Best Press Release Distribution Services 2026, Scored and Ranked
By the PR Gun Research desk. Prices verified November 1, 2026.
The best press release distribution services in 2026, scored on published prices and terms checked November 1, 2026, are Send2Press (94.7 out of 100), 24-7 Press Release (86.5) and EIN Presswire (84.5). PR Underground (71.5) and PR Gun (70.5) follow. Send2Press wins on a $199 U.S. national plan with a 1,200-word allowance and a 4.9 Trustpilot score from 271 reviews. PR Newswire, Business Wire, Cision and GlobeNewswire aren't scored, because they don't publish enough prices to score.
How did we rank press release distribution services?
We scored every service that publishes a full rate card. Each gets 0 to 5 on six criteria, and the weights add to 100. Every score comes from the vendor's own pages or Trustpilot on November 1, 2026. Nothing is scored on reputation or our opinion.
| Criterion | Weight | How we score it (0 to 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of reach | 25 | Price of the lowest package the vendor says reaches AP, PR Newswire or U.S. national distribution. 5 is $100 or less, 4 is $101 to $200, 3 is $201 to $400, 2 is $401 to $700, 1 is over $700 or only partly published, 0 is no such package. We use the lowest full package. An add-on whose base package or contents aren't stated counts as partly published or isn't used. |
| Price transparency | 15 | 5 if every package has a price and a contents list. 4 if some add-on prices or inclusions are missing. 2 if only a starting price is public. 0 if quote only. |
| Word terms | 15 | Words included in the package scored above, or in the vendor's paid packages if none qualifies for reach. 5 is unlimited or 1,000 or more, 4 is 700 to 999, 3 is no limit published, 2 is 400 to 600, 1 is under 400. |
| Buyer protection | 15 | Refund terms (0 to 3) plus a stated editorial review (0 to 2). Refunds score 3 for a published refund for unused or rejected releases, 2 for refunds considered case by case, 1 for a published no-refund or credit-only policy, and 0 if no refund terms are published. Refunds tied only to a pickup or placement guarantee aren't counted. Review scores 2 if the vendor says releases are reviewed or approved before distribution, 1 if review is optional or limited to proofreading and feedback, and 0 if not stated. |
| Customer rating | 15 | Trustpilot score where the profile has 20 or more reviews. Fewer than 20 reviews, or no profile, gets a neutral 2.5. |
| Turnaround | 15 | 5 is same day or within hours, 4 is next business day, 3 is 24 to 48 hours, 0 is not published. |
PR Gun is scored with the same rules as everyone else. It doesn't get first place by default, and it doesn't get it here.
Best press release distribution services, ranked
| Rank | Service | Score | Reach | Transp. | Words | Protect. | Rating | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Send2Press | 94.7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.9 | 5 | U.S. national with an AP push and long releases |
| 2 | 24-7 Press Release | 86.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 4 | AP Newsroom on a small budget |
| 3 | EIN Presswire | 84.5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 5 | AP News at $149 and bulk sending |
| 4 | PR Underground | 71.5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 | Buyers who want a refund if rejected |
| 5 | PR Gun | 70.5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | Low entry price with writing included |
| 6 | eReleases | 68.1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4.7 | 4 | PR Newswire national at a published price |
| 7 | IssueWire | 67.3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 0 | Cheapest tier labeled U.S. nationwide |
| 8 | PR.com | 64.5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 | 5 | Same-day AP Newsroom distribution |
| 9 | PRWeb | 58.8 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1.6 | 3 | Cision's network without a quote |
| 10 | Newswire.com | 49.6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2.2 | 0 | Unlimited words and single-state targeting |
| 11 | PRLog | 48.5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2.5 | 5 | Free and very cheap posting |
| 12 | PRFree | 37.5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | Low-cost posting with many images |
| 13 | NewswireJet | 36.5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 | Volume discounts across four tiers |
| 14 | openPR | 34.5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 | One free release a month for businesses |
A score of 0 on speed means the vendor doesn't publish a turnaround time. It doesn't mean the service is slow. A 2.5 rating means too few Trustpilot reviews to count, not an average review.
The neutral 2.5 matters, so here is the test. If every service with too few reviews scored 0 instead, PR Gun would score 63.0 and fall from fifth to seventh, behind eReleases and IssueWire as well. Send2Press would still rank first, and EIN Presswire would move up to second.
