10 Best Digital PR Tools for Earning AI Citations
The best digital PR tools for getting your brand mentioned in the sources AI engines cite: journalist request platforms, media databases and outreach tools, with 2026 prices.
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Last updated: 29 October 2026
Quick answer: Start with free or low-cost journalist request platforms: Source of Sources and Help a B2B Writer are free, Qwoted has a free tier with paid plans from about $99 a month, and Featured has paid plans from about $49 a month. Add a media database such as Prowly (from about $258 a month billed annually) or Muck Rack (contracts often $8,000 to $20,000 a year) once you run regular campaigns.
AI answers lean on third-party sources: news sites, trade publications, review platforms, LinkedIn and community discussions. Getting quoted or featured in those sources is one of the most reliable ways to appear in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI features. That is digital PR, and the tools below make it faster. For the strategy behind it, see our AI citation optimization service.
Key takeaways
- HARO and its successor Connectively are gone; Cision shut Connectively down in December 2024.
- Free request platforms are enough to start earning expert quotes.
- Media databases pay off once you pitch every month.
- Pitch the publications AI engines already cite for your prompts, not just big names.
Digital PR tools compared
| Tool | Type | Price (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source of Sources | Journalist requests | Free | HARO-style email queries |
| Help a B2B Writer | Journalist requests | Free for sources | B2B and SaaS experts |
| Qwoted | Journalist marketplace | Free tier; paid from about $99/month | Regular expert commentary |
| Featured | Expert Q&A marketplace | Free tier; paid from about $49/month | Quick quotes in roundups |
| SourceBottle | Journalist requests | Free for sources | Consumer, lifestyle and travel brands |
| Prowly | Media database and PR suite | From about $258/month (annual) | Small PR teams |
| Muck Rack | Media database and monitoring | Custom; typical contracts $8,000 to $20,000/year | Journalist research and tracking |
| Cision | Database, monitoring and wire | Custom; median about $12,600/year | Enterprise PR teams |
| Meltwater | Monitoring and database | Custom; median about $25,800/year | Media and social monitoring |
| Google Alerts | Mention monitoring | Free | Tracking new coverage |
Contract figures for Muck Rack, Cision and Meltwater are buyer-reported medians compiled in 2026, not list prices.
1. Source of Sources
Launched in 2024 by Peter Shankman, the founder of the original HARO, Source of Sources sends journalist queries by email and is free for sources. Answer quickly, stay on topic and include a short credential line.
2. Help a B2B Writer
Run by Superpath, Help a B2B Writer connects B2B journalists and content marketers with subject experts. It is free for sources and especially useful for SaaS, marketing and professional services firms.
3. Qwoted
Qwoted is a two-sided marketplace where journalists post requests and sources pitch. The free tier has limits; paid plans start around $99 a month and add more pitches and alerts.
4. Featured
Featured, formerly Terkel, collects expert answers to questions and places them in articles across many publications. A free tier exists, with paid plans from about $49 a month for higher volume.
5. SourceBottle
A long-running source query service with strong consumer, lifestyle, food and travel coverage. Free for sources.
6. Prowly
Prowly combines a media database with press release pages and outreach tracking at a price small teams can manage, starting around $258 a month on annual billing.
7. Muck Rack
Muck Rack is popular for researching journalists, building lists and tracking coverage. It does not publish prices; buyer-reported contracts in 2026 typically ran from about $8,000 to $20,000 a year.
8. Cision
Cision bundles a large media database, monitoring and the PR Newswire distribution service. It suits enterprise teams; buyer-reported contracts had a median of about $12,600 a year.
9. Meltwater
Meltwater leads on media and social monitoring, with a journalist database alongside. Buyer-reported median contracts were about $25,800 a year.
10. Google Alerts
Free and basic, but useful: set alerts for your brand, founders and products so you can see when new coverage appears and share it on your own channels.
How to use PR for AI citations
- Find the sources engines cite: run your priority prompts and note which publications, lists and comparison pages appear as citations.
- Build a target list: pitch those specific outlets and authors first, alongside the usual trade press.
- Offer something quotable: original data, a clear opinion, a useful statistic or a worked example.
- Keep your facts consistent: use the same company description and credentials in every pitch so coverage reinforces one entity.
- Track results: monitor new mentions and rerun prompts monthly to see whether coverage changes answers.
Our guide to brand mentions for AEO covers the strategy in more depth.
Want to know which sources AI engines cite in your market? Our audit maps the domains behind the answers and the outreach that would change them. Request an AEO audit.
Frequently asked questions
Does digital PR help with AEO?
Yes. AI engines rely on third-party sources to confirm what brands do. Coverage in publications they already cite gives them more evidence to mention you.
Is HARO still available?
No. HARO was rebranded as Connectively in 2024 and Cision closed Connectively in December 2024. Source of Sources, Qwoted and Featured are common replacements.
Which digital PR tool is best for a small business?
Start with the free platforms: Source of Sources, Help a B2B Writer and the free tiers of Qwoted and Featured. Add a paid database only when you pitch regularly.
How long until PR shows up in AI answers?
Usually a few weeks to a few months after articles are published and crawled, depending on the engine and how often it refreshes its sources.
Sources
- HARO alternatives for 2026, Everything PR, October 2026
- Muck Rack alternatives: prices and database sizes, PressPilot, October 2026
- Top 10 sources LLMs cite most in 2026, Contently, April 2026
Product details, prices and features are checked at the time of writing and can change. Sources are linked in the text so you can check them yourself.
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