What Verlagsgesellschaft does

VGL Publishing AG, trading as Vergleich.org, is a Berlin-based operator of an independent German consumer product and service comparison portal. The platform covers approximately 424,222 products and services spread across 22,645+ comparison categories organized into 12 main verticals — Auto & Motor, Baumarkt, Drogerie, Elektronik, Finanzen, Freizeit & Sport, Haushalt, Kind & Baby, Lebensmittel, Mode, Service, and Wohnen. Content is produced by a structurally separated editorial team and combines three methodologies: hands-on product tests conducted in in-house laboratories and photo studios (since 2016), comparison tables aggregating consumer experiences and external testing institution data, and expert guides and studies (since 2015). Editorial independence is externally validated by a June 2023 TÜV Saarland 'Geprüftes Onlineportal' certification covering transparency, legal certainty, data protection, and user-friendliness.

The company's product surface is free for end consumers and extends across web (vergleich.org), native iOS and Android applications, and localized portals in Italy (miglioreconsiglio.it), France (meilleurs.fr), Spain (mejoraelige.es), the UK (pickbest.co.uk), and the USA (bestpick.com). Active distribution channels include content marketing and SEO, organic social on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Pinterest, a WhatsApp newsletter channel via chatarmin.com, and earned media coverage in Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, ntv, Das Erste, Focus, and Stern.

Vergleich.org operates a product-led growth motion as a self-serve consumer platform. Revenue is generated primarily through affiliate commissions on clicks and purchases routed to Amazon EU, eBay, and Otto, with a secondary monetization layer in the form of clearly labelled Sponsored Product placements ('Anzeige') purchased by manufacturers that meet the portal's quality bar. Tertiary services — including a subscription cancellation utility (Kündigungsservice) — extend the funnel into post-purchase consumer actions. The company is privately held (Aktiengesellschaft), bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding rounds, and led by board members Jan Steffen and Timo Schürmann under the chairmanship of supervisory board head Michael Riedl.

Name

Verlagsgesellschaft

Legal name

VGL Publishing AG

Website

https://vergleich.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vergleich.org, operated by VGL Publishing AG from Berlin, is an independent German product and service comparison portal covering 424,000+ products across 22,000+ categories for German-speaking consumers, monetized through affiliate commissions and sponsored placements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Comparison and Product Testing Portal

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Comparison Shopping & Price Discovery Portals (BPAMAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH), Price Comparison/Aggregator Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Product comparison portal
• Consumer product testing
• Affiliate marketing platform
• Buying guides
• Independent product reviews

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Marketing: Revenue generated through affiliate links to online retailers (Amazon, eBay, Otto). When users click links and purchase products, Vergleich.org receives a commission from the respective online shop. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Sponsored Products: Manufacturers can pay to have their products highlighted as 'Sponsored Products' or 'Anzeige' (advertisements) within comparison tables. These are clearly marked as advertisements and must still meet quality standards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VGL Publishing AG operates Vergleich.org, an independent consumer test and comparison portal covering more than 424,000 products and services across 22,000+ comparisons in 12 main categories. The platform provides comparison tables, in-house product test reports (conducted in company-owned laboratories since 2016), and expert buying guides/studies, monetized through affiliate links to online retailers (Amazon, eBay, Otto) and paid sponsored product placements from manufacturers.

Product overview

Vergleich.org is an independent German consumer test and comparison portal operated by VGL Publishing AG. The platform offers a unified comparison service organized across 12 main categories (Auto & Motor, Baumarkt, Drogerie, Elektronik, Finanzen, Freizeit & Sport, Haushalt, Kind & Baby, Lebensmittel, Mode, Service, and Wohnen) covering approximately 424,222 products and services in over 22,645 comparisons/tests. The core offering consists of three methodology types: (1) own product tests conducted in test laboratories since 2016, (2) comparison tables aggregating consumer experiences and external test institution data, and (3) expert guides and studies created since 2015. Additional services include Sponsored Products (paid manufacturer placements clearly marked as advertisements), a cancellation service for subscriptions, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The platform generates revenue through affiliate links to online shops and sponsored product placements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vergleich.org: Independent test and comparison portal covering products and services across categories including Auto & Motor, Baumarkt, Drogerie, Elektronik, Finanzen, Freizeit & Sport, Haushalt, Kind & Baby, Lebensmittel, Mode, Service, and Wohnen.

