The Best Free PR Tools for Startups in 2025

By Zach Schleien

You don't need a $10K/month agency to get press. These free and low-cost PR tools will help you land coverage on your own.

PR agencies charge $5-20K per month. Most startups can't afford that - and honestly, most don't need it. With the right tools and strategy, you can land press coverage yourself.

Here are the best free and low-cost PR tools for startups in 2025.

Free Tools

1. Google Alerts

Cost: Free What it does: Monitors the web for mentions of any keyword and sends email alerts.

Set up alerts for:

• Your company name (monitor coverage)
• Your competitors (find journalists who cover your space)
• Key industry terms (find pitch opportunities)
• Your own name (track mentions and reputation)

Pro tip: Set alerts for competitor names. When a journalist writes about a competitor, they're likely interested in your space too. Pitch them a different angle.

2. HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

Cost: Free tier available What it does: Sends daily emails with journalist queries looking for expert sources.

Respond within 30 minutes of the email for best results. Keep your response under 200 words. Include your credentials and a usable quote. This is how I've landed expert mentions in publications I never would have cold-pitched.

3. Twitter/X Advanced Search

Cost: Free What it does: Find journalists actively looking for sources or discussing your topic.

Search for phrases like:

• "looking for sources" + [your industry]
• "writing about" + [your topic]
• "anyone know" + [your expertise area]

4. LinkedIn

Cost: Free What it does: Build relationships with journalists before you pitch them.

Connect with journalists who cover your beat. Engage with their content genuinely (not just likes - thoughtful comments). When you eventually pitch, they'll recognize your name. This is how the Forbes feature for a 21-year-old started.

Low-Cost Tools

5. PressPitch AI

Cost: Free trial, then affordable subscription What it does: AI-powered pitch generation, journalist discovery, and media outreach in one platform.

I co-founded PressPitch AI because I saw how much time founders wasted on the PR process. The platform:

• Generates journalist-ready pitches from your story details
• Searches a journalist database by topic, outlet, and location
• Sends personalized outreach directly from the platform
• Provides Media Radar alerts when journalists cover your niche

It's the same system behind my 200+ media features, built for founders who want to do PR without becoming PR experts.

6. Hunter.io

Cost: Free tier (25 searches/month) What it does: Finds email addresses for specific people at specific domains.

When you've identified a journalist you want to pitch, Hunter.io helps you find their email address. The free tier is enough for most startup PR efforts.

7. Canva

Cost: Free tier available What it does: Create professional-looking press assets (media kits, infographics, social cards).

Journalists need visuals. A clean, well-designed media kit or infographic makes your pitch more compelling and gives them assets to include in the story.

The Stack I Recommend

For a startup doing PR for the first time:

1. Google Alerts → Monitor your space and find opportunities (free)
2. PressPitch AI → Find journalists and generate pitches (affordable)
3. HARO → Get expert mentions in publications (free)
4. LinkedIn → Build journalist relationships (free)
5. Your email → Send the actual pitch (free)

Total cost: Under $100/month. Compare that to a $10K agency retainer.

The Mindset Shift

PR tools are amplifiers, not replacements. The tool doesn't write your story - you do. The tool doesn't build relationships - you do. The tool doesn't follow up - you do.

But the right tools make the process 10x faster and more systematic. Instead of spending 20 hours researching journalists, you spend 2. Instead of guessing at pitch angles, you get AI-assisted suggestions. Instead of tracking pitches in a spreadsheet, you have a dashboard.

Ready to start landing press without an agency? Try PressPitch AI and send your first pitch today.