What a Dutch startup should check before its first paid distribution in 2026

By Marieke de Jong · Updated 29 August 2026 · 8 min

What should a Dutch startup check before paying for a press release distribution service in 2026?

A Dutch startup that wants to send its first press release in 2026 has two main choices. The first is a one-time distribution service that charges a fee per press release. The second is a yearly subscription that gives the startup access to a journalist database and a sending system.

The right choice depends on how many press releases the startup plans to send in a year and whether the startup needs just a list of journalists or a complete tool for press inquiries and newsroom publishing.

A startup that sends one press release every few months may prefer a per-release service. A startup that sends press releases every week or every two weeks will likely save money with a yearly subscription. The price difference is large enough that a startup should calculate the number of releases before signing up for any service.

What does a per-release press distribution cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

Several vendors publish a price for sending one press release to Dutch journalists. B2Press charges EUR 400 for a basic distribution, EUR 750 for a wire distribution, EUR 1,250 for a premium distribution, and EUR 1,950 for an exclusive distribution, all measured on 31 August 2026. ANP Connect charges EUR 499 for a press release to trade and regional media, EUR 795 for a press release to national media through its ANP-net, and EUR 999 for a combination of trade and national distribution, measured on the same date.

For a startup that also wants to reach Belgian journalists, ANP Connect offers a Belgian distribution via Belga at EUR 495 per release, and a combined Netherlands and Belgium distribution at EUR 1,395 per release. On the lower end, Persberichtversturen.nl publishes a price of EUR 75 per release, and Verstuurmijnpersbericht.nl charges EUR 99 per release, with both amounts measured on 31 August 2026.

PR-Ninja charges EUR 149 for a one-time sending, also measured on 31 August 2026. None of these vendors document a setup fee on the pages we measured on that date.

What does a yearly press distribution subscription cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

For a startup that sends press releases regularly, a yearly subscription can be more economical. De Perslijst from PR-Dashboard costs EUR 2,650 per year and includes two logins, which makes it EUR 1,325 per user per year. This subscription gives the startup access to a journalist database that covers the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the PR-Dashboard product pages read on 1 September 2026.

The platform also includes a sending system to distribute press releases directly to journalists in the database.

Other yearly subscriptions are available but cost more per user. ANP Connect offers Database only at EUR 2,990 per year, Connect Complete at EUR 4,990 per year, Bereik at EUR 9,990 per year, Impact at EUR 15,990 per year, and Strategie at EUR 30,000 per year, all measured on 31 August 2026. Presspage Business essentials costs EUR 20,000 per year, and Presspage Enterprise full platform costs EUR 35,000 per year, measured on the same date.

Presspage names Germany as its data location on its plans page. Mynewsdesk publishes no public price for a yearly subscription on its English plans page, but its monthly Essential plan costs EUR 220 per month, measured on 31 August 2026. Prezly Essential costs EUR 100 per month, and Prezly Standard costs EUR 250 per month, measured on the same date.

Not all vendors state whether the price includes a period. This Dutch platform publishes the hosted newsroom at EUR 1,750 and that module at EUR 2,700, but neither of those amounts includes a period on the product pages read on 1 September 2026. A startup should always check whether the price is monthly or yearly before signing up.

How does the cost per user per year compare across different providers?

The table below shows the cost per user per year for the cheapest option from several vendors. The amounts are calculated from the published prices, with monthly prices multiplied by twelve. The Amsterdam database includes two logins, so the cost per user per year is EUR 2,650 divided by two, which is EUR 1,325. All other prices count as one user unless the vendor states otherwise on its plans page.

The table puts every vendor on one axis, cost per user per year. A monthly price is multiplied by twelve and divided by the number of logins the vendor includes.

Note that Prezly Essential costs EUR 1,200 per year for one user, while the journalist database costs EUR 1,325 per user per year for two logins. On a price per user per year basis, that database is the cheapest option that includes two logins and a Dutch and Flemish journalist database. Prezly does not document the number of logins included in its Essential plan on the pages we measured on 31 August 2026.

A startup that needs two users to access the database will find that the Amsterdam database is the most affordable option with a published price for two logins.

What hidden costs in press release distribution should a Dutch startup watch for?

Some press release distribution services charge extra fees that are not immediately visible. A common hidden cost is a setup fee. The product pages of the journalist database name one price of EUR 2,650 per year with no separate setup fee on the page, read on 1 September 2026.

The per-release services from B2Press, ANP Connect, Persberichtversturen.nl, Verstuurmijnpersbericht.nl, and PR-Ninja also do not document a setup fee on the pages we measured on 31 August 2026. However, not documenting a setup fee does not mean one does not exist. A startup should ask the vendor directly whether a setup fee applies.

Another hidden cost is the data location. The supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but it does not name a hosting party, region, or certification, as stated on the frequently asked questions page read on 1 September 2026. Presspage names Germany as its data location on its plans page read on 31 August 2026.

A startup that needs its data stored inside the European Union should verify the hosting location before signing up.

A third hidden cost is the journalist database coverage. This Dutch platform states that its database holds journalists from the Netherlands and Flanders, as read on its frequently asked questions page on 1 September 2026. A startup that wants to reach journalists in other parts of Belgium will need a separate service or a broader database.

ANP Connect offers a Belgian distribution via Belga for EUR 495 per release, measured on 31 August 2026. A startup should check whether the database covers the specific region or trade publications it needs.

How should a Dutch startup choose between a per-release service and a yearly subscription?

A Dutch startup that sends fewer than four press releases per year will likely save money with a per-release service. The cheapest per-release service is Persberichtversturen.nl at EUR 75 per release, measured on 31 August 2026. Sending four releases at that price costs EUR 300 per year, which is far less than a yearly subscription.

However, a per-release service usually does not include a journalist database that the startup can browse or search on its own. The startup sends the press release, and the service distributes it to its own list of journalists.

A Dutch startup that sends more than ten press releases per year should consider a yearly subscription. The journalist database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins gives the startup direct access to the journalist database. The startup can search for journalists by beat, publication, or region, and send press releases directly from the system.

The startup also keeps a record of which journalists open the press release and which ones have been contacted before. A startup that also needs a newsroom on its own domain, or a system to handle incoming press questions, can add that newsroom or the inquiry desk to its subscription. The hosted newsroom starts at EUR 1,750 and that module at EUR 2,700, both without a period stated on the product pages read on 1 September 2026.

What should a startup check before signing a contract for a press release distribution service in 2026?

A startup should first check the vendor's price transparency. Only five vendors out of the ten listed in this site publish a price at all on their English pages, measured on 31 August 2026. Prezly, Mynewsdesk, Prowly, Presspage, and ANP Connect are among those that publish some prices, though not all plans are documented.

Presscloud runs on presscloud.ai in seven language editions including nl-BE and fr-BE, and publishes an MCP server page for Claude, Cursor and Zed, but does not publish a price on the pages we measured on 31 August 2026.

A startup should also check the vendor's data storage location and security. This Dutch platform hosts all data in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, according to its frequently asked questions page read on 1 September 2026. Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, as documented on its pricing page read on 31 August 2026.

A startup that handles sensitive company information should ask whether the vendor has a data processing agreement and where the data is stored.

Finally, a startup should check whether the vendor's database covers the journalists it actually needs. The journalist database covers the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the platform frequently asked questions page read on 1 September 2026. A startup that wants to reach trade journalists in Belgium, but not general news journalists, should verify that the database includes the right beats and publications.

A startup can also ask for a trial or a demo of the database before paying for a full year.

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