Does choosing a PR tool seem like a daunting task? That's why we came up with the idea to provide a full top seven Cision alternatives comparison.
In this article, you'll see the most important qualities of each PR platform alongside their pros, cons and (estimated) pricing:
You will also learn about alternatives to Cision’s PR Newswire in the areas of:
P.S. If you're looking for an all-in-one tool that you can try out for free, check out Prowly for 7 days right away.
What is Cision?
CisionOne is an AI-powered PR platform designed to support PR and communications teams. It is known for PRWeb and PR Newswire, which provide digital and traditional media press release distribution.
It has a long history in the industry, as it was founded in 1867 under the name the Swedish Press Agency and has evolved over time.
Why should you think about Cision alternatives?
CisionOne uses AI to deliver real-time media insights, helping users make informed decisions and connect with media contacts.
❌ However, you can't learn much about AI or other features until you book a demo call with a sales representative.
❌ The platform requires users to log into multiple tools and seek support from various account representatives, which can complicate your workflow.
❌ It's worth mentioning upfront that Cision doesn't share its pricing, nor can you set up a free trial account. But we did some detective work to unearth some pricing information.
Which tool will be the top Cision alternative for you? Let's find out!
Is Cision free?
| Our research shows that Cision usually starts from $7,200 a year on average. |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Cision's services are not free and while its pricing is not publicly disclosed (such as Muck Rack’s pricing), we’ve conducted research to help you compare the PR tools available on the market.
Our research estimates that Cision plans start at around $7,200 per year for a basic plan with one user. This high cost can be a significant factor for users considering alternative PR tools.
◾️ Their only available plans require yearly contracts, necessitating a large upfront payment. This can be challenging for teams that are just starting out and reduces flexibility.
◾️ Plus - you need to make sure to add the expense of the setup fee on top of the price.
Media Database
Based on G2 analysis, Cision Communications cloud has a good quality Media Database.
Yet, some users say that while it is easy to use, contacts are frequently outdated, sometimes reporters are missing from the database, and the interface can be a little clunky.
Feature scope
Cision offers media monitoring, media analytics, media insight services, content production, media relationship management, PR distribution (via PR Web and PR Newswire), and investor relations tools.
It is particularly known for:
◾️ PRWeb - its digital media PR distribution platform
◾️ PR Newswire - its digital and traditional media press release distribution service.
These features enable users to connect with media contacts, distribute press releases, and monitor media coverage.
❌ However, it doesn't offer options like an online newsroom, press release templates, or creator. If you're looking for such features, you should check out the alternatives.
Is there a free Cision alternative?
Based on our research, there’s no entirely free Cision alternative, however some complex PR tools offer a free trial period- such as Prowly.
Because PR tools offer various features that open up new possibilities, they are not free per se. But for the price you pay, PR software brings you several benefits, such as:
- organized media databases
- ease of pitching / press release distribution
- data to measure and analyze
- and more
Now, let's have a look at Cision’s competitors!
Cision alternative #1: Prowly
- Pricing: starts from $258 per month
- All-in-one PR tool: Yes
- Free trial: Yes, for 7 days
Prowly vs Cision - an overview
Let's see a side-by-side Prowly and Cision Communications Cloud comparison.
👉🏼 Cision is designed with big agency teams in mind, as well as in-house corporate comms or marketing teams.
👉🏼 Prowly is dedicated to small and medium teams, with an understanding of their capabilities, daily routines and challenges.
While both tools allow PR specialists to find new journalists, send emails, and monitor results, each excels in different scenarios based on specific team needs.
Prowly vs Cision: feature comparison
When it comes to basic PR software features, both tools offer similar value. Here's what you can find in both Prowly and Cision:
- media monitoring tools for tracking news and online mentions of your choice
- high-quality media databases with local and international media contacts
- social media listening tools for tracking your social media efforts
- coverage reports for preparing PR reports in a fast easy way
- journalist pitching tools like media lists
- both offer powerful AI features, but to get to know the details from Cision, you need to book a demo call.
However, Prowly stands out with its:
✔️ Press Release Creator and Online Newsroom - giving you easy to use tools to deliver your message to journalists.
