The Best Sales Funnel Software for your Book

If you’re an author looking to take your book to the next level, then knowing how to guide readers from first contact to loyal fans is key. That’s exactly where smart sales funnel software comes into play. 

Instead of hoping a reader randomly discovers your book, a well-designed funnel takes you step-by-step: capturing interest, building trust, making the offer, and then creating ongoing engagement. 

In short: you’ll spend less time chasing sales and more time letting your system work for you. In this post, we’ll explore what sales funnel software is, why authors should care, and then walk through some of the top options that work particularly well for book creators.

What is Sales Funnel Software?

At its heart, a sales funnel represents the journey someone takes from first discovering you (or your book) to becoming a buyer. Sales funnel software is a tool (or set of tools) that helps you build, manage, automate and optimise that journey.

For authors, the appeal is clear. Rather than manually emailing links, tracking comments, managing purchases, and hoping for word-of-mouth, you can set up a funnel once, automate much of the work, and then scale your reach.

When choosing sales funnel software, you’ll want to consider factors like ease-of-use, cost, how well it integrates with your current setup (website/email provider), and whether it supports the kind of funnel you envision (book launches, evergreen funnels, membership, course, etc).

Here’s what sales funnel software typically offers:

• Landing pages / opt-ins to collect reader interest (e.g., a “get a free chapter” offer).

• Email automation / sequence flows (so people who opted-in move into a nurture sequence).

• Checkout and payment pages (so you can sell your book or upsells).

• Upsell / down-sell / thank-you page logic (for example: after the book purchase offer a workbook or audio version).

• Analytics and tracking to see where readers drop off (so you can optimize).

• Integrations with your email list, membership area, digital product delivery, etc.

Top Sales Funnel Software Options for Authors (Free & Paid)

Here are some excellent sales funnel software options that authors can consider. They range from free to more premium, full-featured tools. 

Systeme.io 

Free plan: $0/month 

Startup plan: ~$17/month 

Webinar plan: ~$47/month 

Unlimited plan: ~$97/month

Systeme.io is one of the most budget-friendly and beginner-friendly options for authors looking to build a sales funnel for their books. One of its biggest advantages is that it offers a genuinely free plan, meaning you can start building your funnel without spending a dime. 

What makes Systeme.io stand out is that it’s an all-in-one solution. You don’t need to juggle multiple tools for landing pages, email marketing, and payments. Everything you need to set up a complete sales funnel is included right inside the platform. 

You can create opt-in pages to offer a free book chapter, automate your follow-up emails, and even sell your book directly from your funnel without needing external integrations.

The platform also supports one-click upsells and order bumps, which are perfect for authors who want to offer readers something extra, like a companion workbook or audiobook. 

Many of Systeme.io’s plans even include unlimited emails, so you can nurture your reader relationships without worrying about sending limits. Because this sales funnel software is free,, it’s a powerful option for authors on a budget.

However, because Systeme.io tries to do everything, it may not go as deep in certain areas as more specialized tools. You might find that its integrations, templates, or analytics aren’t as advanced as larger, premium platforms. If you’re planning a complex, multi-layered launch with multiple products, you’ll want to double-check that it integrates with any other tools you rely on, like specific payment processors or course platforms.

GetResponse

Starter plan: $19/month 

Mid-plans run $59/month or $69/month

GetResponse is a powerful option for authors who want to go beyond simple email marketing and build a more comprehensive sales funnel experience. It’s not just an email tool. It also includes built-in sales funnel creation, landing pages, and webinar hosting. 

One of its biggest strengths of GetResponse is flexibility. With unlimited emails included in many of its plans and pricing that scales based on your list size, GetResponse grows alongside you. That means whether you’re nurturing a few hundred subscribers or thousands of loyal readers, you can manage it all within the same platform.

Because many authors like to offer bonus content, run launch events, or even create mini-courses around their books, GetResponse can serve as a natural “step up” once your funnel becomes more sophisticated. 

You can automate email sequences, promote your webinar, and even sell digital add-ons all in one place.

That said, GetResponse isn’t the cheapest option. As your subscriber list grows or you start using more advanced features like webinars and automated workflows, the monthly cost increases. For authors running a single, straightforward book funnel, it may feel like overkill at first.

