Why we just killed our standard SaaS pricing (Tiers vs. Credits)

We recently hit 200+ users, and we noticed a painful pattern in our data that forced us to rethink our entire business model.

The Old Model: Rigid Tiers We started with the classic "Good, Better, Best" pricing structure:

• Starter: Limited to 300 Creations.

• Pro: Jumps to 1200 Creations + 6 Coworker Seats.

• Premium: Unlimited Creations + AI Marketing tools.

The Problem: The "Upsell Trap" Customers were getting stuck between tiers. We realized that Volume ≠ Feature Needs. Some users wanted to scale their content production (going beyond the 300 creation limit of Starter) but they were solo founders who had zero use for the "6 Coworkers Access" included in the Pro plan. Forcing them to double their subscription just for volume was a major churn magnet.

The Pivot: Hybrid (Tiers + Credits) 🔄 We decided to separate Usage from Features.

• Killed the 7-day trial → Introduced a Free Perpetual Plan (easier onboarding).

• Tiers + Credits System: Now, you pay for what you use. Need to train a specialized model? That costs credits. Just need simple posts? That costs fewer credits.

• Flexibility: You can stay on a lower tier for the basic features but top-up credits for high-volume months.

The New Challenge Users are happier because they aren't "overpaying" for features they don't touch. However, we are noticing a new hurdle: "Credit Math" fatigue. Users are used to flat monthly fees. Asking them to convert their goals into "Credit Costs" takes mental energy and acculturation, but we believe that the whole market is moving toward "Pay as you go"

Founders: Have you experimented with Usage-Based pricing? Does the "cognitive load" of calculating credits hurt your conversion, or does the flexibility outweigh it? 👇