✔️ Generative AI features - that speed up your work and increase efficiency and creativity in PR storytelling.
✔️ Advanced email analytics and insights about media outlets - to help reach new audiences and start campaigns for new clients and niche industries.
✔️ Great UX to make the tool easy to use - so you don’t spend hours on team training.
✔️ Live chat & video call support - to look after small and medium sized business needs.
AI-powered features
👉🏼 Both tools have AI features; however, Prowly clearly explains what you can expect on their website and in magazine articles. We will also show some of the AI features below.
👉🏼 In contrast, Cision positions itself as an "AI-powered PR platform that works hard," but you can only learn the details after booking a demo, with no free trial.
Media database & AI keyword search
👉🏼 The Cision media database has more contacts than Prowly's (1.4 million vs 1 million).
Yet, while having access to a vast email database might seem appealing, it doesn't ensure media coverage. The best way to assess if the database fits what you need is to ask for a sample or get a free trial.
How can you find journalists more effectively?
👉🏼 Prowly provides AI-powered keyword search and insights into a media outlet's audience.
This means you not only get access to over a million contacts but also have tools to quickly locate journalists covering specific, even niche, topics and identify top media outlets based on their audience profile.
What elevates contact search to a new level includes:
✔️ A partnership with Semrush providing exclusive data on outlets' audiences and traffic;
✔️ AI keyword suggestions that broaden search capabilities, uncover new coverage opportunities, and enable pitching on even the most niche topics.
💡 Regardless of the solution you select, ensure to evaluate the database quality, search assistance options, and AI capabilities.
Unike Cision, Prowly gives you 7 days to check absolutely everything in the tool, for free - including the media database.
Media monitoring
Both Cision and Prowly provide media monitoring tools for tracking digital channels, including social media.
Press release creation
Both Prowly and Cision provide the ability to create press releases.
👉🏼 However, Prowly allows you to organize all your press releases in user-friendly newsrooms that are easy for journalists to navigate.
And with the AI Assistant, you can create a press release draft or tweak it using AI to add even more spice with ease and in no time flat.
PR Reports
Both tools offer PR Report creators that are integrated with the whole system.
👉🏼 However, at Cision, any changes to report formats require assistance from a representative.
👉🏼 With Prowly you can create custom reports with no additional cost, so each of your clients can get branded presentations with relevant data. It’s already included in the price, no strings attached.
Cision vs Prowly: who is it best for?
All of Prowly’s features support the advanced needs of in-house comms teams, as well as small and medium agencies, helping them with:
- the scale and complexity of operations
- a diverse client base
- targeting niche audiences
- the nature of their campaigns
How do we know this? From our clients’ stories.
Lakesha Cole, CEO and Founder at ShePR, after evaluating various options, chose Prowly to streamline their PR workflow. A choice which saved them time, effort, and on the costs associated with running their agency.
ShePR found an all-in-one workspace that eliminates distractions and speeds up day-to-day operations. So they can now concentrate on core objectives and deliver exceptional results to their clients.
Cision vs Prowly: pricing
Price is one of the most important factors influencing your PR tool choice. Make sure to learn what you’re paying for and check the price-to-value ratio!
| Prowly | Cision | |
| Publicly available pricing plans | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free setup | ✅ | ❌ |
| Pricing | From $258/mo | From $7,200/yr* |
| Contract length & flexibility | Monthly or annually | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Cision only offers an annual contract, which means a huge payment upfront - a difficult commitment to make for smaller teams.
How much does Cision software cost?
👉🏼 Our third-party research says the prices start at around $7,200. Yet, there's no fully reliable source to learn about Cision pricing before you set up a demo call, so it's difficult to research this option.
👉🏼 On the contrary, Prowly gives you full, transparent pricing, even before you contact their sales team. Which is not common among Cision’s competitors.
Final overview
Prowly definitely shines with its flexible, transparent offer, and all the tools needed to run a PR agency or an in-house comms team all in one place.
