Girlfriend

Women's Lifestyle Mediafreundin.de

Freundin (freundin Verlag GmbH) is a German women's lifestyle media brand owned by Hubert Burda Media, publishing a print magazine, e-paper, freundin.de website, mobile apps, weekly podcast, and affiliate shop targeting German-speaking women with fashion, beauty, health, recipe, and relationship content since 1948.

Company typePrivate
Founded1948
HeadquartersMunich, Germany
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Girlfriend does

Freundin (legal entity: freundin Verlag GmbH) is a German women's lifestyle media brand headquartered in Munich at Arabellastraße 23/27, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hubert Burda Media conglomerate. Founded on June 5, 1948 under the name 'Ihre Freundin' and rebranded to 'Freundin' in 1967, the brand publishes a traditional women's magazine covering fashion, beauty, health, recipes, love and psychology, lifestyle, and horoscopes. The company serves German-speaking women across the DACH region through a multi-format portfolio that includes the print magazine, the freundin.de website (launched 1998), freundin E-Paper available as desktop PDF and via iOS and Android apps, an email newsletter, and the freundin Shop affiliate marketplace featuring tracked links to retailers including H&M, Bonprix, and Birkenstock.

The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform with integrated e-paper reader applications; no proprietary technology stack, APIs, or AI features are disclosed. Distribution extends to third-party digital newsstands including My Kiosk, iKiosk, United Kiosk, and Amazon Kindle Newsstand, in addition to physical kiosks for the print edition. The most recent product extension is 'freundin – der Podcast', a weekly podcast series launched in April 2026 and distributed on Spotify and YouTube.

Freundin generates revenue through four streams: print magazine subscriptions (annual billing via freundin-abo.de), e-paper and app subscriptions (annual or per-issue at 0.40 euros per issue as an add-on for print subscribers), native advertising (Anzeige units across the website, with media sales handled through BCN at bcn.burda.de), and affiliate commerce referrals via the freundin Shop. Editorial leadership is split between Print (Anke Helle and Mateja Mögel as Chefredakteurin Print) and Digital (Bianka Morgen as Chefredakteurin Digital), with Manuela Kampp-Wirtz serving as Managing Director (Geschäftsführer). The brand maintains active audience channels across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Girlfriend firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Girlfriend
Legal name: freundin Verlag GmbH
Website: https://freundin.de
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1948
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Freundin (freundin Verlag GmbH) is a German women's lifestyle media brand owned by Hubert Burda Media, publishing a print magazine, e-paper, freundin.de website, mobile apps, weekly podcast, and affiliate shop targeting German-speaking women with fashion, beauty, health, recipe, and relationship content since 1948.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Girlfriend industry classification

Industry

Product category: Women's Lifestyle Media
NAICS: Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)
SIC: Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
akta.pro primary industry: Women’s Interest & Parenting Magazines (MPAJAEAB)
akta.pro secondary industry: Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

Keywords

Women's lifestyle magazine
Fashion and beauty content
E-paper publishing
Digital editorial media
Lifestyle media brand

Where Girlfriend is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Munich
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

Girlfriend business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Print Magazine Subscription: Freundin generates revenue through print magazine subscriptions sold via its subscription portal (freundin-abo.de). The magazine is available at kiosks and through home delivery subscriptions.
Digital E-Paper and App Subscriptions: Revenue from e-paper subscriptions and app-based subscriptions for smartphones and tablets. Print subscribers receive e-paper access at reduced rates.
Advertising: The website displays native advertising (Anzeige) throughout content sections. The site features affiliate shopping links with commission tracking parameters.
Affiliate Commerce: The shop section features affiliate links to fashion and beauty products from retailers like H&M, Bonprix, Birkenstock, with tracked commission parameters embedded in URLs.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Print Magazine Subscription
Subscription	Pay-as-you-go	E-Paper Add-on for Print Subscribers
Subscription	Annual	E-Paper Standalone Subscription
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Single Issue Purchase

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Girlfriend product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Freundin is a German women's lifestyle media brand that publishes a traditional print magazine, a digital e-paper edition, a content website (freundin.de), dedicated mobile apps, a weekly podcast, and an affiliate shopping section. The brand delivers editorial content across fashion, beauty, health, recipes, love/relationships, psychology, lifestyle, and horoscopes to German-speaking women readers. Revenue is generated through print and e-paper subscriptions, advertising, and affiliate commerce commissions.

