Free PR Tools and HARO Alternatives
Which journalist-request services and PR tools a startup can get press coverage and expert quotes with for free today, how many pitches or requests the free plan allows, who it suits, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . PR tools change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
PR tools and HARO alternatives a startup can use for free today include Qwoted (Free plan, 2 pitches a month), PRLog (Free press release and press room hosting), Featured (Free forever, small daily AI allowance), Prezly (14-day free trial), and HARO (Free daily media queries by email). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, who it suits, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Being quoted in an article starts with a journalist looking for a source. Journalist-request services send those requests to experts and founders by email or in an app, and PR tools help you publish news and find and pitch journalists. Several have a free plan, and the rest offer a free trial.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free plans cap pitches a month, delay new requests or keep media databases for paid plans, and some suit only certain kinds of sources. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, who it suits, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
HARO alternatives with a free plan
Answer journalists looking for expert sources, free to start.
- 1
Qwoted
Experts who can answer a few pitches a month
The free Basic plan gives 2 pitches a month with a 2-hour delivery delay. The paid Pro plan is $149 a month, or $1,188 a year.
- Who it suits
- Experts and PR pros (source: qwoted.com)
- First paid plan
- Pro: $149 a month or $1,188 a year (source: qwoted.com)
Start free at QwotedReferral linkTerms read on qwoted.com on Qwoted: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Featured
Solo founders who want AI PR help at no cost
The Free plan is free forever, with a daily AI allowance that resets every day. The first paid plan, Lite, is $39 a month.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: featured.com)
- First paid plan
- Lite: $39 a month (source: featured.com)
- 3
HARO
Founders who want free daily journalist queries
Subscribe for free daily media queries by email, with up to three digests a day, Monday through Friday. Founders and CEOs are among the sources it names.
- Who it suits
- Founders and CEOs (source: helpareporter.com)
- 4
SourceBottle
Emerging experts who want a free profile
The free expert profile and call-out emails cost nothing, with up to 10 keywords. The first paid option is No Pitch, No Pay at $25 per pitch.
- Who it suits
- Emerging experts (source: sourcebottle.com)
- First paid plan
- No Pitch, No Pay: $25 per pitch (source: sourcebottle.com)
Start free at SourceBottleTerms read on sourcebottle.com on SourceBottle: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Source of Sources
Experts who want free daily query emails
Free daily media queries arrive by email, up to three times a day, for sources who want meaningful publicity.
Start free at Source of SourcesTerms read on sourceofsources.com on Source of Sources: the free allowance and how to start - 6
ResponseSource
PR teams testing UK journalist enquiries
A free one-week trial of the Journalist Enquiry Service, with requests filtered over 25 categories.
Start free at ResponseSourceTerms read on responsesource.com on ResponseSource: the free allowance and how to start
PR and media tools with a free plan
Find journalists, send pitches and track coverage, with a free plan or trial.
- 1
PRLog
Startups that want free press release hosting
Free press release and press room hosting, with free distribution to search engines. The free plan is ad supported, and Basic is $29 per press release.
- First paid plan
- Basic: $29 per press release (source: prlog.org)
- 2
Prezly
PR teams testing a press and pitching tool
Try Prezly 14 days free with no credit card. The plan listed first allows 1 user maximum and up to 5,000 contacts.
- What's free
- 14-day free trial (source: prezly.com)
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: prezly.com)
- 3
Brand24
Startups testing media monitoring for two weeks
Your first 14 days are free of charge, with no credit card required. The first paid plan is $249 a month.
- What's free
- 14-day free trial (source: brand24.com)
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: brand24.com)
- First paid plan
- First paid plan: $249 a month (source: brand24.com)
- 4
JustReachOut
Founders pitching press for a week before paying
A free 7-day trial on monthly plans, but a credit card is asked for. The first plan, Starter Outreach, is $98 a month billed annually.
- Payment card
- Card required (source: justreachout.io)
Start free at JustReachOutTerms read on justreachout.io on JustReachOut: the free allowance and how to start
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How this comparison is built
The list covers PR tools and journalist-request services a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on pitches a month, requests or media lists kept for paid plans, a free plan that suits only some kinds of sources can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free HARO alternative?
By the terms each provider states, Qwoted's free plan allows 2 pitches a month, Source of Sources sends up to 3 query emails a day, SourceBottle gives a free expert profile with call-out emails, and Featured is free forever with a small daily AI allowance.
Is HARO still free?
Yes. By its own page, HARO sends free daily media queries by email, up to 3 digests a day on weekdays.
Is Qwoted free?
Qwoted has a free plan with 2 pitches a month and a 2-hour delay on new requests; its Pro plan is $149 a month or $1,188 a year.
Where can I publish a press release for free?
PRLog offers free press release and press room hosting, supported by ads; its Basic plan is $29 per press release.
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