The best PR software depends on the job: a media database suits pitching journalists, a monitoring suite suits tracking coverage, and a reporting tool suits proving results to clients. Ten options follow in no particular order.
PR software helps you find the right journalists, pitch them, track what they publish and show what it achieved. Some tools do one of those jobs very well. Others try to do all four, which suits larger teams more than a founder doing their own PR.
The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from outreach tools for one person to platforms used by big comms teams. Every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If you're building your plan first, my digital PR brief template shows the thinking that comes before the tools.
PR software at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or a free tool. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agility PR Solutions | All-in-one PR platform | Monitoring reports without Boolean searches | Not stated |
| BuzzStream | Outreach CRM and media lists | Targeted media lists for outreach | Not stated |
| Cision | Media monitoring and intelligence | Coverage across print, TV and podcasts | Not stated |
| CoverageBook | PR reporting tool | Coverage reports with automated metrics | Trial only |
| JustReachOut | PR software for consultants | Getting featured without an agency | Trial only |
| Meltwater | Media intelligence and social listening | Media and social signals together | Not stated |
| Prezly | PR software with newsrooms | Your own branded newsroom | Trial only |
| Propel | AI for PR and communication | Pitching with an AI built for PR | Not stated |
| Prowly | PR and media relations software | PR inside an SEO toolkit | Trial only |
| Roxhill | UK media intelligence platform | Finding who writes about your industry | Not stated |
Ten PR software tools to consider
Agility PR Solutions
Best for: PR teams that want monitoring reports set up by describing what they need in plain language instead of writing searches.
BuzzStream
Best for: Digital PR teams and publicists who want to build targeted media lists and manage their outreach in one CRM.
Cision
Best for: Larger comms teams that want monitoring across print, online, TV, radio, social, podcast and magazine coverage.
CoverageBook
Best for: Publicists and agencies that want polished coverage reports with automated metrics, without building them by hand.
JustReachOut
Best for: Founders and PR consultants who want help pitching journalists and podcasts to win press mentions themselves.
Meltwater
Best for: Brands that want media intelligence, social listening and AI tracking in one place to prove impact.
Prezly
Best for: In-house teams that want their own online newsroom, media relationships, pitches and coverage tracking in one platform.
Propel
Best for: In-house teams and agencies that want an AI model built for PR work to help with journalist pitching.
Prowly
Best for: Teams that already use Semrush and want media relations, now offered as the Semrush AI PR Toolkit.
Roxhill
Best for: UK PR teams that want to find out which journalists write about their industry, with curated briefings.
Database, monitoring or reporting?
A media database helps you find journalists and their beats, then send pitches. Monitoring tools watch news, broadcast, podcasts and social for mentions. Reporting tools turn coverage into a tidy summary you can share with a boss or client.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Most small teams need a way to find the right people and a way to report results. Big monitoring suites are built for organisations that get mentioned every day.
Check your licence before you share clippings
NLA Media Access licenses organisations to make paper and digital copies of newspaper, magazine and news website content in the UK. It's the body to ask about sharing press coverage.
This catches people out. Forwarding full articles from a monitoring alert around the company, or pasting them into a report, can involve copying content that needs a licence. Linking to coverage, or sharing a headline and short summary, is the safer habit until you've checked.
Questions to ask PR software vendors
- How do you keep journalist contacts and beats up to date?
- Which countries and types of media does your database cover?
- Can we track replies and pitches, not just send them?
- Does monitoring include broadcast and podcasts, or online only?
- Can we build a coverage report without retyping anything?
- How do you handle copying and sharing articles under licence?
Features worth having
- Beat search. Find writers by what they cover, not just outlet.
- Pitch tracking. Know who replied and who to follow up.
- Monitoring alerts. Hear about coverage on the day.
- Clean reports. Clients read summaries, not spreadsheets.
When to stop doing PR by hand
If you're losing track of who you've pitched, missing coverage until someone mentions it, or spending a day each month building reports, a tool will pay back the setup time. Before that, a spreadsheet and good research go a long way.
Do you make PR software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing PR software
Start with your story and a short list of journalists who've written about your topic recently, found by reading their work. Then choose software that helps you do more of that, not software that promises thousands of contacts you'll never get to know.
Pitch fewer people, better. A short, specific email to the right writer beats a blast to hundreds. If you're thinking about your wider visibility, my guide to increasing your digital presence covers what PR feeds into.
Frequently asked questions
What is PR software?
It's software that helps you find journalists, send pitches, monitor coverage and report on results, either as separate tools or in one platform.
Do small businesses need PR software?
Not always. A founder can do a lot with careful research and email, then add a tool once pitching becomes regular.
What's the difference between PR software and a press release service?
A press release service sends one announcement out widely. PR software helps you build relationships and pitch specific journalists over time.
Can I share press coverage with my team?
Linking to coverage is usually fine. Copying and sharing full articles may need a licence, so check with the licensing body in your country.
Is there free PR software?
Some tools offer trials. Check the free plan column in the table, as none of the pages I read named a free plan.
How do I measure PR results?
Track coverage, where it appeared, who it reached and what happened next, such as visits, enquiries or search interest, and report it consistently.
