Top Affordable Press Release Distribution Sites - Free and Paid

Press releases are a vital tool in any public relations campaign. They reach a wide audience, improve brand recognition, and even increase revenue over time, meaning they truly are a gift that keeps on giving. Affordable press release distribution services often do a fantastic job of yielding a positive return on investment. Their lower prices mean that the benefits of using the service are likely to outweigh the costs.

If you’re on a low budget, this can be the perfect happy medium between doing no press release distribution and forking out for an extortionate service that might not get you the desired results.

Simple facts about affordable press release distribution

Does cheap press release distribution mean low quality?

Not always, but you do need to shop around and know what you are looking for. There are some press release distribution companies that offer cheap services that severely limit what you can accomplish. Others, however, offer great value for money, with cost-effective plans that have excellent features and flexibility, as well as great customer support. This is why comparing services is so important, so you can find a company aligned with your business needs.

Why use a cheap press release distribution service?

If your business is just getting off the ground or has a small budget, then affordable press release distribution is a great idea. New brands, solo entrepreneurs, or smaller websites will find that low-cost press release distribution offers a quick and easy way to get basic publicity, offering a solid foundation to build on.

Cheap press release distribution minimizes your overheads at a time when your new business might need tighter cost control. As your business grows and increases its reach and revenue, you can start to splash out on additional services that offer more features and distribution.

Best cheap press release distribution sites list:

1. NewswireNEXT.com – No.1 premium low-cost press release distribution service

We have listed NewswireNEXT.com as the most affordable press release distribution service provider on our list. Launched in 2017, NewswireNEXT.com has earned the reputation of helping small businesses and solo entrepreneurs gain media coverage for a very low fee. They have the cheapest PR distribution options around and have been featured on several reputed magazines and news sites like HuffPost, Today, Mint, and TMCnet as the best press release distribution company.

Their $299 PRO PR distribution plan is the best-seller that ensures your press release is syndicated to over 600 news sites. This represents a top-tier investment in PR marketing. Moreover, through this service, clients can showcase their brand through press releases on prominent news sites and proudly display "As Seen On" badges with media logos on their websites. This factor can play a crucial role in enhancing the credibility and reputation of a new business, website, or entrepreneur.

What sets them apart is that the majority of essential features come at no cost, including the ability to incorporate images and links into your press release. There are no restrictions on the length of your press release, and there are no annual or monthly membership fees. In contrast, when engaging with other newswires, these very features often incur additional charges.

2. GlobeNewswire- Premium service for generating media coverage with press releases

GlobeNewswire was established in 1998 and has been aligned with Nasdaq since 2006, so it’s fair to consider the company an industry titan in the press release distribution world. Eliminating the usual 15-minute delay associated with financial releases, the service pioneered real-time delivery and set new industry standards.

It now operates in 158 countries with support for 35 languages, and it has the impressive achievement of counting almost half of the companies in the S&P 500 as clients.

Using GlobeNewswire allows companies to reach diverse audiences with access to 1,000+ newslines. Plus, integrating multimedia elements in its press releases boosts engagement, while 24/7 editorial support and translation services ensure releases will be flawless and professional.

The service recently launched an AI press release generator to make content creation more efficient.

3. HARO – Free and paid service for connecting with journalists

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) has long been a go-to for helping industry experts and brands connect with journalists looking for expert sources. Launched in 2008, the service simplifies the pitching process by sending its subscribers an email containing source requests from journalists, after which they can send pitches. This is more efficient than sending out blind pitches.

Its network has more than 75,000 journalists, including major publications such as The New York Times and Forbes, offering the chance of significant exposure. It’s also facilitated by over a million links.

Many also use the platform to help them build links and develop relationships over time.

4. PRLog – Free and paid service for pr distribution

While most platforms charge money for their press release distribution services, PRLog aims to empower organizations by giving them free press exposure. The platform might have a basic website, but this is part of what allows it to offer such cost-effective solutions.

Businesses can submit free submissions to the PRLog site, which gives them greater exposure on the web through SEO and the possibility of appearing in the feeds of external sites.

Other services the platform offers include SEO web pages, industry listings, customizable alerts, and distribution directly to journalists.

5. Meltwater – Premium service for outreach

Founded in 2001, Meltwater is the world’s first online media monitoring company and has expanded to offer an array of social analytics and sales intelligence services. This includes newswire distribution, which it does via a collaboration with GlobeNewswire, the distribution service mentioned previously.

