How Much Does a Press Release Cost in 2025? The Complete Pricing Guide

You need to announce your product launch, funding round, or major partnership. You know a press release is the right move. But what should it cost?

The short answer: $49 to $5,000+, depending on what you need.

The complete answer: It depends on whether you want AI automation ($49-$399), freelance writing ($400-$800), PR agency services ($2,000-$5,000), or newswire distribution ($300-$10,000+).

Here's the breakdown of every option, what you actually get, and how to choose.

Option 1: AI-Powered Platforms ($49-$399)

What You Get

AI-generated press release (60 seconds)
SEO optimization (meta tags, structured data)
Domain verification
Publication on platform
Basic distribution (RSS, Google News)

Best For

Startups with limited budgets
SMBs needing frequent press releases
Product launches, funding announcements, partnerships
Companies comfortable with AI-assisted writing

Pressonify Pricing

Launch Tier ($49)

AI-powered press release generation (16-agent PydanticAI system)
SEO optimization (Schema.org NewsArticle, OpenGraph, Twitter Cards)
Domain verification (business email required)
Fraud detection & anti-hallucination checks
Publication on Pressonify.ai
Google News indexing
RSS feed inclusion
Basic analytics (views, clicks, referrers)

Best for: Single announcements, testing the platform

Growth Tier ($99)

Everything in Launch, plus:
AI Journalist Outreach Agent
Personalized pitch generation
Media Intelligence (10,000+ journalist contacts)
Social media content generation
Email outreach templates
Advanced analytics (engagement, conversion tracking)
Priority support (24-hour response time)

Best for: Companies wanting journalist coverage, not just publication

Scale Tier ($399)

Everything in Growth, plus:
Multi-platform distribution (syndication partners)
Custom journalist lists (tailored to your industry)
White-label options (your branding)
Dedicated account manager
API access (integrate with your systems)
Bulk pricing (5+ press releases per month)

Best for: Agencies, frequent publishers, enterprise companies

Pros

✅ Fastest (60 seconds generation time)
✅ Cheapest ($49-$399 vs $400-$5,000)
✅ SEO-optimized automatically
✅ Domain verification included
✅ Journalist targeting (Growth/Scale tiers)

Cons

⚠️ AI-generated content (requires human review)
⚠️ Limited distribution compared to major newswires (Launch tier)
⚠️ Not suitable for crisis communications or highly sensitive announcements

Option 2: Freelance Writers ($400-$800)

What You Get

Custom-written press release
1-2 rounds of revisions
SEO-friendly (basic keyword optimization)
Delivered in 2-5 business days

Where to Find Them

Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer
LinkedIn (search "freelance PR writer")
Content agencies (Contently, Skyword)

Typical Process

Briefing call or questionnaire (30-60 minutes)
First draft delivered (2-3 days)
Revisions (1-2 rounds)
Final delivery (5-7 days total)

Pros

✅ Human-written (no AI tone)
✅ Experienced writers understand PR conventions
✅ Personalized service

Cons

❌ Slow (5-7 days vs 60 seconds)
❌ Expensive ($400-$800 per release)
❌ Quality varies (depends on writer)
❌ No distribution included (you handle that separately)
❌ No SEO optimization unless you pay extra
❌ No journalist outreach

Bottom line: Good for one-off announcements where you want human creativity, but not cost-effective for frequent publishing.

Option 3: PR Agencies ($2,000-$5,000 per release)

What You Get

Strategy consultation
Custom-written press release
Media list development
Journalist pitching
Follow-up with journalists
Reporting on coverage

Typical Retainer Model

Most PR agencies work on monthly retainers:
- Startup tier: $3,000-$5,000/month (1-2 releases)
- Growth tier: $5,000-$10,000/month (2-4 releases)
- Enterprise tier: $10,000-$50,000+/month (ongoing)

Per-Release Pricing (Less Common)

Some agencies offer per-release pricing:
- Standard release: $2,000-$3,000
- Major announcement: $3,000-$5,000
- Crisis communication: $5,000-$10,000+

Pros

✅ Strategic guidance (when to announce, how to frame)
✅ Journalist relationships (warm introductions)
✅ High-touch service (multiple rounds of revisions)
✅ Best for crisis communications (experienced handlers)

Cons

❌ Very expensive ($2,000-$50,000+ per month)
❌ Slow (1-2 weeks for releases)
❌ High commitment (3-6 month retainers common)
❌ Not cost-effective for frequent publishing
❌ Results not guaranteed (you pay for effort, not coverage)

Bottom line: Best for companies with $50,000+ annual PR budgets, high-stakes announcements, or crisis situations.

