Press Release Distribution: 5 Wire Services Compared

Press release distribution services differ most in what they publish about price. Of five services compared here, only Business Wire prints a starting rate among the large U.S. wires, EIN Presswire and eReleases publish entry prices, and PR Newswire and GlobeNewswire print none. This guide separates published prices from reported ones, shows the add-ons that decide the bill and explains how to choose.

Updated November 8, 2026

Contents

• The five services side by side

• Published versus reported prices

• Add-ons that decide the bill

• How to choose a service

• Before you buy

• Frequently asked questions

How do the five wire services compare?

The table lists what each service prints about its own price and what others report. The published figures were read from provider pages by a distribution company named below, on dates in October 2026. Treat every figure as a starting point for a quote, because scope, word count and circuit change the price.

ServicePublished entry priceReported by othersWhat to know

Business Wire$475 for 400 words, U.S. domestic local distribution; flat packages of five or eight U.S. non-earnings releases for qualifying customers, $2,595 to $5,895$510 regional and $940 national for 400 words, attributed by Prezly but not on the pricing pagePrints only its smallest circuit; wider circuits and extras are quoted PR NewswireNo published rate; its pricing pages returned errors on Oct 19, 2026$355 state, $650 top markets, $850 national for 400 words, reported from a withdrawn page; a reseller quotes $715 to $865 local and more than $1,500 national for 500 words plus a $305 setup feeReported figures conflict, so only a quote settles it GlobeNewswireNo published rate cardEstimated at $350 to $900 per release by one directory; other roundups report up to $1,200Common choice for public company disclosure EIN Presswire$149 for one release up to 700 words and one embedded image; $499 for five and $999 for fifteenNot needed; prices are on its own sitePlacement on news sites and aggregators; check what is sent to journalists eReleases$399 for 400 words with national PR Newswire distribution, one industry list and two imagesNot needed; add-ons are printedA PR Newswire reseller; add-ons raise the bill

Most of these readings come from Presswire's dated pricing table. Presswire is itself a distribution company and a competitor of the services listed, so its presentation has a commercial interest. Its method, separating prices a provider prints from prices others report, is the useful part, and the claims about published pages can be checked on Business Wire's pricing page and eReleases' pricing page.

What is the difference between published and reported prices?

A published price is one the provider prints on its own site. A reported price comes from a third party such as a blog, a reseller or a directory. The distinction matters because reported prices cannot be checked and can be out of date.

Business Wire's pricing page prints $475 as a starting price for 400 words with U.S. domestic local distribution, according to Presswire's check on October 20, 2026. Everything wider is a quote request. The same source says GlobeNewswire has no rate card and that PR Newswire's two pricing addresses returned errors on October 19, 2026. That leaves buyers relying on third-party estimates for two of the three large U.S. wires, and those estimates disagree. PR Newswire is reported at $850 national by one source and at more than $1,500 national by a reseller quoting a price list for a longer release.

Several roundups give a single figure for PR Newswire plus an annual membership, around $805 for a 400-word national release plus a $195 membership. That figure appears across blogs, but it is not on a PR Newswire page that could be read in October 2026, so it should be treated as reported. The practical rule is simple: use published prices to set a floor, use reported prices to know what to ask, and get a written quote before budgeting.

What add-ons decide the final bill?

The headline rate is rarely the invoice, because word count, images, lists and geography are billed separately. eReleases prints its add-ons openly, which makes it a useful model of how per-word wire pricing works.

Add-on at eReleasesPrice

Each extra block of 100 words$150 Each extra industry list$150 Local saturation$150 Image embedding$150 YouTube embedding$200 Press release writing$300 International, per country$150 International, global$1,000

A 700-word release on the $399 tier needs three extra blocks of 100 words at $150 each, which brings it to $849. Embedding one image in the body adds $150, taking it to $999 from a $399 headline. That is simple arithmetic from published add-on prices, and it shows why a release that runs over the quoted word count is the most common reason a budget is wrong. Other services bill differently. EIN Presswire's entry price covers up to 700 words and one embedded image, so the same release costs less there, though the distribution is a different product.

Word count is not only a cost issue. A shorter release is easier for a reporter to read, and the guide on press release format and templates explains how to say more with fewer words. For the mechanics of getting a release to a reporter directly, see the guide to how to send a press release.

How should you choose a distribution service?

Choose by purpose first and price second. The services above are different products, and the right one depends on who must see the release and whether you have a disclosure obligation. The guidance below is editorial judgment, informed by how the sources describe each service.

• Public company disclosure: the large wires are built around financial terminals and simultaneous disclosure, which is the reason their prices are higher. If you have a regulatory requirement to disseminate, that infrastructure is what you are paying for.

• Funding, product or partnership news: you may not need disclosure infrastructure, and a lower-cost service or direct outreach to named reporters can be a better use of money.

• Search visibility and syndication: some lower-priced services emphasize placement on news sites and aggregators. That can help a release be found, but it is not the same as reaching a journalist.

• Targeted reach: services that add industry lists, such as eReleases, are selling list access, which you should evaluate against your own media list.

• Multiple releases: packages lower the per-release price, such as EIN Presswire's $999 for fifteen releases or Business Wire's packages for qualifying customers.

No distribution service can promise coverage. A release reaches a newsroom more reliably than it earns a story, and the strongest releases still need a clear headline, a verifiable fact and, where it matters, a direct pitch to a reporter. The guide to press release headlines covers the first of those, and the PR services overview describes how distribution fits into a broader program.

What should you check before you buy?

Ask for a written quote that names the circuit, the word count, the extras and any membership or setup fee. The checklist below will prevent most surprises.

• Confirm what is included: word count, images, links and any industry list.

• Ask for the price at your actual word count, not the entry word count.

• Ask about annual memberships and setup fees, which some services add.

• Ask exactly where the release will appear: financial terminals, news sites, aggregators or journalist inboxes.

• Ask for a sample distribution report, and how it counts pickups.

• Check whether your announcement carries a disclosure obligation that needs a specific wire.

• Compare the cost per release at your expected volume, not only for one.

Frequently asked questions

Which wire services publish their prices?

Business Wire prints a starting price for its smallest circuit, and EIN Presswire and eReleases publish entry prices. PR Newswire and GlobeNewswire printed no rate when the pages were checked in October 2026.

Why are PR Newswire and GlobeNewswire prices not public?

Pricing varies by circuit, word count and extras, and quote-based selling lets a provider price each customer. The exact reasons are the providers' own.

Do longer press releases cost more?

On many services, yes. eReleases charges $150 for each extra 100 words, and EIN Presswire's entry price covers up to 700 words.

Is the cheapest service the best choice?

Not always. Price per release is not price per outcome, and a low-cost release that reaches no one who covers your topic is expensive for what it delivers.

Do I need a wire service at all?

Not always. Public companies with disclosure duties often do. Others may do better with a strong release sent directly to reporters, possibly with a distribution service as a supplement.

Editorial disclosure and research notes

The prices on this page were not read first-hand by Virgo PR. Published prices were read by Presswire, a competing distribution company, from provider websites on dates between October 19 and October 23, 2026, and are described as such. Reported prices come from third parties, including Prezly, ITQlick and other roundups, and could not be checked against the providers' own pages. PR Newswire and GlobeNewswire publish no rate, and their figures should be confirmed by quote. Some other roundups cite older or conflicting numbers, which are not repeated.

The guidance on choosing a service and the checklist are editorial judgment by Virgo PR, not a recommendation of any provider. Virgo PR publishes this page and sells PR services. Prices change often, so confirm every figure with the provider before buying.