The hottest SaaS Pricing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

The changing buy vs. build calculus for security

Frankly Speaking • 152 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🕹 Technology SaaS Pricing
  1. AI gives engineers a 5–10x productivity boost, so teams can now build custom security tools that used to be bought; vendors must offer clear, hard-to-replicate value or risk being replaced.
  2. Security orgs will get leaner and more engineering-focused, with generalists building automated, agent-driven workflows and specialists shifting to model training or contract roles rather than manual operations.
  3. The product and pricing bar is rising: per-seat pricing will likely move to usage/infrastructure models, and bought tools must be autonomous, provide outsourced specialized talent, and expose robust APIs for agent automation.

So you want to buy your first AI product

Generating Conversation • 93 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
🕹 Technology SaaS Pricing
  1. Know what you want before buying an AI product. It helps to have clear priorities so you can find something that fits your needs well.
  2. Understand the pricing structure of AI products. They should be priced based on the value they provide, not just access, to ensure you're getting a good deal.
  3. Don't rush into a purchase. Take your time to evaluate different options and don't settle for something that doesn't meet your business purpose.

Hubspot's Pricing Evolution

Good Better Best • 5 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. Hubspot's pricing strategy evolved over the years with various models like flat rate, usage tiers, and freemium.
  2. Pricing pages are crucial for positioning a brand clearly to potential customers.
  3. Understanding power law pricing and avoiding discounts can be beneficial for SaaS companies.
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State of SaaS Pricing with Alvaro Morales, CEO of Orb

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. SaaS companies like Squarespace, Clearbit, and Slack are making pricing changes to align value metrics, add features, and adjust discounts.
  2. Interest in pricing is growing in the SaaS industry due to the impact on revenue, customer-centricity, and the need for efficient business growth.
  3. Orb, a developer-centric billing engine, aims to make pricing a product by offering tools for iterative pricing changes and flexible billing structures.

Beware of Price Cliffs

Good Better Best • 4 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. Pricing changes shouldn't be scary - customer pushback can be handled confidently.
  2. Identify pricing thresholds ('price cliffs') where demand could drop sharply.
  3. When messaging customers about a price increase, explain reasons clearly and offer options to adjust their plan.

SaaS Pricing Themes for 2024

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. SaaS products can be categorized as Staples (essential) or Discretionary (luxury/nonessential).
  2. There is a trend of companies moving from Freemium to Free Trials for profitability.
  3. Hybrid motions combining PLG and SLG are becoming more popular in SaaS.

Little Bets

Good Better Best • 3 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. Start with small-scale experimentation rather than top-down planning.
  2. Make iterative changes to your pricing strategy over time.
  3. Polish your pricing page with low-pressure, incremental adjustments.