Placed.network vs PR Newswire: wire distribution vs pay-per-placement
22 October 2026
PR Newswire and Placed both help a company get its news in front of readers. They do it in different ways.
PR Newswire is a press release wire. You upload one release and it goes out to newsrooms, journalists and websites across its network. Placed is a pay-per-placement marketplace. You pick named outlets at listed prices, pay per placement, and see live links and a report for each one.
This guide compares the two on model, reach, control, pricing, reporting and workflow. Then it covers when each one fits, and when to use both.
The short answer
PR Newswire suits teams that need broad distribution of one release. It has been used by brands for 70+ years and is part of Cision, as its site footer states.
Placed suits teams that want to choose the outlets. Each placement is a named outlet with a price you see before you buy. On the Free account you pay per media.
Many teams use both: a wire for the formal announcement, and named placements for the coverage they want to show investors and customers.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | PR Newswire (Cision) | Placed |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Press release distribution. You upload your press release and it is sent to newsrooms, journalists and websites. | Pay-per-placement marketplace. You choose named outlets and formats from a catalog and pay per placement. |
| Reach | 440,000+ newsrooms, direct feeds, subscribers, journalists and influencers; 9,000+ websites and digital media outlets. | Reach depends on the outlets you pick. Each placement is one named outlet. |
| Targeting | By country, state, region and city, and by industry, beat and demographics. | By outlet. You see the outlet name, format and price before you buy. |
| Pricing | Not published. Costs vary based on distribution scope, geographic reach and additional services. | Listed. Press release wire tiers from €95 (AP News) to €13,950. Catalog rates shown per outlet. |
| Editorial review | A team reviews each release for grammar, links, tagging and SEO guidelines. | The client approves the text and a preview before it goes live. |
| Reporting | Wire Metrics dashboard for pickup, traffic, engagement and audience, including visits from LLMs. | Live links and a report for each placement. |
| Access | Demo, chat or phone, listed on the distribution page. | Access by demo. |
1. Model: one release out vs named placements in
How PR Newswire works
PR Newswire distributes a release you write. Its distribution page says it sends releases to newsrooms, journalists and websites, with multimedia uploads and syndication across partner sites. The same page describes results that “can include” visibility and pickup. Pickup by a given outlet is not promised.
How Placed works
Placed sells placements in named outlets. The catalog covers formats such as advertorials, organic articles, reviews, listicles and contributor features. Each is labelled so you know what you can cite.
For press releases, Placed runs four wire tiers on /press-release:
| Tier | What it includes | Price | Do-follow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | AP News, one named outlet | €95 | Yes |
| Step 2, Global Media Bundle | AP News and Business Insider, with Benzinga, StreetInsider and wider global media | €500 | No |
| Step 3, Shine | VentureBeat and Fortune, plus mass media | €5,450 | No |
| Step 4, Impress | TechCrunch, Fortune, VentureBeat, plus mass media | €13,950 | Varies |
Single mastheads can be added on top: Business Insider press release €650, Fortune press release €1,450, VentureBeat press release €2,500, Wired article €6,850, TechCrunch press release €9,750, Forbes article €11,250.
The wire is distribution to journalists. It is not editorial coverage on top of that. Editorial pitching is a separate service in the catalog.
2. Reach and targeting
PR Newswire
PR Newswire’s strength is breadth. Its distribution page lists 270,000+ journalists and influencers and targeting across more than 170 countries in over 40 languages. Its journalist community covers nearly 200 news beats and industry verticals.
Relevance still decides what journalists pick up. In Cision’s 2025 State of the Media report, 86% of journalists said they will immediately reject a pitch that is not aligned with their beat or audience.
Placed
Placed targets by outlet, not by audience segment. You choose the masthead. If you want AP News and Business Insider, you buy the tier that names them. If you want Forbes, you add the Forbes article.
This means you know in advance which logos you are paying for. It also means reach is the sum of the outlets you pick, not a network-wide distribution.
3. Pricing
PR Newswire
PR Newswire does not publish a rate card on its distribution page. It states that costs vary based on distribution scope, geographic reach and additional services, and offers a demo, a chat with an expert, or a phone line. For a quote, contact PR Newswire directly.
