PMG Presse-Monitor fact checkPMG Presse-Monitor is the press database and licensing body of German publishers, based in Berlin, with which you create press reviews yourself and run media analyses in the self-service MediaHub. It suits press offices in Germany that want to select print and online articles themselves and distribute them with a legally sound licence. PMG does not mention social media, TV or radio. According to the pricing page, MediaMonitor costs from €50 net per month, plus licence costs per article (as of October 2026).
What is PMG Presse-Monitor?
PMG Presse-Monitor is a joint venture of German newspaper and magazine publishers that runs a press database and grants usage rights for digital press reviews. According to the legal notice, the vendor is PMG Presse-Monitor GmbH & Co. KG, based in Berlin, founded in 2001 according to the about page. According to the same page, its shareholders include Axel Springer, FAZ, Spiegel-Verlag and Süddeutsche Zeitung, and PMG cooperates with all German daily newspapers.
The software is called PMG MediaHub and has two parts. MediaMonitor is for research, alerts and licensed press reviews; MediaMeter is for media analysis. There is also the Pressespiegel-Manager, which you use to design press reviews in your corporate design. Besides the software, PMG is the body through which you acquire usage rights for digital press reviews from German publishers’ content; according to the page, this includes usage rights for articles you digitise yourself.
Under our methodology, we rate PMG Presse-Monitor in the monitoring pillar.
What can PMG Presse-Monitor do?
According to the about page, PMG Presse-Monitor searches over 3,000 digitally available publications, including over 1,300 daily newspapers and over 1,600 titles in their original layout.
| Area | What the sources document |
|---|---|
| over 1,300 daily newspapers, over 3,000 publications digitally | |
| Online | over 750 online sources and newsletters, also behind paywalls |
| Agencies | news agency reports |
| Social media, TV, radio, podcasts | not mentioned |
According to the FAQ, you get email alerts per saved search, and same-day titles are available from 7 am at the latest. The look-back period is short: 60 days in the press review portal and 31 days retroactively in MediaMeter.
According to the media analysis page, MediaMeter analyses presence, performance, reach, tone, trends and context in dashboards, compares you with competitors via share of voice and sends reports as Word, PDF or PPT to distribution lists on a schedule. Several brands or clients run in parallel dashboards. You use Boolean search in MediaMeter; in MediaMonitor, syntax search costs €50 per month extra. An API for CRM, intranet and BI is documented; SSO and a mobile app are not.
What sets PMG Presse-Monitor apart as a media monitoring service?
PMG Presse-Monitor is both a tool and a licensing body, and that sets the service apart from classic media monitoring services.
- Licence: According to the usage rights page, you acquire the rights per article automatically when you obtain it. PMG has licence agreements with German publishers and VG Bild-Kunst, and indemnification runs via VG Wort. You can also license articles you digitise yourself via PMG. You can add archiving rights for around 90 % of the digitally available publications for up to ten years.
- Human selection: PMG does not offer this as a service; you select the articles yourself. According to the partner page, media monitoring services that PMG works with offer clipping as a service.
- Press review: With the Pressespiegel-Manager you design it in your corporate design, as a PDF or in newsletter format.
- Print DACH and AT/CH: Our count of the MediaMeter media panel found around 2,340 sources for Germany, 74 for Switzerland and 57 for Austria, print and online mixed. For Austria, they include Der Standard, Die Presse, Kurier and Kronen Zeitung; for Switzerland, NZZ, Tages-Anzeiger and 20 Minuten.
The documents are not consistent. Besides the over 3,000 publications, PMG names around 4,700 sources for creating press reviews. An archived Cision partner page gives the founding year as 2000, and the register number differs between the legal notice and the product description.
Who is PMG Presse-Monitor for, and who is it not for?
PMG Presse-Monitor suits press offices in Germany that want to put together their press review themselves and settle the licence directly at the source. Because PMG is a joint venture of the publishers, content and usage rights come from a single source. With MediaMeter, you get do-it-yourself media analysis with public prices.
PMG is a weaker fit if you need to monitor social media, TV, radio or podcasts, because PMG does not mention these sources. If you want to hand off the selection of articles, you need a media monitoring service with an editorial team. For Austrian and Swiss media the panel is narrow, and if you want to analyse longer periods retroactively, you hit the 60-day limit in the portal. In that case, compare the vendors on the media monitoring page.
How much does PMG Presse-Monitor cost?
According to the pricing page, PMG Presse-Monitor costs from €50 net per month for MediaMonitor Basic; Comfort is €100 and Professional €150 (as of October 2026). You cancel MediaMonitor with 4 weeks’ notice to the end of the month.
On top come licence costs per article, depending on the medium and number of recipients. According to the pricing page, the average base price is €4.42 for 1 to 10 readers. So work out the number of articles and recipients before you compare package prices.
According to the pricing page, MediaMeter starts at €2,095 per year with a 12-month term; cancellable monthly, the smallest package costs €210 per month. The Pressespiegel-Manager costs from €150 per month, and an AI licence for creating press reviews €100 per month and order. According to the trial page, you can test for one week free of charge, and the trial ends automatically. All packages are in the price table.
Data protection and DACH: servers, DPA, language
Where PMG stores customer data is not documented. The website privacy policy names PlusServer GmbH for server operation and hosting without a location, and the US services Chatlio and Slack for the chat. According to the customer privacy notice, data in the customer area is only transferred to third countries where necessary for the order.
The customer privacy notice does not mention a DPA; PMG describes itself there as the controller. Certifications are not documented. Ask about both if your data protection team requires it.
According to the about page, the interface is in German, with English interfaces also available since 2018. According to the FAQ, support in German runs by phone Monday to Friday from 7 am to 1 pm via a Berlin number and by email, plus personal onboarding.
Our assessment
By our methodology, PMG Presse-Monitor is a self-service tool for press reviews from German print and online media with a built-in licence. Well documented are the closeness to the publishers, automatic licensing per article, public prices, a one-week trial and a German interface.
Against that stand missing social media, TV and radio sources, a short look-back period, licence costs on top of the package fee and missing information on data location and DPA. The pricing documents also partly contradict each other: the product description lists an additional Light variant of the Pressespiegel-Manager for €100, the pricing page does not. So check the terms in the quote.
Our position: for German press offices that build their press review themselves, PMG is the obvious source. If you need an editorial team, broadcast or social media, combine PMG with a media monitoring service or choose one straight away.
How the score is calculated
The score is not a hands-on test verdict. It counts which checkpoints of methodology v1.4 are documented with a source for PMG Presse-Monitor. “Not documented” means we found no evidence, not necessarily that the feature is missing. Read the methodology
| Criterion | Weight | Value | Documented / checkpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source coverage | 20% | 2.7 / 10 | 2 / 7 |
| Analysis & sentiment | 15% | 4.4 / 10 | 3 / 6 |
| Alerts & search | 15% | 8.0 / 10 | 2 / 3 |
| Reporting & export | 10% | 10.0 / 10 | 3 / 3 |
| Data protection & GDPR | 15% | 2.5 / 10 | 1 / 4 |
| German language | 5% | 10.0 / 10 | 2 / 2 |
| Price transparency | 5% | 10.0 / 10 | 2 / 2 |
| AI connectivity & integrations | 15% | 2.5 / 10 | 1 / 3 |
Show all 30 checkpoints
| Criterion / checkpoint | Weight / points | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Source coverage | 20% | 2.7 / 10 |
| Social listening (mentions on social networks) | 0 of 3 | ? not documented |
| Online news | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Blogs and forums | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Print media | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| TV and radio | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Podcasts | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Review sites | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Analysis & sentiment | 15% | 4.4 / 10 |
| Sentiment detection | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Sentiment for German-language text | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Image and logo recognition | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Influencer identification | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Historical data | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| AI summaries | 0.5 of 1 | ½ add-on only |
| Alerts & search | 15% | 8.0 / 10 |
| Real-time alerts | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Boolean search queries | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Monitoring of AI answers (ChatGPT & co.) | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Reporting & export | 10% | 10.0 / 10 |
| Analytics and reports | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| PDF export | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Scheduled reports | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Data protection & GDPR | 15% | 2.5 / 10 |
| Data stored in the EU (mixed = half points) | 0 of 3 | ? not documented |
| Data processing agreement (DPA) available | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Provider based in the EU/EEA (country with EU adequacy decision = half points) | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Security certification (e.g. ISO 27001, SOC 2) | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| German language | 5% | 10.0 / 10 |
| German-language interface | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| German-language support | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Price transparency | 5% | 10.0 / 10 |
| Public pricing | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Free to try (trial or free plan) | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| AI connectivity & integrations | 15% | 2.5 / 10 |
| MCP server by the vendor (connects AI assistants) | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| API access | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Native integrations documented | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
PMG Presse-Monitor pricing and costs
| Plan | Price per month | Billing | Scope according to the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| MediaMonitor Basic | € 50 | monthly | 1 saved search, 2 users, over 3,000 publications, 60 days of research; plus article licences |
| MediaMonitor Comfort | € 100 | monthly | 5 saved searches, 2 users, email alerts; plus article licences |
| MediaMonitor Professional | € 150 | monthly | 10 saved searches, additional recipient groups, PDF Clipper, article preview; plus article licences |
| Pressespiegel-Manager (add-on product) | € 150 | monthly | Standard €150, Premium €275; according to the product description also Light €100 |
| MediaMeter Extra-Small | € 210 | – | 1 topic, 2 users, presence analysis |
| MediaMeter Small | € 330 | – | 1 topic, 2 users, 10 dashboards |
| MediaMeter Medium | € 660 | – | 5 topics, 3 users, reach included |
| MediaMeter Large | € 990 | – | 10 topics, 5 users, reach and AVE included |
Net plus VAT (website: MediaMonitor packages plus reduced VAT; product description: plus statutory VAT). MediaMonitor monthly, cancellation 4 weeks to the end of the month; plus licence costs per article obtained depending on medium and number of recipients (average base price €4.42 for 1 to 10 readers). MediaMeter: 12-month term (annual price) or cancellable monthly at a higher monthly price.. As of 13 October 2026, source: vendor pricing page. Prices can change; the vendor’s page is authoritative.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Joint venture of German publishers (including Axel Springer, FAZ, Spiegel-Verlag, Süddeutsche Zeitung); cooperates with all German daily newspapers. [Source]
- Press review articles from the database are automatically licensed for copyright; articles you digitise yourself can also be licensed via PMG or reported to VG Wort. [Source]
- Archiving rights for around 90 % of digitally available publications can be added for up to ten years. [Source]
- Public prices for all packages: press review portal from €50 per month, media analysis from €2,095 per year (net). [Source]
- AI licence for creating press reviews with publisher content as an add-on product for €100 per month and order. [Source]
Limitations
- No social media, TV, radio or podcast sources mentioned; the media base is print and online media, agencies and newsletters. [Source]
- On top of the package fee, licence costs per article apply, depending on medium and number of recipients. [Source]
- Press review articles may only be made available for four weeks, a reference copy for one year; longer archiving costs extra. [Source]
- Short look-back period: 60 days in the press review portal, 31 days in media analysis. [Source]
- Self-service tool: the customer selects the articles; partner media monitoring services offer clipping as a service. [Source]
Who is PMG Presse-Monitor for?
According to the disclosed fit rules, PMG Presse-Monitor suits:
- PR & media monitoring
- German-speaking teams
PMG Presse-Monitor alternatives
Brand24
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from $ 199/month
Hootsuite
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from € 99/month
Sprinklr
Enterprise platform for unified customer experience management with the suites Sprinklr Social (publishing, engagement, advocacy), Sprinklr Insights (social listening, benchmarking, Visual and LLM Insights), Sprinklr Service and Sprinklr Marketing.
Price on request
Talkwalker
Platform for social listening, media monitoring, social benchmarking and customer feedback analytics; marketed as "Lumen by Talkwalker" since its acquisition by Hootsuite (2024).
Price on request
Questions about PMG Presse-Monitor
How much does PMG Presse-Monitor cost?
According to the pricing page, PMG Presse-Monitor costs from €50 net per month for MediaMonitor Basic, up to €150 for Professional (as of October 2026). You also pay licence costs per article depending on medium and number of recipients, on average a base price of €4.42 for 1 to 10 readers. MediaMeter media analysis starts at €2,095 per year with a 12-month term.
Can you test PMG Presse-Monitor for free?
Yes, according to the trial page you can test the press review, media analysis and Pressespiegel-Manager for one week free of charge and without obligation. The trial ends automatically, so you do not need to cancel. A permanently free plan is not documented. After the trial, you pay monthly from €50 net for MediaMonitor Basic plus licence costs per article obtained.
Is PMG Presse-Monitor a media monitoring service or a licensing body?
Both. With MediaHub, PMG offers software in which you research, select and distribute articles yourself as a press review. At the same time, PMG grants usage rights for digital press reviews on behalf of German publishers. Editorial selection by PMG staff is not documented; according to the partner page, media monitoring services that work with PMG handle clipping as a service.
