News & Media · head to head
PR Newswire vs Ghost CMS
PR Newswire
News & Media
The global leader in press release distribution
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Ghost CMS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: PR Newswire pR Newswire is structured as an annual membership organization with a separate fee, on top of per-release distribution charges (archived pricing page, 8 September 2021); Ghost CMS ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
- They diverge on capability: PR Newswire covers Press release distribution, Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PR Newswire and Ghost CMS actually diverge.
| Attribute | PR Newswire | Ghost CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 1954 | 2013 |
Identical on both: 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 PR Newswire
- Press release distribution
- Multimedia support
- Analytics & reporting
- Targeted distribution
- Regulatory disclosure
- Cision platform
- Google News
- Yahoo Finance
Only in Ghost CMS
- Publishing platform
- Email newsletters
- Membership management
- Analytics
- Paywall support
- SEO optimization
- Media library
- API access
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PR Newswire
- Press release distributionnot Ghost CMS
- Product launchesnot Ghost CMS
- Earnings announcementsnot Ghost CMS
- Corporate newsnot Ghost CMS
- SEC filingsnot Ghost CMS
Ghost CMS
- Running a publication or newsletter with paid subscriptionsnot PR Newswire
- Self hosting a headless or full stack publishing platformnot PR Newswire
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
PR Newswire
- PR Newswire is structured as an annual membership organization with a separate fee, on top of per-release distribution charges (archived pricing page, 8 September 2021)
- Single state-level press release distribution starts at $355 USD for only a 400-word release, with pricing rising per additional word or wider circuit (archived pricing page, 8 September 2021)
- Top Markets distribution, a wider circuit than a single state, starts at $650 USD for a 400-word release, and a four-release Top Markets bundle is $3,095 USD (archived pricing page, 8 September 2021)
Ghost CMS
- Ghost Pro plans cap members, at 1,000 on both Starter and Publisher and 10,000 on Business
- Staff users are limited to 1 on Starter and 3 on Publisher
- Custom themes and integrations require the Publisher plan at $29 a month billed yearly
- The jump to 10,000 members is the $199 a month Business plan, with nothing between
- Self hosting is free but installing under a subdirectory needs a custom reverse proxy that Ghost does not officially support
Pricing, plan by plan
PR Newswire
On request- US1 - State$575/one-time
- State distribution
- Online posting
- Basic analytics
- US2 - Regional$825/one-time
- Regional distribution
- AP inclusion
- Enhanced analytics
- US3 - National$1475/one-time
- National distribution
- All wire services
- Multimedia options
- GlobalFree
- International distribution
- Translation services
- Global reach
Ghost CMS
Free- Free Self-HostedFree
- Open source
- Self-hosted
- Basic features
- Creator$29/month
- Email newsletters
- Memberships
- Analytics
- Business$99/month
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
- Custom integrations
Which should you pick?
Choose PR Newswire if
- You need press release distribution.
- You also want multimedia support.
Choose Ghost CMS if
- You need publishing platform.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted.
- You also want email newsletters.
Questions people ask
- Is PR Newswire or Ghost CMS better?
- Neither clearly leads. PR Newswire starts at On request and Ghost CMS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PR Newswire or Ghost CMS?
- Ghost CMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PR Newswire and Free for Ghost CMS.
- Does PR Newswire or Ghost CMS run on more platforms?
- PR Newswire runs on Web. Ghost CMS runs on Web, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Ghost CMS for free?
- Yes. Ghost CMS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PR Newswire starts at On request.
- What is PR Newswire best used for?
- PR Newswire is most often used for press release distribution, product launches, earnings announcements, corporate news. Of those, press release distribution and product launches are not what Ghost CMS is typically brought in for.
- What can PR Newswire do that Ghost CMS cannot?
- PR Newswire covers Press release distribution, Multimedia support, Analytics & reporting, Targeted distribution. Ghost CMS covers Publishing platform, Email newsletters, Membership management, Analytics. Both handle Web support.