In marketing talks, LTDs pop up as a go-to strategy for attracting users.
But the thought of ongoing support for those customers weighs on my mind. It’s not just about acquiring users; it’s the long-term costs we have to think about too.
Am I seeing this all wrong?
Ran LTDs on three apps - here’s what really happened with support costs.
Heavy support users churn within 6-12 months anyway. LTD customers who stay are power users who solve their own problems.
Support tickets didn’t kill us - feature requests did. LTD customers expect free updates forever and get loud when you slow development. That’s the real hidden cost.
If you do LTDs, cap them at current features. Make major updates paid for everyone.
LTDs bring in cash but support never ends
You’re right to worry about support costs, but LTDs work if you run the numbers first. Price it to cover 3-5 years of support plus your profit margin. Most LTD buyers actually need less support than monthly subscribers anyway. The real win is getting cash upfront to reinvest in growth. Just make sure your product’s solid before doing LTDs and only offer them during limited windows.
The support concern’s legit, but most LTD customers actually fade away and use way less support than active subscribers.
I price mine at about 2 years of monthly pricing. This covers support costs and gives me cash upfront to reinvest. The ones who stick around long-term usually love the product and become amazing word-of-mouth referrals.