What does each top service actually give you?
1. Send2Press
U.S. National Basic costs $199 and includes an AP push to daily and trade media nationwide, with a 1,200-word base limit. National Pro at $289 adds Direct-to-Editors email to daily media in all states and trade media. If you need PR Newswire, S2P+Cision Pro is $699 for 400 words. Plans push same day if final copy is approved by 9 a.m. PT. Send2Press refunds rejected content, less card fees. It's run by Neotrope, a California company since 1983.
Fits small businesses and publicists who want national reach at one flat price. Doesn't fit buyers who want PR Newswire on a budget, since that route starts at $599.
2. 24-7 Press Release
PR Network Plus at $89 adds AP Newsroom and guarantees 200+ placements with unlimited words. Every paid plan below $479 has unlimited words. The $479 Mass Media Visibility plan is the only one with PR Newswire national distribution, and it caps you at 375 words. Editors review every release, and distribution is next business day.
Fits budget buyers who want AP Newsroom. Doesn't fit long releases that need PR Newswire, because of the 375-word cap and $110 per extra 100 words.
3. EIN Presswire
Basic at $149 includes AP News placement, Nexstar, Google News and Bloomberg Terminals, with a 700-word limit. U.S. TV and radio and the USA TODAY Network are distributed based on relevance. Pro+ is $499 for 5 releases plus 1 free (a limited-time offer), and Corporate is $999 for 15. Verified accounts can get same-day distribution in business hours. Refunds are prorated within 60 days if under 25% of credits are used.
Fits startups and agencies who send often. Doesn't fit long releases on Basic. In PR Gun's database, the median EIN Presswire release ran 834 words (6,796 releases published February 18 to October 30, 2026), above Basic's 700-word limit.
4. PR Underground
Basic costs $74.99 and covers 300+ news and TV sites, Google News submission and a PDF coverage report. US National at $419.99 adds Yahoo Finance, StreetInsider and the PR Newswire and Cision network. If PR Underground rejects your release, it gives a full refund. Most releases are reviewed and sent within a few hours in business hours.
Fits first-time buyers who want low risk. Doesn't fit buyers who want PR Newswire network reach at a low price, since US National is $419.99.
5. PR Gun
PR Basic is $49, PR Standard $99, PR Pro $199 (adds Google News and Bing News syndication and 250 journalist contacts) and PR Max $399 (adds AP News and USA Today). Writing is free, every release is reviewed, and most go out in 24 to 48 hours. Refunds are available until a release enters review.
Fits small businesses that need the release written and sent for under $200. Doesn't fit buyers who want an AP product in a cheaper full package, since 24-7 adds AP Newsroom at $89 and EIN Presswire Basic includes AP News at $149. PR Gun also has no Trustpilot profile yet.
6. eReleases
Buzz Builder at $399 sends national over PR Newswire with editorial review and a proof-of-distribution report. It includes 400 words, and each extra 100 words costs $150. Writing is $300 extra. eReleases holds a 4.7 Trustpilot score from 82 reviews, the second highest of any service we scored.
Fits buyers who want a PR Newswire national send without a quote. Doesn't fit long releases. In PR Gun's database, the median PR Newswire release ran 615 words (82,398 releases published January 4 to October 31, 2026), well past 400.
7 to 14 in brief
- IssueWire scores 5 on reach for its $42 Tier 1 Pro, labeled U.S. nationwide. It loses points for no published turnaround and no refunds.
- PR.com sells AP Newsroom and APNews.com with same-day distribution at $300. No refund terms were published.
- PRWeb is branded Cision PRWeb. Standard at $245 adds syndication powered by PR Newswire. It holds 1.6 on Trustpilot from 23 reviews.
- Newswire.com covers unlimited words and images. AP News starts at the $659 Basic tier.
- PRLog offers a free ad-supported 500-word release and a $389 PR Newswire add-on.
- PRFree sells $29 and $49 posting with no U.S. wire product.
- NewswireJet lists writing as a feature, but its page doesn't make clear which tier includes AP News.
- openPR gives businesses one free release every 30 days and sells credits from 49 EUR.
Each has a full review in our press release service reviews hub.
What about PR Newswire, Business Wire and other big wires?
They're not in the ranking because the method needs a published price. That isn't a judgment on their reach.
