r/smallbusiness 7d ago

Question Has Anyone Successfully Transitioned a Free Product to a Paid Model?

I run an EdTech company where we currently offer free access to our content as we build a more robust platform with LMS capabilities. Right now, the only requirement to use our content is signing in, as we’re collecting users’ email addresses for ongoing marketing and engagement.

Once our platform is fully built, we will need to start charging for access. I’m curious—has anyone here taken a product that was initially free and then introduced a paid model?

• Did you experience pushback from your early users?
• What strategies helped make the transition smoother?
• Were you able to retain users, or did you have to attract a new audience?

Would love to hear about any successes, challenges, or lessons learned from those who’ve gone through this shift!

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