It also has its own unique influencer distribution service, allowing for personalized outreach to social media influencers, bloggers, and more while reducing PR spam. However, where Meltwater really shines is its media intelligence suite, which boasts sophisticated analytics to help clients make data-driven decisions about their PR and marketing.

Meltwater now has over 27,000 customers and operates in more than 120 countries, making it a safe pair of hands.

6. Business Wire – Premium service for targeted distribution

Business Wire is a PR distribution service that helps you target local, national, and global media outlets. As the name suggests, its primary audience consists of business and industry, especially those working in public relations, public policy, and investor relations. To help firms find the right journalists to connect to, with more than 200 industry and trade categories to choose from.

The NX network is used to deliver news straight to editorial systems and also provides analytics so you can measure the impact and effectiveness of your outreach efforts.

The platform is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate owned by Warren Buffet himself. Business Wire was founded back in 1961, making it one of the oldest companies on the list, and it has the network to show for it, with connections to more than 100,000 media outlets across more than 160 countries.

7. PR Newswire – Offers premium news distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing solutions

PR Newswire is another veteran in the press release distribution industry. It boasts a history spanning 65 years and a network of more than 440,000 journalists, media outlets, and even influencers. Thanks to this massive reach, you can tailor your outreach campaign to an industry or country of your choice.

A standout feature of PR Newswire is the stellar support team, which is on call 24/7 to offer guidance and solve any problems. Another major benefit is the option to track results with analytics and add multimedia to your press release, which helps attract journalists’ attention and improve the professionalism of outreach.

8. CISION – Premium service featuring largest media database

Cision owns PR Newswire, so it’s fair to say that it’s a master of press release distribution, but it also offers so much more. Cision Communications Cloud Media Monitoring is a tailored service for brands to track how they’re mentioned in the media.

The analytics tools allow you to uncover trends, make data-driven decisions, and guide strategy to improve media outreach. This is designed to help you build relationships with journalists, content creators, and more over time.

With a network that includes TV and radio stations, podcasts, print publications, and more in most countries, you’re guaranteed a comprehensive approach.

9. PRWeb – Premium service helps you reach journalists, bloggers, and industry influencers

PRWeb offers a broad toolkit to help brands and individuals deliver their messages to the right audience. Curate press releases with multimedia elements, quotes, links to your social media, and more, then submit them to PRWeb’s vast network. The site has more than 25 years of experience driving traffic.

With features like analytics reporting, around-the-clock customer service, and content proofreading, you’ll get all the support you need to ensure your outreach is as effective as possible. The platform also has its own SEO solutions service, which optimizes your press releases for search engines to give you more

10. eReleases – Premium service for small businesses

Offering a service tailored specifically to small businesses, eReleases offers newswire distribution and related services at an affordable price. The platform prides itself on transparency, with no hidden charges and realistic information about its past success rate.

eReleases can distribute press releases to up to 200 websites, and it uses services like Cision PR Newswire to achieve this. The reach may be a lower number than some of the other services on the list, but its network does include major names such as Yahoo, so many clients receive good value for money using the service.

It also offers PR writing to increase companies’ chances of getting the results they want from press releases. This includes proofreading and a quick turnaround.

Benefits of affordable press release distribution

We have already shared how cheap press release distribution can benefit your business. Let’s cover some of these benefits in more detail.

The Most Affordable Marketing Tool: Press release distribution is the most cost-effective option for marketing your business, trumping traditional advertising and other established PR interventions. In some cases, these cost savings are quite significant.

Visibility: Press releases are sent to media outlets, thus increasing the visibility of your brand and business. The coverage media outlets can provide means that your press release can be seen by large audiences in a variety of mediums.

Provides Authenticity for Your Brand: Media outlets are often large and trusted sources of news. When your press release is distributed to these reputable outlets, this gives your business credibility and drives its reputation to new heights. Followers of the media outlet will therefore regard your brand in a similarly favorable light.

Communicating with Target Audience: When your press release is distributed to a media outlet with an audience directly connected to what you offer, this gives you a direct method of communicating to them what you do in a way that will get your desired audience to enthusiastically buy into your products. Press releases communicate this in a way that doesn’t feel like traditional advertising, so the message will come across as serious, sincere, and impactful.

