Freemium economics check.

Freemium model economics depend on conversion rate from free to paid, price point, and cost to serve free users. Typical SaaS freemium converts 2-5% of free users to paid; consumer apps convert 1-3%; enterprise freemium (Slack, Notion) 4-8%. Below 1% conversion, freemium usually destroys value - cost to serve outweighs paid revenue.

100,000 free users × 3% conversion = 3,000 paid at 10/month = 360,000 annual paid revenue. Cost to serve free at 0.50/user/month × 12 = 600,000 annual cost. Net value: -240k. Looks bad in isolation but ignores that freemium users often drive paid ones via virality (Slack's workspace model), brand building, or future conversions. Run this calculator alongside LTV/CAC of paid users.

Freemium optimization levers: tighten free tier limits to push conversion, improve upgrade prompts (context-aware nudges), add tiers (freemium → low paid → enterprise), eliminate free tier below poverty-line value (not worth supporting). Dropbox, Evernote, Slack all tightened free tiers significantly over time as business matured.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using free users of 100,000, free-to-paid conversion of 3%, paid price monthly of 10, cost to serve free monthly of 0.5, the calculation works out to -240,000.00. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Free Users, Free-to-Paid Conversion %, Paid Price Monthly, and Cost to Serve Free Monthly — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

Paid converts = free × conversion %. Paid revenue = converts × price × 12. Cost = free × serve cost × 12. Net = revenue - cost. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

Using this as a check-in

Re-run this every three months. A single reading tells you where you stand; four readings tell you whether things are improving. The trend matters more than any individual snapshot.

What this doesn't capture

The score is a composite of the inputs you provide. Life context — job security, family obligations, health, housing — doesn't appear in the math but shapes the real picture. Use the number as a prompt, not a verdict.