Girlfriend
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
Where Girlfriend is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- 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 offeringCore 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 profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Girlfriend technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Girlfriend partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hubert Burda MediacoreFreundin 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 assessmentBroad 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 social profiles
Digital presenceGirlfriend financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Girlfriend leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Girlfriend funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Girlfriend 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 Girlfriend
What does Girlfriend do?
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.
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.