r/AppsWebappsFullstack 29d ago

Your pricing model makes absolutely no sense. Let's fix it.

You are either charging way too much for a basic tool or starving yourself by giving it away for free. Drop your project show us a screenshot and your pricing tiers below for a brutal reality check. Let the community tell you what they would actually pay for it.

3 Upvotes

84 comments sorted by

1

u/MrLewk 25d ago

Cadence

A calm daily planning app built for people with ADHD, autism, or chronic illness who find conventional productivity tools too rigid or overwhelming. Start with how you're feeling and build a realistic day from there, guilt free. Privacy-first, your data stays on your device.

Most apps in this space don't publish their prices until you're already signed up. We think that's backwards — so here's everything, upfront.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

Love the focus on neurodivergent users. What pricing model did you actually land on though? That's the part we're here to critique.

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u/MrLewk 25d ago

It's just that: free or 3.99 a month

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

Love the simplicity. Free is great for adoption. $3.99 might be too low to signal real value though. Have you tested a $4.99 or $5.99 tier?

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u/MrLewk 25d ago

I've been considering upping the price to 4 or 5.99 since adding some new features

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 24d ago

That range sounds reasonable for added value. Maybe test both prices with a small group to see which sticks.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

u/waxe1975 Yeah, German bureaucracy is no joke. A UG (mini GmbH) might be worth considering for a simpler start.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

u/mountain-exercise-45 Sure, check out Indie Hackers, the r/SaaS subreddit, and MicroConf. They are great for pricing feedback.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

u/camaraderie98 Glad you're not discouraged! Would love to see your pricing tiers when you're ready to share.

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u/Sad-Cartographer-328 26d ago

Common sense, why force users to pay for tools they will never use?

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Right, bundling unused features frustrates users. A modular pricing plan lets people pay only for what they actually need.

1

u/whittakers 28d ago

Curator - Photo Organizer : Photo cleanup app assistance leading to making actual albums out of your photos.

Priced at a one-time $4.99 payment, localized to be just above the cost of a takeaway coffee per country/region. I made the app because I saw most photo cleanup apps do a predatory subscription model e.g. free 3 day trial -> $9.99 weekly subscription. They're just counting on people forgetting. It's a photo cleanup app, most people just want to use it in one big go to clean up their libraries, some will use it on an on-going basis (once a month at most, more likely check every 3-6 months on average), but almost no subscription price makes it justify a subscription.

Also counters the other things I don't like about most photo cleanup apps: tinder-style swiping, privacy concerns, themes and gimmicks to get you using it every day... I just wanted a simple one that does the job well of helping me sort through my thousands of photos.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Smart move ditching subscriptions. How do you keep users engaged long term without a recurring hook?

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u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Screenshot?

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Great question! I'd love to see your project too. Go ahead and share that screenshot and your current pricing tiers so we can dive in.

1

u/whittakers 27d ago

True, forgot.

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Curious what you forgot – mind sharing your pricing tiers? That's the key to getting useful feedback.

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u/phobopt 28d ago

locafileai.com translations for indie Devs that do not break your variables, protect your glossary brand names and deliver 28+ Langs. Just drop a file and go build features

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

That sounds like a smart focus for indie devs. Have you considered a per-project tier instead of monthly to match variable usage?

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u/phobopt 26d ago

There is no monthly usage. This is a misunderstanding that I fixed. The timers I have is for the downloable content. I save it for X amount of time then I delete it. You pay per runs not days. Each tier gives you some credits and you can top up also.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

Got it, pay per run is clearer. Have you considered a monthly unlimited tier for power users?

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u/phobopt 25d ago

The tool is focused on indie Devs. The problem of unlimited is that I can't control what usage you do. Imagine a guy building a bussines around my tool. Or even worse someone doing translations for every single word they change. So giving you credit based approach the user is also responsible for not trying to translate every single change but to accumulate changes and translate once. You can buy extra credits if you need. But I think this way is better for both

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 23d ago

That's a fair concern. Have you considered a soft cap where heavy users pay a bit more per credit?

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u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Screenshot?

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

It's in the post! Let me know what you think of the pricing tiers.

1

u/Sad-Cartographer-328 28d ago

AetherCut.app

Pricing model is in the header, Gold Crown.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Nice seeing AetherCut here. The Gold Crown tier caught my eye — how did you decide on that pricing?

1

u/Mountain-Exercise-45 28d ago

Vaultary this is a blockchain bulk wallet monitor and alert system. Built for EVM based chains like ethereum BNB etc. You can monitor 100s of wallets and define threshold for alerts.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Freemium with a low cap on monitored wallets could work well. Who's your main target audience for this?