Placed
Placed prices are listed. The wire tiers and add-on mastheads above are on the press release page. Catalog rates are shown per outlet once you have access.
There are two live accounts, both on /pricing:
- Free. Pay per media. AI packaging assistance. Submit and collect co-marketing applications.
- Pro, on request. A custom plan by a PR expert. Bulk orders. Editorial pitching for up to one news item a month. Co-marketing introductions. GEO for your brand, included. An account executive.
For press release tiers, you pay and the money is held until it publishes.
4. What is guaranteed
This is where the two models differ most, so it is worth being precise.
PR Newswire’s distribution page does not promise website postings or pickup by specific media. It describes results that can include visibility and pickup.
Placed guarantees the tier and the time window, not a specific outlet or date. If editors reject a paid placement, Placed replaces it with a similar outlet or refunds it. Pitching is never guaranteed: no coverage, no fee.
5. Reporting, SEO and AI visibility
PR Newswire
PR Newswire’s Wire Metrics dashboard shows pickup, traffic, engagement and audience in one view. It shows how many visits to a release come from LLMs, and a traffic sources widget shows traffic from AI search engines. Its AEO and GEO Brand Report, powered by Trajaan, a Cision company, shows how AI models describe your brand. Reports export to PDF or CSV.
Placed
Placed reports per placement. After a placement goes live, you get the live links and a report. Do-follow status is listed for each press release tier, so you know the link type before you buy.
Why outlet choice matters for AI answers: Muck Rack’s May 2026 Generative Pulse study found that earned media accounts for 84% of AI citations, across more than 25 million links from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Pro accounts include GEO for your brand.
6. Workflow
PR Newswire workflow
- Write the release.
- Upload it and choose distribution.
- Editorial review by the PR Newswire team.
- Distribution. With an established account, releases can go out within hours of approval.
- Track results in the reporting dashboard.
Placed workflow
- Book a demo to get access.
- Pick outlets from the catalog, or tell the AI agent (beta) your goal and budget and it builds a media package from the catalog.
- Add to cart and pay by Stripe, or by invoice.
- Fill in the campaign setup brief.
- Approve the text and the preview.
- Get live links and a report.
Not sure your news is ready? Check My News is free and needs no account. A person answers within one business day with a verdict, angle, timing and route. Nothing is sent to media from that step.
When to use which
PR Newswire is likely the better fit when
- You need broad distribution of one release across many countries and languages.
- You want to target by geography, industry or beat rather than by masthead.
- Your team already runs on a wire workflow with editorial review.
- You want release-level analytics in one dashboard.
Placed is likely the better fit when
- You want to know which outlets your news appears in before you pay.
- You want listed prices per placement.
- You care about link type and want do-follow status shown up front.
- You want press releases, paid placements and co-marketing in one account.
Using both
A common split: send the formal release through a wire for broad distribution. Then buy named placements for the outlets you want to cite in a deck, on your site or in a fundraising round.
FAQ
Is a press release still worth sending in 2026?
Journalists still value them. In Cision’s 2025 State of the Media report, 72% of journalists named press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer. The survey covered more than 3,000 journalists in 19 markets.
What is the main difference between a wire and a marketplace?
A wire distributes one release across a network. A marketplace sells placements in specific outlets at listed prices. Think of the wire as broadcasting, and the marketplace as media buying.
Does Placed guarantee coverage?
No. Placed guarantees the tier and the time window, not a specific outlet or date. A paid placement that editors reject is replaced with a similar outlet or refunded. Pitching is never guaranteed: no coverage, no fee.
How much does PR Newswire cost?
PR Newswire does not list prices on its distribution page. It says costs vary based on distribution scope, geographic reach and additional services. Ask PR Newswire for a quote.
How much does Placed cost?
Wire tiers start at €95 for AP News and go up to €13,950 for the Impress tier. See /press-release for tiers and /pricing for accounts.
How do I get started with Placed?
Access is by demo. Book a demo, or start with a free Check My News review of your announcement.