Most software companies spend the majority of their budget on two things: development and marketing. Add affiliate commissions to the mix, and you'll find that actual infrastructure costs (servers, storage, bandwidth) are often just a fraction of the total.
This creates an interesting dynamic. When your biggest expenses aren't tied to individual users, but to building and promoting the product itself, the traditional "charge everyone" model starts to look outdated.
A large free user base isn't a cost center, it's one of our most valuable assets. Every free user helps us in three important ways:
Free usage also lowers friction and accelerates adoption. This creates network effects that compound over time, making the product stronger for everyone who uses it.
Many software companies spend enormous effort on activities unrelated to their core product: content marketing, lead magnets, SEO campaigns, webinars, ebooks, the list goes on.
At Meetgen, we take a different approach. We dedicate 100% of our time to building and improving the core product. No distractions. No side projects to chase users.
This only works because our pricing model doesn't require us to convert everyone into a paying customer. We can focus purely on making Meetgen genuinely useful, and let the product speak for itself.
Here's a truth about software: at scale, infrastructure becomes remarkably cheap. Could a power user who heavily uses Meetgen technically cost us more than they pay? Possibly. But the key to a profitable software product is overall profitability, not maximizing revenue from every individual user.
In software, market penetration and user base are far more important than short-term revenue optimization. Software products become truly profitable at scale, and you only reach scale by removing barriers to adoption.
By charging only for advanced features, we keep Meetgen accessible to everyone while monetizing the users who extract the most value. This isn't a compromise, it's the design.
High-value users naturally self-select into paid plans. This allows us to focus our resources on building the features that matter most to the people who need them most.
Complex pricing creates confusion. Confusion creates hesitation. Hesitation kills adoption.
Our pricing is simple by design. You can start using Meetgen without worrying about hidden costs, usage limits that suddenly kick in, or surprise bills. What you see is what you get.
Our model is built for longevity. Long-term sustainability comes from a balance of scale (free users) and monetization (pro users),not from maximizing every individual user's payment.
This balance means we can keep investing in the product, keep supporting our users, and keep Meetgen running for years to come. No venture capital pressure to "monetize harder." No desperation moves that hurt the user experience.
Just a sustainable business model that works for us and works for you.