Tier freund
Tierfreund is a German-language online community and editorial portal for pet owners in the DACH region, operated as a WordPress/BuddyPress site by Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH in Gummersbach, monetized via freemium memberships and advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersGummersbach, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Tier freund does
Tierfreund (tierfreund.de) is a German-language online community and content portal for pet owners and animal enthusiasts, operated by Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH, a privately held GmbH headquartered in Gummersbach, Germany, founded in 1996. The platform serves DACH-region pet owners across dogs, cats, small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets), horses, and wildlife, offering editorial content on breeds, care, training, behavior, and pet-friendly travel, including EU entry rules and country-specific vacation information. Users register for free profiles, post in forums, share photos and articles, and engage via messaging.
The underlying platform is a WordPress-based community site extended with BuddyPress for social networking features such as profiles, activity streams, forums, and direct messaging. The site also distributes a newsletter and sells on-platform advertising slots. Tierfreund does not maintain a mobile app, public API, SDK, or MCP, and the product surface is entirely web-based.
The business model is a freemium consumer subscription: a free Basic Membership tier provides standard registration and community access, while paid Pro and Premium memberships (offered in 1, 3, or 6-month terms with automatic renewal unless cancelled two weeks before expiry) unlock enhanced search, additional advertising options, and broader forum capabilities. There are no disclosed enterprise customers, no named partnerships, and no disclosed revenue or funding; monetization relies on long-tail consumer subscriptions and advertising. The company employs 11–50 people and is led by Managing Director Christian Spiller.
Tier freund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tier freund
- Legal name
- Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH
- Website
- https://tierfreund.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tierfreund is a German-language online community and editorial portal for pet owners in the DACH region, operated as a WordPress/BuddyPress site by Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH in Gummersbach, monetized via freemium memberships and advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tier freund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Pet Community Platform
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lost & Found, Reunification & Microchipping Programs (BPAGAIAL)
Keywords
Where Tier freund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gummersbach
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Tier freund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Basic Membership: Free membership tier allowing registration and basic access to the community platform and content reading
- Pro/Premium Paid Membership: Paid subscription membership with extended features including enhanced search capabilities, advertising options, and forum features. Membership available for 1, 3, or 6 months with automatic renewal unless cancelled 2 weeks before expiry
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic membership with standard community access |
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Tier freund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tierfreund is a German-language online community portal that publishes editorial content about dogs, cats, small animals, horses, and wildlife, and operates as a social platform where pet owners create profiles, post in forums, share photos, and exchange advice. The site is operated by Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH, offers free Basic Membership alongside paid Pro and Premium subscriptions, and additionally provides travel-with-pet resources and animal welfare information.
Product overview
Tierfreund is an interactive community platform for pet owners and animal enthusiasts operating primarily in German-speaking regions. The platform offers a free Basic Membership tier alongside paid Pro and Premium subscription options. Users can create profiles, network with other members, participate in forums, and access editorial content about various pet types including dogs, cats, small animals, horses, and wild animals. The platform also provides a newsletter service and advertising opportunities for partners. The offering functions as a content-driven community rather than a technology product with AI capabilities or public developer APIs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tierfreund Community Platform Interactive online community platform enabling pet owners and animal enthusiasts to create profiles, network with other members, share content, and access forums and informational resources about pets.
- Basic Membership Free registration tier providing access to the community platform, forum participation, profile creation, and access to informational content about various pet types.
- Pro Membership Paid membership option with extended platform features including expanded information offerings, enhanced search capabilities, increased advertising options, and broader forum access; available for one, three, or six-month terms with automatic renewal.
- Premium Membership Premium tier offering the most comprehensive access to platform features with maximum search functionality, advertising options, and full forum capabilities; available for one, three, or six-month terms with automatic renewal.
- Pet Information Content Editorial content covering various pet categories including dogs, cats, small animals, horses, and wild animals, with sub-topics such as breeds, care, training, behavior, and travel tips.
- Newsletter Service Email newsletter providing subscribers with updates about platform content, pet-related news, and informational content about services and offerings.
Companies that use Tier freund
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Tier freund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tier freund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves3 records
Tier freund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hund.info: German dog portal with breed information, care articles, and community resources - directly comparable to Tierfreund's tierinfos/hunde section.
- Katzen-Forum.net: German-language cat community and information forum. Comparable DACH pet community platform with similar freemium-style content and forum structure.
- Tasso e.V. Germany's largest pet identification and reunification registry. Highly comparable to Tierfreund given overlap in animal welfare mission, lost-pet listings, and DACH community focus for pet owners.
- Mein-Hund.de: German-language dog information and community portal. Closely mirrors Tierfreund's editorial/community model with breed information, care advice, and owner forums.
Emerging players
- Tiervermittlung.de: German pet rehoming/adoption listings platform. Comparable as a DACH pet community service with overlap in animal welfare and animal listing functionality that Tierfreund touches.
Broad incumbents
- PetMD: Large-scale English-language pet health and care information platform. Comparable as an editorial/community destination for pet owners, though operates at much greater scale and primarily in English.
- Zooplus: Europe's leading online pet retailer, headquartered in Germany. Comparable as a dominant DACH pet platform with adjacent content/community properties competing for the same pet owner audience.
- Futterhaus: German specialty pet retail chain with online and store presence. Comparable as a broad DACH pet ecosystem player with overlapping audience of pet owners seeking advice and product information.
Others
- Agila Tierversicherung: German pet insurance provider with educational content marketing. Comparable as a DACH pet services ecosystem participant whose content and audience overlap with Tierfreund's.
- Royal Canin: Global pet nutrition brand with substantial DACH content marketing footprint. Comparable as a publisher of authoritative pet care information targeting the same DACH audience Tierfreund serves.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tier freund social profiles
Digital presenceTier freund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tier freund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Tier freund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tier freund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tier freund
What does Tier freund do?
Tierfreund is a German-language online community portal that publishes editorial content about dogs, cats, small animals, horses, and wildlife, and operates as a social platform where pet owners create profiles, post in forums, share photos, and exchange advice. The site is operated by Oberberg-Online Informationssysteme GmbH, offers free Basic Membership alongside paid Pro and Premium subscriptions, and additionally provides travel-with-pet resources and animal welfare information.
Is Tier freund a public or private company?
Tier freund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tier freund founded?
Tier freund was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tier freund based?
Tier freund is headquartered in Gummersbach, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Tier freund make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Basic Membership is the primary driver. The others are pro/Premium Paid Membership.
Who are Tier freund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hund.info, Katzen-Forum.net, Tasso e.V. and Mein-Hund.de. Tiervermittlung.de is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are PetMD, Zooplus and Futterhaus. Others are Agila Tierversicherung and Royal Canin.
Does Tier freund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tier freund.
What industry is Tier freund in?
Tier freund's product category is Online Pet Community Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAL, Lost & Found, Reunification & Microchipping Programs. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8600.