PR Newswire is reported cheaper at both ends: $355 for a 400-word state release against Business Wire’s $475 local, and $850 national against $940. But only Business Wire prints a price on its own website. It also says it charges no membership fee, and its packages cost less per release. For listed companies, disclosure needs outweigh either price.
Both are large US financial and corporate newswires that quote anything beyond a basic 400-word release, and neither guarantees coverage. Every price below is labeled: published means read on the provider’s own website, and reported means a named third party’s figure that the provider has not confirmed. That distinction does most of the work here, because PR Newswire has withdrawn its pricing page.
Business Wire vs PR Newswire at a glance (October 2026)
The clearest differences are which wire publishes a price, how their packages are built and how each describes its network.
| Business Wire | PR Newswire | |
|---|---|---|
| Price on its own website | Yes: $475 starting price (read Oct 12, 2026) | No: both pricing addresses returned 404 (Oct 19, 2026) |
| Entry circuit, 400 words | $475 US local (published) | $355 state (reported, Prezly, Sep 21, 2026) |
| Middle circuit, 400 words | $510 regional (reported, Prezly, Sep 21, 2026) | $650 top markets (reported, Prezly) |
| National US, 400 words | $940 (reported, Prezly) | $850 (reported, Prezly) |
| Packages | Five releases: $2,595 local, $3,495 regional, $4,495 national; unlimited words; qualifying non-earnings releases (reported, Prezly) | Four releases: $2,395 state, $3,095 top markets, $3,895 national; 400 words each; logo and free membership (reported, Prezly) |
| Membership fee | None, per Business Wire’s FAQ (reported, Prezly) | Unclear for single releases; eReleases says members pay an annual fee |
| Extra words, multimedia, translation, international | Quoted | Quoted |
| Included as standard | 400 words, unlimited hyperlinks, full-color linked logo, editorial review, analytics, 24/7 support | 24/7 editorial review of every release |
| Network, as described | Local, regional, national and global circuits (Prezly) | 170+ countries, 40+ languages, 440,000+ newsrooms, feeds and subscribers (own page, Oct 19, 2026) |
| Owner | A separate company from Cision | Cision, which also owns PRWeb |
| Best fit | A visible starting price, no membership fee, packages with unlimited words | State or top-market circuits, detailed targeting, other Cision tools |
Which is cheaper, Business Wire or PR Newswire?
On the figures available, PR Newswire is cheaper for a single release and Business Wire is cheaper per release in a package. Neither figure is a finished invoice.
Both price a 400-word release, but on different circuits. Business Wire sells local, regional and national; PR Newswire’s withdrawn page listed state, top markets and national. National is the one like-for-like pair, and there PR Newswire is reported at $850 against Business Wire’s $940, a $90 difference. In the middle, Business Wire’s $510 regional starting price is below PR Newswire’s $650 for top markets, although those circuits are not the same thing.
Business Wire’s $475 is the only figure on its pricing page, which we read on October 20, 2026. The $510 and $940 come from Prezly’s Business Wire pricing guide, updated September 21, 2026, which attributes them to Business Wire.
The PR Newswire figures carry a bigger caveat. They come from Prezly, which says they appeared on PR Newswire’s own pricing page before it was withdrawn; both of PR Newswire’s pricing addresses returned a 404 when we checked on October 19, 2026. eReleases, which sells national PR Newswire distribution, describes the price list differently on its pricing page: $715 to $865 for local city or state distribution of a 500-word release, more than $1,500 national, plus a $305 setup fee. If that is the current list, PR Newswire’s national release costs more than Business Wire’s, not less.
Packages reverse the order
Prezly reports Business Wire’s five-release packages at $2,595, $3,495 and $4,495, which works out at $519, $699 and $899 a release, with unlimited word count, for qualifying customers sending non-earnings releases. PR Newswire’s four-release bundles, also reported by Prezly, were $2,395, $3,095 and $3,895, or about $599, $774 and $974 a release, for 400 words each. If you send several releases a year and qualify, Business Wire’s package is cheaper at every level and removes the word limit.
Extra words and account fees
Neither wire publishes what it charges for words beyond 400. Older third-party guides quoted per-100-word rates for both; treat those as historical and get the current rate in writing, because on a 700-word release it can decide the bill. Our PR Newswire pricing breakdown covers the other fees that move a quote.
Membership and setup fees are the other unknown. Prezly reports that Business Wire’s FAQ says it charges no membership fee. For PR Newswire, Prezly says the bundles listed free membership but the single-release cards did not explain account terms, and eReleases says PR Newswire members pay an annual fee. Ask both for every account charge in writing.
Which has the bigger reach?
Both describe large networks in their own terms, and neither set of figures tells you who will read your release.
PR Newswire’s distribution page says it can target more than 170 countries in over 40 languages and reach more than 440,000 newsrooms, direct feeds and subscribers, including 270,000-plus journalists and influencers and 9,000-plus websites and digital outlets. Business Wire sells local, regional, national and global circuits to communications, investor-relations and agency teams, according to Prezly.
