7 Ways to Make Money from Your App

1. Subscriptions

Charge monthly or yearly for access. Best for apps with ongoing value.

Pros:

• Predictable revenue
• Aligned with providing value over time
• Higher lifetime value per customer

Cons:

• Need to justify ongoing payment
• Churn is a constant challenge
• Requires continuous improvement

How to implement: Stripe subscriptions are built into Spawned.

2. One-Time Purchases

Charge once for permanent access. Works for tools and digital products.

Pros:

• Simple to understand
• No ongoing billing complexity
• Users like owning things

Cons:

• No recurring revenue
• Need constant new customers
• Harder to fund ongoing development

3. Freemium

Free basic version, paid for premium features.

Pros:

• Low barrier to try
• Viral potential
• Converts proven users

Cons:

• Most users never pay
• Need to balance free vs paid features
• Support costs for free users

4. Usage-Based

Charge based on how much they use. Common for APIs and tools.

Pros:

• Fair - pay for what you use
• Scales with customer success
• Low barrier to start

Cons:

• Unpredictable revenue
• Customers might limit usage
• Complex billing

5. Token Economics

Launch a token that captures value from your ecosystem.

Pros:

• Aligns incentives with users
• Community becomes investors
• New monetization mechanisms

Cons:

• Regulatory complexity
• Volatile
• Not appropriate for all apps

6. Advertising

Show ads to users. Works for high-traffic, free apps.

Pros:

• Users don't pay directly
• Scales with traffic
• Passive once set up

Cons:

• Need lots of traffic
• Hurts user experience
• Low revenue per user

7. Services

Sell services alongside your product. Consulting, implementation, custom work.

Pros:

• High value per customer
• Builds relationships
• Feedback for product

Cons:

• Doesn't scale
• Distracts from product
• Different skill set

Choosing Your Model

Consider:

• What does your competition charge?
• What's your customer's budget?
• How much ongoing value do you provide?
• What's simplest to start?

Start with one model. Optimize it. Add more later if needed.