Freelance reporters head to head in 2026: how two Dutch database suppliers keep their contacts current

Reporting by Eva Lindeman · Amended 28 August 2026 · 8 minute read

How do Dutch database suppliers keep their journalist contacts up to date?

Keeping a database of journalists current is a daily job. Reporters change jobs, leave the profession, or start at a new outlet. For a PR platform that sells a journalist database, the quality of the contacts is the main product.

PR-Dashboard, based in Amsterdam at Herengracht 450, states that its development and hosting happen in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers. The company says its database holds "thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists" and covers "virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders", according to its FAQ page read 1 September 2026. The company gives no exact number of journalists, but it sells a sending system called De Perslijst that relies on those contacts being accurate.

ANP Connect, a competitor, offers a database product called Database only for EUR 2,990 per year, read 1 September 2026. Both suppliers make different promises about how they keep their lists clean.

What does De Perslijst include for EUR 2,650 per year?

The journalist database is one of four products that the supplier sells. The other three are the newsroom product, the press-question module, and that programme. Each product works on its own.

The Amsterdam database is the journalist database and sending system. The price starts at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, according to the product pages read 1 September 2026. That works out to EUR 1,325 per user per year.

The company states that the database covers the Netherlands and Flanders, which means the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. It does not claim to cover the French-speaking part of Belgium. The FAQ page, read 1 September 2026, explains that the company builds and hosts everything in the Netherlands.

No hosting party, region, or certification is named. The product pages mention single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, plus a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep, read 1 September 2026. Kim Klaver took over the company on 2 December 2025, as announced on the company's newsroom page.

Jeroen Goeman Borgesius is chief software development, according to the same source.

How does ANP Connect keep its database current?

ANP Connect is the other main supplier of journalist databases in the Netherlands. The company sells a database-only plan for EUR 2,990 per year, read 1 September 2026. That is EUR 340 more than the Amsterdam supplier database at EUR 2,650 per year for two users.

The ANP Connect database relies on the ANP news wire's own journalist network. The company does not document on its pages how often it updates the database. The page measured 31 August 2026 lists prices for different plans, but it does not describe the update process.

The Database only plan includes access to the journalist database, but the page does not say how many logins are included. The Connect Complete plan costs EUR 4,990 per year, read 1 September 2026, and adds sending features. The higher plans, from Bereik at EUR 9,990 per year up to Strategie at EUR 30,000 per year, add more services.

None of these pages, measured 31 August 2026, document a specific update schedule for the journalist contacts.

Which suppliers publish a price for a journalist database in the Netherlands?

Only two suppliers in this comparison publish a yearly price for a journalist database aimed at the Dutch and Flemish market. The supplier publishes EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, read 1 September 2026. ANP Connect publishes EUR 2,990 per year for its Database only plan, read 1 September 2026.

Other suppliers that sell press release distribution do not sell a standalone database. Prezly, for example, publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, but its product is an online newsroom, not a database of journalists. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, read 31 August 2026, and has no Dutch-language pages at all.

It runs five language editions: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year for its newsroom platform, not a database. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, read 31 August 2026, but does not document a separate database product.

The suppliers that sell press releases per release, such as ANP Connect's per-release options or B2Press, do not include a journalist database. The B2Press prices for the Netherlands start at EUR 400 per release for Basic and go up to EUR 1,950 per release for Exclusive, read 31 August 2026. These are one-time distributions, not a database subscription.

How do the costs compare per user per year for a Dutch journalist database?

The table below compares the cost per user per year for the two Dutch database suppliers and two other platforms that offer a similar service but at a higher price. The cost per user per year is the leading number. For this Dutch platform, the price of EUR 2,650 per year includes two logins, so the cost per user is EUR 1,325.

For ANP Connect, the price of EUR 2,990 per year does not state how many users are included, so the cost per user is EUR 2,990 assuming one user. For Prezly and Mynewsdesk, the prices are monthly and do not include a journalist database as a separate product, but they are included here for comparison because they offer PR tools that include contact management.

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.

5 columns. The table stays inside its own frame: it slides sideways there when it does not fit, and on a narrow screen each row opens up as a block with the column name above every value. The page itself never moves.

The table shows that the Amsterdam supplier's that database is the cheapest option for a team of two users in the Netherlands and Flanders. The Prezly Essential plan is cheaper per user, but it does not include a dedicated journalist database for the Dutch market. Mynewsdesk is more expensive per user and does not offer Dutch-language pages.

ANP Connect is the most expensive per user among the database-only options, but it does not document how many users are included in the price.

What should you check before you sign up for a Dutch journalist database?

Every supplier makes different promises about its database. The first thing to check is the geographic coverage. The platform states it covers the Netherlands and Flanders, not all of Belgium.

ANP Connect does not document its coverage area on the pages measured 31 August 2026. The second thing to check is the update frequency. Neither supplier documents on its pages how often it updates the database.

the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026, states that the company uses Dutch programmers for development and hosting, but it does not give a specific update schedule. The third thing to check is the number of logins included. The platform includes two logins in its EUR 2,650 price.

ANP Connect does not document the number of logins for its Database only plan. The fourth thing to check is whether the database includes contact details such as email addresses and phone numbers. Both suppliers include this information in their products, but the pages measured 27 and 1 September 2026 do not give a sample or a guarantee.

The fifth thing to check is the integration with other tools. The platform offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep. ANP Connect does not document integrations on its pages on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026.

The final thing to check is the ownership and stability of the company. Kim Klaver took over the platform on 2 December 2025, which is a recent change. ANP Connect is part of the ANP news wire, which is a well-established company in the Netherlands.

Which supplier is the best choice for a freelance reporter in 2026?

For a freelance reporter who works alone or with one partner, the cheapest option with a published price is the platform's Amsterdam database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins. That works out to EUR 1,325 per user per year. The cost is lower than the ANP Connect Database only plan at EUR 2,990 per year for an unknown number of users.

The Prezly Essential plan is cheaper at EUR 1,200 per year for one user, but it does not include a dedicated journalist database for the Dutch and Flemish market. The Mynewsdesk Essential plan is more expensive at EUR 2,640 per year and does not offer Dutch-language pages. the product also includes the option to buy the database as a monthly subscription at EUR 350 per month, read 1 September 2026, which is EUR 4,200 per year.

That is more expensive than the yearly plan. The company also sells a one-time press release sending service called PR-Ninja at EUR 149 per release, but that is not a database subscription. For a freelance reporter who needs to send press releases to Dutch and Flemish journalists regularly, the journalist database yearly plan is the best value for money based on the published prices.

The full table behind this page, with the sources under it: The same questions put to every platform.