Overview

Deutsch Perfekt
Presse und Sprache
Comparison

Deutsch Perfekt

Deutsch Perfekt is probably the most famous German learning magazines that specifically targets German learners.

Every month, Deutsch Perfekt issues a magazine around a main topic. For example: Reading, life in cities or countryside, Motivation for Learning… all of which are related to life in German-speaking countries: Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

In each issue, you will find interviews, news stories, controversial discussions, articles on history and culture as well as practical tips for living in Germany.

With a team of more than 20 editors, writers and correspondents, Deutsch Perfekt team produces the articles and texts mostly by themselves.

The texts in Deutsch perfekt are categorized into 3 language levels.

• Easy: The contents are prepared for beginners with basic German knowledge (around A2 level).
• Intermediate: The texts here are around B1 level.
• Advanced: This level corresponds to B2-C2. The articles are more complicated and sophisticated. If you are in the intermediate German level, you might find it a bit challenging. 

Since it is a magazine especially for German learners, it also offers language-learning contents: for each article, there are vocabulary explanations written in simple German. 

In addition, there are pages for German grammar explanations, vocabulary and phrases, certain German language phenomena as well as flash cards. These contents will take approx. 15 pages of Deutsch Perfekt magazine.

Presse und Sprache

Presse und Sprache is not really in the form of German learning magazine, but newspaper. Once a month, it offers 12 pages of reports and articles. The topics include society, economy, environment and culture of the German-speaking world.

Unlike Deutsch Perfekt, there is no theme for each issue. Instead, Presse und Sprache excerpts and edits articles from other magazines or newspapers.

It has two main sources for each issue:

1. Original press releases from renowned German newspapers and magazines (like Der Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
2. Articles from their editorial team

Like Deutsch Perfekt, there are also different levels, except that Presse und Sprache has an extra leicht level:

• Extra leicht: A2
• Leicht: A2 – B1
• Mittel: B1 – C1
• Schwer: C2

In most cases, the original press releases are of higher levels (mostly B2+) and the easy articles are from the editorial team, targeting especially for German beginners.

Beside each article, there are also German-German vocabulary explanations for each text corresponding to the level.

Exercises are available within both the newspaper and extra.

If you want to have audio or extra exercise materials (or both), you can subscribe the premium subscription, in which you also get audios and working sheets.

The extra materials are especially useful if you intend to take the German exams like Goethe, Telc, TestDaF and DSH, or when you want to do more extensive language workout.

Deutsch Perfekt & Presse und Sprache

If you do not know which one you like better, here are some aspects that might help you choose the most suitable German learning magazines for you!

Price

		Deutsch Perfekt		Presse und Sprache
issues each year		14		12
		Price each year / €	Price each issue / €	Price each year / €	Price each issue / €
Paper Issues	Normal Price	125,86	8,99	31,2	2,6
	Student Price	88,1	6,29	25,2	2,1
E-Paper	Normal Price	x	x	31,2	2,6
	Student Price	x	x	x	x
Paper Issues with Extra Materials	Normal Price	x	x	31,2	2,6
	Student Price	x	x	31,2	2,6
Digital with Extra Materials	Normal Price	139,86	9,99	64,8	5,4
	Student Price	97,86	6,99	x	x

As shown in the table, Presse und Sprache is much cheaper.

(Please note that there will be a rise of the prise from September 2023. But till the end of August 2023, there is still a 20% discount available with code 723)

It is understandable, because the contents are mostly from other sources and they have less articles each issue compared to Deutsch Perfekt. Deutsch Perfekt also provides more contents each issue.

IMPORTANT: If you live outside Germany, you can use the eLibray from Gothe Institute to acces many Deutsch Perfekt resources, including the eMagazine, exercises as well as audios!

Form

In terms of form, Deutsch Perfekt is a magazine and Presse und Sprache is like newspaper. The printing quality of Deutsch Perfekt is better because they use better paper, which is also one of the reasons why it is more expensive.

It is easier to store and take Deutsch Perfect with you on the way because it is a magazine, and the pages are bundled together. With Presse und Sprache, you have 6 pieces of big and folded paper.

The size of Deutsch Perfekt ist A4 and Presse und Sprache is about 2 times as big. So, in terms of size, I would say Deutsch Perfekt is better, since it is easier with flip through as you read.

If you want to read the articles on the bus or the train, it is also easier with Deutsch Perfekt.

