CHOOSE
Which funnel builder can you genuinely start on for free?
Only Systeme.io offers a plan that stays free indefinitely: 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course and 1 custom domain, with no countdown. HighLevel and Podia offer free trials instead, 14 days and 30 days, that give fuller access but convert to a paid plan automatically once the window closes. Which one to start on depends on whether you need more time to build or a permanent no-cost floor.
Free plan versus free trial: not the same thing
Free plan and free trial solve different problems, and the two get conflated constantly. A free plan is a permanent tier with real limits, built to be used indefinitely inside those limits. A free trial is full or near-full access to a paid tier for a fixed window, after which it converts to a bill unless cancelled. Only one platform among the ones covered here offers the former.
Systeme.io Free: what's actually included
Systeme.io's Free plan, per the official pricing page, includes 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course and 1 custom domain, with no time limit: it sits on the same pricing page as the paid tiers, not behind a countdown.
| Systeme.io | Free | Startup | Webinar | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | free | $17/mo | $47/mo | $97/mo |
| Billed annually | · | · | · | · |
| Contacts | 2,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | unlimited |
| Sales funnels | 3 | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited |
| Courses | 1 | 5 | unlimited | unlimited |
| Custom domains | 1 | · | · | unlimited |
| Evergreen webinars | · | · | included | · |
| Automation rules | · | · | · | unlimited |
| Webinars | · | · | · | unlimited |
| Communities | · | · | · | unlimited |
Annual billing is advertised as 2 months free; the pricing page does not itemise annual per-plan amounts. Current amounts: the official Systeme.io pricing page.
The Startup price displayed may reflect a promotional rate.
For a first funnel, one offer, one list under 2,000 contacts, that covers a genuine launch, not just a test. The constraint is the funnel and course count, not a clock. Full plan detail: Systeme.io plans.
HighLevel's 14-day trial: full access, short window
HighLevel offers a 14-day free trial on every plan, month-to-month with no long-term contract required, per the official pricing page. That gives full access to sub-accounts, pipelines and calendars during the window, which is enough to build and test a real funnel structure, but the account converts to a paid plan (starting at $97 per month) once the 14 days end. Confirm in the app whether telecom (SMS, calls) and AI usage are billed during the trial itself before testing those features specifically.
Podia's 30-day trial: longer window, same eventual bill
Podia's trial runs 30 days, per its billing terms, longer than HighLevel's window and enough time to build a storefront, add products and test the coaching and community features included on every plan. Like HighLevel's trial, it converts to a paid plan (from $42 per month) once the window closes rather than reverting to a permanent free tier.
What free or trial access does not cover
None of the three covers everything for free indefinitely. Systeme.io's Free plan blocks growth through its funnel, course and domain caps rather than a deadline; once you need a fourth funnel or a second course, upgrading is the only path. HighLevel and Podia's trials block growth through the calendar itself: whatever is not finished, tested or decided by day 14 or day 30 has to continue on a paid plan. Neither type of limit disappears by choosing carefully; they just show up on a different axis.
Next step
Start on Systeme.io's Free plan if the goal is a working, permanent no-cost funnel under its limits. Use HighLevel's or Podia's trial if the goal is to test a feature set you already expect to pay for, sub-accounts and SMS for HighLevel, coaching and community depth for Podia, before committing. Price what the paid plan would cost once the trial ends in the cost calculator so the decision is not a surprise on day 15 or day 31.
Questions people also ask
Does Systeme.io's Free plan ever expire?
Not on a timer. It is listed as a plan tier on the official pricing page alongside the paid options, so it continues until you choose to upgrade or until you exceed its limits (2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, 1 domain).
What happens to my funnels when HighLevel's trial ends?
The account converts to a paid plan to keep the sub-account, pipelines and funnels active. HighLevel's trial is month-to-month with no long-term contract, per the official pricing page, so confirm the cancellation process in the app before the 14 days end if you do not intend to continue.
Can I get a full Podia site running during the 30-day trial?
The trial window is long enough to build a storefront, add products, and test coaching and community features, since all of those are included on every Podia plan. What ends at day 30 is the free access, not the feature set, which stays the same once you pick a paid plan.
Is there a genuinely free way to test HighLevel or Podia beyond the trial window?
Not per their official pricing pages: both list a single free trial period rather than a permanent free tier. Systeme.io is the one platform in this comparison with an indefinite free plan instead of a trial.