Fieldwork research / Pricing model analysis
Pricing model analysis.
Notes for the Q4 pricing revamp. Comparing five reference companies and what we should copy from each.
Reference companies
| Company | Model | Free tier | Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Per seat | Unlimited members | $10 / mo |
| Notion | Per seat | Personal only | $12 / mo |
| Stripe | Usage | None | 2.9% |
| Vercel | Hybrid | Hobby only | $20 / mo |
Pattern.Every reference company either uses per-seat (Linear, Notion) or pure usage (Stripe), with hybrid (Vercel) being the outlier. Free tiers cluster around meaningful but limited: enough to try the product on real work, not enough to run a small team on forever. Starter prices sit between $10 and $20 for per-seat, and Stripe's 2.9% is essentially a market rate not a product decision.
What we should copy
Per-seat is the cleanest model for our shape. The free tier should be usable by one person on real work, not a demo. Starter should land at $12 to feel affordable next to Notion.