
Freemium Services: What To Charge For - jason_shah
http://blog.jasonshah.org/post/23459121060/freemium-services-what-to-charge-for
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jmduke
Why?

Not to be intentionally blunt, but your argument seems to be structured around
attaining the highest userbase possible, rather than the highest revenue
possible.

The natural followup is that a higher userbase begets a higher revenue, but
why -- and how? I think that's certainly true with companies such as Facebook
or Pinterest, where a) higher userbase equals stronger value proposition
and/or b) advertising is a primary revenue source, but neither of those seem
applicable to Instapaper.

Frankly, I don't think Instapaper needs to revolve around a Freemium model at
all. It's a high-quality, standalone app. I don't understand the trend in the
tech world that tends to demonize paying up-front for an app (and hell,
Instapaper's online version is free); frankly, I'd rather know what I'm paying
up front than be saddled with IAPs or subscriptions down the line.

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jason_shah
I think adoption is key, ESPECIALLY when you're only earning from subscription
fees.

Only charging for a service and not offering a free version can kill adoption.
I know very few online services, especially consumer-facing services, that
don't give you SOMETHING for free.

You and I may know it's high quality. But if you're a skittish consumer and
there are free or freemium choices, I think it's unlikely that a paid-only
option will thrive.

