Editor's note: This is a follow-up of How to Choose the Best Media Database for PR.
In this guide, you'll find a list of the most popular UK media databases (also called journalist databases), including the biggest providers like Gorkana, as well as more affordable options for freelancers & PR teams with smaller budgets.
Regardless of whether you’re UK-based and looking for national media contacts or from outside the UK, these databases will help you prepare the right UK media list for your PR outreach.
List of UK media databases:
List of UK media databases
At a glance, here’s how the top UK journalist databases compare with each other.
Unfortunately, it's still common for providers to not publicly provide information about their pricing and the possibility of a free trial—requiring you to speak with a sales representative.
| Media Database | Price | Subscription length | Free trial or sample |
| Prowly | From £209/mo | Yearly or monthly | Free 7-day trial w/ search access |
| Gorkana | Undisclosed (estimate below) | Yearly only | Undisclosed |
| Roxhill | Undisclosed (estimate below) | Yearly only | Upon request |
| Responsesource | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Demo only |
| PRmax | From £118/mo | Yearly or monthly | Upon request |
| Vuelio | Undisclosed (estimate below) | Yearly only | Undisclosed |
Prowly
Price: £369 per month or £3096 per year (£258/mo)
Contract length: Yearly or monthly
Free trial or sample: 7-day free trial with search access
Prowly is a media relations tool with its own media database, which includes over 40,000 UK media contacts and 1 million worldwide.
It's possible to search for journalists using multiple filters, including keywords in their Tweets or articles that they've recently written.
The media database is integrated with a PR CRM where it’s possible to create targeted media lists and an email distribution module to pitch contacts right from the app.
Prowly is the only media database provider in the UK that lets you create a free trial account and see which media contacts are available.
Prowly pricing
Prowly provides subscriptions starting from £258/mo. Unlike most providers, monthly, cancel-anytime plans are available, so you don't have to commit to a whole year.
Gorkana (now as Cision)
Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £5765 per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or sample: Undisclosed
Gorkana (now officially called Cision) is one of the most established PR tools & media databases in the UK market. On their website, they claim to be “The most accurate UK press contacts database”.
Gorkana lets you search by topic, recently published article headlines, sector, region, and many more to narrow down your search and find the right press contacts & media influencers.
Based on Gorkana’s website, the journalist database is estimated to have over 500,000 media contacts worldwide.
Gorkana pricing
Based on third-party sources, pricing is estimated to start from £5765 per year.
It’s unknown if non-UK contacts are priced extra or included in the price.
Roxhill
Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £6000 per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or sample: Yes (granted after demo call)
Self-proclaimed to be the next-generation media database, Roxhill is a UK-based media intelligence tool launched by Gorkana's founder, Alex Northcott.
Roxhill's website emphasizes key features of its media database: powerful topic search, social search and monitoring, journalist requests and moves, press release distribution, and PR analysis & media insight.
A free trial is available upon providing your contact details and getting in touch with a sales rep.
Roxhill pricing
Roxhill claims to have pricing for different budgets, although pricing plans are undisclosed. Based on third-party sources plans are estimated to start at £6000 per year, with no monthly plans available.
Vuelio
Price: Undisclosed, estimated to start at £3000-5000 + VAT per year
Contract length: Yearly only
Free trial or database sample: Undisclosed
Vuelio lets you quickly and easily find media contacts from the UK. Build custom lists based on topics of interest, industry, size of publication, geographical reach, social influence, and many more.
Apart from the media database, you also get access to unlimited email distribution with full analytics and monitoring.
On Vuelio's website, they claim themselves to be the PR industry’s most powerful media list, citing that "with access to more than one million influencers, outlets, and opportunities, we connect you with the people that matter".
Vuelio pricing
Pricing isn't publicly available, but third-party sources claim that pricing starts at £3000-5000 + VAT per annum.
ResponseSource
Price: Undisclosed
Contract length: Undisclosed
Free trial or database sample: Demo only
ResponseSource describes its database as having “the most comprehensive and accurate contact details for journalists, including background information and media opportunities”.
Smart search features give access to see recent tweets and articles of press contacts, so you can see if anyone is currently covering your topic.
ResponseSource emphasizes the accuracy of its database and frequent updates to ensure up-to-date contact details.
ResponseSource pricing
Unfortunately, pricing and contract details can't be found on ResponseSource's website. Expect to speak with a sales representative to get more details.
PRMax
Price: Varies (see below for details)
Contract length: Yearly or monthly
Free trial or database sample: Yes (granted after demo call)
PRMax calls its media database the most accurate and comprehensive media information in the UK. On their Twitter profile: “The UK's most cost-effective media database, full journalist contact details, and unlimited press release distribution".
Apart from UK media contacts, PRmax also offers a worldwide database.
Reviews of PRMax are hard to find, and the only one that appears on Google is negative.
PRMax pricing
Pricing plans are flexible, yet somewhat complicated. PRMax offers yearly, monthly, and off-off plans with a varying amount of features.
Prices start at £118 per month. Global or European media contacts, as well as other add-ons, are priced separately.
Conclusion
Choosing the right UK media database for your needs will vary based on things such as:
- If you need contacts from just the UK or other regions as well
- Your budget, especially if the database only offers yearly plans
- The scale and accuracy of the media contacts available
- Other features available with the database, such as being able to pitch contacts straight from the same tool
If you have the time, sign up for a demo call or trial for each provider and see which fits your needs best.
Otherwise, if you're short on time, you can always give Prowly a try and see the contacts & journalists they have are what you're looking for.
Cover photo by Dylan Nolte
