Ziff Davis Digital Media (tech publishing): who it is and what it owns
Ziff Davis's technology publishing brands that review and rank VPNs and earn affiliate commissions. Because the parent also sells IPVanish and StrongVPN, readers should know these outlets share an owner with VPN vendors. CNET (with ZDNET) was bought from Red Ventures in 2024 for a reported ~USD 100m.
This company earns money when users sign up through its websites. Keep that in mind when you read its ratings.
| Business type | Performance-marketing (affiliate) company. It earns commissions for sending users to VPNs. It does not run VPNs itself. |
|---|---|
| Ownership | subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. |
| Part of | Ziff Davis, Inc. |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Websites | 5 website brands · 5 websites in total |
| Review sites | PCMag, Mashable, CNET, ZDNET, Lifehacker |
| Companies | 0 |
| Fines and legal actions | 0 |
| Last checked | 14 Oct 2026 |
Review sites of Ziff Davis Digital Media (tech publishing)
Websites that review and rank VPNs. They usually earn a commission when a reader signs up.
| Name | Website | Owner proof |
|---|---|---|
| PCMag | pcmag.com | verified |
| Mashable | mashable.com | verified |
| CNET | cnet.com | verified |
| ZDNET | zdnet.com | verified |
| Lifehacker | lifehacker.com | verified |