Products and services

• Vergleich.org Comparison Portal Independent test and comparison portal that evaluates products and services across categories including Auto & Motor, Baumarkt, Drogerie, Elektronik, Finanzen, Freizeit & Sport, Haushalt, Kind & Baby, Lebensmittel, Mode, Service, and Wohnen, helping consumers make purchasing decisions.
• In-House Product Tests (Testberichte) In-house product testing conducted in company-owned test laboratories and photo studios; editors and product experts test selected products using everyday procedures that are continuously developed.
• Buying Guides and Studies (Ratgeber und Studien) Expert guides and studies providing complementary content and assistance for correct product usage, with some content syndicated by major media houses.
• Sponsored Products (Paid Placements)
• Cancellation Service (Kündigungsservice) Partner service offering cancellation assistance for various providers including telecom, fitness studios, credit cards, and other subscriptions.
• Vergleich.org Mobile App (iOS and Android) Mobile applications for iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store) that allow users to access comparison content and test reports on the go.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120 days maximum content update cycle ensures recommendations remain current
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TARIFCHECK24 GmbHminorOthersTARIFCHECK24 GmbH is responsible for insurance comparisons with interactive comparison calculators on Vergleich.org, specifically for insurance-related product comparisons.
• financeAds GmbH & Co. KGminorOthersfinanceAds GmbH & Co. KG handles financial comparisons with interactive comparison calculators such as credit comparisons on Vergleich.org.
• Amazon EUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon EU Partner Program participant. Vergleich.org places affiliate links and advertisements for Amazon.de, earning advertising fees when users click through and make purchases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Preis.de: German price search engine with broad consumer-goods coverage. Comparable business model and target audience; directly competes for the same affiliate-driven comparison traffic in Germany.
• Testberichte.de: German product test aggregator that compiles reviews and comparison content across categories. Overlaps directly with Vergleich.org's product-test methodology and consumer audience.
• Check24: Leading German comparison portal with strong presence across insurance, finance, telecom, and consumer products. Comparable business model — affiliate/lead-gen commissions — and overlapping coverage of categories Vergleich.org serves.
• billiger.de: German price comparison engine for consumer products and electronics. Directly comparable on product categories, comparison tables, and affiliate revenue mechanics targeting German consumers.
• Verivox: German comparison platform focused on energy, insurance, telecom, and finance. Comparable affiliate/lead-gen revenue model and target consumer base, though narrower in physical-goods coverage than Vergleich.org.
• Kelkoo: European price comparison platform active in multiple EU markets. Comparable affiliate-driven comparison model and multi-country footprint relevant to Vergleich.org's international portal strategy.
• Geizhals: Austrian/German price comparison platform strong in electronics and tech. Comparable affiliate-driven model and category overlap, especially in Elektronik where Vergleich.org also has depth.
• Idealo: One of Europe's largest price comparison portals. Directly comparable to Vergleich.org: consumer-facing comparison tables, affiliate-driven revenue model, and broad product category coverage in German-speaking markets.

Broad incumbents

• Stiftung Warentest: German independent product testing foundation producing authoritative comparative test reports. A benchmark for trust in the comparison space and a content syndication counterpart rather than a direct affiliate competitor.

Regional players

• Trovaprezzi: Italy's largest price comparison portal. Comparable as the Italian-language analog of Vergleich.org, which itself operates miglioreconsiglio.it — making Trovaprezzi a relevant regional incumbent for Vergleich's international expansion benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vergleich_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/vergleich.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/organization-guest/company/vgl-verlagsgesellschaft-mbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/vergleichOrg
• Pinterestpinterest.de/vergleich_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Verlagsgesellschaft