Vendor network figures are not comparable with each other, and a large number is not the same as a relevant one. Ask each wire to name the outlets, feeds and terminals in the circuit it is quoting. Then ask how much of that network is journalists, and how much is websites that republish releases automatically. The second is syndication, which creates a public record; the first is where editorial coverage can come from.
What each includes as standard
Both include editorial review and round-the-clock support; Business Wire publishes the fuller list of what its base price covers.
Business Wire’s pricing page lists 400 words with unlimited hyperlinks, secure submission and distribution, a full-color linked logo, rich-text formatting and financial tables, detailed analytics reports, 24/7 customer support, expert editorial review, customized callout text and social media sharing tools. It says price depends on word count, geographic circuit and enhancements such as multimedia or translation.
PR Newswire says its editorial team, available 24/7, proofreads every release for grammar, spelling, punctuation, broken links, industry tagging and search guidelines. Prezly reports that the withdrawn single-release tiers listed unlimited hyperlinks, SEO support and a visibility report, and that the bundles included a company logo.
Which is better for a public company?
Neither is better in general. Both sell investor-relations and financial distribution, so the right choice is whichever quoted circuit meets your disclosure obligations at the better price.
Give both the same brief: the exchanges and jurisdictions involved, the deadlines, the word count and the endpoints your disclosure policy requires. Ask each to confirm in writing which of those endpoints its circuit reaches. It is worth adding GlobeNewswire as a third quote. It publishes no rate card, and the only dated estimate we found, from ITQlick, is $350 to $900 per release (updated October 19, 2026).
PR Newswire vs PRWeb
PRWeb and PR Newswire are both Cision brands: PRWeb sells online distribution at published prices, and PR Newswire sells wire circuits on quote.
PRWeb’s pricing page lists four tiers per news release. Basic is $120, for search visibility. Standard is $245, with syndication to more than 1,200 websites “powered by PRNewswire.” Advanced is $360 and adds an email to one industry-curated journalist list. Premium is $480 and adds Sovrn’s content recommendation network.
If you were weighing Business Wire against PRWeb on price, you are comparing a wire circuit with online distribution. PRWeb is the cheaper way to put a release on the web, but it is a different product from a national wire circuit. Only its upper two tiers send to any journalists.
When neither wire is the right tool
If you have no disclosure obligation and the goal is coverage from the reporters who cover your subject, a targeted, editorially reviewed distribution can do the job for less than either wire.
Presswire has distributed press releases from London since 2001 and has a US presence. It sends a release to one region (the UK, Europe, North America or Asia) for $250 (£185, €220) and worldwide for $400 (£300, €350). Every release gets a human editorial check and test-send and a media list built for that release. There is no word-count surcharge, and images and embedded video cost nothing extra. Prices exclude VAT; any VAT is shown at checkout before you pay. The Presswire pricing page has the full rate card, and how Presswire’s press release distribution works explains the process.
Presswire can arrange regulated disclosure distribution on request, including Reg FD-compliant releases and SEC EDGAR filings, and it is not the cheapest service available. For a wider view of the market, see the three models of press release distribution and what press release distribution costs in the USA.
How to get quotes you can compare
Send both wires the same written brief and ask for an itemized quote.
- Word count, and how headlines, tables and boilerplate are counted.
- Circuit: the same geography from each, named precisely.
- Media: logo, images, video and any per-asset charge.
- Account terms: membership, setup fees, minimum volumes and renewal.
- Reporting: a sample post-distribution report.
- Volume: how many releases a year, so both can price a package.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Business Wire or PR Newswire?
For a single release, PR Newswire is reported cheaper: $355 for a 400-word state release and $850 national (Prezly, September 21, 2026), against Business Wire’s published $475 local and reported $940 national. For several releases, Business Wire’s reported five-release packages cost less per release than PR Newswire’s four-release bundles. Neither publishes a full rate card, so compare written quotes on the same brief.
Does Business Wire or PR Newswire charge a membership fee?
Business Wire’s FAQ says it does not, according to Prezly. PR Newswire’s bundles listed free membership, but its single-release terms were not clear. eReleases says PR Newswire members pay an annual fee. Ask for every account charge in writing.
Are Business Wire and PR Newswire the same company?
No. PR Newswire is a Cision brand, as is PRWeb. Business Wire is a separate company and a direct competitor.
Is Business Wire or PR Newswire better?
Neither is better in general. Business Wire publishes a starting price and is reported by Prezly to charge no membership fee; PR Newswire offers state and top-market circuits and publishes detailed targeting claims. The better choice is the one whose quoted circuit reaches the audience or disclosure endpoints you need at the lower finished price.
Do Business Wire and PR Newswire guarantee coverage?
No. Both distribute your release through the circuit you buy. Whether a journalist writes about it is the journalist’s decision.
Sources and dates
Business Wire’s pricing page was read in a browser on October 20, 2026. PR Newswire’s distribution page and the eReleases and PRWeb pricing pages were read on October 19, 2026, when PR Newswire’s pricing addresses returned 404. Reported figures come from Prezly’s pricing guides for Business Wire and PR Newswire (both updated September 21, 2026) and ITQlick (October 19, 2026). Prices change, so check before you budget.