HARO was the gold standard for journalist source platforms for over a decade. When Cision
rebranded it as Connectively in 2023 and removed the free tier, hundreds of thousands of
users started looking for alternatives. The new Connectively has been redesigned with
paid tiers and a US enterprise focus — it no longer serves the solo business owner or
freelancer that made HARO valuable.
Where JournoRequest Wins
- Price: £7.99/month vs $19–$149/month — up to 19x cheaper at comparable tiers
- UK focus: Connectively is primarily US-centric; JournoRequest is built for the UK media landscape
- Simplicity: One tier, full access — no upsell path or feature gating
- No corporate bloat: JournoRequest is a focused tool; Connectively is part of a large enterprise platform
Where Connectively Wins
- US journalist database: Larger volume of US publication requests
- Brand recognition: Legacy HARO users know the interface
- Enterprise integrations: Connects with CRM tools for large PR teams
Verdict: If you're a UK business wanting UK press coverage, JournoRequest
at £7.99/month is the straightforward winner. Connectively has priced itself out of the
small business market it used to serve. For US-focused enterprise PR teams, Connectively
may still be relevant.
Source.co is a premium US journalist-source platform designed for PR agencies and
communications professionals managing multiple client accounts. It has strong journalist
relationship data, pitch tracking, and CRM features — none of which a small business
typically needs. At $79/month for a solo plan, it's positioned for professionals who bill
their time to clients and can justify the cost through client fees.
Where JournoRequest Wins
- Price: £7.99/month vs $79–$199/month — a 10–25x price gap
- UK coverage: Source.co's UK journalist base is limited; JournoRequest is UK-first
- Simplicity: No CRM to configure, no pitch analytics to learn — just requests and responses
- ROI for small business: £7.99/month is justified by a single press placement; $79/month requires multiple placements to break even
Where Source.co Wins
- US journalist coverage: Better volume and breadth of US publication requests
- Team features: Multi-user access and collaboration tools for PR agencies
- Journalist CRM: Track relationships and pitch history across multiple clients
- Analytics: Pitch open rates and journalist response data
Verdict: Source.co is built for PR agencies with team budgets and US
market focus. For a UK small business owner, consultant, or freelancer, it's both the
wrong price and the wrong market. JournoRequest delivers what small UK businesses actually
need at a fraction of the cost.
Qwoted is a two-sided journalist-source marketplace with a free entry tier. The free plan
limits monthly responses significantly; real usage requires the $99/month plan. Qwoted has
good US coverage and a growing journalist network, but UK presence is secondary to its
core US focus.
Where JournoRequest Wins
- UK coverage: JournoRequest is built for the UK media market; Qwoted's UK journalist base is growing but smaller
- Transparent pricing: £7.99/month flat — Qwoted's free tier is restrictive enough that meaningful use requires $99/month
- Focus: JournoRequest aggregates requests from specific named UK publications; Qwoted mixes US and UK without clear market focus
Where Qwoted Wins
- Free tier: Qwoted lets you test the model before paying anything
- US journalist access: Stronger US publication coverage for businesses targeting American media
- Response analytics: The paid tiers show journalist engagement with your responses
Verdict: Use Qwoted's free tier to test whether journalist source
platforms work for your business. Then move to JournoRequest (£7.99/month) if your
priority is UK publications. For US-focused coverage at scale, Qwoted's paid plan makes
sense — the two platforms can be used together cost-effectively.
Featured.com (formerly Kelp) focuses specifically on expert quotes for digital articles —
particularly listicles, how-to guides, and roundup posts published on US websites. It's a
good tool for building SEO-focused backlinks through expert contributions. The publications
it serves are predominantly US digital media and content marketing blogs.
Where JournoRequest Wins
- Price: £7.99/month vs $49–$99/month
- UK editorial coverage: JournoRequest covers national newspapers and BBC; Featured.com focuses on digital/online content
- Coverage type: JournoRequest placements appear in print and broadcast media — higher-prestige coverage than digital roundups
- News relevance: JournoRequest captures timely journalist requests; Featured.com is more evergreen content-focused
Where Featured.com Wins
- SEO link volume: Featured.com placements often include direct dofollow backlinks from high-DA domains
- US publication access: Strong penetration with Forbes contributors, Inc., Entrepreneur, and major US digital media
- Consistent question format: Requests are clear questions you answer — easier for beginners than open journalist briefs
Verdict: JournoRequest and Featured.com serve different use cases and
complement each other well. JournoRequest for UK editorial coverage and national press
placements; Featured.com for US digital media backlinks and expert positioning. If budget
is limited, JournoRequest's UK editorial coverage carries more brand credibility.
JournoLink is a UK-based platform that combines journalist request matching with press
release distribution and a journalist database. It's established in the UK SME market and
has been operating for over a decade. For businesses that want to both respond to journalist
requests AND send press releases, JournoLink is a genuine combined solution.
Where JournoRequest Wins
- Price: £7.99/month vs £25–£99/month — JournoRequest is 3–12x cheaper depending on JournoLink tier
- Focus: JournoRequest does one thing (journalist requests) extremely well; JournoLink's feature set adds complexity
- Value for request-only access: If you only want journalist request alerts (not press release distribution), JournoLink's lower tier is still 3x the price of JournoRequest
- Modern interface: JournoRequest's aggregation approach captures more live requests from social/digital sources
Where JournoLink Wins
- Press release distribution: JournoLink can distribute your press releases to its journalist database — JournoRequest doesn't offer this
- Journalist database access: JournoLink gives you access to UK journalist contact details for proactive outreach
- Established brand: JournoLink is well-known in the UK SME market and widely trusted
- Support: Longer track record with documented user support
Verdict: If journalist source requests are your primary goal, JournoRequest
at £7.99/month offers better value than JournoLink's cheapest tier. If you also want to
distribute press releases and access journalist contact details for proactive outreach,
JournoLink's expanded feature set justifies its higher price point. Many UK businesses
start with JournoRequest and add JournoLink later if press release distribution becomes
a priority.