Medium — weeks Early Traction

Do I add usage-based pricing on top of subscription?

Some customers use 100x more than others but pay the same. Usage-based pricing aligns cost with value. But it makes bills unpredictable and scares off small customers.

£2,000–£5,000 MRR 2–3 people SaaS Medium — weeks

The Pattern

Based on 325 decisions

72%

Positive outcome

7.0

Avg score

325

Decisions

63 positive 24 negative 238 pending

10 scale 304 optimise 11 experiment

What founders did

high confidence

Monetisation Case Studies

Curated library

Unnamed Founder: Offer lifetime deals for their product (2026)

A startup founder made the decision to sell lifetime access to their product, generating $50,000 in revenue. While this provided an immediate cash injection, the founder retrospectively identified it as …

Negative outcome Long-term profitability - (negative impact)

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

7.4

Unnamed SaaS Company: Offer unlimited usage on an entry-level plan (2026)

This SaaS company decided to structure its entry-level pricing plan with 'unlimited usage,' likely as a competitive differentiator or to simplify customer onboarding. The strategic choice was to prioritize perceived …

Negative outcome Server costs / revenue ratio unsustainable

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

7.0

Unnamed Startup: Sold lifetime deals, now regrets it (2026)

This early-stage SaaS founder, eager for quick capital and user acquisition, implemented a pricing strategy offering lifetime access to their product for a one-time fee. While initially providing a cash …

Negative outcome MRR stagnation/decline

SaaS £0–5k/month Experiment — Promising but unvalidated

5.8

Unspecified SaaS Startup: Offer lifetime deals (LTDs) for cash infusion (2026)

A SaaS startup made the strategic decision to offer lifetime deals (LTDs) to customers, generating $50,000 in immediate revenue. This choice was likely driven by a need for quick cash …

Negative outcome Negative impact on long-term revenue and operational efficiency

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.9

SaaS Startup: Offer lifetime deals for product access (2026)

An unnamed SaaS startup decided to sell lifetime access to its product, generating $50k in initial revenue. This was a choice to secure immediate cash flow and early users, rather …

Negative outcome Revenue stream severely impacted; unsustainable business model

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

7.4

Unnamed SaaS Company: Offer an 'unlimited usage' entry plan (2026)

An unnamed SaaS company made the strategic decision to offer an 'unlimited usage' model on its entry-level plan, likely to simplify pricing and attract users. This choice was made in …

Negative outcome Profitability -X%, Server costs / Revenue ratio unsustainable

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.7

SaaS Company: Offer unlimited usage on entry-level plan (2026)

A SaaS company decided to offer 'unlimited usage' on its entry-level plan, a common strategy to attract new users and simplify pricing. However, this choice inadvertently led to significant resource …

Negative outcome Unprofitable customers, 60% server costs by 4 users, …

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.1

Unnamed SaaS: Offer Unlimited Usage on Entry Plan (2026)

An unnamed SaaS company decided to offer 'unlimited usage' as part of its entry-level pricing plan, aiming to attract a broad user base and simplify its initial offering. This choice …

Negative outcome Server costs / Profit margin (negative impact)

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.5

As founders contribute their monetisation decisions, you'll see what people at your exact stage are doing too.