The tech world has unfortunately set the expectation of software to be free, and as a result have had to monetize through the collection of data & advertising on the backend. However, this only works with consumer level of scale—in all other cases, SaaS and subscriptions are a much better model for aligning the value of creators & consumers.
Adam Wiggins of Muse recounts the philosophy of
how we pay for software and some principles of what to do while charging for software. TLDR:
- Individually priced prosumer products are typically priced between $5/month to $15/month. (Business tiers however are priced very differently)
- If you do charge, make sure the buying process is a good experience, make it easy to cancel, give notifications before payment, and make data easily exportable.