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For most small businesses, Business Wire is overkill and overpriced. eReleases distributes through PR Newswire’s full national network starting at $399, with editorial review and journalist targeting included.
Business Wire pricing reportedly starts at around $500 per release for local distribution (Business Wire does not publish pricing publicly), requires custom pricing for national distribution, and is built for enterprise teams with investor relations needs.
If you are a small or mid-size business that wants serious press release distribution without a Fortune 500 budget, eReleases wins on every metric that matters.
Business Wire vs eReleases: Quick Comparison
| Business Wire | eReleases | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$500–$1,500+ (custom, national) | $399 (full national PR Newswire) |
| Distribution network | Business Wire's own wire | PR Newswire (full national) |
| Editorial review | No | Yes, included on every release |
| Journalist targeting | No | Hand-selected from a 1.7 million journalist database |
| Published pricing | No (custom quotes) | Yes, publicly listed |
| Long-term contracts | Yes (typically annual) | No (per-release) |
| EDGAR/SEC filing support | Yes | No |
| Best for | Enterprise, investor relations | SMBs, startups, in-house PR |
What Is Business Wire?
Business Wire is a press release distribution service owned by Berkshire Hathaway. It is positioned for enterprise clients: public companies, investor relations teams, and Fortune 500 communications departments.
Its core strengths are financial disclosure distribution and global reach. Business Wire is one of the two services that meet SEC requirements for official earnings announcements and EDGAR filings. If you are a publicly traded company with regulatory disclosure requirements, Business Wire is built for that workflow.
Pricing is custom and not published. National distribution reportedly runs $500–$1,500+ per release, and pricing varies by word count, distribution circuit, and add-on features. You will need to contact their sales team to get an actual quote.
Business Wire is an enterprise infrastructure. It was designed for companies with PR departments, legal teams, and compliance requirements. If your company doesn’t have those, Business Wire is very likely overkill, and your money could be better spent elsewhere.
What Is eReleases?
eReleases has been distributing small business press releases since 1998, serving 30,000+ customers across every industry. It is not a self-serve portal or a bulk syndication platform.
The core differentiator is its distribution network: eReleases is the only authorized national PR Newswire affiliate. That means that eReleases is the only press release distributor that sends out every release on Cision PR Newswire’s full national wire, the same network used by the companies that pay Business Wire rates.
Not a regional cut. Not a watered-down package. The full distribution.
Every release also gets editorial review from a professional editor before it goes out. That review covers clarity, newsworthiness, and AP style compliance. It is included in the price, not an add-on.
Then there is the journalist targeting layer. eReleases hand-selects reporters from a 1.7 million contact database who are most likely to cover your story. That is not algorithmic. Human editors make those calls.
eReleases also includes WireWatch reporting that shows where your release was picked up after distribution. And there are no long-term contracts: you pay per release, when you have news you want to distribute directly to the journalists most likely to cover your story.
eReleases is enterprise-level distribution, editorial support, and targeted outreach, priced for the rest of us.
Pricing: Business Wire vs eReleases
This is where the comparison gets stark.
Business Wire does not publish pricing. National distribution reportedly costs $500–$1,500+ per release, depending on your word count and distribution selections. You will get a custom quote. That opacity is by design: Business Wire’s sales process is built for enterprise procurement, not small business decisions.
eReleases packages start at $399 for full national PR Newswire distribution. Pricing is public, tiered by word count and features, and there are no setup fees or annual contracts.
Compare that to going directly to PR Newswire: they charge $600–$1,300+ per release plus a multi-hundred-dollar setup fee. eReleases provides the same full national distribution at a lower price point, with editorial review built in.
The transparency gap is itself a feature. When a service does not publish its prices, small businesses are at a disadvantage in negotiations. eReleases removes that friction entirely with fixed, predictable prices and offers.
Distribution: Are My Press Releases Reaching the Same Newsrooms?
Here is the counterintuitive part of this comparison.
Business Wire runs its own wire network. It has substantial reach, particularly in financial media and among institutional subscribers. For investor relations and regulated financial disclosures, Business Wire’s network is purpose-built.
eReleases distributes through PR Newswire’s national wire, which reaches 82,000+ newsrooms, AP member stations, and online news syndication across North America. PR Newswire is the largest newswire in North America and one of the two services journalists rely on most for incoming releases.
So, for general business news, product launches, executive announcements, and anything that is not a financial disclosure, eReleases is reaching the same newsrooms as PR Newswire clients who pay $600–$1,300+ to go direct.
That is not a marketing claim. eReleases is the only nationally authorized PR Newswire affiliate. The PR Newswire distribution offered through eReleases is the actual National PR Newswire, not a separate or lesser-tier network.
For the majority of small business press releases, eReleases reaches more relevant outlets at a lower price than Business Wire.
