Business Wire vs PR Newswire: Which one is better? [2024]

We compare the features and pricing for two of the world's most popular newswires.

After writing a press release, the next (and arguably most important) step is to distribute it. Typically, there are two ways to approach distribution: doing it yourself by reaching out to media contacts asking for coverage, or paying for a press release distribution service, aka “wire service”, to do it for you.

Here at Prezly, we always opt for self-distribution over wire services. To know more on why, scroll down to the final section of this article. 

If you’re still keen to try out wire services, we’ve researched two industry leaders, Business Wire and PR Newswire, to see how they compare and to help make your decision easier.

To start, generally answering the question of “Which is better: PR Newswire or Business Wire?”, Business Wire takes a slight edge. Though if you’re focusing on maximizing your potential reach (specifically in the US market), PR Newswire may be the better choice. 

Keep reading below to learn more on why.

Note: the information shared here was found by researching publicly available information shared by both platforms. Before making a final decision, we always suggest speaking directly with each company to confirm any details. 

What is a newswire and how does it work?

Breaking down the PR newswire in 2023

Both Business Wire and PR Newswire come with their own pricing structures. After taking a close look, we couldn’t find a conclusive answer for how much either costs.

That in mind, judging from what user’s of both platforms have mentioned, we generally found that Business Wire’s pricing is better. 

If you’re after a concrete answer, here’s the most up-to-date pricing info we could find for each platform’s national distribution options across the US.

Ultimately, the contents of your press release (word count, multimedia attachments, logo, etc.) will decide which one is more cost-effective.

Choose Business Wire if: you’re expecting to put out longer releases or want to include your logo. 

Choose PR Newswire if: your releases are short and you don’t mind the extra fee for an annual membership.

Considering the features of each platform, both offer extensive press release distribution services. The main difference we found in both comes with their targeting and distribution options. 

With Business Wire, you can get very specific with how narrowly targeted your release is. They offer more industries to target (200+ vs. PR Newswire’s 100+) as well as more factors to target by. 

On the flip side, PR Newswire will distribute your release to far more outlets and journalists. But, users have noted that this wider reach struggles to be effective when distributing internationally (more on this below). 

With PR Newswire, you’ll also have easier access to the wider Cision ecosystem which includes access to additional features like their media database and media monitoring tools. 

All things considered, it appears that Business Wire has a deeper, more refined product, while PR Newswire has a wider-spanning, less targeted one. 

What this means for you:

• Choose Business Wire if: you have a very specific (and/or international) audience you’re targeting with your press release.
• Choose PR Newswire if: you want your release to have the widest reach possible and are only targeting a US audience. 

Wrapping up our research, we took a look at reviews to get a full grip on how both products perform in the market.

Generally, across the board, users have had a better experience with Business Wire. Here are some of the core trends we found when looking at reviews on both products. 

• Solid online reviews: On G2, Business Wire has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 based on 185 reviews. 
• Extensive global reach: Users specifically love Business Wire’s large global distribution network.
• Effective targeting and distribution: Users also enjoy how well you can target and distribute releases across industries and demographics.
• Strong user experiences: Users find Business Wire’s interface to be super user-friendly and great for navigating and targeting specific industries.

• Slightly lower rating: PR Newswire has a slightly lower G2 rating at 3.9 out of 5, based on 744 reviews (good, but lower than Business Wire).
• Strong US focus: Users find PR Newswire’s distribution within the U.S. to be solid and most effective for targeted domestic campaigns.
• Lacking user experience: Some users find that PR Newswire’s user interface and navigation are confusing and difficult to use.
• Less effective: Some users have mentioned that PR Newswire can miss news that Business Wire catches.

Choose Business Wire if: you’re looking for a more comprehensive and user-friendly option, especially if you’re targeting a more global, specific audience.

Choose PR Newswire if: you’re looking for effective US market reach and are willing to sacrifice a bit on global reach, support, and usability

Now that we’ve gone through all the details, it's time to share our verdict.

Between Business Wire and PR Newswire, if you're looking for a press release service that delivers more bang for your buck, the answer is pretty clear.

Business Wire: The clear winner for most

For sheer targeting, usability, and versatility, Business Wire is hard to beat. Their global distribution network is well-received, their targeting options are impressively precise, and their support is top-notch. If you want your news to be distributed globally, and reach a specific audience, Business Wire is your best bet.

PR Newswire: A strong runner-up for US focus

While Business Wire is our top choice, PR Newswire is still the most solid option if your primary focus is the broader US market. They have a good grip on domestic distribution, and if that's where your audience is, they can do a great job.

However, when pitted against Business Wire, PR Newswire falls a bit short.

Though wire services like Business Wire and PR Newswire are popular, they have clear drawbacks. More and more, PR pros aren’t getting results with wire services and have started skipping them altogether.

Instead, many have been using tools like Prezly to self-distribute their press releases. Here are a few reasons why:

• Targeted, relationship-based distribution: Instead of using the ‘’spray and pray” approach to blast your release out to as many journalists as possible, tools like Prezly focus on helping you build relationships with specific journalists over time, prioritizing the ROI of your releases over reach.
• Cost-effective: All-in-one PR tools are more feature-rich and more budget-friendly than wire services (Prezly starts at only $50/month).
• Full control: Tools like Prezly give you far more control over how you craft, distribute, and track the results of your stories. Allowing you to lead with a modern, holistic PR strategy.

Here’s more on how Prezly compares to wire services. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, we have a risk-free 14-day trial you can try out today (no credit card required).

Jasper Flour

Growth Marketer

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