... away too much. My rough rule: if a free user can get 80% of the value without ever paying, something is off. The free tier should be genuinely useful, but leave an obvious gap that power users will feel. Time-limited trials never felt right to me either. You're basically asking someone to evaluate your product under pressure. Usage-based limits feel fairer; you get a real taste, but the ceiling is natural. Comment from Daigo Kusunoki(@daigo_kusunoki2 ... ... free. I built a Mac menu bar app called TokenBar that tracks AI spending across 20+ providers. The free/paid split was tough but I landed on: Basic tier ($5 one-time