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Google News vs Muck Rack

Google News logo

Google News

News

Comprehensive news coverage powered by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Muck Rack logo

Muck Rack

News

The new standard in PR software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google News has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google News free model only with no paid alternatives; Muck Rack no specific prices published; all pricing is based on customized proposals based on team size and user count
  • They diverge on capability: Google News covers AI-powered curation, Muck Rack covers Media database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google News and Muck Rack actually diverge.

Attributes where Google News and Muck Rack differ
AttributeGoogle NewsMuck Rack
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Browser-extension
Founded19982009

Identical on both: 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 Google News

  • AI-powered curation
  • Full coverage
  • Local news
  • Topic following
  • Newsstand
  • Google account
  • Google Assistant
  • Chrome

Only in Muck Rack

  • Media database
  • Journalist profiles
  • Media monitoring
  • Pitching platform
  • Coverage reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Google News

  • News consumptionnot Muck Rack
  • Topic trackingnot Muck Rack
  • Local newsnot Muck Rack
  • Researchnot Muck Rack

Muck Rack

  • Finding and pitching journalists from a media databasenot Google News
  • Monitoring coverage and measuring PR resultsnot Google News

Where each one falls short

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

Google News

  • Free model only with no paid alternatives
  • Revenue generated through advertising rather than subscriptions

Muck Rack

  • No specific prices published; all pricing is based on customized proposals based on team size and user count
  • Starter plan has limited features compared to Standard and Premier (no podcast monitoring or curation engine)
  • Sentiment analysis on Starter uses basic NLP, while Premier uses AI-powered analysis

Pricing, plan by plan

Google News

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Personalized news feed
    • Full coverage feature
    • Local news

Muck Rack

On request
  • ProFree
    • Media database
    • Media monitoring
    • Pitching tools
  • EnterpriseFree
    • All Pro features
    • Team management
    • SSO integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Google News if

  • You need ai-powered curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want full coverage.
Google News review

Choose Muck Rack if

  • You need media database.
  • You work on Web, Browser-extension.
  • You also want journalist profiles.
Muck Rack review

Questions people ask

Is Google News or Muck Rack better?
Neither clearly leads. Google News starts at Free and Muck Rack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google News or Muck Rack?
Google News has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google News and On request for Muck Rack.
Does Google News or Muck Rack run on more platforms?
Google News runs on Web, Ios, Android. Muck Rack runs on Web, Browser-extension.
Can I use Google News for free?
Yes. Google News has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Muck Rack starts at On request.
What is Google News best used for?
Google News is most often used for news consumption, topic tracking, local news, research. Of those, news consumption and topic tracking are not what Muck Rack is typically brought in for.
What can Google News do that Muck Rack cannot?
Google News covers AI-powered curation, Full coverage, Local news, Topic following. Muck Rack covers Media database, Journalist profiles, Media monitoring, Pitching platform. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google News: Is Google News free?

Yes, Google News is a free news aggregation service available to all users. No subscription or payment is required to access personalized news feeds and search functionality.

Source
Muck Rack: How are Muck Rack plans priced?

Muck Rack pricing is not published. The platform offers three tiers (Starter, Standard, and Premier) with customized pricing that depends on several factors including team size and number of users. Interested customers must contact sales for a personalized quote.

Source
Google News: How does Google News make money if it's free?

Google News generates revenue through advertising displayed within the news aggregation service rather than charging users for access.

Source
Muck Rack: What features does Muck Rack Standard plan include?

Muck Rack Standard includes media monitoring and alerts, podcast monitoring, AI visibility badges, AI journalist recommendations, full media list exports, and NLP-based sentiment analysis. It is marked as the most popular plan on their pricing page.

Source
Muck Rack: What is unique about Muck Rack Premier plan?

Muck Rack Premier is the highest tier and adds the Curation Engine and AI-powered sentiment analysis (versus basic NLP). It includes Muck Rack API access and is targeted at enterprises and advanced teams.

Source
Muck Rack: What add-ons are available for Muck Rack?

Muck Rack offers multiple add-ons with pricing not specified: Print and Broadcast Monitoring, Social Listening, Press Release Distribution, Muck Rack API (Premier tier), Media Intelligence Services, and Generative Pulse.

Source
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