What eReleases Has That Business Wire Doesn’t
Three things that do not appear anywhere in Business Wire’s feature set:
Editorial review on every release
Business Wire distributes what you send. If your release has structural problems, a weak lede, or a quote that reads like marketing copy, it goes out that way.
eReleases’ editorial team reviews every release before distribution. Editors check for compliance with AP style, newsworthiness, clarity, and structure. A release that looks sloppy damages your credibility with the journalists you are trying to reach. The review layer protects that.
This is not an upsell or an add-on. It is included on every release.
Journalist targeting from a 1.7 million contact database
Mass distribution sends your release to every journalist on the network. Most of them do not cover your beat.
eReleases hand-selects reporters and editors from a 1.7 million contact database who are most likely to cover your specific story. That selection is made by human editors, not an algorithm. A release in the right inbox outperforms 10,000 sends to the wrong list every time.
Business Wire has no equivalent service. You distribute; they send.
Transparent pricing and no contracts
Business Wire requires custom quotes and typically annual contracts. If your press release needs change, you are renegotiating terms.
eReleases publishes every option publicly, charges per release, and has no contracts. That structure matches how small businesses actually operate: you announce news when you have it, not on a predictable monthly schedule.
When Business Wire Makes Sense
Business Wire is the right choice in specific circumstances, and it is worth being direct about when that is.
Publicly traded companies with SEC disclosure requirements. Business Wire and PR Newswire are the two services that meet regulatory standards for material financial disclosures. If you are filing EDGAR-compliant earnings releases, Business Wire belongs in the conversation.
Enterprise investor relations programs. Business Wire has deep integration with financial media and institutional investors. If you have a dedicated Investor Relations team and need global distribution to financial terminals, Business Wire is built for that infrastructure.
Global multilingual distribution. Business Wire has strong global circuit options for companies with international distribution needs across multiple languages and regions.
If none of those apply to you, Business Wire’s pricing structure and sales process will add friction without adding value.
Who Should Choose eReleases?
If you are a small business, startup, or in-house marketer without a full PR department, eReleases was built for you.
You get PR Newswire’s full national distribution at $399. You get editorial review on every release without paying extra. You get journalist targeting from a 1.7 million database. You pay per release, with no retainer or contract.
The best press release distribution services all make trade-offs between reach, support, and price. eReleases hits all three: the same national wire that enterprise clients use, with more editorial support than any competitor, at a price small businesses can actually afford.
The choice is not complicated. Unless you need EDGAR filing support or a global investor relations circuit, eReleases gives you more for less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Business Wire better than eReleases?
For enterprise and investor relations use, yes. For small businesses, no. Business Wire is built for publicly traded companies with SEC disclosure requirements and enterprise PR departments. eReleases distributes through Cision PR Newswire’s full national network starting at $399, with editorial review and journalist targeting included. For most small and mid-size businesses, eReleases delivers better reach, more support, and lower cost.
How much does Business Wire cost per press release?
Business Wire does not publish pricing. National distribution reportedly costs $600–$1,300+ per release, depending on the distribution circuit, word count, and add-ons selected. You need to contact their sales team for a custom quote. This is by design: Business Wire’s sales model is built for enterprise procurement.
Does eReleases use Cision PR Newswire?
Yes. eReleases is an authorized PR Newswire affiliate and distributes through PR Newswire’s full national wire. This is not a regional package or a watered-down reseller arrangement. Your release goes on the same PR Newswire distribution network used by Fortune 500 companies, starting at just $399, a fraction of what it would cost to go direct to PR Newswire.
What is the difference between Business Wire and PR Newswire?
Business Wire and PR Newswire are competing newswire services. Both distribute press releases to journalists, newsrooms, and online news outlets nationwide. Business Wire, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is particularly strong in financial and investor relations distribution. PR Newswire is owned by Cision and is the largest newswire in North America. Both are used for official SEC/EDGAR financial disclosures.
Is Business Wire owned by Berkshire Hathaway?
Yes. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway acquired Business Wire in 2006. That ownership reflects Business Wire’s positioning as an institutional-grade service for enterprise and publicly traded companies.
Is eReleases good for small businesses?
Yes. eReleases was built specifically for small and mid-size businesses that need professional press release distribution without a PR agency budget. The per-release pricing, no contracts, and included editorial review make it practical for businesses that distribute occasional releases rather than a continuous PR program.
Does eReleases offer editorial review?
Yes. Every press release submitted to eReleases is reviewed by a professional editor before distribution. That review covers compliance with AP style, clarity, newsworthiness, and structure. It is included in the price on every release, not sold as an add-on. No other major distribution service includes this.
What does journalist targeting mean in eReleases?
Journalist targeting means eReleases’ editorial team hand-selects specific reporters and editors from a database of 1.7 million contacts who are most likely to cover your story. This is not a mass blast distribution to every journalist on the network. Human editors match your release to journalists by beat, industry, and outlet type. Better targeting means more relevant pickup and less wasted distribution.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn