Prowly is now the Semrush AI PR Toolkit, so this is really a choice between Semrush's self-serve PR workspace and CisionOne's larger, sales-led communications suite. Prowly starts at $149 a month, while Cision asks buyers to request a tailored quote. The better fit comes down to whether you need a compact pitching workflow or a wider monitoring and reporting operation.
Both tools pair a media database with outreach. Where they differ most is how you buy, how many contacts you can export and what the contract asks of you.
| What to compare | Prowly, now Semrush AI PR Toolkit | CisionOne |
|---|---|---|
| Current product name | Prowly's home page says, "Prowly is now the Semrush AI PR Toolkit."1 | Cision sells its main communications platform as CisionOne.8 |
| Published starting price | Base is $149 a month. Pro is $279 and Business is $499 a month.3 | Cision publishes no package price. Its pricing page asks for details so an expert can recommend a solution for the team's needs and budget.7 |
| How the price is set | Each plan has a fixed monthly price on Semrush's plan page, and you pick it online.3 | Cision says pricing is based on users, features and service levels.8 |
| Journalist database claim | Semrush describes a database of over 600,000 journalists on its feature page, while its overview says over 1 million journalist profiles.212 | Cision says it has over 500,000 media profiles across 225 countries and territories.9 |
| Finding the right contact | Search can use topic, region, country, city, role, media type or audience, plus natural-language requests.4 | Cision offers search tools, advanced filters and insights into topics journalists cover. Lists can be built by outlet, region and beat.98 |
| Contact fields on paid plans | Paid access can reveal email addresses, phone numbers and social profiles.5 | Profiles can include job role, email, phone, location, social links, language, outlets and recent articles.8 |
| Exports each month | Base includes zero exports, Pro includes 150 and Business includes 500. A 200-export add-on costs $149 a month.6 | Cision's public pricing page does not state an export allowance. Its database agreement permits customers to create and download lists under the licence.10 |
| Trial access | The seven-day trial is available for Base, Pro and Business, but viewing and exporting contact information are disabled during it.3 | No public trial was found on Cision's product and pricing pages. Its public route is a request-pricing form.7 |
| Pitch sending | Users can send from an authenticated domain or connect Gmail or Outlook. Pro and Business include automatic follow-ups.11 | Cision provides an email builder, templates, scheduling, de-duplication and pitch engagement tracking.8 |
| AI help for PR work | The toolkit offers AI pitch drafting, personalized pitches and press-release story angles.11 | Cision offers AI-powered pitch recommendations, AI sentiment and an AI Boolean Generator.8 |
| AI-cited media research | Semrush ranks outlets by how often ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overview and Google AI Mode cite them, using an AI authority score.12 | Cision's public overview emphasizes CisionOne AI and AI Visibility rather than an AI-cited outlet score.8 |
| Monitoring coverage | Pro and Business monitor online news, blogs, discussions such as Reddit and YouTube, with alerts and AI summaries.13 | Cision covers print, online, TV and radio, podcasts, Facebook, YouTube, X and Bluesky in its documented monitoring coverage.8 |
| Reports for leadership | Business adds share of voice, sentiment, reach, backlinks and custom reports.2 | Cision has scheduled PDF, HTML and CSV reports, dashboards, share of voice and Impact Score reporting.8 |
| Support and onboarding | Help comes through Semrush support and its knowledge base. Semrush says the toolkit is built for people with little or no PR tool experience.3 | Cision describes a dedicated onboarding consultant, account support, office hours and webinars.8 |
| Cancellation and data at the end | Cancellation takes effect at the end of the committed term. Semrush says projects are deleted 90 days after unsubscribing.153 | Cision's agreement says licences end at termination or expiration and each party will delete data and content it no longer has a licence for.16 |
| Annual commitment | Semrush says annual billing can save up to 17 percent and is paid for the whole year upfront. Monthly subscriptions are also offered.14 | Cision's public agreement says fees are invoiced annually in advance and are non-cancellable and non-refundable unless an order says otherwise.16 |
Try Media List for 3 days, $0 today, then from $99 a month. No contract. No sales call.
