What Notebookcheck does

Notebookcheck, operating legally as Notebookcheck Publishing GmbH (Germany), is an independent digital media publisher founded in 2005 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The company produces detailed reviews, benchmarks, news, videos, and buying guides for laptops, smartphones, tablets, mini-PCs, gaming handhelds, and adjacent consumer technology categories, targeting tech-conscious consumers researching purchases and technology industry professionals tracking product launches. Editorial output spans 13 country-language editions (German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Swedish, Chinese, Hungarian), supported by an active social presence on YouTube, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, Threads, and Bluesky.

The core technical assets are proprietary benchmark databases for mobile CPUs, laptop GPUs, gaming performance, and SSDs, built through standardized hands-on testing methodology over more than two decades. These datasets, combined with an interactive Laptop Buying Guide tool, an external review library, and a video review channel, form an integrated editorial platform whose value derives from accumulated testing history, comparative coverage depth, and organic search authority rather than from licensed technology stacks or APIs.

Revenue is generated entirely on an ad- and affiliate-funded basis: the company earns display advertising income across its high-traffic review pages and commissions from affiliate links embedded in product recommendations, with all content free to readers. Go-to-market is content-led, relying on SEO, direct traffic, social distribution, and RSS feeds. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entity, funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes in the available data, and has maintained continuous independent operations since inception.

Name

Notebookcheck

Legal name

Notebookcheck Publishing GmbH

Website

https://notebookcheck.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Notebookcheck is an independent, privately held tech media publisher founded in 2005 that produces detailed reviews, benchmarks, news, videos, and buying guides for laptops, smartphones, tablets, and adjacent consumer electronics across 13 language editions, monetized through display advertising and affiliate commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Commission Revenue: Notebookcheck earns commissions through affiliate links when readers purchase products via their site recommendations, as noted in their disclosure: 'If you buy something via one of our affiliate links, Notebookcheck may earn a commission.'
2. Display Advertising: The site generates revenue through display advertising on their high-traffic tech review pages, with targeted ad placements across their content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Notebookcheck is a digital media publishing platform that produces detailed hands-on reviews, standardized benchmarks, news coverage, video content, and curated buying guides for laptops, smartphones, tablets, mini-PCs, gaming handhelds, and related consumer electronics. Its editorial workflow relies on in-house testing methodology and proprietary CPU and GPU benchmark databases to deliver comparative technical analysis across brands, price points, and product generations.

Product overview

Notebookcheck is a technology review and media platform offering expert reviews, news, video content, technical benchmarks, and buying guides for laptops, smartphones, tablets, and tech innovations. The platform consists of multiple integrated sections: Reviews provides detailed benchmarking and ratings for devices; News delivers breaking tech stories; Videos offers visual hands-on impressions; Benchmarks/Tech provides CPU and GPU benchmark lists; Buyers Guide consolidates rankings and comparisons; Magazine features opinion and analysis pieces; and Library links to external reviews. The portfolio operates as a unified editorial platform serving consumers and enthusiasts seeking detailed tech purchasing information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Notebookcheck Reviews

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by major tech publications (TechRadar, Tom's Hardware, Digital Trends) as a source for hardware testing and CPU fraud investigations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CNET: Major consumer technology review site with deep laptop, smartphone, and tablet coverage and a long-running reviews library. Competes for organic search traffic on the same product categories and buyer-intent keywords.
• Digital Trends: Consumer technology publication covering laptops, smartphones, and emerging devices with reviews and buying guides. Has cited Notebookcheck's hardware testing, indicating direct overlap in editorial scope.
• Tom's Hardware: Global PC and component review publisher with deep benchmark coverage of CPUs, GPUs, and laptops. Direct competitor for buyer-intent laptop and component traffic, and cited alongside Notebookcheck by other outlets.
• PCMag: Established PC and consumer electronics review publication with extensive laptop, smartphone, and tablet coverage and buying guides. Targets the same pre-purchase research audience and competes for affiliate revenue.
• Laptop Mag: Dedicated laptop-focused review publication with reviews, benchmarks, and best-of buying guides. Highly comparable in editorial scope to Notebookcheck's laptop-centric core.
• AnandTech: Historically benchmark-driven hardware review site known for deep CPU and GPU testing. Closest analogue to Notebookcheck's mobile CPU/GPU benchmark methodology, even as its publication status has varied.
• GSMArena: Long-running smartphone and mobile device review and specifications database with strong search authority. Overlaps with Notebookcheck's smartphone coverage and serves the same pre-purchase research intent.
• TechRadar: Large consumer tech review site covering laptops, smartphones, tablets, and accessories with buying guides. Competes for the same affiliate-driven purchase-decision traffic and has cited Notebookcheck's hardware testing.

Broad incumbents

• Engadget: Long-running consumer technology site with reviews, news, and buying guides across laptops, smartphones, and emerging devices. Competes for affiliate-driven purchase-intent traffic across many of the same categories as Notebookcheck.
• The Verge: Large generalist technology and consumer electronics publication covering laptops, smartphones, and gadgets. Overlaps with Notebookcheck on device reviews but operates with a much broader editorial scope and larger team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nbc_net
• YouTubeyoutube.com/notebookcheckreviews
• Facebookfacebook.com/Notebookchecknet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/notebookcheck-publishing-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Notebookcheck