How to sign up for Systeme.io's permanently free plan, build a 3-step sales funnel (opt-in → sales page → checkout), connect an email sequence, and start collecting real leads and sales without spending a dollar.
Open Systeme.io in a new tab →Go to systeme.io and click 'Get started for free.' Enter your name, email, and password. No credit card. The free plan is permanent — it's not a trial. You get 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 custom domain, 1 course, unlimited emails, and 0% transaction fees right out of the gate. This is the most generous free tier in the all-in-one category.
From the dashboard, click 'Funnels' → 'Create.' Systeme.io asks what the funnel is for: build an audience (opt-in), sell a product, sell a subscription, or launch a webinar. Pick 'Sell a product' for your first funnel — it's the simplest flow and the one with the fastest payoff.
Systeme.io gives you a minimalist drag-and-drop builder. Start from a template (the plain 'Squeeze Page' templates are the cleanest). Change the headline to name the benefit, keep one sub-headline, one form field (email only for free plans to maximize opt-ins), and one button. Don't add sliders, carousels, or anything fancy — you're optimizing for function, not visual complexity.
Add a second step to the funnel: 'Sales page.' This is where you describe the offer, show social proof if you have any, and link to checkout. Use a simple long-form template with a headline, problem statement, solution, and price. Leave the testimonials section empty for now — adding fake ones is a trust-killer and adding real ones comes later.
Systeme.io handles checkout natively with 0% transaction fees on the free plan (you still pay the Stripe/PayPal processor fee). Connect your Stripe account under Settings → Payment gateways. Set your product price, pick Stripe as the processor, and configure the thank-you page. Test a checkout at $0 using a coupon code before going live.
Under Emails → Campaigns, create a single welcome email that goes out immediately after opt-in. Keep it short: thank them, deliver the lead magnet (if there is one), tell them what's coming next. Don't build a 10-email sequence on day one — get the funnel live first, then iterate.
The free plan includes 1 custom domain. Under Settings → Domains, add your domain and follow the DNS instructions. Propagation takes 15-60 minutes. Your funnel now lives at your.com/funnel-name instead of sub.systeme.io/... — which converts better and feels legit.
Publish the funnel and share the opt-in URL on one channel (email to a friend list, a single social post, or a small ad buy). Watch the Systeme.io dashboard for opt-in count, sales page visits, checkout starts, and completed sales. Don't iterate for 48 hours — let the data accumulate, then change one thing at a time.