Prices and facts checked October 9, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.
Muck Rack is the pick when the journalist database matters most. Meltwater is the pick when monitoring and social listening matter most.
That is the split PR pros give in Reddit threads. Both sell on annual contracts that start in the thousands.7
On price, Vendr reports a median of $13,000 a year for Muck Rack and $25,800 for Meltwater.312 Every fact below is dated and linked, as of October 2026.
Muck Rack vs Meltwater side by side
| What you compare | Muck Rack | Meltwater |
|---|---|---|
| Published price | None. "Pricing depends on a few factors specific to your team including the number of users"1 | Indicative only. Starter "from $10,000/year", Pro from $25,0009 |
| Entry price buyers report | About $4,400 to $6,000 a year for one seat, in 2025 and 2026 posts56 | From $10,000 a year, per Meltwater's own blog9 |
| Median deal (Vendr) | $13,000 a year across 59 deals3 | $25,800 a year across 126 purchases12 |
| Teams of 1 to 5 users (Vendr) | $10,000 to $25,000 a year3 | $15,000 to $30,000 a year12 |
| Enterprise average (SpendHound) | $86,223 a year4 | $64,950 a year4 |
| Contract | Annual, renews automatically2 | 12-month minimum, 36-month standard term810 |
| How to cancel | "To cancel, email your Customer Success Manager." No credit for the rest of the paid year2 | Cancel "at least 60 days before the end of the term" or it renews10 |
| Trial | None for PR buyers. Free tier for journalists only1 | No self-serve trial, free guided demo8 |
| Database size, as claimed | No headline count on its database page. Ads say "400K+ Contacts in 60 Countries"17 | "800,000+ global journalists, bloggers, and media contacts"11 |
| Data upkeep, as claimed | No figures on the pricing page. Reddit buyers often praise its accuracy20 | "90+ dedicated research analysts", changes "within 24-48 hours", bounce rate "around 7 to 8%"11 |
| Monitoring | Online news on all tiers, podcasts from Standard. Print, broadcast and social listening are add-ons1 | The core product. News, broadcast, podcasts, print, social and AI answers11 |
| AI tools | AI media list builder on Standard and Premier1 | Mira AI on every tier, with depth by tier8 |
| Exports | Starter "Limited". Standard and Premier unlimited1 | Starter "uses standard exports"8 |
| Seats | Per named user. "Generic or shared emails cannot be used for accounts"2 | Priced by number of users, among other factors8 |
| Press release distribution | GlobeNewswire, paid add-on13 | GlobeNewswire, paid add-on13 |
| Support | Live chat on all tiers, "Tiered response times"1 | "24/7 multi-channel support for all customers"8 |
| Onboarding | Starter is self-led. Standard and Premier are instructor-led1 | "Most teams are up and running within 2-4 weeks"11 |
| Trustpilot | Unclaimed profile, 0 reviews15 | 1.7 out of 5 from 17 reviews14 |
See each product side by side
Database first or monitoring first
Muck Rack centres on journalists, and journalists get a free tier of their own.1 Meltwater centres on monitoring.
Meltwater tracks news, broadcast, podcasts, print and social. Its database is one part of a larger suite.
Even Meltwater frames it this way. Its own comparison post says, "Muck Rack fits lean teams who want pitching and journalist database experience without extra breadth."13 The same post says Meltwater fits teams that need monitoring, social listening and AI visibility tracking.
Buyers agree. Two PR pros in a September 2026 Reddit thread put it plainly.
- "If media monitoring is more important to you, choose Meltwater. If the journalist database is more important, choose Muck Rack." A PR pro on Reddit, September 2026.7
- "We use both at my company. Meltwater for monitoring and Muckrack for the journalist database." A PR pro on Reddit, September 2026.7
What each one costs and how the contracts work
Muck Rack is cheaper to start, at about $4,400 for one seat. Neither tool shows a price, and both need a sales call.