- PR Newswire has no public rate card. It says it reviews and distributes 325k+ releases a year with 99.9% proofreading accuracy. In PR Gun's database, it carried 82,398 releases published January 4 to October 31, 2026, more than any other wire we track.
- Business Wire publishes $475 for 400 words on a U.S. local circuit. National is quote only. It lists distribution through AP, AFP and 92,000+ media points, with editorial review and financial tables included.
- GlobeNewswire is quote only and operated by Notified, which Equiniti acquired in May 2025.
- Cision gives pricing only after a consultation.
- ACCESS Newswire's pricing page couldn't be found on November 1, 2026. Benzinga, Digital Journal and NewswireToday couldn't be checked.
Public companies and anyone with disclosure duties should get written quotes from these wires and compare them on the same scope. Our PR Newswire pricing and Business Wire alternatives pages go deeper.
Which service fits your situation?
Startup with a launch. You need a credible link and some reach, fast. EIN Presswire Basic at $149 gives AP News placement and same-day sends for verified accounts. 24-7 at $89 is the cheaper AP Newsroom route.
Small business without a writer. You need the release written too. PR Gun includes writing from $49. Send2Press adds full writing for $199 on top of distribution. eReleases charges $300.
Agency with many clients. You care about per-release cost and refunds. EIN Presswire Corporate works out to $66.60 a release. PR Underground drops to $37.50 a release at 30 on Basic and refunds rejected releases.
Public company. We didn't find regulatory disclosure coverage on the scored services' pricing pages. Ask before you buy, or get quotes from the quote-only wires.
Want to compare on price alone? Our press release distribution pricing guide lists every published package. For the lowest-cost tier, see cheap press release distribution. For search value, see the best press release service for SEO.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best press release distribution service in 2026?
- By our published scoring of prices and terms checked November 1, 2026, Send2Press ranks first at 94.7 out of 100, followed by 24-7 Press Release at 86.5 and EIN Presswire at 84.5. The best one for you depends on budget, word count and whether you need AP or PR Newswire.
- What are the top press release distribution companies?
- Among services with published prices, Send2Press, 24-7 Press Release, EIN Presswire, PR Underground and PR Gun scored highest. PR Newswire, Business Wire, GlobeNewswire and Cision are large wires that sell by quote, so we didn't score them.
- Which press release distribution service is cheapest for national reach?
- IssueWire's $42 Tier 1 Pro is the cheapest package labeled U.S. nationwide. 24-7 Press Release adds AP Newsroom at $89, and EIN Presswire includes AP News at $149.
- Is PR Newswire the best press release distribution service?
- We can't score it, because PR Newswire publishes no rate card. It's the largest wire in PR Gun's database, with 82,398 releases published January 4 to October 31, 2026. eReleases sells a PR Newswire national send from $399.
- Where does PR Gun rank?
- Fifth, at 70.5 out of 100. It scores well on transparency and refunds, but loses points on cost of reach, unpublished word limits and a 24 to 48 hour turnaround.
- How should I choose a press release distribution service?
- Count your words, decide whether you need AP or PR Newswire, then compare the lowest package that covers both. Check refund terms and turnaround before you pay.
How we researched this
- Prices, packages, word limits, refund terms, editorial review and turnaround were read from each vendor's own pages on November 1, 2026. We sent no requests to Google.
- Trustpilot scores and review counts were read November 1, 2026. G2 and Capterra blocked every request, so they aren't used.
- Scoring uses six criteria weighted 25, 15, 15, 15, 15 and 15. Final score is the sum of each weight times its 0 to 5 score, divided by 5, so a perfect score is 100. Only vendors with a full published rate card are ranked.
- PR Gun's Premium Media page lists an AP News placement at $149 per release but doesn't say whether distribution is included. We scored PR Gun's reach on PR Max at $399, its lowest full package with AP News.
- Corpus figures come from PR Gun's database of published press releases, deduplicated by headline, bodies of 50 words or more, with each wire's own date window shown. Corpus counts aren't scored, because each wire's coverage window is different.
- PR Gun sells press release distribution and competes with the services on this page.
About PR Gun. PR Gun ranked fifth here. If it fits, PR Basic is $49 per release and PR Max is $399 with AP News and USA Today. Writing is free, every release is reviewed before it goes out, and you can get a refund until review starts. Compare PR Gun's packages.
Ready to distribute your press release?
Get your news in front of thousands of journalists with PR Gun's distribution network.