Affordable vs Free Press Release Distribution

Affordable and free press release distribution services cater to distinct needs, each with its own set of advantages and limitations. Affordable services typically involve a cost, but they often provide more features, wider distribution networks, and enhanced visibility. These services may offer publication on premium news networks, ensuring that press releases reach relevant audiences. Additionally, they provide a clipping report with live links and a list of those news sites that picked up or published the news on their platform.

On the other hand, free press release distribution services are accessible to businesses and individuals with zero budgets. While they offer a free option, they may have limitations in terms of distribution reach and features. Free services may not provide the same level of publicity or visibility as their paid counterparts. Moreover, press releases distributed through free services may be less likely to reach the target audience, news outlets and journalists.

Choosing between cheap and free press release distribution services depends on the goals and resources of the user. Businesses with budget flexibility and a focus on broader reach and advanced features may opt for affordable services, while those with no budget at all might find free services sufficient for basic distribution needs. Ultimately, the choice should align with the specific communication objectives and budget constraints of the user.

List of free press release distribution sites:

Although there are many free press release sites, they don’t provide much visibility, traffic, and exposure. Hence, below we have mentioned the three free reputed platforms that have massive traffic and userbase and could skyrocket the visibility of your PR for free.

Linkedin Pulse

Publishing content on LinkedIn Pulse for free is straightforward. Users can begin by navigating to their LinkedIn profile and selecting the "Write an article" option. This opens the intuitive editor, allowing for the creation of engaging content. Users can incorporate text, images, and links to enhance their narrative. After crafting their piece, they simply click "Publish" to share it with their network. This free and user-friendly feature not only amplifies visibility within LinkedIn's professional community but also facilitates organic reach beyond immediate connections. By tapping into LinkedIn Pulse, users can effectively share their insights, stories, and press releases at no cost.

Medium

Medium offers an accessible platform for publishing press releases at no cost, providing a valuable opportunity for businesses and individuals to enhance their visibility. Users can leverage the platform's user-friendly interface to effortlessly share well-crafted press releases, incorporating multimedia elements like images and links to amplify engagement. The absence of restrictive length limits allows for comprehensive storytelling, while Medium's vast readership and social features contribute to increased discoverability. This free and open approach stands in contrast to other platforms that may charge additional fees for similar features, making Medium an attractive and cost-effective choice for disseminating press releases effectively.

Twitter

Publishing press releases on Twitter (now X) offers numerous benefits for businesses and individuals alike. With its vast user base and real-time updates, Twitter provides an unparalleled platform to quickly disseminate important information to a wide audience. The brevity of tweets ensures that key messages are concise and easily digestible, increasing the likelihood of engagement. Additionally, the use of hashtags and retweets amplifies the reach, fostering increased visibility and potential virality. Twitter's interactive nature enables direct engagement with audiences, facilitating conversations and feedback. Moreover, the platform's global reach allows for widespread distribution, ensuring that press releases can swiftly reach diverse demographics, journalists, and influencers, maximizing their impact.

Affordable press release distribution FAQs

What is a press release distribution?

A press release distribution is a service that involves sending a press release to a network of journalists, media outlets, and digital content providers.

How do you distribute a press release?

Generally, you’ll need to work with a distribution company that sends press releases on your behalf. Some organizations will also offer additional services, like writing the press release for you and checking it for compliance.

Are press releases worth it?

Many brands get great results from press releases, such as more publicity and traffic.

How can I distribute a press release for free?

The best press release distribution services always involve costs. A few sites offer the service for free, such as 24-7 Press Release, but you’re much more likely to get results when you pay.

How often do companies distribute every day?

Many PR firms distribute hundreds, or even thousands, of press releases each day.

Why do companies issue press releases?

Most companies need publicity and exposure to grow their business, they’re essential for generating leads and increasing revenue.

What are press releases for?

Press releases are part of public relations strategies. They help organizations or individuals improve their public profiles and get their stories out there.

How long does a press release need to be?

A press release following a typical format should be 300-400 words. It’s essential to keep the document straight to the point so journalists can quickly identify whether they’re interested in the story.

What should a press release look like?

A good press release should have the following aspects:

● Catchy headline

● Relevant, newsworthy angle

● The where, when, what, who, why, and where of the story

● Concise

● Well-written

● Appropriate images make it more attractive