Kit

Free plan: Available for up to 1,000 subscribers with basic features 

Creator plan: Starts at $29/month (for up to 1,000 subscribers) and scales upward as subscriber count increases ($49/mo for 3,000 subs, $79/mo for 5,000, etc) 

Creator Pro plan: Starts at ~$59/month for up to 1,000 subs and scales similarly. Includes more advanced reporting, subscriber scoring etc.

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has become one of the most popular sales funnel software options among authors and creators. It was built specifically for content creators, including writers, bloggers, and course creators, so everything about it feels intuitive for people who make and sell their own work.

Kit is especially strong when it comes to email automation and audience building. You can easily create sign-up forms or landing pages to capture reader interest, then set up automated email sequences that nurture those leads into book buyers.

Another huge plus is its free plan, which lets you start list-building at no cost. This is great if you’re new to email marketing or just testing out your first book funnel. 

However, it’s important to know what Kit isn’t. While it does support funnels and landing pages, it’s not a full-fledged funnel builder. It doesn’t include checkout pages, one-click upsells, or membership features out of the box. 

So if your sales funnel includes multiple product tiers, upsells, or digital bundles, you might need to connect other tools to fill those gaps.

ClickFunnels

Entry tier: $97/month 

Scale plan at $197/month for more contacts and features. 

Optimize plan at $297/month for advanced usage. 

ClickFunnels is very popular for building complex funnels. You can create landing pages, sales pages, checkout flows, upsells/down-sells, membership tiers, and more. If your book funnel is more than “just a book sale” then ClickFunnels is a solid fit.

The drag-and-drop builder, the pre-built funnel templates, and built-in checkout + upsell logic mean you don’t have to glue many systems together. 

For an author who wants a “launch machine” with many moving parts this could be the best sales funnel software in your toolkit.

That being said, the cost is significant compared to more basic tools. If you’re just doing a simple funnel, it may feel like overkill.

There’s also a learning curve. More features means more setup time and complexity. Some users report that page speeds or template flexibility may not match the smallest/most nimble tools. 

Kartra 

Essentials plan: $59/month

Starter/Best Value plan: $119/month when billed monthly

Advanced plans are $229/month (or more) depending on lead count, automations, affiliate features. 

Kartra is another full-suite platform, offering landing pages, email automation, membership area, affiliate programs, funnels and checkout all in one. If you’re building a bigger author business, this kind of platform helps you centralize everything.

Because authors often have bonus content (workbooks, audio editions, memberships), Kartra supports not just the book sale but the backend.

It’s important to know that the price jumps when you scale. If you’re at an early stage you may not need all that power. Some authors may find that they only need part of what Kartra offers (so you might be paying for features you don’t use).

HighLevel

Starter plan: $97/month 

Unlimited plan: $297/month 

HighLevel is more often used by agencies, but for authors who are scaling up it could make sense. It supports heavy funnel automation, CRM, workflows, messaging, etc.

If you’re doing more than just one author funnel and you want a platform that can handle many funnels, many contacts, and potentially white-label or integrate deeply, HighLevel gives you that capacity.

For many authors, this may be overkill. If you’re not managing multiple funnels/products, you may end up paying for features you don’t use.

The setup and management are more complex (since it’s built for larger scale or agency level). If you’re solo and focused on one book funnel, a simpler tool may be easier and more cost-effective.

That being said, if you are looking for a super automated sales funnel software, this could be a good fit for you. 

Specific Considerations for Authors When Choosing Sales Funnel Software

When choosing for your book funnel, here are author-specific questions to ask:

• Does the software allow a simple checkout (so you sell your book or upsell easily)?

• Does it allow you to deliver digital products (PDF, audio, video) if your book has bonus content or workbook?

• Does it integrate with your email list provider (or does it include email automation itself)?

• Are there templates specifically for book launches or evergreen funnels?

• Is it scalable (if your list grows or you release more books/courses)?

• Is the user interface manageable (you don’t want to spend all your time wrestling software instead of writing)?

Finding the Right Sales Funnel Software for You

Choosing the right sales funnel software is a strategic decision for authors. The “right” tool depends less on the brand name and more on your specific goals: Are you launching a book once? Building an evergreen funnel? Planning upsells and memberships? 

Once you’re clear on your funnel design, pick a tool that meets your budget, workflow, and future plans. Start simple if you’re at an early stage. You can always upgrade as you grow. 

With the right system in place, you’ll spend less time chasing sales and more time building your author brand and writing your next book.