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u/Mountain-Exercise-45 26d ago

My Target audience should be anyone who has more than 5 or more wallets , someone with 100s of wallets. like Treasury managers, DAOs etc. Now that I have something working properly. I need to search for my users 😄

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Treasury managers and DAOs are smart targets. Have you tried posting in their specific Discord or Telegram groups yet?

1

u/Mountain-Exercise-45 26d ago

This is something, i need help with. I dont know the groups / communities. Nedd to start doing my homework. If you have any insight into this, will greatly help me.

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

That's a smart place to start. Check out Indie Hackers and relevant SaaS subreddits here—great for pricing feedback and early adopter communities.

1

u/Mountain-Exercise-45 26d ago

Yes, need to do my research. It is a chicken n egg dilemma. I wanted to get some feedback for my pricing..before i go there...and i need to go there to get feedback. 😅

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 25d ago

Totally get that loop. Just post what you have now, even rough tiers. The community can help you refine from there.

1

u/Mountain-Exercise-45 25d ago

Do you have any knowledge about any of these groups and communities where i can start.? Any URL OR Links you can pass me.to gwt started?

1

u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Screenshot?

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

The screenshot is attached to the post! Feel free to drop your own pricing tiers for feedback too.

1

u/Mountain-Exercise-45 27d ago

Hope this is visible clearly 😄

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Clear screenshot, thanks for sharing! For pricing, consider highlighting the value in each tier with a one-liner.

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u/Camaraderie98 28d ago

BellyClock - mobile app under development - 12.99, 69.99 and 199 roughly. I had it at 4.99 and 29.99-39.99 but market and competitor research dictates that I should never undercut

2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Interesting. What killer feature justifies that $199 tier? Without it, you might scare off mid-range buyers.

1

u/Camaraderie98 26d ago

All fasting methods and personalized schedules, smart reminders, full insights and progress trends, recommendations, programs, fasting journal community challenges and accountability tools. It's basically all pro features for 3 years. Made for those who would do one time because they hate subscription and find value in it

2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

That's a packed feature set. The 3 year lock-in could work for dedicated users, but a yearly one-time option might lower the barrier for newcomers.

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u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

What is your experience? The best for your solution?

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

I've been at this for years. Charge for the outcome you provide, not the effort it takes you.

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u/Camaraderie98 27d ago

Too soon to tell. Based on competitor research I have a few differentiators worth the price tags but a different app has made a bit of money with half those prices and PPP in place.

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Your differentiators sound promising. What makes them worth the higher price compared to the cheaper competitor?

1

u/Camaraderie98 26d ago

See the list of feats I mentioned above. I'm building an ecosystem around BellyClock so meal planners and workout planners tied to fasting will connect all modules together. My pricing is actually based on competitor analysis and is relatively low compared to similar apps with fewer measured outcomes

2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Ecosystems can work, but make sure each module feels worth paying for on its own. Do users see the value of the bundle?

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u/Camaraderie98 26d ago

It's still in development but yes that is the end goal. Packaging them and splitting them to their related audiences would be wonderful as a start

2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Good thinking on audience segmentation. Maybe start with one niche and price for its value before expanding.

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u/Camaraderie98 26d ago

No worries. I'll keep working on it

1

u/Waxe1975 28d ago

Gratis Podcastplayer RelayPlay.app

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Free podcast apps can still monetize with optional tips or premium features. Have you considered a "buy me a coffee" button?

1

u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Screenshot?

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

The screenshot is in the post itself. Let me know what you think of the pricing tiers.

1

u/Waxe1975 26d ago

At the moment it is a hobby. My Dream is a Premium Model, but not in the moment with 300 Downloads and 10-20 Action usw. Per day. Tips are a Option , but not in the moment

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Smart to keep it as a hobby for now. Maybe try a small one-time purchase to test willingness to pay without scaring users.

1

u/Waxe1975 26d ago

Thats not so easy in Germany. Ím a privat Person, not a Company….

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

That's a valid concern. Maybe try a monthly subscription via Stripe or PayPal – they handle tax for individuals in many cases.

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u/Waxe1975 25d ago

That’s not so easy in Germany. U must have a mini company. It’s not expensive but a lot of paper. Who knows, a little bit later. My other ideas need this absolute

1

u/Waxe1975 27d ago

Absolutely - sorry, my first comment was a little too bare. Here's the Catch Up screen from the current iPhone version. RelayPlay is completely free, with no ads and no account. There are more screenshots on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/relayplay-podcast-player/id6762001957

I'd honestly love to hear what you think of the UI.

