News & Media · head to head
Cision vs Parse.ly
The short version
- They diverge on capability: Cision covers Media monitoring, Parse.ly covers Content analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cision and Parse.ly actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).
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
- Slack
- Microsoft 365
Only in Parse.ly
- Content analytics
- Audience tracking
- Real-time metrics
- Recommendations
- GDPR
- Cloud deployment
- English language support
Both cover
- Google Analytics
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cision
- Press release distributionnot Parse.ly
- Media monitoringnot Parse.ly
- PR measurementnot Parse.ly
- Media outreachnot Parse.ly
- Crisis communicationsnot Parse.ly
Parse.ly
- Real time analytics on article and page performance for publishersnot Cision
- Attributing conversions and subscriptions to contentnot Cision
- Comparing audience engagement across authors, sections and channelsnot 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.
Parse.ly
- Pricing is by quote only: the pricing page names three tiers but publishes no rate, no minimum and no cost driver, and routes buyers to a demo booking
- Conversions and attribution reporting require the Content Value tier rather than the entry tier
- Geographic segmentation and video tracking require the top Content Advocacy tier
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
Parse.ly
$500/month- Standard$500/month
- Content analytics
- Audience insights
Which should you pick?
Choose Cision if
- You need media monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want pr newswire distribution.
Questions people ask
- Is Cision or Parse.ly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cision starts at On request and Parse.ly at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cision or Parse.ly?
- Cision starts at On request and Parse.ly at $500/month.
- Does Cision or Parse.ly run on more platforms?
- Cision runs on Web, Ios, Android. Parse.ly runs on Web.
- 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 Parse.ly is typically brought in for.
- What can Cision do that Parse.ly cannot?
- Cision covers Media monitoring, PR Newswire distribution, Media database, Analytics & reporting. Parse.ly covers Content analytics, Audience tracking, Real-time metrics, Recommendations. Both handle Google Analytics, Web support.