Start 3-day free trial →Who each tool fits best
Choose Prowly if you want a guided PR workspace
- A solo publicist who wants to see a public starting price, test the workflow online and send modest campaigns can begin with Prowly Base or Pro. Pro is the first tier with 150 monthly exports.
- A founder or startup already using Semrush can keep outreach, AI writing help and online mention tracking in one Semrush account. The AI-cited media view is especially useful for a team shaping stories around search and AI visibility.
- A small agency that needs online, blog, discussion and YouTube monitoring but does not need broadcast coverage may find Business easier to budget than a custom enterprise agreement.
Choose Cision if you need the bigger communications suite
- An in-house communications team that needs print, broadcast, podcast and social monitoring should choose Cision. Its documented coverage and scheduled reporting are built for that broader brief.
- An agency with executive reporting needs should choose Cision when dashboards, share of voice, Impact Score and account-led onboarding are part of the client service.
- A global organization should choose Cision when its claimed 225-country media-profile reach, deeper profile fields and enterprise support matter more than self-serve pricing.
What the cost can look like
For a solo publicist, Prowly Pro at $279 a month comes to $3,348 over 12 months before any add-ons. That plan includes 150 exports per month. Cision does not publish a list price. Vendr reports a $12,625 yearly median from 77 deals, so it is useful as a market signal rather than a quote for your team.17
For a three-person agency, Prowly Business at $499 a month is $5,988 for 12 months before extra users or add-ons. It includes 500 exports a month and 50,000 monitored mentions.6 Cision's eventual cost depends on users, modules and service level. Ask both vendors for the same scope in writing, including exports, outlets, monitoring sources, seats, onboarding and renewal terms, before comparing totals.
What buyers say about Prowly and Cision
Reviews will not replace your own test, but they show what to ask in a demo. A Prowly reviewer on Trustpilot wrote in June 2026 that "most of the contacts either don’t exist or result in bounce-backs."18 Another Trustpilot reviewer called it "very easy to use" and praised the one-on-one training.18
For Cision, TrustRadius sums up reviewer praise as "Exceptional Reporting Capabilities."19 A Trustpilot reviewer wrote in June 2026 that Cision has "unreasonable auto renewal policies."20 Those are individual reports, not a finding about every account. They are a reason to ask about coverage quality, renewal notice and account support before you sign.
A lower-cost option for a list-first small team
If your job is chiefly to build a US press list and export contacts, Media List is a third option worth pricing beside Prowly and Cision. Basic is $99 a month with 2,500 exports. Professional is $399 a month with 10,000 exports, up to 3 seats and campaigns with follow-ups plus open and click tracking. Media List includes 31,000+ journalists, editors and producers, including 22,000+ in the US, as well as 1.2 million podcasts and 189,000+ YouTube channels.
It is a list-first choice for a solo publicist, founder or lean agency that wants published monthly prices and a same-day start. You can filter by beat, outlet, state and media type, then filter to verified contacts. Every contact shows its verification status before export. A card or PayPal starts a 3-day trial at $0 today, with up to 25 exports. If an exported email bounces, Media List replaces that export at no cost.
How to switch without losing your working rhythm
Start with your contract date, not a rushed cancellation. Semrush says cancellation applies at the end of the committed term and deletes projects 90 days after unsubscribing. Cision's public agreement says annual fees are paid in advance, while the order controls the detail of the term. Review your order form before giving notice.
Make a short list of the beats, outlets, regions and campaign topics that actually drove replies. Then rebuild those lists in the next tool rather than assuming a past export can be moved over. Cision's agreement says each party deletes data it no longer has a licence for when the licence ends. In Media List, begin with beat, outlet, state and media-type filters, review the verification status, and export only the contacts you plan to use. Keep a separate record of campaign copy and consent choices in your own system.
The practical decision
Prowly is the more direct choice when a small team wants a known entry price, Semrush connections and an all-in-one workflow for drafting, outreach and online monitoring. Cision earns its enterprise positioning when broad monitoring, deeper profiles, executive reports and global reach are requirements. Buyers who mainly need a high-volume, self-serve list can also compare Media List's $99 monthly plan before committing to either workflow.