Agency, freelancer or in-house: which PR approach for a tech startup?

No model wins on every count. Each one fits a different need: a single announcement, a market position built over several months, or a continuous flow of news to handle week after week. Budget matters, but it comes second.

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When does a PR freelancer make sense?

A freelancer works well when the need is time-bound and carried by one voice: a funding round, a product launch, a partnership. It also fits when someone in-house already owns the strategy and mainly needs media contacts and pitching time.

In France, a PR freelancer typically costs €1,000 to €3,000 a month. The limit is structural rather than a matter of skill: one person, one sector network, and no cover if they are unavailable.

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When do you need an agency?

An agency earns its fee when several spokespeople need a voice (CEO, CTO, CMO), when crisis risk calls for immediate availability, or when the goal plays out over more than twelve months. In France, a specialist tech PR agency usually charges €3,500 to €7,000 a month for a growing startup.

Across the five three-month PR case studies Linker has published, a campaign generated between 7 and 15 pieces of coverage, with a median of 10. That gives a realistic benchmark for what a structured setup delivers in a quarter.

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What about an in-house PR hire?

Hiring a PR manager makes sense when the startup produces a lot of news (key hires, releases, new markets) and can carry a full-time role. An in-house person knows the product deeply and reacts fast.

What they often lack is an established network of journalists, which an agency or freelancer brings from day one. Many scale-ups combine both: an in-house lead who steers, an outside partner who runs the campaigns.

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A budget floor to keep in mind

Below €2,000 a month, no outside partner can deliver a real strategy, an active media network and proper follow-up at the same time. At that level, a few well-targeted freelance days or in-house execution usually beat a stripped-down agency retainer.

For a detailed comparison of costs, the risks specific to tech startups and the questions to ask before signing, read our guide PR agency or PR freelancer: how to choose. For UK and US price levels, see how PR costs compare in France, the UK and the US.