The switching timetable for a Dutch press office in 2026: counted back from the notice date

By Marit Elzinga · Last edited 30 August 2026 · 6 min

How long does switching a Dutch press office platform really take in 2026?

Switching from one PR tool to another takes longer than most buyers expect. A press office that relies on De Perslijst needs time to export contact lists, test the sending system and train the team. Based on the notice periods and data export processes we have seen, a realistic timeline begins eight to ten weeks before the current subscription ends.

The PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026, show De Perslijst at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins. That subscription covers the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the supplier frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026. A buyer who signs a new contract in September 2026 can have the old one cancelled in time for a 2027 start without paying for two systems at once.

What is the notice period for Dutch PR platforms like the Amsterdam database?

Notice periods vary by provider. For the journalist database, the product pages do not document a specific notice period on the pages we measured, 1 September 2026. Many Dutch PR platforms use a standard contract term of one year with a 30-day or 60-day notice period before renewal.

Presspage, which publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year, does not state a notice period on its plans page measured 31 August 2026. Buyers should check their own contract or ask the vendor directly. The safe assumption for planning is 30 days. That means a press office that wants to cancel by 31 December 2026 needs to send the notice by 1 December 2026 at the latest.

Which tasks must happen between the notice date and the go live date?

A switch involves several steps that each take days or weeks. First, the buyer exports all journalist contacts from the old system. A database like that database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, as the frequently asked questions page states, read 1 September 2026.

Exporting that data in a usable format takes one to three days. Second, the buyer imports the contacts into the new tool and checks for duplicates. Third, the press office sets up the new newsroom or sending system.

The newsroom product, one of the four products from the same Amsterdam company, starts at EUR 1,750 but does not state a period on the product pages measured 1 September 2026. Fourth, the team runs a test send to a small group. Fifth, the buyer cancels the old subscription after the new system works. The whole process takes four to six weeks.

What does a switching timeline look like for a press office buying the journalist database?

A concrete example helps. Imagine a press office that uses a journalist database and wants to move to that database by 1 January 2027. The buyer orders the Amsterdam database on 1 November 2026 and receives the login credentials within a day.

The team exports contacts from the old system in the first week of November. They import the contacts into the journalist database and clean the list in the second week. They send their first press release through the new tool in the third week.

They notice the old provider on 1 December 2026, respecting a 30-day notice period. The old subscription ends on 31 December 2026. The new system runs since mid November.

The press office pays no double subscription fee. This timeline works for most press offices that plan ahead.

Which vendors publish a price that helps you plan a switch?

A published price makes it easier to compare and plan. That database is one of the few journalist databases with a clear annual price: EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, from the product pages measured 1 September 2026. ANP Connect publishes several plans: Database only at EUR 2,990 per year, Connect Complete at EUR 4,990 per year, Bereik at EUR 9,990 per year, Impact at EUR 15,990 per year and Strategie at EUR 30,000 per year, all from the ANP Connect tariffs page measured 31 August 2026.

Prezly publishes monthly prices from EUR 100 to EUR 250 per month. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year.

Prowly publishes USD 258 per month but does not state a euro price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. The newsroom product costs EUR 1,750 and the press-question module costs EUR 2,700, both without a period stated on the source pages measured 1 September 2026. A buyer with a budget can pick a tool that fits the calendar.

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 phone every row opens up as one sheet per supplier, with the column name above each answer. The page itself never moves.

What should a press office check before signing a new contract?

Before signing, a press office should verify three things. First, the data export feature: can the new tool export its journalist database in a standard format such as CSV? That database does not document an export format on the pages we measured, 1 September 2026.

Second, the notice period of the current contract: a buyer who overlooks a 60-day notice loses time. Third, the coverage of the journalist database: this Dutch platform states it covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, from the frequently asked questions page read 1 September 2026. A press office that works with Belgian French language media needs to check coverage in Wallonia specifically.

The product pages do not document that detail. Signing in October 2026 gives enough room for a January 2027 start.

What happens if a press office misses the notice window?

Missing the notice window means paying for an extra year on the old platform. A press office that realises in December 2026 that its contract renews automatically on 1 January 2027 cannot cancel in time. The press office then pays for the old tool while also paying for the new tool.

The only way to avoid this is to set a reminder 90 days before the renewal date. For a contract that renews on 1 January 2027, the buyer sets the reminder on 1 October 2026. That leaves 30 days to decide, 30 days to implement and 30 days to notice.

The Amsterdam supplier product pages do not document a setup fee, so the cost of switching is mainly the annual subscription itself. A press office that plans ahead spends money on one tool at a time, not two.

Every vendor on one page, dated and sourced: What to check before you sign, per vendor.