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Software · head to head

Cision vs FastSpring

Cision logo

Cision

Software

The complete PR and earned media platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FastSpring logo

FastSpring

Software

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • They diverge on capability: Cision covers Media monitoring, FastSpring covers Global online payments.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cision and FastSpring actually diverge.

Attributes where Cision and FastSpring differ
AttributeCisionFastSpring
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Androidweb, api
Founded18672006

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Cision

  • Media monitoring
  • PR Newswire distribution
  • Media database
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Influencer identification
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack

Only in FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

What people use each for

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

Cision

  • Press release distributionnot FastSpring
  • Media monitoringnot FastSpring
  • PR measurementnot FastSpring
  • Media outreachnot FastSpring
  • Crisis communicationsnot FastSpring

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Cision
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Cision
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Cision
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Cision

Where each one falls short

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

Cision

Nothing recorded yet. See the Cision review.

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cision

On request
  • Cision Communications CloudFree
    • Media monitoring
    • Media database
    • PR analytics
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full platform access
    • PR Newswire distribution
    • Custom integrations

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

Which should you pick?

Choose Cision if

  • You need media monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want pr newswire distribution.
Cision review

Choose FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.
FastSpring review

Questions people ask

Is Cision or FastSpring better?
Neither clearly leads. Cision starts at On request and FastSpring at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cision or FastSpring?
Cision starts at On request and FastSpring at On request.
Does Cision or FastSpring run on more platforms?
Cision runs on Web, Ios, Android. FastSpring runs on web, api.
What is Cision best used for?
Cision is most often used for press release distribution, media monitoring, pr measurement, media outreach. Of those, press release distribution and media monitoring are not what FastSpring is typically brought in for.
What can Cision do that FastSpring cannot?
Cision covers Media monitoring, PR Newswire distribution, Media database, Analytics & reporting. FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

Source
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

Source
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

Source
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