Hinweis: This version of the press release is intended for media industry publications and focuses on the company, its founder, and its business model. Go to the general version →
Former c’t Deputy Editor-in-Chief Stephan Ehrmann Launches His Own Platform: Most Voted Apps Puts the Community at the Center of App Recommendations
Bonn, September 15, 2026 – After more than 30 years at Heise Medien, where he served among other roles as deputy editor-in-chief of c’t and founding editor-in-chief of the Apple magazine Mac & i, Stephan Ehrmann is launching a product of his own. Most Voted Apps, launching today at mostvoted.com, is an app recommendation platform whose rankings are determined entirely by user votes. The platform is operated by Bonn-based movo media GmbH, founded by Ehrmann.
“Download numbers measure curiosity – many apps are tried and then deleted. What really counts are recommendations,” says Ehrmann. Visibility in the major app stores today depends largely on download numbers and algorithms, which say little about which apps users would actually recommend to others. Most Voted Apps therefore takes a different approach: Registered and email-verified users can vote apps up or down, with every vote immediately affecting the ranking.
Unlike the individual app stores, the platform brings together apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Android, and Windows in a single leaderboard. If the same app is available on multiple platforms, votes for all versions are combined.
Transparent Rankings Instead of a Black Box
For Ehrmann, transparency is a key part of the concept. The methodology is documented on the website: Rankings are based on positive votes minus negative votes. In the event of a tie, the app with the higher total number of votes ranks first, followed by alphabetical order. Rankings are not adjusted editorially.
In addition, a jury of journalists, app developers, and industry experts makes its own editorial recommendations to draw attention to lesser-known apps. The jury has no influence on the community ranking; the monthly awards are determined solely by user votes. Each recommendation identifies the person who made it by name and role – including the founder himself when he makes a recommendation.
Negative votes deliberately remain visible. Several safeguards help prevent manipulation, including email verification before the first vote, bot detection during registration and login, one vote per user and app, and automated checks for suspicious voting patterns. Votes identified as manipulative are excluded from the ranking.
Business Model: Advertising Without Influence on Rankings
The platform is free for users, and developers can submit their apps free of charge. Most Voted Apps is funded through advertising as well as PR and media services for app providers. Developers can purchase packages that include press relations, podcast appearances, and ready-to-use communications assets. Sponsored apps and other paid formats are clearly labeled; paid services have no influence on the community ranking, jury recommendations, or awards.
Developers of award-winning apps can embed the award badge as a widget on their websites and can also order a physical trophy. Independently of the awards, all developers can use a voting widget to encourage their users to vote.
A Leaderboard Instead of an App Database
While the major app stores already contain many millions of entries and AI is fueling a flood of new apps, Most Voted Apps initially includes only around 2,000. Users can easily add more, while apps that receive no votes over an extended period are removed. Rather than becoming yet another app database, Most Voted Apps is designed as a leaderboard of apps and games that users are genuinely interested in.
The People Behind Most Voted Apps
Stephan Ehrmann has worked professionally with technology and software for more than 35 years. At Heise Medien, his roles included deputy editor-in-chief of the computer magazine c’t, founder and editor-in-chief of the Apple magazine Mac & i, and head of heise download. As a technology expert, he regularly appeared on major German television, radio, and news programs, including Tagesschau, ZDF, and Deutschlandfunk.
For sales and marketing, Ehrmann brought another experienced media professional on board: Sascha Günther. Günther is Senior Sales Manager at movo media and previously spent more than ten years in media sales at Madsack and Heise, where his responsibilities included advertising sales for c’t.
Through movo media GmbH, Ehrmann develops digital products focused on recommendations, communities, and media. Most Voted Apps is the company’s first product.
Additional press releases and images are available at mostvoted.com/en/apps/press.
Press Contact
Stephan Ehrmann
Managing Director
movo media GmbH
Email: se@movo.media
Web: https://mostvoted.com
Stephan Ehrmann is available for interviews about founding movo media, the creation of Most Voted Apps and his move from publishing to entrepreneurship.