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HARO vs SmartNews

HARO logo

HARO

News

Help A Reporter Out - connecting journalists with expert sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartNews logo

SmartNews

News

Local news and breaking news from top sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HARO hARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023); SmartNews no specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • They diverge on capability: HARO covers Daily journalist queries, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HARO and SmartNews actually diverge.

Attributes where HARO and SmartNews differ
AttributeHAROSmartNews
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsWeb, EmailIos, Android
Founded20082012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

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 HARO

  • Daily journalist queries
  • Source submissions
  • Query archives
  • Response tracking
  • Source directory
  • Email matching
  • Profile management
  • Email

Only in SmartNews

  • Machine learning curation
  • Smart Mode
  • Local news
  • Breaking alerts
  • Offline reading
  • Social sharing
  • News publishers
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

HARO

  • Finding expert sourcesnot SmartNews
  • Press coveragenot SmartNews
  • Expert positioningnot SmartNews
  • Media relationsnot SmartNews

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot HARO
  • Local newsnot HARO
  • Breaking newsnot HARO
  • Quick readingnot HARO

Where each one falls short

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

HARO

  • HARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023)

SmartNews

  • No specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • Requires visiting separate product page for pricing details
  • Subscription service model described but not detailed with costs

Pricing, plan by plan

HARO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily email alerts
    • Query submissions
    • Source directory
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • Analytics

SmartNews

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Trending news
    • Local news
    • Smart Mode reading

Which should you pick?

Choose HARO if

  • You need daily journalist queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Email.
  • You also want source submissions.
HARO review

Choose SmartNews if

  • You need machine learning curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want smart mode.
SmartNews review

Questions people ask

Is HARO or SmartNews better?
Neither clearly leads. HARO starts at Free and SmartNews at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HARO or SmartNews?
HARO starts at Free and SmartNews at Free.
Does HARO or SmartNews run on more platforms?
HARO runs on Web, Email. SmartNews runs on Ios, Android.
Can I use HARO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HARO best used for?
HARO is most often used for finding expert sources, press coverage, expert positioning, media relations. Of those, finding expert sources and press coverage are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
What can HARO do that SmartNews cannot?
HARO covers Daily journalist queries, Source submissions, Query archives, Response tracking. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartNews: How much does SmartNews cost?

SmartNews does not publish specific subscription pricing on its main website. The vendor offers SmartNews+, described as a subscription service aggregating paid business news and coupons, but cost details must be found on the dedicated SmartNews+ product page.

Source
SmartNews: Does SmartNews offer a free tier?

SmartNews provides free access to curated news content. For additional business news and coupons, the vendor offers SmartNews+ as a paid subscription service. Pricing and trial details for SmartNews+ are available on the dedicated subscription product page.

Source
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