13 Free PR Software Tools To Manage PR On A Budget [2025]

Whether you're a solo founder trying to get press for your launch or a small team juggling marketing and PR duties, free PR software can help you take the first steps – without the agency price tag.

That said, most free tools do one thing well but fall short of a full solution. As your strategy grows, so will your need for better PR tools. That’s where platforms like Prezly come in: affordable, all-in-one PR software designed to support everything from your first pitch to your biggest campaign yet.

Let’s look at what PR software does, which free tools are actually useful, and when it might be time to level up.

PR software like Prezly helps you manage your media relationships and pitch stories, as well as track PR performance.

Public relations (PR) software refers to digital tools that help manage the process of promoting your brand through earned media.

This includes:

• Writing and distributing press releases
• Pitching stories to journalists
• Publishing newsrooms or media kits
• Tracking brand mentions online
• Managing media contact relationships

For solo operators or small businesses, PR software simplifies a lot of the repetitive admin – so you can focus on actually building relationships and getting coverage.

The right tools can:

• Save time on media outreach
• Keep your messaging consistent
• Help track whether your efforts are paying off
• Let you scale PR with fewer resources

In this guide, we’ll cover free tools that support different parts of the PR workflow, including media monitoring, newsroom publishing, press release distribution, visual content creation, and media outreach.

Each one plays a role in helping you get your story out there more efficiently – even if you're not working with a big agency or budget.

You don’t need a massive budget to start doing PR – you just need the right toolkit. Here are the best free tools grouped by task, plus a note on where each shines (and where it doesn’t).

These tools help you keep track of when and where your brand is mentioned.

• Prezly – Track earned media coverage and brand mentions across online news and blogs from within your dashboard
• Google Alerts – Set up keyword alerts to get notified when your brand (or competitors) are mentioned in news or blogs
• F5bot – Monitor Reddit and Hacker News for your brand or niche conversations
• Talkwalker (Free plan) – Offers basic social and news monitoring with limited sentiment analysis

Explore the brand monitoring tools further to understand their features, prices, pros and cons, and choose the best software for your brand tracking needs.

Hosting your press materials in a centralized, easy-to-navigate space makes it easier for journalists to cover you.

• Carrd – A lightweight, drag-and-drop website builder that’s great for building a basic newsroom or press page
• Notion – Easy to set up a media kit or press room with public pages and rich formatting
• Prezly – Offers built-in, branded newsrooms with multimedia support and press release archiving – all in one Prezly

Want your newsroom to actually look like a newsroom? Prezly gives you a professional media hub that’s easy to update, easy to share, and built for journalists.

Getting your story into the hands of the right people is kind of the whole point.

• Prezly's press release builder (Free trial) – Send beautiful, trackable press releases to targeted media lists. Customize and personalize for better results
• PRLog – A free press release publishing site that syndicates releases online (reach is limited, but good for SEO)
• Online PR Media – Another free PR distribution platform with options to upgrade for more reach

Good PR includes visuals – whether it’s an infographic, a branded press kit, or just a polished image.

• Canva – Design everything from social graphics to media kits with templates built for non-designers
• Piktochart – Ideal for creating infographics or visual reports
• Unsplash / Pexels – Free stock photography to use in your press releases and content

Building media relationships takes time and organization. These tools can help.

• Hunter.io – Find email addresses associated with a domain (e.g. find journalist emails at forbes.com)
• Muck Rack (Free profile only) – Journalists often maintain public profiles; start researching who covers what
• Prezly – Manage your media contacts, send personalized pitches, and track opens, replies, and coverage – all in one platform

Not every free PR tool will be the right fit for your team, your story, or your audience. Choosing the best tools means thinking about what you’re trying to achieve – and what kind of media coverage will get you there.

Launching a product? Trying to grow brand awareness? Looking to connect with journalists on LinkedIn or Twitter? Start by listing your PR goals and the kind of coverage you want, then look for tools that support those efforts.

For example:

• Use Google Alerts to monitor competitors and track when your business gets mentioned
• Use Canva and free photography libraries to create visuals that grab attention
• Use newsroom tools like Prezly to make it easy for media outlets to find your story and assets, like your logo

Free is great, but only if it’s also efficient. Look for tools that help you avoid repetitive tasks, like rewriting pitches, searching for contacts, or tracking email response rates manually.

Some helpful features to look for:

• Contact tagging and notes to keep your media contacts organized
• Built-in pitch templates and email tracking
• Simple ways to track and report on media coverage over time

PR success relies on relationships, not just press releases. That means using your tools to learn more about your target media, personalize your approach, and build trust over time.

Use your tools to:

• Segment journalists by media type, location, or beat
• Write more personal, engaging pitches that match the journalist’s beat
• Track which journalists open, respond, and show interest, then follow up smartly

You don’t need to pay for an agency or pricey tool on day one. But as your PR campaigns grow, so will your need for reporting, better access to contacts, and stronger connection with the right journalists.

Look for PR software that:

• Scales with your team and projects
• Supports multi-user accounts and permissions
• Gives you better insight into audiences, coverage, and campaign success

So when does it make sense to use these tools yourself – and when should you bring in reinforcements? It depends on your time, your team, and your goals. While many PR tasks can be handled solo or in-house with the help of the right tools, there are certain moments where expert support can make all the difference.

• You’re a small business or startup on a tight budget
• You’re comfortable doing research, writing pitches, and following up
• You’re building credibility in a niche industry

• You need media relationships or national coverage
• You’re managing a crisis or major announcement
• You want someone experienced to shape your brand’s story

You don’t have to choose between DIY and agency PR. Many teams use free tools to get started and bring in an agency once they’re ready to scale. Tools like Prezly work great in both setups: you stay in control of your messaging, contacts, and coverage – while your agency handles the pitching.

Prezly’s shared workspaces and permission settings make it easy to collaborate with a PR agency without losing visibility over your brand.

Free PR tools are a great place to start. They’ll help you publish your first press release, track your mentions, and start building relationships. But they have limits – especially when you want to scale your efforts or look more polished to journalists.

That’s where Prezly comes in:

• Create branded newsrooms
• Send multimedia press releases
• Manage your media contacts
• Track opens, replies, and mentions

All in one place.

Try Prezly free for 14 days – no credit card required. Just smart, reliable PR software built for teams and solo pros alike.