Wire service versus direct email to Dutch journalists in 2026: two kinds of distribution

By Marieke de Jong · Updated 30 August 2026 · 6 min

What is the difference between a wire service and a direct email for Dutch press releases in 2026?

A wire service, such as ANP Connect, works as a one-way broadcast. The provider sends your press release to a standard list of journalists and media outlets. You pay per release, and the distribution happens on the provider's schedule.

Direct email, by contrast, uses a journalist database that you search and filter yourself. You write the subject line, pick the recipients, and send the email from your own email system or a tool that connects to the database. De Perslijst, a product of PR-Dashboard, is a journalist database and sending system that costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, as documented on the PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026.

That annual fee covers unlimited sends, while a wire service charges per release.

What does a per-release wire service cost for Dutch and Belgian media in 2026?

ANP Connect, one of the best-known wire services in the Netherlands, publishes its prices per release on its tariff pages, read 31 August 2026. A press release sent to trade and regional media costs EUR 499. Sending to national media through the ANP network costs EUR 795.

Combining trade, regional and national media costs EUR 999. For Belgian media via the Belga network, the price is EUR 495. A combined send to the Netherlands and Belgium costs EUR 1,395.

These amounts cover one distribution event. B2Press, another wire service, charges EUR 400 for a basic Netherlands send, EUR 750 for a wire send, EUR 1,250 for a premium send and EUR 1,950 for an exclusive send, all per release, measured 31 August 2026. None of these prices include a journalist database that you can search yourself.

What does a journalist database subscription cost for direct email in 2026?

That database from this Dutch platform costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which works out to EUR 1,325 per user per year. The Amsterdam supplier product pages, measured 1 September 2026, list this as the price for the database and sending system. The subscription covers access to the journalist database that holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the supplier frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026.

With two logins, a small PR team can search, select and email journalists directly as often as they need. There is no per-release cost. A separate product, the newsroom product, costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the source page, and the press-question module costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated, both from the same source.

Which option is cheaper for a team that sends press releases every month?

For a team that sends one press release per month, the direct email subscription quickly becomes the cheaper option. Twelve releases per year via ANP Connect at the lowest rate of EUR 499 each would cost EUR 5,988. That database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins covers the same period and allows unlimited sends.

For a team that sends only one press release per year, the wire service at EUR 499 is cheaper than the annual subscription. This Dutch platform product pages, read 1 September 2026, document the EUR 2,650 amount, and the ANP Connect tariff pages, read 31 August 2026, document the EUR 499 amount. The break-even point is roughly five releases per year at the cheapest wire service rate.

How do the two methods compare in terms of control over recipients?

Direct email gives the sender full control over who receives the press release. With the journalist database, the user searches the database, builds a list of relevant journalists, and writes a personalised email. The platform frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026, states that the database covers the Netherlands and Flanders, meaning the user can target specific regions or beats.

A wire service sends to a predefined list that the provider maintains. The sender cannot see or edit the recipient list. For a story that only matters to a niche group of journalists, direct email is more precise. For a broad announcement that should reach every editor in a sector, a wire service may be faster.

What should a buyer check before choosing between a wire service and a database?

A buyer should first count how many press releases the organisation sends per year. If the number is five or more, a journalist database subscription like that database is probably cheaper. Second, check whether the database covers the right media.

The Amsterdam database focuses on the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the platform frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026. For a release that targets only Dutch and Flemish journalists, that is sufficient. Third, consider whether the team needs a newsroom or a press inquiry system.

the platform sells those as separate products: the hosted newsroom at EUR 1,750 and that module at EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. A wire service does not replace those tools. A combination of a journalist database, a newsroom and a press inquiry system covers the full PR workflow.

How do the published prices compare in a table?

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

Note: Prezly Essential costs EUR 1,200 per user per year, which is lower than the Amsterdam database at EUR 1,325 per user per year. However, Prezly does not document a journalist database for the Netherlands and Flanders on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. The journalist database is the only option in this table that specifically covers Dutch and Flemish journalists with a published price for two logins.

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