Product overview

Freundin is a German women's media brand offering a multi-platform portfolio comprising the core print magazine, the freundin.de website, the freundin E-Paper digital edition, mobile apps for iOS and Android, a weekly podcast series (freundin – der Podcast launched April 2026), the freundin Shop affiliate marketplace, and a newsletter service. The brand, owned by Hubert Burda Media, has been providing editorial content since 1948, covering fashion, beauty, health, recipes, love/relationships, psychology, lifestyle, and horoscopes across print and digital touchpoints.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

freundin Magazin (Print) Traditional women's magazine covering fashion, beauty, health, recipes, love, psychology, lifestyle, and horoscopes, published by Hubert Burda Media with readership spanning multiple generations.
freundin.de (Website) Online platform providing digital editorial content including articles, videos, fashion and beauty tips, recipes, horoscopes, and lifestyle advice with daily updated content across multiple topic categories.
freundin E-Paper Digital version of the print magazine available for smartphones, tablets, and desktop, accessible one day before the print version. Available as subscription or single issue purchase through dedicated apps and PDF download.
freundin App (iOS/Android) Mobile application for iOS and Android devices providing access to the E-Paper version of the magazine, allowing subscribers to read content on mobile devices with optimized viewing experience.
freundin – der Podcast

Companies that use Girlfriend

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Girlfriend technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Girlfriend partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Hubert Burda MediacoreOthersFreundin is a brand under Hubert Burda Media, one of Germany's largest media companies. The company operates as freundin Verlag GmbH within the Burda portfolio, leveraging the parent company's infrastructure and resources for publishing operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Girlfriend competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Stern: Stern is a leading German news and lifestyle magazine published by Gruner + Jahr. While broader in scope, it competes with Freundin for advertising spend and lifestyle audience attention in Germany.

Direct peers

Brigitte: Brigitte is Germany's other flagship women's lifestyle magazine, covering fashion, beauty, health, and relationships for German-speaking women. It is Freundin's closest direct competitor in the traditional women's magazine category.
Cosmopolitan (Germany): Cosmopolitan Germany is a leading international women's lifestyle magazine covering relationships, career, fashion, and beauty. Targets a similar German-speaking female audience with overlapping content categories.
InStyle (Germany): InStyle Germany is another Hubert Burda Media sister title focused on celebrity fashion and beauty, overlapping with Freundin's Mode and Beauty verticals and competing for the same German-speaking female audience.
Joy (Germany): Joy is a German women's magazine covering fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and relationships for younger German-speaking women, directly competing with Freundin in the lifestyle magazine category.
Elle (Germany): Elle Germany is a sister title to Freundin within the Hubert Burda Media portfolio, covering fashion, beauty, and lifestyle for German women. Directly comparable in audience, content mix, and distribution model.
Harper's Bazaar (Germany): Harper's Bazaar Germany is a Burda-owned fashion and lifestyle title that competes with Freundin's fashion content. Comparable in distribution across print, e-paper, and digital newsstands.
Glamour (Germany): Glamour Germany is a major women's magazine covering fashion, beauty, and lifestyle for young German-speaking women, directly competing with Freundin in similar content verticals.

Emerging players

Shape (Germany): Shape Germany is a fitness and wellness-focused women's publication that overlaps with Freundin's Lifestyle, Fitness, and Gesundheit content categories for German-speaking women.
Women's Health (Germany): Women's Health Germany is a health-and-fitness focused women's title that competes in the Gesundheit and Fitness verticals where Freundin also publishes. Comparable in multi-platform distribution and German female target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Girlfriend financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Girlfriend leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Girlfriend funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Girlfriend M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Girlfriend

What does Girlfriend do?

Is Girlfriend a public or private company?

Girlfriend is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was Girlfriend founded?

Girlfriend was founded in 1948. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Girlfriend based?

Girlfriend is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does Girlfriend make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Print Magazine Subscription is the primary driver. The others are digital E-Paper and App Subscriptions, advertising and affiliate Commerce.

Who are Girlfriend's main competitors?

Stern is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Brigitte, Cosmopolitan (Germany), InStyle (Germany), Joy (Germany), Elle (Germany), Harper's Bazaar (Germany) and Glamour (Germany). Emerging players are Shape (Germany) and Women's Health (Germany).

Does Girlfriend have an API?

No public API is recorded for Girlfriend.

What industry is Girlfriend in?

Girlfriend's product category is Women's Lifestyle Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAB, Women’s Interest & Parenting Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAA, Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.