How public relations pricing works.

Short answer: public relations is usually priced in one of three ways: a monthly retainer, a fixed price per published article, or a fee per press release. Within each model, the price depends mostly on the publication, the format and the timeline. Our prices aren't listed on the website, but we send them to anyone who asks.

What are the three ways PR is priced?

Monthly retainer. You pay an agency a fixed fee every month for ongoing work: pitching, media relations, often crisis support and reporting. You pay for the time and effort, whether or not articles appear.

Pay per placement. You pay a fixed price for each published article, agreed before work starts. The outlet, the format and the time window are named upfront. In our model you pay upfront and get a full refund if the article isn't published.

Press release distribution. You pay per release to send your announcement to newswires and partner sites. It puts facts on record fast, but it is the company speaking, not an editor choosing to cover you.

What makes one placement cost more than another?

• The publication. How many people read it, who they are, and how selective its editors are.
• The format. A full feature about you takes more work and carries more weight than a mention or a quote, which in turn is more than a press release.
• Writing and review. A feature needs an angle, a draft and your review. A press release needs much less.
• Timing. A fixed date, such as a launch, a funding announcement or a visa filing, narrows the options.
• Planning. Several placements planned together are easier to schedule well than one-offs bought in a rush.

What should the price include?

• The named publication and the format of the article.
• Your approval of the topic before any writing starts.
• Writing by people who know the outlet, and your review of the draft.
• A committed window from topic approval to publication.
• Clear terms for what happens if the article isn't published.

How much does a monthly PR retainer cost?

A 2025 survey of about 70 digital PR agencies and freelancers found an average retainer of about $5,458 a month. About half charged less than $5,000 a month, 38% charged between $5,000 and $10,000, and few went above $10,000. Source: BuzzStream's digital PR cost survey, published in October 2025.

That fee is paid every month, whether or not articles appear. To compare it with a price per article, divide a year of fees by the number of articles you would expect to get.

How do you compare two quotes?

Compare the same outlet and the same format, never a feature against a mention. Ask how each article will be labelled, and what happens if it isn't published.

For a retainer, divide what you paid by the number of articles that actually appeared. A Series A SaaS founder came to us after 8 months on a retainer with another agency: $60K spent and 2 small mentions. Measured per article, that retainer was far more expensive than it looked per month. Our comparison of retainer vs. pay-per-placement PR goes into the trade-offs.

How do I get your prices?

Ask us and we'll send them. Ask for our prices here → Each price is fixed per article and agreed before you pay, with a 100% refund if we don't deliver. Not sure which model suits you? Read how to choose a pay-per-placement PR agency.

Questions founders ask

Is PR expensive for a small business?

It depends on the outlets you need. Most small businesses need a few well-chosen articles rather than a monthly retainer, which pay per placement makes possible.

Is a press release cheaper than a feature?

Usually yes, because there is less writing and no editor deciding whether to run it. It also does a different job: it puts facts on record, while a feature tells your story.

Does Edamame PR & Strategy charge a monthly fee?

No. You pay a fixed price per placement, agreed upfront, and you get a 100% refund if we don't deliver.