If you want to make beautiful notes in the article, probably you will like Deutsch Perfekt better. Presse und Sprache uses thinner paper, so if you want to use marker, it might be a bit see-through.

Contents

Since they are both German learning magazines, they provide contents for different German levels, and they have vocab notes.

But they also have their own strong points in terms of their contents.

Presse und Sprache is very much like digest.

Most of their articles come from authentic sources. I believe Presse und Sprache has an edge for advanced German learners because of this.

Here is why: As you reach a higher level, it is great to use articles from magazines like Der Spiegel or Süddeutsche Zeitung as intensive reading materials.

Such articles are authentic, and they tend to use more sophisticated and advanced languages and are therefore perfect if you are preparing for C1 or C2 exams, especially for your writing and reading. You will find many useful expressions and topics that can help you perform better in the exams as well as your writing if you want to write on a higher level.

Of course, you can buy those publications directly. But it can be a bit overwhelming since all the contents are of a higher level. You might feel a bit frustrated if you always bump into difficult articles and find yourself lost in the middle of the articles. But, with Presse und Sprache, you will not have this problem.

In each issue of Presse und Sprache, there will be on average 17 articles from A2 to C2 level. The notes also help reduce the difficulty somehow. (By the way, I also like to read the vocab notes to accumulate more interesting expressions.)

Every month, I like to pick around 4-5 articles for intensive reading, and I think it is almost perfect with Presse und Sprache. I can read the articles of relatively lower levels for fun and take the harder ones for challenge.

Another trick, if you are having an oral German exam, and you want to mention one article you read from Press und Sprache, you can quote the original source, like der Spiel, instead of Press und Sprache. This may impress the examiner.

Let’s talk about Deutsch Perfekt.

As mentioned, the Deutsch Perfekt team produce the contents mostly by themselves. I have no doubt that the writers are high-qualified, but I am not sure if they would take it into consideration that they are wiring articles for a German learning magazine and therefore prefer to use relatively easier expressions.

But they do provide more tips and exercises in each issue than Presse und Sprache.

Deutsch Perfekt has about 70 pages for each issue, and Presse und Sprache provides 12 pages. Because Presse und Sprache uses much bigger paper, the 12 pages will be around 24 when we uniform the size.

Exercises

Deutsch Perfekt does provide extra booklets for exercising and audios, but now it seems a bit complicated because you cannot buy extra materials with the paper version of magazines.

You have the following options if you want to receive extra learning materials:

1. Subscribe the digital package. In this subscription mode, you will receive: eMagazine, digital exercise booklet (Deutsch Perfekt PLUS) and audio trainer.
2. Buy the booklets and audios individually. This will be much more expensive. You can find the current price in the picture.

• Borrow these resources from your local library. It is of course the cheapest option, but there is no guarantee that the issue you want to borrow will always be available. And because it is not your magazine, you cannot make notes on it and you need to return it back to the library.

The extra materials from Press und Sprache is easier to access for me. If you want to have the extra materials along with each issue, you can just choose the corresponding subscription mode or upgrade a current subscription.

When it comes to the exercises, the one from Presse und Sprache are more exam- and work oriented. you can find many exam-like tasks and oral discussion topics for group work.

Deutsch Perkekt, on the other hand, provides exercises for self-learners.

The Bottom Line

Both are good German learning magazines if you want to have some input for intensive German reading.

You might like Deutsch Perfekt better if you

• Like to read articles by topics
• Like the form of magazines better
• Enjoy reading with good paper qualities.

Presse und Sprache might suit you better if you:

• Want to read authentic articles from renowned newspapers or magazines
• Are preparing for a specific German exam and want to have more exercises

Both publications offer try-out issue for testing. If you cannot decide right now, feel free to try them out first.

For Presse und Sprache, you can get a free sample as well as exercises materials on their website.

For Deutsch Perfekt, you can check out the reading sample available on their page.

If you are in Germany, you can check out you local library and borrow one issue to see if it suits you. You can check out here to order a try-out issue.

However, after you book the try-out issue, it will upgraded to a subscription if you do not cancel the automatic subscription within 14 days.

If you are currently not in Germany, then you can go to the eLibrary in Gothe Institute to borrow a online magazine.

Feel free to recommend more German learning magazines or your thoughts on this topic in the comment section! I am excited to hear more from you!

Recommended reading:

• If you are looking for the best German textbooks, check out here.
• Just a German beginner? Read this article to have a smart start!
• Want to know how to improve German listening? You don’t wanna miss this.