Is Founder CRM really free?

Yes. The Chrome extension is free on the Chrome Web Store with no subscription and no account. Optional AI that finds people uses an API key you supply. A manual list needs no key.

Does Founder CRM monitor Reddit for keyword alerts?

No. It does not run a hosted monitor. F5Bot is the free option for Reddit keyword alerts.

What is the free Reddit CRM for founders in 2026?

Founder CRM is the free people-list option: Chrome extension, local, no account. F5Bot is the free alert option. subhunt.io has a free plan for a saved-posts CRM. Each covers a different job.

Can I use Founder CRM without an AI API key?

Yes. Build the list by hand. The extension keeps the list and the follow-up reminders without AI. Add an API key later if you want the extension to find people automatically.

Does Founder CRM auto-DM people on Reddit?

No. There is no send step. You open the thread, write the reply yourself, and press send. See the no auto-DM page for why.

Does it work on X and Product Hunt as well as Reddit?

Yes. Founder CRM files people from Product Hunt, Reddit and X on the same local list. Neither F5Bot nor subhunt.io covers those three.

Free tools

Free Reddit CRM for founders: what actually exists in 2026

A free Reddit CRM exists, but the label covers different tools depending on what you need. This guide covers what is actually free in 2026, what each free option refuses to do, and when a paid tool is the honest answer.

Add to Chrome What is Founder CRM

What "Reddit CRM free" usually means

Founders searching for a free Reddit CRM are usually after one of three things:

A keyword alert. Tell me when these words appear on Reddit, without me refreshing search. This is closer to a monitor than a CRM.
A posts list. Save threads I might reply to. Keep a queue, add notes, come back later.
A people list. Remember the person I replied to, when I said it, and when to check in. This is the CRM job.

No single free tool does all three well. Picking the wrong one means the right job never gets done. The best Reddit CRM for founders guide covers the distinction in more depth.

What is actually free in 2026

Founder CRM: the people list

Founder CRM is a free Chrome extension. It runs inside the Reddit session you are already signed into, finds people who described a problem you solve, and keeps them on a local list with notes and follow-up reminders. The list stays on your machine. There is no account required and no subscription. The Chrome extension is free on the Chrome Web Store: add it to Chrome.

Optional AI that finds people uses an API key you supply from xAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. That key is yours. If you build the list by hand, no key is needed and the cost is zero.

It covers Reddit, X, and Product Hunt on the same list. It does not run keyword alerts. It does not post or send anything. You write every message.

F5Bot: the free keyword alert

F5Bot monitors Reddit, Hacker News, and Lobsters for keywords and emails you when they appear. As of September 2026, the free plan covers those three sites with email delivery at no charge. It does not keep a people list. It does not file follow-ups. It is the alert, not the CRM.

The two work well together: F5Bot surfaces the thread, Founder CRM holds the person. The longer write-up on how to pair them is the free Reddit lead-gen stack.

subhunt.io free plan: the posts list

subhunt.io publishes a free forever plan, as of September 2026, that covers keyword alerts, a saved posts CRM, and subreddit discovery with limits. The record is a Reddit post, not a person. If you want a posts queue with pipeline stages, this is a real free option. If you want a person from three channels on one list, it is the wrong shape. The alternatives page is SubHunt alternative.

Free subreddit finder

The free subreddit finder on this site takes a product description and returns the subreddits where buyers ask for help. No account. No live monitor. It is a research step before you open Reddit, not a CRM.

Reddit search plus a spreadsheet

No product is required. Search Reddit, paste what you find into a spreadsheet, add a column for who you replied to and when. You miss threads you never searched. That is the trade for zero cost and zero setup. It works when the niche is small and you sit in two subreddits most days.

Honest limits of the free options

None of these are the same product:

Founder CRM does not run a keyword monitor. It does not ping you when a new Reddit post appears. A flow runs when you open Chrome and start it.
F5Bot does not keep a people list. It emails you a link and moves on. The follow-up is your problem.
subhunt.io's free plan has limits on saved posts and alerts. It does not cover X or Product Hunt.
A spreadsheet misses every thread you never looked up. If the volume is high, you miss most of it.

What Founder CRM specifically refuses to do is on the no auto-DM page and safety. Short version: no auto-send, no hosting, no uploading your list.

When a paid tool is the honest answer

Some jobs genuinely need a paid product. Specifically:

Hosted keyword alerts across many communities, including X, YouTube, and forums beyond Reddit: look at Syften (from $29.95 per month as of September 2026) or Octolens. The monitor comparison is best Reddit monitoring tools. The alternatives page is Syften alternatives for founders.
Bulk Reddit DMs with delays and daily caps: look at Redreach. That is a different product category. The guide is Reddit auto DM alternative.
A hosted people CRM with a team seat and multiple inboxes: generic CRM products do that job. Founder CRM is local-first and single-profile. It is not a shared team dashboard.

How to start for free today

Map your subreddits. Use the free subreddit finder to find where your buyers ask for help. Takes two minutes. No account.
Install Founder CRM. Add it to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store. Free, no account required.
Run a flow. Describe the person you want to find. The extension opens Reddit in your current session and surfaces the people who fit.
Reply and file. Write your own reply. Add the person to your local list with a note and a follow-up date.
Add F5Bot if you want a ping. Set up a keyword alert for the phrases you use to find people manually. Let F5Bot email you when those words appear. Open the thread, decide if it is worth a reply, file the person in Founder CRM.

The full playbook for the Chrome extension step is Reddit Chrome extension for lead gen. The free Reddit lead-gen stack piece, covering tools that do not need the extension, is a free Reddit lead-gen stack.

Questions founders ask

Is Founder CRM really free?: Yes. The Chrome extension is free on the Chrome Web Store with no subscription and no account. Optional AI that finds people uses an API key you supply. A manual list needs no key.
Does Founder CRM monitor Reddit for keyword alerts?: No. It does not run a hosted monitor. F5Bot is the free option for Reddit keyword alerts.
What is the free Reddit CRM for founders in 2026?: Founder CRM is the free people-list option: Chrome extension, local, no account. F5Bot is the free alert option. subhunt.io has a free plan for a saved-posts CRM. Each covers a different job.
Can I use Founder CRM without an AI API key?: Yes. Build the list by hand. The extension keeps the list and the follow-up reminders without AI. Add an API key later if you want the extension to find people automatically.
Does Founder CRM auto-DM people on Reddit?: No. There is no send step. You open the thread, write the reply yourself, and press send. See the no auto-DM page for why.
Does it work on X and Product Hunt as well as Reddit?: Yes. Founder CRM files people from Product Hunt, Reddit and X on the same local list. Neither F5Bot nor subhunt.io covers those three.

Install Founder CRM

Free Chrome extension. No account, no subscription. Describe who you want, run a flow on Reddit, and keep the people you decide to reply to. You write every message.

Add to Chrome How the Chrome extension works