So, you’ve made something.
A tool, a platform, a service.
Maybe you’ve got a few users. Maybe even a few hundred.
People are saying nice things.
“Hey, this is useful.”
“I love the clean interface!”
“I use it every day.”
But here’s the question that creeps in late at night:
“How the heck do I turn this into actual money?”
If that’s where you’re at, welcome. You’re in the same boat as every founder, indie maker, and product person I’ve ever met — including me.
Let’s talk through this in plain English. No fluff, no jargon. Just real options, with real pros and cons.
Let Me Introduce You to Nahid
Nahid built a super handy online invoice generator. Simple, fast, made for people who don’t want to touch Excel ever again.
People loved it.
They shared it.
They kept coming back.
But there was a problem:
The money wasn’t coming in.
He asked himself:
- Should I charge monthly?
- Should I keep it free and show ads?
- Maybe let people pay once and own it forever?
He wasn’t alone. Most of us start here.
What Are Your Options?
Here are the 4 most common ways to charge for a product — the good, the bad, and the realistic.
1. Subscription Model
People pay monthly or yearly to keep using your product.
Great if:
You’re building something people use often — like a design tool, newsletter platform, or team dashboard.
Good examples:
Netflix, Canva, Notion.
Things to think about:
- You need to keep giving value every single month.
- People are tired of subscriptions — so it better be worth it.
2. Freemium Model
The base version is free. Want more? Pay for it.
Great if:
You want to grow fast, get lots of users, and let your product sell itself.
Good examples:
Spotify, Figma, Trello.
Things to think about:
- Most users will stay on the free plan forever.
- You’ll need to be smart about what to lock behind the paywall.
3. One-Time Payment
Pay once, own it forever. No strings attached.
Great if:
You’re selling a tool people don’t need to use daily. Or you hate monthly billing drama.
Good examples:
Many WordPress themes and lifetime plugin deals.
Things to think about:
- It’s nice for users, but tough for long-term revenue.
- You’ll constantly need new customers.
4. Pay-As-You-Go
People pay based on how much they use.
Great if:
Your product is usage-heavy (like an API, server time, or SMS).
Good examples:
AWS, Twilio, DigitalOcean.
Things to think about:
- Flexible for users.
- Your revenue will jump up and down — a lot.
So What Did Nahid Do?
He started simple:
- Gave people a 14-day free trial to explore the product.
- Offered a monthly plan for regular users.
- Threw in a one-time lifetime deal for folks who don’t like subscriptions.
- Slowly moved key features behind the paid wall.
He tested, tweaked, and talked to users. And things started to click.
What Should You Do?
Ask yourself:
- Do people need your product regularly? → Subscription might work.
- Are you trying to grow a big audience fast? → Freemium could help.
- Want to keep it simple and low-touch? → Try one-time purchase.
- Do your costs grow as usage grows? → Pay-as-you-go might make sense.
There’s no perfect answer. Sometimes the right move is mixing models, like Nahid did.
Here’s the Thing…
You don’t need a 40-page strategy deck to start.
Just pick a model, test it, talk to users, and adjust.
If you’re stuck — I get it.
It’s not easy turning an idea into a business.
But you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
If you’ve got a product and you’re wondering:
“How do I turn this into something profitable?”
👉 Let’s chat. I’ve been there. And I’d be glad to help.
Drop me a message. No pitch, no pressure — just a real talk about making your work sustainable.
