We propose a lens-free coherent modulation imaging (CMI) method for reconstructing a general complex-valued wave field from a single frame of a diffraction pattern. A numerical Fourier transform is introduced in the iterative reconstruction process to replace the lens or zone plate used in the current CMI technique to adopt the constraint on the Fourier components of the exit wave field of the sample. While the complexity of the experimental setup is remarkably reduced by replacing the zone plate and additional accessories with the numerical processing, the energy fluence loss induced by the undesired diffraction orders of the zone plate can be also avoided. The feasibility of the proposed technique is verified experimentally with visible light.