Option 4: Newswire Services ($300-$10,000+ per release)

What You Get

Distribution to journalist databases
Publication on newswire network
SEO benefits (backlinks from high-authority sites)
Multimedia support (images, videos, PDFs)

Major Newswire Pricing

PR Newswire

Local release (single metro area): $500-$800
State/regional: $800-$1,500
National: $1,500-$3,000
International: $3,000-$10,000+
Multimedia add-ons: $200-$500

Business Wire

Regional: $800-$1,200
National: $2,000-$4,000
Global: $5,000-$15,000+

GlobeNewswire

US National: $1,200-$2,500
International: $2,000-$8,000

PRWeb (Budget Option)

Basic: $99 (limited distribution)
Standard: $200 (more visibility)
Advanced: $400 (full features)

Pros

✅ Wide distribution (thousands of journalists, news sites)
✅ SEO benefits (high-authority backlinks)
✅ Media monitoring (track pickups)
✅ Credibility (established newswire brands)

Cons

❌ Very expensive ($500-$10,000+ per release)
❌ No personalization (same release to everyone)
❌ Low journalist engagement (most ignore mass distribution)
❌ No writing services (you provide the release)
❌ Declining value (journalists increasingly ignore newswires)

Bottom line: Best for public companies, major announcements, or when you need official "on the record" distribution. Less effective for startups and SMBs.

Option 5: DIY / Free Options ($0-$50)

What You Get

You write the press release yourself
Free publication on your website
Manual outreach to journalists
Free distribution via social media

Tools You'll Need

Writing software (Google Docs, free)
Journalist database (Hunter.io, $49/month for emails)
Email outreach tool (Mailchimp free tier or Gmail)
Analytics (Google Analytics, free)

Pros

✅ Cheapest option ($0-$50)
✅ Full control over messaging
✅ No middlemen

Cons

❌ Time-consuming (4-6 hours per release)
❌ Requires PR writing skills
❌ No domain verification (harder to reach journalists)
❌ No SEO optimization (unless you're an expert)
❌ Limited distribution (only as far as you can reach)
❌ No analytics (unless you set up tracking)

Bottom line: Only viable if you have PR writing experience and lots of time. Most companies waste 4-6 hours and still produce subpar results.

Cost Comparison: What $1,000 Gets You

AI Platform (Pressonify)

$1,000 budget = 2-3 Scale tier releases ($399 each) OR 10 Growth tier releases ($99 each) OR 20 Launch tier releases ($49 each)
What you get: Professional AI-generated releases, SEO optimization, domain verification, journalist outreach (Growth/Scale), fast turnaround (60 seconds each)

Freelance Writer

$1,000 budget = 1-2 press releases
What you get: Human-written content, revisions, 5-7 day turnaround
What you DON'T get: Distribution, journalist outreach, SEO optimization (unless paid extra)

PR Agency

$1,000 budget = 0.2-0.5 releases (agencies charge $2,000-$5,000 per release)
What you get: Strategic guidance, journalist relationships, high-touch service

Newswire Service

$1,000 budget = 1-2 regional releases OR 0.3-0.5 national releases
What you get: Wide distribution, SEO backlinks
What you DON'T get: Writing services, personalization, guaranteed coverage

DIY

$1,000 budget = 20 press releases ($50 tools cost per release)
What you get: Full control
What you DON'T get: Time back (4-6 hours per release = 80-120 hours), professional quality, journalist contacts

How to Choose the Right Option

If You're a Startup

Best option: AI platform (Pressonify Growth tier, $99)

Why:
- Limited budget (can't afford $2,000-$5,000 per release)
- Need frequent publishing (product updates, milestones, partnerships)
- Want journalist outreach (not just publication)
- Fast turnaround (can't wait 5-7 days)

