A press release usually costs $150 to $1,000 to have professionally written and $100 to $300 for basic online distribution, while premium wire services start near $800 per release. Your total depends on who writes the release, how far it needs to reach and which add-ons you choose, such as images or video. Our team confirms current prices for our managed routes in a written quote, and the total you pay should always be confirmed before you commit.
What is a press release?
A press release is a factual announcement of real company news, such as a product launch, a partnership, a new location, an executive appointment, a verifiable award, an original report or a funding milestone. Publishers draw a clear line here: a standard release is a news announcement, not an advertisement or a general-interest sales article. Promotional copy written as an article belongs in a separately labeled advertorial.
How much does a press release cost?
Writing and distribution are priced separately. The ranges below are third-party estimates, not quotes, so get a written quote from any provider before you commit.
| Service | Typical range | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance or entry-level writing | $150 to $300 | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| Mid-range professional writing | $400 to $700 | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| Senior PR professional or agency writing | $800 to $1,000 or more | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| Basic online distribution | $100 to $300 per release | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| Mid-tier digital distribution | $300 to $600 per release | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| PR Newswire starting point (400-word release) | About $800; national distribution can exceed $2,500 | Pressdia’s cost guide |
| Budget and mid-tier wire networks | $50 to a few hundred dollars | 5WPR’s cost guide |
| Premium global wires | Four figures before writing or agency fees | 5WPR’s cost guide |
Pressdia’s guide reports that combined writing and distribution bundles usually fall between $500 and $2,500. 5WPR’s guide notes that most wire services sell distribution only and assume the release arrives written and ready to publish.
Press release packages and submission sites
A package bundles writing with distribution. Submission sites and wires are the distribution part, and their price rises with the tier, word count, geographic reach and multimedia. Check which tier you are buying, whether it includes writing, and what the quote lists before you pay.
What do we charge for a press release?
We do not list our route prices on this page. Our team confirms current distribution and release production prices in a written quote before you pay, and the route you choose sets the price.
What the price covers, and what it does not
What a distribution service includes varies by provider. Confirm in the written quote whether it covers writing, submission, publisher communication and a publication record after acceptance.
The price does not buy anyone’s decision. No one controls which sites pick up a release, how search engines rank it, whether backlinks appear, or whether traffic, leads or sales follow.
What happens if the publisher says no?
Before you pay, ask the provider what happens if a publisher declines the release, and get the answer in writing with the refund terms. Whether a provider corrects and resubmits copy it produced, and whether it refunds you, depends on its written terms, so read them before you order.
Is a cheaper press release service enough?
Sometimes. EIN Presswire’s pricing page lists a $149 basic plan for one release, $499 for five releases and $999 for fifteen, as shown on October 8, 2026. A self-service plan can fit a finished release that only needs a dated public record. No price guarantees a ranking, an outlet pickup, leads or sales.
Do you pay for a press release?
You pay for distribution and, if you choose it, for writing. Read the payment terms in the written quote before you order. Paid advertorials are a different product. They are paid, labeled commercial content, so they are a purchase, not a free placement.
Can I submit a press release for free?
You can do the work yourself without paying a distribution fee. Publish the announcement and a useful page on your own site, then pitch selected reporters directly with a short, specific email. Our step-by-step guide, How to Send a Press Release, covers the steps. A wire submission and a personal pitch are different jobs, so choose one or both on purpose. Paid wires charge the prices in the tables above.
Can ChatGPT or a freelancer write it?
A tool or a freelancer can draft a release. The checks that publishers and readers make are the same either way: a real news event, facts you can prove, a quote the named person has approved, a working media contact and an objective tone. Our guide How to Write a Press Release covers the structure step by step.
Are press releases worth it?
They are worth it when you have real news and a reason for someone to find it: a launch, a new location, a verifiable award, an original report or a funding milestone. They are a poor buy for general promotion, or when the main goal is a ranking. 5WPR’s cost guide makes the same point: a wire sends the release to its network, but no distribution tier means a journalist will cover it. Pickup depends on the story and on whether someone pitches it to the right reporter, which is work a wire alone does not do. A release also leaves you a dated public page you can link and share.
How much does a press release cost per month, in the USA, or in California?
Press releases are priced per release, not per month. EIN Presswire’s packages can be used for releases within one year of purchase, so its price is per release over a year, not a monthly bill.
How much does it cost to send a press release on PR Newswire?
We do not offer PR Newswire on our pages, so we cannot quote it. Pressdia’s guide estimates a starting price near $800 for a 400-word release, with national distribution often rising above $2,500. Ask any provider for a written quote that lists word count, geographic reach and multimedia.
What not to do in a press release
- Do not lead with a sales pitch. Cut superlatives, invented customer reactions and promises of outcomes.
- Do not use all caps, exclamation marks or first-person sales language outside an approved quote.
- Do not stuff keywords or write a story only to attract search traffic.
- Do not announce a milestone, customer, certification or endorsement you cannot document.
- Do not present unverified results as proven. A 2021 PubMed review argues that results released by press release before peer review call for healthy skepticism.
- Do not copy one announcement into several releases with different wording. Duplicate stories are not a stack.
Who puts out press releases?
Companies and organizations with a real, verifiable event put out press releases. Typical announcements include product or service launches, new locations, partnerships, executive appointments, verified awards, original research, funding and community programs. The business has to authorize the announcement, and the customer remains responsible for the facts and approvals. An agency or service can help with writing and distribution.
What about investment press releases?
Investment-related news needs a closer look before you buy. Publishers make their own editorial decisions about financial content, so check their current rules first. For investor-facing announcements, our Global Authority route is built for broad financial syndication.
Before you order
- Confirm the news is real, timely and about your company, with a date and location.
- Get written approval of the exact copy from every person named in a quote.
- Check the route’s content rules before buying, since the publisher makes the final editorial decision.
- Ask what the price includes: writing, submission, publisher communication, publication record and analytics.
- Read the refund terms in the written quote before you pay.
- Confirm the current price in the written quote before you pay.
When you are ready to compare the routes, see Press Release Distribution Services for an overview of how the service works.
Disclosure: Marketing By Kevin sells the press release services described on this page.
Our team
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