I'm finalizing the plans for my new software tool and I've been researching different saas pricing models. The choice between a simple flat rate, a per-user fee, or a usage-based tier feels huge, and I'm worried about picking one that either leaves money on the table or scares away early customers. How do you even begin to test this before launch?
Good move treating pricing as a hypothesis, not a vow. Try 2–3 price points for the same feature set and run quick landing-page tests to compare signups and intent to buy. Tie each price to a concrete benefit and watch the click-throughs and ambitions, not just the numbers. Which segment are you aiming at?
Be wary of relying on signups alone; you want to see actual purchasing intent. If you can, do a mock checkout or a waitlist with a locked price and see who would pay. Also test annual vs monthly; people treat annual as a discount but it's a signal of commitment. Does that make sense for your audience?
Two simple experiments: 1) flat-rate vs per-user; 2) usage-based tier vs flat. Use Stripe checkout or a simple form in a dev env to capture 'would you purchase' plus actual payment intent. Track CAC-like metrics, even if rough. Which model would be easiest to prototype first?
Keep the tests small but representative. Run traffic from your target user group; avoid generic audience. Use a landing page with 2 pricing options and a few value bullets; measure drop-off at the checkout step. Think that would give you signals rather than vanity numbers?
Plan a clean 3-week sprint: Week 1 define hypotheses, Week 2 build pages and run tests, Week 3 analyze and pick a model (with caveats); iterate. What price range are you considering?
Also consider bundle/tiers later; maybe start with a single plan and a founder’s discount to attract early adopters; price sensitivity varies by market; plan for a price increase later using value-based pricing. Would a founder discount feel fair to early users?