Agency, freelancer or software for a Dutch company's first press release in 2026

By Tom Blaak · Updated 3 September 2026 · 7 min

Should you hire a PR agency, use a freelancer, or buy software for a Dutch company's first press release in 2026?

When a Dutch company wants to send its first press release, three paths exist. A PR agency manages the whole process from writing to distribution but charges a project fee or a monthly retainer. A freelance PR consultant offers a lighter version of the same service, often for a single project.

Software like De Perslijst from PR-Dashboard puts the journalist database and the sending system directly in the company's hands, without a middleman. Each path has a different cost and a different level of hands on work for the company.

The choice often comes down to how often the company plans to send press releases. A company that sends one press release per year is likely better off paying a freelancer or an agency per release. A company that sends four or more releases per year saves money by buying software that it learns to use once and then repeats the process at no extra cost per release.

How much does one press release cost through an agency or wire service in the Netherlands in 2026?

A single press release sent through a Dutch wire service or a PR agency has a wide price range. ANP Connect, a well known wire service in the Netherlands, charges EUR 499 per release for trade and regional media, EUR 795 per release for national media, and EUR 999 for both combined, as documented on their pages read 31 August 2026. B2Press charges EUR 400 per release for its Basic Netherlands package, EUR 750 for Wire, and up to EUR 1,950 for Exclusive, as documented on their pages read the same date.

Persberichtversturen.nl charges EUR 75 per release and Verstuurmijnpersbericht.nl charges EUR 99 per release, as documented on PR-Dashboard product pages read 1 September 2026.

These amounts cover the distribution of one press release. They do not include writing the text, formatting the release, or following up with journalists. An agency or freelancer would charge extra for those tasks, often doubling the total cost for a single release.

A company that sends twelve releases per year at EUR 499 each spends nearly EUR 6,000 per year on distribution alone, before any fees for writing or strategy.

Which is the cheapest published price option for a Dutch company that sends press releases several times a year?

For a Dutch company that plans to send press releases four or more times per year, software becomes the cheapest path. The journalist database from the supplier costs EUR 2,650 per year and includes two logins, as documented on the company product pages read 1 September 2026. That amount covers unlimited press releases to the journalist database for one year.

The cost per release drops from EUR 75 with a budget wire service to EUR 662 per release at four releases, EUR 331 at eight releases, and so on.

The software gives the company access to the same journalist database that agencies use. This Dutch platform states its database contains thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers nearly all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as documented on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026. Two people from the company can log in, select journalists by media type or topic, and send the release directly.

No per release fee applies after the yearly subscription is paid.

How do software, agencies and freelancers compare on cost per press release for a Dutch company?

The table below compares the cost for a company that sends one press release per month, or twelve per year. The amounts are normalised to show cost per press release per year.

Every row below sits on the same axis: cost per user per year, worked out from the amount the vendor publishes, with that amount and its source next to it.

At twelve releases per year, the journalist database costs EUR 2,650 total. Persberichtversturen.nl would cost EUR 900 for twelve releases. B2Press Basic would cost EUR 4,800.

ANP Connect trade and regional would cost EUR 5,988. The software wins on total cost when the company sends enough releases that the yearly subscription is lower than the sum of per release fees.

What does a PR agency or a freelancer add that software does not?

A PR agency or a freelance consultant offers services that software cannot replace. An agency writes the press release text, adapts the tone to the target journalist, and follows up with phone calls or emails. A freelancer can advise on the timing of the release, the news angle, and the media list.

Software like that database puts the journalist database and the sending system in the company's own hands but expects the company to write the text and plan the distribution.

For a company sending its first press release, the lack of experience can be a real problem. Journalists receive dozens of press releases per day. A poorly written release or one sent to the wrong contact gets ignored.

A freelancer or agency charges a fee for that experience, which is part of the reason their per release cost is higher. The company weighs the cost of bad execution against the cost of a professional writer.

How does a Dutch company decide which option fits best for its first press release in 2026?

A Dutch company should ask three questions before choosing. First, how many press releases does the company plan to send in the next twelve months. One release: hire a freelancer or use a per release wire service.

Four to six releases: software becomes more cost effective. More than six: software is almost certainly the cheapest path. Second, does the company have someone on staff who can write a press release.

If no, a freelancer or agency is needed at least for the first few releases. Third, does the company need strategic PR advice or just distribution. Strategy comes from a human consultant, not from software.

Companies that choose software often pair it with a freelancer for writing. They pay the freelancer a fixed fee per press release and use the software to send the release. That hybrid approach keeps the per release cost low while getting professional writing. The software then pays for itself across multiple releases, and the company builds its own media contacts over time.

What hidden costs should a Dutch company check before signing a PR software contract?

The product pages for the Amsterdam database name a single price of EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, with no separate setup fee documented on the page read 1 September 2026. Some competitors like Mynewsdesk publish EUR 220 per month for one user, as documented on their page read 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk does not state how many press releases that monthly fee includes.

Another competitor, Presspage, publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year for its newsroom platform but names Germany as its data location, as documented on its plans page read 31 August 2026. The hosted newsroom from the supplier costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the page, which means the company should ask whether that amount is monthly or yearly before purchasing.

A company should also check whether the software includes training. For someone who has never sent a press release, a one hour walk through can prevent expensive mistakes. The product pages for the Amsterdam database do not mention a free training session.

The company can ask the vendor directly before signing. Another check is data hosting. The Amsterdam supplier states that all development and hosting happen in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, as documented on the FAQ page read 1 September 2026. That matters for companies that need their press list and release data to stay within Dutch borders for privacy reasons.

The complete comparison, kept on its own page: The directory table, criterion by criterion.