Which media does PMG Presse-Monitor search?
According to the about page, PMG Presse-Monitor searches over 3,000 digitally available publications, including over 1,300 daily newspapers and over 1,600 titles in their original layout. According to the product page, there are also over 750 online sources and newsletters, agency reports and content behind paywalls. PMG does not mention social media, TV, radio and podcasts; you need another tool for those.
Are PMG Presse-Monitor press reviews licensed automatically?
Yes, according to the usage rights page you acquire the rights per article automatically as soon as you obtain it. For this, PMG has licence agreements with German publishers and VG Bild-Kunst, and indemnification runs via VG Wort. The licence costs extra, depending on medium and number of recipients. You can also license articles you digitise yourself via PMG.
Does PMG Presse-Monitor also monitor Austrian and Swiss media?
To a small extent. Our count of the MediaMeter media panel found 57 sources from Austria, such as Der Standard, Die Presse and Kronen Zeitung, and 74 from Switzerland, such as NZZ and Tages-Anzeiger. We did not analyse the panel for the press review in MediaMonitor, so ask about the titles you need before you sign anything.
Does PMG Presse-Monitor have alerts?
Yes, according to the FAQ you get email alerts per saved search in MediaMonitor, and same-day titles are available from 7 am at the latest. According to the website, email alerts come with the Comfort package. In the MediaMeter media analysis, alerts trigger at thresholds, according to the media analysis page also for negative tone. PMG does not describe live monitoring minute by minute.
What is PMG MediaMeter?
MediaMeter is the do-it-yourself media analysis from PMG Presse-Monitor. According to the media analysis page, you analyse presence, performance, reach, tone, trends and context in dashboards there and compare yourself with competitors via share of voice. Reports go to distribution lists as Word, PDF or PPT on a schedule. According to the pricing page, the smallest package costs €2,095 per year.
How far back does PMG Presse-Monitor go?
The look-back period is short: according to the FAQ, you can research 60 days back in the press review portal and 31 days retroactively in MediaMeter. You may make finished press review articles available for 4 weeks and keep a reference copy for 1 year. According to the usage rights page, you can add archiving rights for around 90 % of digitally available publications for up to ten years.
Is PMG Presse-Monitor available in German?
Yes, according to the about page the PMG Presse-Monitor interface is in German, with English interfaces also available since 2018. According to the FAQ, support in German runs by phone Monday to Friday from 7 am to 1 pm via a Berlin number and by email. According to the FAQ, new customers get personal onboarding.
Is PMG Presse-Monitor GDPR compliant?
We do not give a legal assessment. PMG is based in Berlin and, according to the website privacy policy, hosts with PlusServer GmbH; the policy does not name a location. For the website chat, PMG uses US services. The customer privacy notice does not mention a DPA; it says PMG only transfers customer area data to third countries where necessary for the order. Clarify data location and DPA before signing.
Where is PMG Presse-Monitor based?
PMG Presse-Monitor is based in Berlin; according to the legal notice, the vendor is PMG Presse-Monitor GmbH & Co. KG. According to the about page, the company was founded in 2001 as a joint venture of German newspaper and magazine publishers. Its shareholders include Axel Springer, FAZ, Spiegel-Verlag and Süddeutsche Zeitung, and PMG cooperates with all German daily newspapers.
Does PMG Presse-Monitor have an API?
Yes, according to the product page PMG offers an API and integrations for CRM, intranet and BI systems, with output also possible as XML. PMG does not name specific products the connection works with out of the box. This lets you feed press reviews or results into your intranet, for example. Sign-in via SSO and a mobile app are not documented.
Who is PMG Presse-Monitor for?
PMG Presse-Monitor suits press offices in Germany that want to put together their press review themselves and settle the licence directly at the source. Content and usage rights come from a single source. PMG is a weaker fit if you need to monitor social media, TV or radio or want to hand off the selection of articles to an editorial team.
What alternatives to PMG Presse-Monitor are there?
Which alternative to PMG Presse-Monitor fits depends on whether you want to select yourself or buy an editorial press review, and whether you need social media or broadcast. Three alternatives by our methodology are listed further down, and the media monitoring page compares media monitoring services. Look there for human selection, licence handling and documented sources from Austria and Switzerland.
21 sources for this page in the source index · with access dates