pricing

Start with the $10/$100/$1,000 rule of thumb based on who your customer is: roughly $10/mo for prosumers, $100/mo for SMB teams, $1,000/mo for mid-market. Pick a round number, ship it, and let real buyers tell you if it is wrong rather than over-modeling.

A value metric is what you charge for, such as per seat, per usage, or per transaction. A good value metric scales with the value customers receive, is easy to understand, and is hard to game, like Slack charging per user or Stripe per transaction.

Raise prices when prospects do not flinch at your price, conversion exceeds 40%, churn is under 3% monthly, or you have shipped significant new value. Roll out increases to new customers first, then move 5-10% of existing customers in staggered waves.

Use a good-better-best structure: an entry tier with core features, a recommended middle tier as the anchor, and a premium tier at 2-3x the middle price. Differentiate tiers through feature gating, usage limits, support levels, or access like API and SSO.

Test it by pasting your pricing URL into a browsing-capable AI like Perplexity or ChatGPT and asking what the plans and prices are. If it fails, put prices in plain text instead of images, add FAQ content, and implement Product/Offer structured data.

Avoid ultra-low pricing like $9/mo, which creates false traction from customers who churn fastest and complain most. Freemium decisions depend on your go-to-market motion and whether free users create network or conversion value for your product.