- Muck Rack entry. Reddit buyers report $4,400 for one agency Starter seat in March 2026. One buyer in April 2025 wrote, "They quoted $5k for 12 months. No monthly option."56
- Meltwater entry. Meltwater's own floor for Starter is $10,000 a year.9
- Enterprise. The picture flips at the top end. SpendHound reports Muck Rack's enterprise average at $86,223 a year, against $64,950 for Meltwater.4
Neither has a free tier for PR buyers. Muck Rack's free tier is for journalists only, there is no trial, and every button on its pricing page leads to a demo.1 Meltwater has no free tier either, only a free guided demo.8
Leaving is different too.
- Muck Rack. Cancel by emailing your Customer Success Manager. Fees for the current annual cycle are not returned.2
- Meltwater. Cancel at least 60 days before the term ends. Its renewal FAQ warns that each renewal brings a rate increase.10
How good is each database?
Buyer reports are mixed for both tools, and they depend on the beat. We found no third-party accuracy test of either one.
- Muck Rack. One February 2026 Reddit user put national and trade emails at "about 90%" accurate and local reporters "maybe closer to 70%".19
- Meltwater. A user in an older thread wrote, "Lots of outdated contacts, even at large media orgs."21 Meltwater itself says its database bounce rate is "around 7 to 8%".11
The fair test is your own list. In any demo, ask the rep to pull 20 reporters you already know, then check how many are current.
Who each tool fits best
Choose Muck Rack if
- You are an agency that pitches US national and trade reporters every day and wants strong US journalist profiles.
- You want a cheaper single seat than Meltwater's $10,000 Starter floor.
- You want unlimited exports on Standard or Premier and an AI list builder.
- You want pitches that look personal. One Reddit user wrote that Muck Rack emails "appear as if sent from your associated work email."19
Choose Meltwater if
- You run in-house comms, and monitoring and social listening are daily work.
- You need global reach across North America, EMEA and APAC, with 24/7 support.
- You want a published data process, with 90+ analysts and a stated bounce rate.
- You want AI answer tracking and Mira AI built into one suite.
Or use both. If you have the budget for two contracts, some teams run a dedicated database and a dedicated monitoring tool side by side.7
What one year costs
A solo seat starts near $4,400 on Muck Rack and $10,000 on Meltwater. These examples use buyer reports and Vendr ranges, not quotes.
A solo publicist
A 3-person agency
A small team that only needs US contacts
- Media List Basic, $99 a month for one seat, or $1,188 a year.
- Media List Professional, $399 a month for up to 3 seats, or $4,788 a year.
Assumptions. Media List prices are billed monthly, with no contract.
What buyers say
- "MuckRack is definitely most expensive, but I think it's the most up to date and accurate database." On Muck Rack, Reddit, November 2025.20
- "Muckrack and Meltwater ... are both astronomically expensive for an individual account." On Muck Rack, Reddit, August 2026.18
- "Meltwater has a more robust monitoring platform, and their media database has come a LONG way in the last couple years." On Meltwater, Reddit, September 2026.7
- "Their renewal practice is built around you not paying attention to the contract." On Meltwater, Trustpilot, March 2025.14
On Capterra, Muck Rack shows 4.2 out of 5 from 25 reviews and Meltwater 4.0 from 96. These come from search results, not checked on Capterra.16
How to switch between them
Start at least 60 days before your term ends. That is Meltwater's notice window, and Muck Rack gives no credit for a partial year.
- From Meltwater. Give notice at least 60 days before your term ends, or the plan renews at the then standard price.10
- From Muck Rack. Email your Customer Success Manager before renewal, since there is no credit for a partial year.2
- Test early. Book the new vendor's demo a month or more before your notice date, and test it on the reporters you pitch most.
- Export first. Take what you are allowed to before your term ends. Muck Rack Standard and Premier allow unlimited exports, and Starter is limited.1
A cheaper option for small teams
Media List costs $99 a month, with no annual contract. If you are comparing these two only to get journalist emails, you may not need either suite.
- 36,000+ journalists, editors and producers, 26,000+ of them in the US.
- 189,000+ YouTube channels and 1.2 million podcasts in the same plan.
- A 3-day trial at $0 today, and you cancel anytime from your billing page.
- Every contact shows its verification status before you export.
- A bounced export is replaced at no cost.
You see the price before you buy. Media List fits solo publicists, founders and small agencies. Large comms teams that need monitoring are better served by Muck Rack or Meltwater.
