at homeowners and renters.
• The Spruce Gardening Review Board An expert review board comprising Master Gardeners and gardening specialists who provide guidance, tested recommendations, and editorial oversight for gardening, plant care, and outdoor content.
• The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board
• The Spruce Cleaning Review Board
• The Spruce Newsletter Subscription A free email newsletter subscription delivering daily tips and tricks for home improvement, decorating, and gardening to subscriber inboxes, supporting ongoing reader engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 square foot testing facility with 100,000+ hours of annual product testing
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• People Inc.coreOthersThe Spruce is part of the People Inc. publishing family, operating as a subsidiary brand within this larger media organization. People Inc. provides corporate infrastructure, advertising networks, and brand backing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Better Homes & Gardens: Iconic home and garden content brand with deep how-to content, product reviews, and a large editorial team. Direct head-to-head competitor in home improvement, gardening, and decor categories.
• Real Simple: Time Inc./Dotdash Meredith lifestyle title covering home, cleaning, and organizing — overlapping directly with The Spruce's Cleaning and Home Improvement verticals. Operates on the same content-led, SEO-driven model.
• Good Housekeeping: Heritage home and lifestyle publication with a renowned product testing institute. Direct peer given shared authority on tested home products and overlapping decor, cleaning, and home improvement content.
• Apartment Therapy: Digital-first home and decor publisher focused on small-space living, decorating, and cleaning. Closely comparable in audience (renters and homeowners) and content-led monetization model.
• Hunker: Digital home and design publisher covering decor, DIY, and lifestyle content. Comparable content focus, SEO-driven traffic model, and affiliate-led commerce monetization.
• Country Living: Hearst home and lifestyle title covering decor, gardening, and DIY. Direct content overlap with The Spruce, with similar SEO-driven commerce model.
• MyDomaine: Digital home and design publisher focused on modern decor, styling, and small-space solutions. Closely comparable target audience and SEO/affiliate monetization approach.
• BobVila.com: Trusted home improvement and DIY publisher covering tools, skills, and renovation how-tos. Directly comparable in Home Improvement vertical authority and affiliate commerce model.

Broad incumbents

• HGTV: Discovery-owned home and garden lifestyle media brand with strong authority in home improvement, design, and gardening. Overlaps in content categories but operates as part of a much larger media portfolio.
• Martha Stewart: Legacy home, cooking, and lifestyle brand covering decor, gardening, and entertaining. Comparable audience and content focus, with broader brand and commerce operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thesprucemakes
• Facebookfacebook.com/thespruceofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Spruce