Anyone who wants to start with PR themselves will quickly come across the same names. Presscloud, of course, but also Smart.pr, PR Dashboard, Prezly, Prowly, and the ANP. At first glance, they do about the same thing: help get news to the media. However, a closer look reveals considerable differences.
That's why we've expanded our previous, now somewhat outdated comparison from 2024. For five alternatives, we've created separate comparison pages. Not to play a game of "who's the best?" but to provide insight into which platform suits which organization.
Start with what you actually need
The biggest mistake when comparing PR software is only looking at the size of a database or the price. A million international contacts sounds impressive, but it doesn't help much when you're primarily looking to reach Dutch trade media.
So first determine what you need:
Do you want to select journalists yourself or primarily outsource distribution?
Do you already have a good media network or do you need to build one?
Are you doing occasional PR or do you want to run sustained campaigns?
Do you need AI assistance with writing, press lists, and pitches?
Are monitoring, a newsroom, and CRM important?
Do you work for one organization or multiple clients?
Only then does comparing really become meaningful.
Five alternatives, five different approaches
We clearly see that difference reflected in our new comparisons.
ANP Connect is actually a different type of solution. Through the ANP network, a press release can directly enter editorial systems and additional full-service services are available. This can be interesting for important national news, while ongoing PR software is more suited for relationship management and frequent campaigns.
PR Dashboard works modularly and offers extensive press inquiry management and integrations with professional monitoring services. These can be essential functions, especially for larger communication and spokesperson teams.
Prezly consciously chooses a different model: no included media database, but strong CRM and newsroom functionality for organizations that have already built their own journalist network.
Prowly, now part of the Semrush ecosystem, is strongly internationally oriented and has a very large global database. Interesting for organizations that serve many countries simultaneously or want to explicitly link PR to SEO and AI visibility.
Smart.pr focuses heavily on professional communication teams and combines a media database with journalist matching and an extensive search engine for news. Personal guidance also plays a larger role than with fully self-service platforms.
And where does Presscloud fit in?
We won’t pretend to be completely objective. After all, we built Presscloud based on our own vision of making PR simpler.
This vision suits startups, scale-ups, SMEs that want to maintain control and conduct PR in a simple and affordable way. From one environment, you can write a press release, find relevant journalists, generate personalized pitches, send campaigns, and monitor publications. Additionally, you can also manage multiple clients separately from Presscloud, which seamlessly fits investment funds and marketing, communication, PR, SEO, and advertising agencies.
On the other hand, a different platform may sometimes simply be a better fit. For example, do you need extensive press inquiry management, already have thousands of your own press contacts, or specifically want to distribute through the ANP network? Then an alternative might be more logical.
That's exactly why we've made the five new comparison pages: Presscloud vs ANP, PR Dashboard, Prezly, Prowly, and Smart.pr.
Because the best PR platform doesn't exist for everyone. Fortunately, the most suitable platform for your way of working does.