Cision, on the other hand, offers a range of tools, such as PR Newswire, CisionOne and Cision Insights, which are best suited for corporations (largely due to the high price).
| Cision | Prowly | |
| Pricing | Starting from $7,200/yr* | Starting from $258/mo |
| Contract length | Annual only | Monthly or annual |
| Free 7-day trial | No | Yes |
| Ease of use | Medium | Easy |
| Online newsroom | Yes | Yes |
| AI press release creator | Yes | Yes |
| AI email Pitching Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| PR CRM | Yes | Yes |
| Automated follow-up emails | No | Yes |
| Media database size | 1,400,000+ | 1,000,000+ |
| Email analytics | Advanced | Advanced |
| Media monitoring and reporting | Yes | Yes |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
With a similar value to Cision and tailored to small & medium PR agencies with additional PR tools, Prowly is worth giving a shot - especially when you can try it for free.
Cision alternative #2: Mynewsdesk
- Pricing: unknown - they specify plans online, yet you need to schedule a demo to get the price on request
- All-in-one PR platform: yes
- Free trial: yes
MyNewsDesk is a digital PR and communications platform that helps organizations manage public relations efforts. It allows users to create and distribute press releases, manage media contacts, and analyze PR campaign performance.
Cision vs MyNewsDesk: Unique feature overview
- Mynewsdesk offers a media database of 1 mln contacts which you can browse during your free trial.
- Media monitoring is a part of the highest plan and social media monitoring is an add-on.
- There's also a newsroom available, which - in higher plans - can be hosted under your domain.
- An interesting option is benchmarking, where you can compare your results against competitors.
Cision vs MyNewsDesk: pricing
Mynewsdesk offers an all-in-one PR solution: from preparing and pitching press releases, to newsrooms, media monitoring, and a contact database.
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| MyNewsDesk | Unknown | Unknown |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Who is it best for?
MyNewsDesk is designed for PR professionals, marketing teams, corporate communications, SMEs, non-profits, and journalists to manage and distribute news and content.
✅ Pros
- you can manage the entire pitching process, together with communication analysis
- content agency offers
source: G2
🔻Cons
Users on G2 complain a bit about their editing tool. One person also advises you to keep track of the notice period and remember to terminate it 3 months before the contract expires.
source: G2
Cision alternative #3: Meltwater
- Pricing: unknown - you need to request a quote to find out, yet from our research from third-party sources, it starts from $8.000 per year*
- All-in-one PR platform: yes
- Free trial: no - you can only request a demo call
Meltwater is a media monitoring and social listening platform that helps organizations track and analyze media coverage and social media activity. It provides tools for monitoring brand mentions, competitor activity, and industry trends to support informed decision-making.
Cision vs Meltwater: feature overview
Meltwater focuses on data analysis. With its native options and integrations, you can create a PR analytics center for your activities.
- In terms of their media database, they cover over 400.000 contacts.
- There's no free trial period, so probably the only way to see the database before you sign a full contract is during a demo call.
You can also use Meltwater News to distribute press releases - it's an alternative to Cision PR Newswire. It's worth checking out if you need a newswire. But maybe an alternative, less pricey solution will work better?
Cision vs Meltwater: pricing
Meltwater seems to be the closest comparable alternative to Cision - yet with similar drawbacks like high prices. How much does Meltwater cost? From what we've found, the pricing starts from a whopping $8.000/yr.
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| Meltwater | From $8.000/yr* | Annually |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Who is it best for?
Agencies working for big clients and corporations.
✅ Pros
Cision shares many similarities with Meltwater. According to user reviews on G2, Meltwater assists in identifying relevant media for pitches and offers strong media monitoring capabilities, as well as the following benefits:
- quality of mentions
- no limits on queries
- customer service is often praised
source: G2
🔻Cons
Users have reported outdated information in the media database and slow responses from customer service.
source: G2
Cision alternative #4: Muck Rack
- Pricing: estimated from $10,000 per year
- All-in-one PR tool: Yes
- Free trial: No
Cision vs Muck Rack: feature overview
Muck Rack is a platform for managing public relations, encompassing outreach, a journalist database, media tracking, and analytics.
