Xing

XING is the leading professional networking platform for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), with over 22 million members across German-speaking countries. Founded in 2003 in Hamburg, Germany, XING has carved out a strong niche as the go-to career and networking platform for professionals who work primarily in the German-speaking market. While LinkedIn dominates the global stage, XING remains deeply embedded in the professional culture of Central Europe, offering localized features and a community-driven experience that international platforms struggle to replicate.

Owned by NEW WORK SE (formerly XING SE), the platform operates alongside kununu, the popular employer review site, and onlyfy by XING, a recruiting solution for companies. In 2025, NEW WORK SE was fully acquired by Burda Digital SE in a squeeze-out, taking the company private. This structural change has brought fresh leadership and a renewed focus on the core XING and kununu brands, signaling a new chapter for the platform as it enters 2026.

Professional Networking and Profiles

At its core, XING provides robust professional profiles where users can showcase their career history, skills, qualifications, and portfolio items. The platform emphasizes real professional connections rather than content virality, making it a more focused networking tool compared to LinkedIn's increasingly social-media-like feed. Users can search for and connect with professionals based on industry, location, job title, and mutual contacts, with particularly strong network density in Germany's Mittelstand (mid-sized companies).

XING's contact management features allow users to organize their professional relationships with tags, notes, and activity tracking. The platform also offers detailed profile visitors analytics, so users can see who has viewed their profile and understand how their visibility is performing in the network. Premium members gain access to advanced search filters and the ability to message anyone on the platform, even outside their direct connections.

Job Board and Recruiting

One of XING's strongest features is its integrated job board, which is particularly powerful for the DACH market. The platform hosts thousands of active job listings from German, Austrian, and Swiss employers, ranging from startups to DAX-listed corporations. Job seekers can filter by location, salary range, industry, and work model (remote, hybrid, or on-site), making it an essential tool for anyone seeking employment in German-speaking countries.

For recruiters, XING offers the onlyfy TalentManager, a dedicated recruiting tool that provides access to XING's candidate database, active sourcing capabilities, and applicant tracking features. The platform's deep penetration in the DACH market means recruiters can reach candidates who may not be active on international platforms, particularly in traditional industries like engineering, manufacturing, finance, and public administration.

Events and Groups

XING Events is one of the platform's standout features, allowing professionals to discover, create, and attend industry events, meetups, conferences, and networking gatherings across the DACH region. The events feature includes ticketing, RSVP management, and attendee networking, making it a complete solution for professional event organization. Many regional business events and industry meetups in Germany still rely heavily on XING for their event management and promotion.

XING Groups provide topic-based discussion forums where professionals can exchange knowledge, share insights, and build communities around specific industries or interests. While the groups feature has evolved over the years, it continues to serve as a valuable space for niche professional discussions that are harder to find on larger, more generalized platforms.

News and Content

XING features a curated news feed that focuses on career-related content, industry news, and professional development topics. Unlike LinkedIn's algorithm-driven feed that increasingly prioritizes engagement-bait content, XING's approach tends to be more restrained and professionally focused. The platform also partners with established German media outlets to surface relevant business and career news to its users.

Users can publish articles and share updates, though the content ecosystem is notably smaller and more professional in tone compared to LinkedIn. For German-speaking professionals who prefer substance over social media noise, this can be a significant advantage. The platform also offers XING News, a dedicated editorial section that covers workplace trends, career advice, and the future of work.

GDPR Compliance and Data Privacy

As a German company operating under strict EU data protection regulations, XING is fully GDPR compliant. All user data is stored in European data centers and governed by German privacy law, which is among the strictest in the world. Unlike US-based platforms like LinkedIn, which are subject to the CLOUD Act and other US surveillance laws, XING provides genuine data sovereignty for its users. This is particularly important for professionals and companies in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government.

XING's privacy settings are granular, allowing users to control exactly who can see their profile information, activity, and contact details. The platform also provides clear data export and deletion options in compliance with GDPR requirements, giving users full control over their personal data.

Pricing and Premium Features

XING offers a free basic membership that includes profile creation, networking, job searching, and access to groups and events. The Premium membership, starting at around 9.95 euros per month, unlocks advanced features such as unlimited search, detailed profile visitor analytics, advanced messaging capabilities, and salary insights. The ProJobs tier, designed for active job seekers, adds features like a highlighted profile in recruiter searches and priority placement in job recommendations.

For businesses, XING offers employer branding solutions through kununu and recruiting packages through onlyfy. These B2B products allow companies to manage their employer reputation, post jobs, and actively source candidates from the XING network. Pricing for business solutions varies based on company size and requirements.

XING vs. LinkedIn

The primary question for most professionals in the DACH region is whether to use XING, LinkedIn, or both. LinkedIn has been steadily gaining ground in Germany, particularly among younger professionals and those in international or tech-focused roles. However, XING retains significant advantages for professionals whose careers are primarily focused on the German-speaking market. Many mid-sized companies, public sector organizations, and traditional industries still use XING as their primary recruiting platform.

The choice often comes down to career focus: professionals with international ambitions or in globally-oriented industries tend to favor LinkedIn, while those focused on the DACH market, especially in HR, administration, engineering, and regional business, continue to find strong value in XING. Many professionals maintain profiles on both platforms to maximize their visibility and networking reach.

Company Profiles and Employer Branding

XING allows companies to create detailed company profiles that showcase their culture, open positions, and employee reviews via the integrated kununu platform. This combination of professional networking and employer reviews in one ecosystem is unique and provides a more complete picture for job seekers evaluating potential employers. Companies can use their XING presence to build their employer brand, share company updates, and engage with potential candidates in a specifically DACH-focused professional context.

Final Verdict

XING remains a valuable and relevant professional networking platform for anyone operating in the German-speaking market. Its deep integration with the DACH professional ecosystem, strong job board, event management features, and genuine GDPR compliance make it a tool that professionals in the region should not overlook. While LinkedIn's global reach is undeniable, XING's localized focus and data sovereignty advantages ensure it continues to serve an important role for European professionals who value privacy and regional networking. The platform's transition to private ownership under Burda Digital in 2025 may bring further innovation and refinement, making it worth watching as it evolves through 2026 and beyond.