Software · head to head
NewsBlur vs Cision
The short version
- Only NewsBlur has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Cision covers Media monitoring.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Cision actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 NewsBlur
- Intelligence training
- Story sharing
- Original site view
- Text view
- Blurblogs
- Instapaper
- Evernote
Only in Cision
- Media monitoring
- PR Newswire distribution
- Media database
- Analytics & reporting
- Influencer identification
- Salesforce
- Google Analytics
- Slack
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
NewsBlur
- Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot Cision
- Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Cision
- Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot Cision
Cision
- Press release distributionnot NewsBlur
- Media monitoringnot NewsBlur
- PR measurementnot NewsBlur
- Media outreachnot NewsBlur
- Crisis communicationsnot NewsBlur
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
NewsBlur
- The free account is limited to 64 sites
- Search and text view extraction require Premium at $36 per year
- Premium is capped at 1,024 sites and Premium Archive at 4,096 sites
- Full content archiving and the Daily Briefing require Premium Archive at $99 per year
- The fastest 5 to 15 minute feed refresh and regex training require Premium Pro at $29 per month
- Site following is capped at 10,000 even on the top tier
Cision
Nothing recorded yet. See the Cision review.
Pricing, plan by plan
NewsBlur
Free- FreeFree
- 64 sites
- Basic training
- Web and mobile
- Premium$36/year
- Unlimited sites
- Full training
- Priority updates
Cision
On request- Cision Communications CloudFree
- Media monitoring
- Media database
- PR analytics
- EnterpriseFree
- Full platform access
- PR Newswire distribution
- Custom integrations
Which should you pick?
Choose NewsBlur if
- You need intelligence training.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want story sharing.
Choose Cision if
- You need media monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want pr newswire distribution.
Questions people ask
- Is NewsBlur or Cision better?
- Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur starts at Free and Cision at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, NewsBlur or Cision?
- NewsBlur has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for NewsBlur and On request for Cision.
- Does NewsBlur or Cision run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use NewsBlur for free?
- Yes. NewsBlur has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cision starts at On request.
- What is NewsBlur best used for?
- NewsBlur is most often used for reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title, archiving full article content from followed sites, following a large number of feeds with fast refresh. Of those, reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title and archiving full article content from followed sites are not what Cision is typically brought in for.
- What can NewsBlur do that Cision cannot?
- NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Cision covers Media monitoring, PR Newswire distribution, Media database, Analytics & reporting. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.