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Business Wire vs Simplecast

Business Wire logo

Business Wire

News

Global news distribution and regulatory disclosure

From
On request
Rated
-
Simplecast logo

Simplecast

Podcasting

Hosting for professional podcast networks

From
$15/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Business Wire no transparent pricing published for press release distribution services; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • They diverge on capability: Business Wire covers News distribution, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Business Wire and Simplecast actually diverge.

Attributes where Business Wire and Simplecast differ
AttributeBusiness WireSimplecast
Starting priceOn request$15/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
CategoryNewsPodcasting
Founded19612014

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Business Wire

  • News distribution
  • SEC/SEDAR filing
  • Multimedia support
  • Tradeshownews
  • News analytics
  • Bloomberg Terminal
  • Thomson Reuters
  • Google Finance

Only in Simplecast

  • Unlimited hosting
  • Analytics
  • Dynamic ad insertion
  • Distribution
  • Team collaboration
  • API access
  • All podcast platforms
  • Advertising networks

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Business Wire

  • Earnings releasesnot Simplecast
  • SEC filingsnot Simplecast
  • Corporate announcementsnot Simplecast
  • Product launchesnot Simplecast
  • M&A newsnot Simplecast

Simplecast

  • Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Business Wire
  • Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Business Wire
  • Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot Business Wire

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Business Wire

  • No transparent pricing published for press release distribution services

Simplecast

  • Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
  • Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
  • Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
  • API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
  • Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount

Pricing, plan by plan

Business Wire

On request
  • US Local$525/one-time
    • Local distribution
    • Online posting
    • Basic analytics
  • US Regional$875/one-time
    • Regional distribution
    • Wire services
    • Enhanced analytics
  • US National$1525/one-time
    • National distribution
    • Full wire coverage
    • Premium analytics
  • GlobalFree
    • International reach
    • Translation services
    • Custom circuits

Simplecast

$15/month
  • Basic$15/month
    • Annual option: $13.50/month when prepaid
    • 2 team seats
    • Unlimited storage
  • Essential$35/month
    • Annual option: $31.50/month when prepaid
    • 4 team seats
    • Everything in Basic plus additional web players
  • Professional$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom pricing
    • Dynamic ad insertion
    • Campaign management
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Contact sales for custom features
    • Everything in Professional plus API integration
    • White-labeled RSS

Which should you pick?

Choose Business Wire if

  • You need news distribution.
  • You also want sec/sedar filing.

Choose Simplecast if

  • You need unlimited hosting.
  • You also want analytics.

Questions people ask

Is Business Wire or Simplecast better?
Neither clearly leads. Business Wire starts at On request and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Business Wire or Simplecast?
Business Wire starts at On request and Simplecast at $15/month.
Does Business Wire or Simplecast run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Business Wire best used for?
Business Wire is most often used for earnings releases, sec filings, corporate announcements, product launches. Of those, earnings releases and sec filings are not what Simplecast is typically brought in for.
What can Business Wire do that Simplecast cannot?
Business Wire covers News distribution, SEC/SEDAR filing, Multimedia support, Tradeshownews. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Analytics, Dynamic ad insertion, Distribution. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Business Wire: How much does Business Wire cost?

Business Wire does not publish standard pricing on its website. The company offers press release distribution services with pricing that varies based on your audience reach, distribution scope, and multimedia options. You must contact their sales team for a custom quote.

Source
Simplecast: How much does Simplecast cost?

Simplecast offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) followed by paid plans starting at $15/month for Basic ($13.50/month annual) and $35/month for Essential ($31.50/month annual). Professional and Enterprise plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Business Wire: What is the Business Wire pricing model?

Business Wire charges per press release distribution, not as a subscription. Pricing depends on factors including geographic reach, industry targeting, journalist lists, and whether you include multimedia elements like images or videos.

Source
Simplecast: Can I change my Simplecast plan anytime?

Yes. Plan changes are allowed anytime with prorated adjustments. You can cancel anytime with no long-term contracts or penalties.

Source
Simplecast: What is included in the Basic plan?

The Basic plan ($15/month or $13.50/month annually) includes 2 team seats, unlimited storage, distribution to all platforms, basic analytics, custom domain website, and 20,000 downloads per month.

Source
Simplecast: What makes the Essential plan different from Basic?

The Essential plan ($35/month or $31.50/month annually) adds 2 more team seats (4 total), comparative analytics, location analytics, unique listener reports, and increases the monthly download allowance to 50,000.

Source
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