Indie Dev Pricing Strategy 2.0 — Freemium Design and Upsell Mechanics
"What should I charge?" is the wrong question. "Where do I put the wall?" is the right one.
Freemium Design Principles
Free plan = enough value to make users feel the product
Paid plan = features that users naturally want when they want more
Types of walls:
Quantity limit → Free: 3 projects / Paid: unlimited
Feature limit → Free: core features / Paid: AI analysis & export
Storage limit → Free: 1GB / Paid: 10GB
Team limit → Free: solo / Paid: team collaboration
Design rules:
- Place the wall where users need it right now (gating future features doesn't work)
- Let users feel "wow, this is useful" on the free plan — then hit the wall
- Build a structure where 90%+ of users who cross the wall never go back to free
Upsell Timing
// Track usage in Supabase and prompt at the right moment
Future<void> checkUpgradePrompt(String userId) async {
final { data } = await supabase
.from('usage_stats')
.select('project_count, task_count')
.eq('user_id', userId)
.single();
final projectCount = data['project_count'] as int;
// Suggest upgrade at 80% of the free limit
if (projectCount >= 2) { // 80% of free limit of 3
_showUpgradeHint('1 project left before you hit the limit. Go unlimited with Pro.');
}
}
Setting Your Price
Target: $70k/year revenue
$7/mo × 833 users = $5,831/mo = $69,972/yr
$14/mo × 417 users = same
$35/mo × 167 users = same
417–833 paid users is a realistic goal for an indie product.
A/B Testing Prices:
// Price A/B test via Supabase
final userGroup = userId.hashCode % 2; // 0 or 1
final price = userGroup == 0 ? 7 : 10; // USD
// Measure which group converts better
await supabase.from('price_experiments').insert({
'user_id': userId,
'group': userGroup,
'price': price,
'shown_at': DateTime.now().toIso8601String(),
});
Churn Prevention
Top reasons for cancellation:
1. Stopped using it (engagement dropped)
2. Felt too expensive (perceived value decreased)
3. Switched to a competitor
Countermeasures:
1. Auto-email after 30 days of no login (Resend API)
2. Offer "pause" before cancellation (50% off for 3 months)
3. Always ask for cancellation reason (just 1 question)
// Edge Function: churning-user-email
// Email users inactive for 30+ days
const inactiveUsers = await supabase
.from('profiles')
.select('email, name')
.lt('last_active_at', new Date(Date.now() - 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString())
.eq('plan', 'pro');
for (const user of inactiveUsers) {
await resend.emails.send({
from: 'noreply@myapp.com',
to: user.email,
subject: `Hey ${user.name}, how have you been?`,
html: winbackEmailTemplate(user),
});
}
Summary
Wall design → 4 types: quantity / feature / storage / team + prompt at 80%
Pricing → back-calculate from revenue target + always A/B test
Churn prevention → 30-day inactivity email + pause option + exit survey
Price is the highest-leverage growth dial. A 1% price optimization beats a 1% user growth, every time.