Media monitoring lets you keep an eye on digital news, social media, TV, and radio broadcasts, allowing you to assess the multichannel impact of your campaigns. This is complemented by a media database that provides detailed insights on journalists who have covered your stories.
Muck Rack distinguishes itself with outreach customization features. Each outreach message can be personalized with specific subject lines, content, and attachments. Additionally, follow-up messages can be scheduled to ensure you receive a response.
Cision vs Muck Rack: pricing
Muck Rack provides limited pricing details on their website. They state that the final cost is determined by several variables.
| From our research, based on third-party info, the price per year seems to start at $10,000. |
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| Muck Rack | From $10,000/yr* | Annually |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Find out more about Muck Rack pricing here.
✅ Pros
Users on G2 commend Muck Rack for its effective TV and radio monitoring capabilities. Additionally, the tool is noted for its excellent user experience and intuitive interface. The coverage reports are particularly valuable for identifying new individuals discussing your company.
🔻Cons
Muck Rack is positioned at the higher end of the pricing scale, making it suitable for teams with larger budgets. However, despite the cost, it has several drawbacks, such as inconsistent results compared to other tools and an abundance of media alerts without the ability to prioritize key mentions.
Cision alternative #5: Critical Mention
- Pricing: unknown - you need to request a quote to find out
- All-in-one PR platform: no - they offer only media monitoring and a media database
- Free trial: no - you can only request a demo call
Critical Mention is a media monitoring service that tracks and analyzes broadcasts, online channels, and social media content. It provides real-time insights and analytics to help organizations manage their media presence and public relations efforts.
Cision vs Critical Mention: feature overview
Media monitoring in Critical Mention lets you track mentions that appear online, in broadcasts, or in print-only stories. They also access social media and podcasts.
- In Critical Mention you can also find a media database, yet there are few details on what you will find inside.
- Compared to Cision, Critical Mention doesn’t provide a newsroom creator, PR Planner, or media distribution services.
Cision vs Critical Mention: pricing
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| Critical Mention | Unknown | Unknown |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Who is it best for?
PR professionals and marketers who don't need more than media monitoring and contacts to journalists. Note that you can’t get a free trial to test the database.
✅ Pros
- they monitor various sources: broadcasts, podcasts, and even paywall content (through print-only stories)
source: G2
🔻Cons
- no details on their media database - you need to schedule a demo to learn more
- to cover other PR activities, you'd need a separate PR tool
source: G2
Cision alternative #6: AgilityPR
- Pricing: unknown - you need to request a quote to find out
- All-in-one PR platform: no - they only offer media monitoring and a media database
- Free trial: no - you can only request a demo call
Agility PR is a software platform for media monitoring, media outreach, and PR analytics. It assists organizations in managing PR campaigns and tracking media coverage.
Cision vs AgilityPR: feature overview
AgilityPR offers 3 annual packages - in which you can find a media database and outreach, media monitoring, and social listening. You can also get one-time services, like their PR newswire, ad-hoc reports, or one-time media outreach services.
It monitors potential third-party PR crises, like those of your suppliers, with a Risk Intelligence feature. This allows you to address potential crises in time, including social media issues, data breaches, or geopolitical threats.
Cision vs AgilityPR: pricing
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| AgilityPR | Unknown | Annually |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Who is it best for?
AgilityPR looks like a good option for huge PR operations, as it’s an enterprise solution for PR agencies and internal communication teams.
✅ Pros
- if you need to cover just one area with a PR tool, you can buy one package
- you can ask the team for a full editorial review of your press release
- the customer service is widely appreciated
- a bunch of recognition badges from G2
Source: G2
🔻Cons
- with annual plans, there's little space for flexibility
- they offer poor message personalization options
- users claim its pricing lies on the higher side
- some features are only available for extra money
Source: G2
Cision alternative #7: Brand24
- Pricing: starts from $79 per month
- All-in-one PR platform: no - it offers only social listening, online brand monitoring and reporting
- Free trial: yes
Brand24 is all about keeping an eye on online mentions as they appear. It pulls in info from all sorts of places across the web - even from specific spots like podcasts, newsletters, and Twitch channels.
