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PR Newswire vs Steno

PR Newswire logo

PR Newswire

News

The global leader in press release distribution

From
On request
Rated
-
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

From
$500/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • 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); Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: PR Newswire covers Press release distribution, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PR Newswire and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where PR Newswire and Steno differ
AttributePR NewswireSteno
Starting priceOn request$500/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Founded19542020

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 PR Newswire

  • Press release distribution
  • Multimedia support
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Targeted distribution
  • Regulatory disclosure
  • Cision platform
  • Google News
  • Yahoo Finance

Only in Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Real-time monitoring
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Slack
  • Email
  • API

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 Steno
  • Product launchesnot Steno
  • Earnings announcementsnot Steno
  • Corporate newsnot Steno
  • SEC filingsnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot PR Newswire
  • Voice and text content generationnot PR Newswire
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot PR Newswire
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot 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)

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

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

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose PR Newswire if

  • You need press release distribution.
  • You also want multimedia support.

Choose Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.

Questions people ask

Is PR Newswire or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. PR Newswire starts at On request and Steno at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PR Newswire or Steno?
PR Newswire starts at On request and Steno at $500/month.
Does PR Newswire or Steno run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Steno is typically brought in for.
What can PR Newswire do that Steno cannot?
PR Newswire covers Press release distribution, Multimedia support, Analytics & reporting, Targeted distribution. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Real-time monitoring, Clip creation. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

Source
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

Source
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
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