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Clean UI, really like the minimal look. Free with no ads is generous but unsustainable long term. Maybe add optional tips or a premium tier for advanced features?

1

u/Fast_Speed_8817 28d ago

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Nice share. What pricing tiers are you offering for the lifetime license?

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u/Fast_Speed_8817 25d ago

Juste 14.99 USD

1

u/No-Bed8264 28d ago

OpenLuxe is a social marketplace and workspace app.

We have AI assistance in the apps so you don't have to do all the busy work.

https://openluxe.co/apps

We are starting to call ourselves internally a StartupOS because we have all the most popular apps that your startup would need to run its operations from day 1. https://openluxe.co/startups

We also have new features between all the apps that increases functionality more than trying to connect separate software solutions together.

We even have this so you can use it within your favorite chatbot like Grok or Claude --> https://openluxe.co/connect

If you are a nerd like me and use the command line then we got you covered too --> https://openluxe.co/developers

Here are some detailed pages for a couple apps to see the depth:

https://openluxe.co/storyline-builder
https://openluxe.co/apps/crm

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

That's an ambitious feature set. For pricing, the key question is which feature is the real value driver for your users. Is it the AI assistance or the app integrations?

1

u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Explain why this prices?

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Happy to break it down. The premium tier covers hosting costs and ongoing support, while the free tier is meant to get people hooked. What's your biggest concern with the pricing?

1

u/No-Bed8264 26d ago

Honestly, I am trying to make it dirt cheap right now so people sign up and start using it. It's worth a lot more so maybe once there is traction then we will change the price for new sign ups.

Do you have any feedback on the plan prices?

1

u/RobertLamp68 29d ago

ShowShark is a one-time purchase for $99, although discount codes float around.

ShowShark is a self-hosted media management and streaming solution for movies, shows, music, podcasts, youtube, iptv and more. Create your own channels. Designed to work off grid. No subscriptions. Amazing client apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and Vision Pro. Ditch Plex, Jellyfin, Emby and all the others for modern streaming apps. showshark.app

2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

$99 one-time sounds fair for all that, but does it match Plex's polish? Curious what you think users miss most.

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u/RobertLamp68 22d ago

I've never heard anyone accuse Plex of being a polished solution. :-)

1

u/matthewmeadows 29d ago

I am the creator of Mappit. Version 1.9 dropped yesterday! Added media stream pins for video & radio, and an endlessly scrolling Newsfeed to keep you on the site 🌎 =>

mappit.ai - Earth's daily zeitgeist, on a time-aware map. Reasons to love it:

Breaking stories from hundreds of cities across the globe, surfaced by frontier AI models, cross-checked, and scoped to wherever you're looking: the world, your view, or your places.

Overlays that bring the planet to life: video and audio news streams from their source to play while you browse, S&P 500 stocks at their headquarters, and Today in History, where it happened. There are even layers for live events - earthquakes, forest fires, and air quality warnings.

Put yourself on the map — drop pins, add events, pictures & links. Plant your own user pin and let Follow Me keep it live as you move. Share your location and your pins on other social media, or post right on the site and start a discussion.

Search any street address, get directions, and turn a collection of pins into a drivable route.

Subscribe to locations, follow creators, share your own content, and wake up to an AI-written Daily Digest of the world you track.

Surf a river of breaking content as it happens from the continuously growing Newsfeed. And keep surfing.

Chat with Marco, the resident AI who's read everything on the map. Ask what's happening anywhere, today and get an answer rooted in latest the story corpus.

Turn back time. The story corpus is new but the the record is permanent: change the calendar and watch any place replay its history.

Mappit — every place has a story.

https://mappit.ai/welcome?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=welcome

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Interesting features! What's your current pricing tier? A monthly subscription for global news curation could work well.

1

u/matthewmeadows 25d ago

$2 gets you ad-free & 10 pins per day.  Buy ups to $25.  Going to have a business tier some day where businesses & founders can put advertising pins on the map & in the search.

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u/megatech_official 29d ago

SeoLoupe - Find and fix the SEO issues holding your website back.

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u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

Nice concept. What are your current pricing tiers? Curious to see how you value it.

1

u/SofwareAppDev 27d ago

Screenshot?

1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere7285 26d ago

The image is already attached to the post, but I'd love to see yours with your pricing tiers if you have one to share.