In AI, freemium has actually become the most rational irrational strategy we’ve got.
Your freemium is your marketing expense, not a cost center.
Freemium doesn’t work unless value lands before the friction of needing to pay.
Lovable currently has a solid 3-5% freemium-to-paid conversion rate.
The upgrade trigger is everything
The goal is to set the trigger late enough that the user understands the value, but not so late that you’ve given all the value away and now you’re upside-down on LLM costs.
Freemium isn’t just about free users - it’s about strategically giving your product away across the entire user lifecycle.
AI products decay the moment usage stops. Down you drop into the Forgettable Zone and suddenly your competitors have the opportunity to sneak in. Even a few little “free tastes” keep product usage in motion.
Freemium-powered growth at Lovable
Freemium users are your loudest marketers
Free users always have the highest NPS.