AI Tools
What is Cision, and what should you use instead
A direct answer on what Cision does and costs, then which tool to pick for each part of it.
What is Cision? Cision is a communications software company whose main product, CisionOne, combines media monitoring, analytics, reporting, journalist outreach and social listening for PR teams. It also owns PR Newswire, which distributes press releases, and Brandwatch, a consumer intelligence suite. If you only need the monitoring part, the direct answer on what to use instead is AyeWatch, which starts at $9 a month with no sales call.
What does Cision actually do?
Four jobs, in one account:
- Monitoring: print, online, TV, radio, social, podcasts and magazines, in more than 190 countries and 96 languages, shown in live Mention Streams.
- Outreach: a database of more than 500,000 journalists and outlets, and a media release builder with engagement metrics.
- Reporting: branded, exportable reports built from coverage data.
- Social: CisionOne Social for listening, scheduling posts and engaging with audiences.
Cision has also acquired Trajaan, which works on search intelligence and GenAI monitoring.
How much does Cision cost?
Cision does not say. Its pricing page is a request form, and an expert contacts you with a quote. There are no plan names or prices on the site.
Who is Cision for?
Communications and PR departments that send releases, pitch reporters and report earned coverage to leadership, and that want all of that from one vendor.
What should I use instead?
It depends on which part of Cision you need.
| If you need | Use |
|---|---|
| Monitoring of news, web pages and social, with alerts | AyeWatch |
| Another all-in-one PR suite | Meltwater |
| Keyword listening and PDF reports on a small budget | Awario |
| Free keyword alerts by email | Talkwalker Alerts |
| Release distribution and a journalist database | Stay with Cision |
Why AyeWatch for monitoring?
AyeWatch watches more than a billion sources, specific webpages you paste in, and accounts or searches on X, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. You describe each monitor in a sentence. Its AI reads new items and alerts you when one matches what you meant, not just the words, and each alert includes a short summary and the sources.
Prices are published: Pro is $9 a month with hourly checks, Pro+ is $19 with ASAP mode, and Max and Ultra cost $39 and $99. There is a Free Preview with three runs across up to three topics and no card, and no contracts on paid plans.
Where do AyeWatch alerts go?
Every plan has the in-app feed and push notifications on web, iOS and Android. Paid plans add email, a daily digest email, Slack, Discord, signed webhooks and a REST API, chosen per topic.
What can AyeWatch not do?
It does not distribute press releases, has no journalist database and does not claim TV, radio or print coverage. If those are the reasons your team uses Cision, keep Cision.
How do I move my Cision searches?
There is no export step. Rewrite each Cision search as a plain-English monitor, add webpage monitors for any sites you check by hand, and pick where each one's alerts should go. The Cision comparison on AyeWatch's site shows the differences in one table.
Is Cision worth it for a small team?
Usually not, unless the team's main work is press outreach. A small team that mostly wants to know when it is mentioned pays for a database and a wire service it will rarely use. The quote process also takes time that a monthly plan does not.
What about Brandwatch and PR Newswire?
Both are Cision brands. Brandwatch is the consumer intelligence and social media management suite. PR Newswire distributes press releases across many channels. If either is the only part of Cision you use, you can look at it on its own.
The answer, in one line
Cision is a full PR platform; if what you want from it is knowing when something important is said about you, AyeWatch is the simpler and cheaper choice.