If You're an SMB

Best option: AI platform (Pressonify Launch or Growth tier, $49-$99)

Why:
- Cost-effective for regular publishing
- Professional quality without hiring agencies
- SEO benefits included
- Domain verification builds credibility

If You're an Enterprise

Best option: PR agency ($5,000-$20,000/month retainer) + AI platform (for frequent updates)

Why:
- Strategic guidance from agency
- Journalist relationships matter at scale
- AI platform handles routine announcements (product updates, partnerships)
- Agency handles high-stakes announcements (M&A, executive changes, crisis)

If You're a Public Company

Best option: PR agency + newswire distribution

Why:
- Regulatory requirements (official distribution channels)
- High-stakes announcements (earnings, executive changes)
- Need "on the record" distribution
- Budget isn't primary concern

If You Have One Major Announcement

Best option: Freelance writer ($400-$800) + newswire distribution ($500-$2,000)

Why:
- Human creativity for important announcement
- Professional writing quality
- Wide distribution for maximum impact
- One-time cost (no subscription)

The Hidden Costs

Time

DIY: 4-6 hours per release
Freelance writer: 1-2 hours (briefing, revisions)
PR agency: 2-4 hours (strategy calls, reviews)
AI platform: 10 minutes (input details, review output)

Opportunity Cost

What could you do with those 4-6 hours?
- Build product features
- Talk to customers
- Close deals
- Hire team members

Value of founder time: $200-$500/hour
Cost of 4-6 hours: $800-$3,000 in lost productivity

Learning Curve

DIY: Months to learn PR writing, SEO, journalist outreach
AI platform: 10 minutes to learn the interface
Freelance writer: Need to learn how to brief writers effectively
PR agency: Need to learn how to manage agency relationships

ROI: What's Worth It?

Pressonify ($49-$399)

Cost per release: $49-$399
Time investment: 10 minutes
Expected coverage: 2-5 journalist pickups (Growth/Scale tiers)
SEO value: $500-$1,500 (organic traffic from Google News)
Total value: $1,000-$7,500
ROI: 3x-19x

Freelance Writer ($400-$800)

Cost per release: $400-$800
Time investment: 1-2 hours
Expected coverage: 0 (no distribution included)
SEO value: $100-$300 (if you handle SEO yourself)
Total value: $100-$300
ROI: 0.1x-0.4x (negative ROI unless you add distribution)

PR Agency ($2,000-$5,000)

Cost per release: $2,000-$5,000
Time investment: 2-4 hours
Expected coverage: 5-20 journalist pickups (depending on agency relationships)
SEO value: $1,000-$5,000
Total value: $6,000-$25,000
ROI: 1.2x-5x (positive ROI if agency has strong relationships)

Newswire ($500-$3,000)

Cost per release: $500-$3,000
Time investment: 30 minutes (submit release)
Expected coverage: 0-2 journalist pickups (most ignore newswires)
SEO value: $300-$1,000 (backlinks from newswire network)
Total value: $300-$3,000
ROI: 0.1x-1x (barely breaks even)

The Bottom Line

For 90% of companies: AI platforms like Pressonify ($49-$399) offer the best value:
- 50x faster than manual writing
- 57-95% cheaper than agencies
- 3x-19x ROI
- Professional quality
- SEO optimization included
- Journalist outreach built-in (Growth/Scale tiers)

For high-stakes announcements: PR agencies ($2,000-$5,000) still make sense:
- Strategic guidance
- Journalist relationships
- Crisis management experience

For public companies: Newswire distribution ($500-$3,000) is required:
- Regulatory compliance
- Official distribution channels

For everyone else: Skip DIY, skip freelance writers, skip expensive newswires. Use AI automation and reinvest the savings into product and growth.

Get Started with Pressonify

Generate professional, SEO-optimized, domain-verified press releases in 60 seconds.

Pricing:
- Launch: $49 (perfect for testing)
- Growth: $99 (includes journalist outreach)
- Scale: $399 (full platform features)

Try it today: pressonify.ai/generate

Anna Doran is Head of Product at Pressonify.ai, where she leads development of the world's first 16-agent AI system for press releases, powered by PydanticAI. She previously managed PR strategy at Google and advised 200+ startups on media relations.