der Freitag
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What der Freitag does
der Freitag is a privately held German weekly newspaper (Wochenzeitung) founded in 1990 and headquartered in Germany, publishing under the tagline "Die Wochenzeitung für Politik, Wirtschaft und Kultur" — a weekly on politics, economics, and culture. It serves German-speaking, politically engaged readers seeking critical, left-leaning analysis distinct from mainstream German media, with an editorial product spanning print, website (freitag.de), and a dedicated mobile app.
The company's product portfolio centers on a print subscription (weekly postal delivery) and a digital subscription that unlocks all online articles plus the exclusive "Freitag Plus (F+)" tier. Ancillary products include the daily newsletter "Endlich Freitag!", an editorial podcast series, publishing-house events (Veranstaltungen), and browser-based puzzle games (Spiele: Boxeroo, Summaroo, Kangaline). Its core technology is a web-based digital publishing platform with a subscription paywall and a dedicated mobile app; no proprietary technology stack, API, or SDK is disclosed.
Monetization is subscription-recurring across all three primary channels (print, digital/web, app), with aggressive promotional acquisition pricing: 3 weeks free trial for print, 35 days free or €2 for 2 months for digital. Distribution is direct-to-subscriber with a single The Guardian content syndication partnership supplying international journalism. The publication celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2025 and is actively running a 2026 app launch campaign, indicating an ongoing pivot toward digital subscriber acquisition within a structurally contracting German print market.
der Freitag firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- der Freitag
- Legal name
- der Freitag
- Website
- https://freitag.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
der Freitag industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Weekly Newspaper Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
Keywords
Where der Freitag is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
der Freitag business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Print Subscription (Abo): Weekly print edition subscription model with promotional free trial offers (3 weeks free) targeting new subscribers. The publication celebrates its 35th anniversary with subscription promotions.
- Digital Subscription: Digital access to freitag.de including F+ content with tiered trial offers (35 days free, promotional pricing at €2 for 2 months). Includes access to digital newspaper format and app.
- App-based Access: Dedicated mobile app offering with promotional pricing for digital access, targeting users who prefer mobile content consumption.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital Subscription - Promotional Offer |
| Freemium | Annual | Digital Subscription - Free Trial |
| Subscription | Monthly | Print Subscription - Free Trial |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
der Freitag product offering
Product offeringCore offering
der Freitag is a German weekly newspaper (Wochenzeitung) covering politics, economics, and culture, founded in 1990. It sells print subscriptions delivered weekly by postal service and digital subscriptions accessible via its website (freitag.de) and a dedicated mobile app, supplemented by an exclusive subscriber content tier called Freitag Plus (F+).
Product overview
der Freitag is a German weekly newspaper (Wochenzeitung) covering politics, economics, and culture, celebrating its 35th anniversary. Its product portfolio consists of a print newspaper (print subscription available), a digital subscription tier called Freitag digital accessible via web and a dedicated app, an exclusive subscriber-only content layer called Freitag Plus (F+), and ancillary offerings including a daily newsletter („Endlich Freitag!“), a podcast series, and browser-based puzzle games (Spiele) on the website. The digital offering is promoted at introductory rates and is central to recent subscriber acquisition campaigns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- der Freitag (Print Newspaper Subscription) A weekly German newspaper (Wochenzeitung) covering politics, economics, and culture, delivered by postal subscription to individual readers.
- Freitag Digital Subscription (Digital Abo) A digital subscription to der Freitag giving subscribers access to all articles on freitag.de, including Freitag Plus (F+) exclusive content, accessible via web and a dedicated mobile app.
Companies that use der Freitag
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
der Freitag technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
der Freitag partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Guardiancoreder Freitag is a syndication partner of the British newspaper The Guardian. This partnership allows der Freitag to publish selected Guardian articles on its platform (freitag.de/autoren/the-guardian), expanding content offerings with international journalism. The Guardian section features articles from various Guardian journalists covering topics including US politics, climate, social issues, and international affairs.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
der Freitag competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- taz (die tageszeitung): Progressive German daily newspaper with subscription model and cooperative ownership structure. While daily rather than weekly, taz competes with der Freitag for politically engaged left-leaning readers seeking alternatives to mainstream German press.
- konkret: German political monthly magazine with left-leaning editorial stance and print subscription model. Comparable as a niche progressive political publication targeting engaged German-speaking readers, though operating at smaller scale and monthly cadence.
- Die Zeit: Germany's leading weekly newspaper (Wochenzeitung) covering politics, economics, and culture. Die Zeit is the most direct comparable to der Freitag in format, cadence, and editorial ambition, competing for the same German-speaking intellectually engaged readership.
- Jungle World: Left-wing German weekly magazine covering politics and culture with subscription-based business model. Comparable to der Freitag in niche ideological positioning, weekly cadence, and subscription revenue model serving German-speaking progressive audiences.
- Le Monde diplomatique (Deutsche Ausgabe): German edition of the French political monthly with left-leaning analytical journalism sold via subscription. Comparable as a niche progressive publication offering in-depth political and cultural analysis for German-speaking intellectually engaged readers.
Broad incumbents
- Der Spiegel: Germany's flagship weekly news magazine covering politics, economics, and culture. Though broader and more mainstream than der Freitag, Spiegel occupies adjacent weekly news space and is the dominant scale competitor for subscription attention in the German market.
- Süddeutsche Zeitung: Germany's largest quality daily newspaper with paid digital subscription model. Competes with der Freitag for paid news subscribers in Germany and serves a similar intellectually engaged audience, though at daily cadence and broader political spectrum.
- The Guardian: British daily newspaper with progressive editorial stance and successful digital subscription model (Guardian Weekly). Relevant as der Freitag's content syndication partner and as a benchmark for transitioning from print legacy to subscription-driven digital news business.
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): Major German daily newspaper with paid digital subscription tier covering politics, business, and culture. Comparable in subscription model and target audience (educated, policy-engaged readers), though ideologically distinct from der Freitag.
Regional players
- Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ): Swiss German-language quality newspaper covering politics, economics, and culture. Comparable in editorial ambition, subscription model, and German-language readership, though operating from Switzerland rather than directly competing in Germany.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
der Freitag financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
der Freitag leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
der Freitag funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
der Freitag 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 der Freitag
What does der Freitag do?
der Freitag is a German weekly newspaper (Wochenzeitung) covering politics, economics, and culture, founded in 1990. It sells print subscriptions delivered weekly by postal service and digital subscriptions accessible via its website (freitag.de) and a dedicated mobile app, supplemented by an exclusive subscriber content tier called Freitag Plus (F+).
Is der Freitag a public or private company?
der Freitag is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was der Freitag founded?
der Freitag was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is der Freitag based?
der Freitag is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does der Freitag make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print Subscription (Abo) is the primary driver. The others are digital Subscription and app-based Access.
Who are der Freitag's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are taz (die tageszeitung), konkret, Die Zeit, Jungle World and Le Monde diplomatique (Deutsche Ausgabe). Broad incumbents are Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Guardian and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) is listed as a regional player.
Does der Freitag have an API?
No public API is recorded for der Freitag.
What industry is der Freitag in?
der Freitag's product category is Weekly Newspaper Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2721.