Business Wire alternatives: what startups use instead
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading wire for investor relations and regulatory disclosure. It publishes a $475 starting price for a 400-word local US release; national distribution is quote-based, reported at roughly $760 to over $1,000 for 400 words. For a startup's launch or funding news, flat-price services cover major news sites for less.
Updated · Citable
What Business Wire costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Local US circuit, 400 words | From $475 (Business Wire's published starting price) |
| National US circuit, 400 words | Quote-based; reported around $760, with other trackers reporting $1,000+ |
| Each extra 100 words | Charged extra; reported $195 |
| Multimedia | Charged extra |
Business Wire vs Citable
| Business Wire | Citable | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $475 local US (400 words); national quote-based, reported $760+ | $599 per release |
| Pricing model | Per release, quote-based, extra per 100 words and for media | Paid once per release; no membership, account or subscription |
| Distribution | Local, national and international circuits; financial and trade media | 500+ news sites, plus TV and radio networks |
| Named outlets | Varies by circuit | In the network: Associated Press, USA Today, Benzinga, Barchart, StreetInsider, The Globe and Mail |
| Reach figure | Not published | 220M+ potential reach, from the wire's own report |
| Length | Priced per 400 words, extra per 100 words | 250–1,200 words |
| Links | Not published | Up to five links to your site, on outlets up to DR 92 |
| Writing help | Not published | Write it yourself, import a document, or have AI draft it from your notes; edits until you submit |
| Report | Not published | Every live link, checked until it stays up, plus the wire's report with each site's reach and Domain Rating |
| Delivery guarantee | Not published | Live on a site in the package within 48 hours of submitting, or a full refund |
| Directory launch | No | Optional: up to 100 startup directories (75% dofollow) for $239, or $738 with the release |
What Business Wire does well
- Disclosure and IR: trusted by public companies for material news.
- Financial media: strong reach into financial terminals and trade press.
- International circuits and translation.
Which to choose
Choose Business Wire for earnings, regulatory announcements or investor relations, where disclosure-grade distribution matters.
Choose Citable when you are a startup announcing a launch, feature, hire or funding round and want it across a network of 500+ news sites that includes AP and USA Today, at a fixed price, with every live link and a refund if it is not live in 48 hours.
Other Business Wire alternatives
| Service | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Citable | $599 per release | Startup and SaaS announcements, with AI drafting and a delivery guarantee |
| EIN Presswire | From $149 per release | Frequent releases on a budget |
| PR Newswire | Reported $850–$1,145 (national, 400 words) | Public companies and enterprise PR teams |
| GlobeNewswire | Reported ~$350 base (400 words) | Public company investor news |
| PRWeb | From $120 per release | Low-cost self-serve releases |
| Newswire.com | From $399 per release | Long releases with many images |
Questions people ask
Is Business Wire better than PR Newswire?
They serve similar customers. Business Wire is often preferred for investor relations; PR Newswire for Cision's journalist tools. Both are quote-based for national distribution.