Business Wire is a service used by some PR professionals to distribute press releases. But trying to understand exactly how much you have to pay to use the service can be very confusing.
Things like additionally priced add-ons can leave you wondering how much you’ll actually have to pay in the end, especially because Business Wire doesn't give you a price quote until the end of the process. One anonymous reviewer on software review site G2, states that:
There is no way to get a price quote. For most clients, I work with they like to see quotes before selecting a service, and with Business Wire I have to go through all of the steps of ordering without actually confirming to make sure I know what price we will be charged.
Based on our own research and third-party information we've come up with an estimate of how much you can expect to pay to send a press release with Business Wire.
Disclaimer: This information may not be 100% accurate; for the most up-to-date Business Wire pricing information, try to get in touch with someone from their sales team.
Business Wire pricing overview
These are the main costs involved with using Business Wire to send a press release (source):
| US Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Price (first 400 words) | $760 |
| Additional 100 words | $195 |
| Extra visibility and analytics | $95 |
| Logo attachment | $0 |
| Multimedia inclusion (first) | $425 |
| Additional multimedia inclusions | $225/ea |
How much will it cost to send a PR with Business Wire?
Now that you’re familiar with the costs involved, let’s add them up to get a rough estimate of how much you’ll have to actually pay.
As an example, let’s say you’re trying to distribute a press release to national media in the US.
Sending a regular 400-word press release will cost you at least $760 while adding 100 words and a multimedia inclusion (like a photo or video) will bring that price up to $1380, similar to what you'd pay for using PR Newswire.
While the actual price may slightly differ from the numbers in this post, the general consensus of Business Wire users is that the service is pricey.
Here's what two Business Wire users have to say based on reviews from G2:
I'd say what I dislike the most is the price of Business Wire. It is very expensive, which is off-putting to my clients. Choosing additional distribution lists can add up very quickly.
Most of the press release postings are generic and there could be more effort into customizing them to different purposes. It is very pricey, especially when it comes to add-on features, such as multimedia content.
Business Wire alternatives
If you’re looking to distribute a press release without stretching your budget, there are plenty of more reasonably priced options available.
There are generally two options you can go, choosing a cheaper press release distribution service or sending the press release by yourself.
Read more in our guide on choosing the best press release distribution service.
1. Budget-friendly Business Wire alternatives
The most popular alternatives to Business Wire that are known to be cheaper are:
- EIN Presswire, starts at $49.95 per release
- 24-7pressrelease.com, starts at $19 per release
- PR Underground, starts at $49.99 per release
- NewswireJet, starts at $59 per release
- Send2Press, starts at $89 per release
2. Distributing the press release by yourself
A much cheaper and more effective way to send your press release is with PR outreach—or in other words—pitching the media. It allows for a more personalized approach, providing the journalist with news that is not only relevant but valuable.
Unfortunately, it is more time-consuming, but it definitely increases the chances of getting media coverage that’s actually valuable and not just a syndicated press release somewhere on the Internet.
Tools like Prowly let you find relevant journalists with an extensive media database and then pitch them your story with personalized distribution and analytics. Pricing starts at $258 per month.
Aside from being more affordable, PR outreach can be much more effective at getting actual press coverage and PR results. See how Prowly and PR outreach compares to a typical wire press release distribution service.
Cover photo by DocuSign
