Content volume compared in 2026: what an agency produces against what a Dutch team produces with tooling

Reporting by Anouk Terlouw · Amended 31 August 2026 · 7 minute read

What does an agency produce versus a Dutch team with tooling in 2026?

An agency typically manages multiple clients, so its capacity per client is limited. A team of two that uses De Perslijst and PR-Newsroom from the Amsterdam-based vendor PR-Dashboard can send out press releases directly, maintain a newsroom on their own domain, and respond to press inquiries without waiting for agency approval. the product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that the journalist database costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins.

That is EUR 1,325 per user per year, which is lower than the cost of a single agency press release distribution through ANP Connect, which costs EUR 499 per release for trade and regional media, as documented on the ANP Connect rates page, read 31 August 2026.

An agency that writes twenty press releases per month for a single client can spend more than EUR 10,000 per month in staff time alone. A team with the same budget using the journalist database and that newsroom can produce those releases themselves, using the journalist database to target the right reporters directly. The database covers thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, according to this Dutch platform FAQ page, read 1 September 2026.

That kind of targeted reach is hard for an agency to match because agencies often work from a broad media list rather than a specific, curated database.

How much does an agency cost per press release in the Netherlands?

An agency retainer in the Netherlands publishes no public price for PR services, so the monthly amount for a small account appears only in a quote. That retainer covers strategy, writing, and distribution, but the volume of press releases is limited by the agency's other clients. Per press release, the cost can be high.

For comparison, ANP Connect publishes a price of EUR 499 per release for trade and regional media, EUR 795 for national media through the ANP network, and EUR 999 for both, as stated on the ANP Connect rates page, read 31 August 2026. For a Belgian release via Belga, the price is EUR 495. For both the Netherlands and Belgium, the price is EUR 1,395 per release.

An agency that charges a EUR 10,000 retainer and produces ten releases per month is effectively charging EUR 1,000 per release. That is higher than the ANP Connect per-release prices, but the agency also provides strategy and media monitoring. A team with the hosted newsroom, which costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the product pages, read 1 September 2026, can host a newsroom on their own website, publish releases, and track who reads them.

That replaces part of what an agency does, at a lower cost per release.

What tooling does a Dutch team need to match agency output?

To match the volume of an agency, a team needs a journalist database, a newsroom, and a way to handle press inquiries. The Amsterdam database provides the journalist database and sending system, the hosted newsroom provides the newsroom on the customer's own domain, and that module handles incoming press questions. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, list the press-question module at EUR 2,700.

These three products work independently, so a team can start with one and add others.

A team that buys all three spends EUR 7,100 for the first year, assuming that newsroom and the inquiry desk prices are per year, which is not stated on the source pages. That is less than two months of an agency retainer at EUR 4,000 per month. With that tooling, the team can produce and distribute press releases, manage a newsroom, and respond to journalists directly.

The system integrates with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, as documented on the Amsterdam supplier product pages, read 1 September 2026. That means the team can monitor media coverage without buying separate software.

Which providers publish a price for their tooling, and which do not?

Several vendors publish prices for their PR tooling. Prezly publishes EUR 100 to EUR 250 per month, Prezly pricing page, read 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, Mynewsdesk plans page, read 31 August 2026.

Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year, Presspage plans page, read 31 August 2026. The platform publishes EUR 2,650 per year for that database, EUR 1,750 for the newsroom product, and EUR 2,700 for the press-question module, all on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, Prowly pricing page, read 31 August 2026.

Other vendors do not publish a public price. Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, and Notified are among the vendors that list no price on their pages, as measured 31 August 2026. A team that wants to compare costs must request a quote from those vendors.

That makes it harder to budget for tooling. The vendors that publish a price give the team a clear starting point for comparison.

How to choose between an agency and tooling for your own team

The choice depends on how much control the team wants over its PR output. An agency handles the entire process, but the team has less direct contact with journalists. A team using tooling like that database and the newsroom product can send releases directly, build relationships with journalists, and publish news on their own schedule.

the product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that the database covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, according to the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. That means the team can reach the same journalists an agency would.

For a team that produces more than ten press releases per month, the cost per release with tooling is lower than with an agency. At EUR 2,650 per year for the journalist database, the cost per release drops to EUR 265 for ten releases per month, or EUR 22 per release. That is far lower than the EUR 1,000 per release an agency might charge.

The team also keeps the newsroom content on their own domain, which helps with search engine visibility. The hosting is done in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, according to the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. That means the data stays in the country.

Comparison table: cost per user per year for PR tooling

Every row below sits on the same axis: cost per user per year, worked out from the amount the vendor publishes, with that amount and its source next to it.

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 database is the second lowest on cost per user per year, but it includes two logins, which lowers the per-user cost to EUR 1,325. Prezly Essential is lower at EUR 1,200 per user, but it covers only one user and does not include a Dutch and Flemish journalist database. Mynewsdesk and Presspage are higher on the cost per user per year.

What to check before you sign for tooling instead of an agency

Before choosing tooling, check whether the database covers the media you need. The Amsterdam database covers thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, and it covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, according to the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. If you need coverage in French-speaking Belgium, check whether the database includes those journalists. the product pages, read 1 September 2026, do not specify coverage for Wallonia.

Check the integrations. The tooling should connect to the media monitoring you already use. The journalist database offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, as documented on the product pages, read 1 September 2026.

That means you can log in to monitoring tools without a separate password. Also check the hosting location. the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026, states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers. That is important for data protection compliance.

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