Cision vs Brand24: feature overview
✔️ Brand24 shines when it comes to digging into the details. You can figure out who the big players are in your field, assess the value of your media coverage, or understand your mentions in their context. Plus, you can easily compile all these insights into a neat report.
❌ However, it doesn't provide tools beyond media monitoring, which might be crucial for managing public relations.
Cision vs Brand24: pricing
| Provider | Pricing | Contract length |
| Brand24 | From $79/mo | Monthly or annually |
| Cision | From $7,200/yr* | Annually |
*Estimated pricing based on third-party-data and publically available reviews
Who is it best for?
Brand24 works great for real-time brand monitoring with alerts via e-mail or Slack. It helps you spot potential issues before they become PR crises.
It also helps you understand how your brand is perceived - and who to connect with for PR activities.
✅ Pros
- cool brand monitoring options and mention sources
- clear interface
- numerous teams (marketing, product, customer service, sales) will benefit from Brand24
🔻Cons
- it's not a PR-focused platform - you'd need other tools to support different PR activities
💡 Brand24 is a great choice if you only need media monitoring and want to keep your PR work in Excel. When you prefer to keep your work all in one place, an all-in-one solution like Prowly might fit you better.
Alternative to PR Newswire: media pitching tools
PR Newswire is a global news distribution service by Cision that helps companies and organizations disseminate their press releases and other information to media, investors, and the public.
PR Newswire pricing
Starting price: From $195 per release
🔻Additional costs:
Determining the exact cost of a service can be challenging, especially with no free plans or trial offers available. Additional add-ons or membership fees can further complicate an understanding of the final amount you'll need to pay.
Pitching vs. Cision PR Newswire
PR Newswire is a news distribution service from Cision. It ensures broad reach and visibility, but what about outcomes?
Here's why you should consider sending personalized emails to journalists as a PR Newswire alternative:
- targeted outreach: with a personal email pitch, you increase the chance of getting published
- strategic releases: media pitching lets you go with exclusive pitches and embargoed releases - a valuable aid in building relationships
- measurable ROI: the stable, monthly cost of Prowly gives you a clearer expense and ROI estimation - and a chance to make an impact with each press release
- investment in strategic partnerships: the focus for 37% of PR specialists, according to our latest research in PR trends for 2024, well-thought out, personalized messages help you foster closer relationships
The difference? PR platforms offer a noteworthy advantage regarding the volume of press releases you can send. Using their extensive media databases, you can efficiently reach out to numerous media contacts for announcements for a fraction of the cost.
Pitching tool examples
You can try pitching the right media with Prowly, where you can get everything: from a media pitching tool to craft your message, through a huge database to find the right contacts right away, to an AI Assistant that helps you write your pitch, tweak it, and find the best media contacts.
Plus the press release creator, PR reports, media monitoring and online newsrooms are already counted into the price.
Who is Prowly best for?
PR agencies and in-house teams that are focused on building relationships and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a single press release. A perfect mix of efficiency and cost effectiveness.
No newswire service can guarantee your story gets picked up - so you need to invest in other distribution methods anyway.
Alternative to PR Newswire: distribution websites
Another alternative to Cision’s PR Newswire is to use other PR websites, like Business Wire, for their press release fee distribution.
Who is it best for?
Corporations who need to share press releases through newswire services - e. g. for legal reasons.
You can try out solutions like:
- EIN Presswire (from $99.95 /release)
- Globe Newswire (contact for a quote)
- Newswire (from $349.00 /release)
- Presswire (from $250 /release)
💡 Compare the most popular choices and learn more about the best press release distribution websites in this article.
Which solution fits you best?
With numerous Cision alternatives, it can be challenging to make up your mind. Here are our takeaways:
- pricing might be the biggest differentiator, especially with tools that don't share it upfront
- all-in-one PR platforms let you combine data from various PR areas all in one tool
- not all media databases are equal, so make sure to test them out or ask for a sample
While there’s no simple answer, the best way to choose your solution is by trying it out on your own.
Ready to start testing your options?
Besides transparent pricing plans, Prowly offers you a full 7-day free trial period. No credit card required, no pressure 👇
