Head to head
Build your comparison
Add or remove services and compare the same scored data points. No sponsored placement, ever.
Service details
| Detail |  PR Newswire |  PR Underground |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1954 | 2010 |
| Ownership | Cision | PR Underground |
| Company size | N/A | N/A |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | N/A |
| Funding history | Operated by Cision | N/A |
| Customer audience | PR professionals, comms teams, and public companies | Small businesses, marketing agencies, and PR firms |
| Distribution reach | Distributes to over 500,000 media outlets, newsrooms, and financial portals across 170+ countries in 40+ languages. | 300+ to 400+ outlets; US National. |
| Turnaround | Press releases can be distributed within hours of approval by the 24/7 editorial team. | 1 business day. |
| Pricing model | Starts at $350 for local distribution plus a $195-$249 annual membership fee. National releases start at $805, with steep overages for extra words and multimedia. | $74.99 per release; fully transparent pricing published. |
| Data point | PR Newswire | PR Underground |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & value | ||
| Section score | 1.60 | 4.33 |
| Entry-level release cost | $350 for state/local release2.0 | $74.99 per release5.0 |
| Pricing transparency | No public rate card (returns 404)1.0 | Fully transparent pricing published5.0 |
| Word-count & multimedia overages | $140+ per 100 extra words, $325 per image1.0 | N/A3.7 |
| Contract flexibility | $195-$249 annual membership required2.0 | Pay per release or cancel-anytime subscriptions5.0 |
| Refund policy | Unused portion refunded if vendor discontinues service2.0 | No refunds once distributed; full refund if release is rejected3.0 |
| Distribution reach | ||
| Section score | 4.82 | 2.83 |
| Stated outlet count | 500,000+ media outlets and newsrooms5.0 | 300+ to 400+ outlets3.0 |
| Country coverage | 170+ countries5.0 | US National2.0 |
| Financial & regulatory circuits | Full regulatory disclosure points4.8 | Yahoo Finance, StreetInsider, MarketWatch3.5 |
| Trade & vertical targeting | 100+ industries and trade categories4.5 | Verticals Boost (150+ niche industry sites)3.0 |
| Outlet variety (regions & niches) | Multicultural, language-specific, and industry verticals4.8 | Regional, local, national, and financial news sites3.5 |
| Additional reach services | ProfNet, media tours, paid placement, social sharing4.8 | Shared on X (Twitter)2.0 |
| Placement quality | ||
| Section score | 4.04 | 3.67 |
| Tier-1 pickup likelihood | Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, CNBC, AP News4.8 | Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, PRNewswire network4.0 |
| Guaranteed placements | Guaranteed paid placement available4.0 | Guarantees full network reach and PDF report3.0 |
| Average outlet authority (DR & traffic) | High domain authority and web traffic4.5 | Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, DigitalJournal3.5 |
| Speed of distribution | Within hours of approval4.0 | 1 business day4.0 |
| Search indexing durability | N/A3.5 | Submitted to and indexed by Google News4.0 |
| Indexing ratio | N/A3.5 | N/A3.5 |
| Platform & workflow | ||
| Section score | 3.97 | 3.38 |
| Release editor usability | AI-powered Create+ tool for drafting and enhancing4.5 | Paste text or upload draft3.0 |
| Approval & compliance workflow | Internal approvals required before submission4.0 | Editorial team reviews for compliance3.5 |
| Multimedia support | Photos, videos, logos, infographics4.5 | Upload assets3.0 |
| Integrations | Website integration and social media connections4.0 | N/A3.3 |
| Team & multi-user management | Individual registered-user logins; no sharing2.0 | Multiple newsrooms for different brands/clients4.0 |
| Additional tools & extras | AI campaign planning, content creation, media monitoring4.8 | Branded newsroom hosting3.5 |
| White label & reseller | ||
| Section score | 4.04 | 3.64 |
| White-label reporting | N/A4.0 | N/A4.0 |
| API access | N/A3.1 | N/A3.1 |
| White-label publishing | N/A4.6 | N/A4.6 |
| Agency & reseller pricing | Channel Partner and Publishing Partner programs3.5 | Volume discounts and subscriptions available4.5 |
| Dedicated account manager | Dedicated agency account management team5.0 | No account manager attached2.0 |
| Customer support | ||
| Section score | 3.85 | 3.69 |
| Support channels | Phone & e-mail3.5 | Email2.5 |
| Response speed | 24/7 editorial team availability4.5 | N/A4.0 |
| Support quality (public reviews) | 3.9/5 on G2 (781 reviews)3.9 | 4.3 Stars on G2 (107 Reviews)4.3 |
| Onboarding & training | MediaRoom CMS training and 24/7/365 support3.5 | No onboarding required4.0 |
| Analytics & reporting | ||
| Section score | 4.24 | 4.17 |
| Pickup reporting detail | Visibility Reports showing engagement, pickup, and reach4.5 | Every outlet, every permalink5.0 |
| Audience & engagement metrics | Performance and audience engagement data4.2 | N/A3.4 |
| Report speed after distribution | Visibility Report 2 hours after distribution4.5 | Day after distribution4.0 |
| Real-time dashboards | Real-time newsfeed and analytics4.0 | Real-time coverage tracking4.5 |
| Export & sharing | Downloadable reports to share results4.0 | Download PDF4.0 |
Ratings & reviews
| Rating source | PR Newswire | PR Underground |
|---|---|---|
| Compare Newswire score | 3.67 / 5 | 3.68 / 5 |
| Verified user reviews | N/A | N/A |
 G2 | 3.9 / 5748 reviews | 4.3 / 5107 reviews |
 Trustpilot | N/A | 4.1 / 517 reviews |
 Capterra | N/A | N/A |
Final verdict
PR Underground leads this comparison on the weighted model, winning 1 of 7 sections and 12 data points. 6 data points are level across the selection.
| Service | Global score | Sections won | Data points won |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR UndergroundWINNER | 3.68 | 1 / 7 | 12 |
| PR Newswire | 3.67 | 6 / 7 | 19 |
Permanent page for this pairing: PR Newswire vs PR Underground
Final score & winner
PR Underground wins this comparison with 3.68 / 5, ahead by 0.00 points. It leads 1 of 7 sections and 12 individual data points. 6 data points are level.
| Section | PR Newswire | PR Underground |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & value | 1.60 | 4.33Wins |
| Distribution reach | 4.82Wins | 2.83 |
| Placement quality | 4.04Wins | 3.67 |
| Platform & workflow | 3.97Wins | 3.38 |
| White label & reseller | 4.04Wins | 3.64 |
| Customer support | 3.85Wins | 3.69 |
| Analytics & reporting | 4.24Wins | 4.17 |
| Global score | 3.67 | 3.68Winner |
| Sections won | 6 / 7 | 1 / 7 |
| Data points won | 19 | 12 |
