Do Companies Remove Their Free Plan? What the Detected Experiments Show?
- By Ali Abouelatta
- n = 10
- Published
- Updated
- 2 min read
- pricing · monetization · saas · experiments · trials
Short answer
Only 10 detected experiments across 8 companies in Lazyweb's 4,814-experiment corpus touch a 'free plan' or 'free tier' — and roughly half are strengthening the free plan, not removing it.source[1] With a sample this small, treat this as a set of named examples, not a trend.
Just 10 detected experiments across 8 companies touch a free plan or free tier, and about half strengthen rather than remove it — Lazyweb Research, July 2026.
The finding: free-plan changes are rare and mixed
Free-plan removal is the smallest tactic in this family: 10 detected experiments across 8 companies mention 'free plan' or 'free tier.'source[1] Because the sample is tiny, Lazyweb publishes absolute counts only — no percentages — and flags that roughly half of the matches are free-plan strengthening, not removal.source[2] There is no directional consensus to report here.
A named counter-example
Clay removed a qualifier from its free plan — changing 'Free WITH CREDIT CARD' to just 'Free.'source[3] Inferred rationale: a truly gate-free entry point maximizes top-of-funnel volume that later upgrade prompts can monetize. This is the opposite of removing the free plan — it makes the free plan easier to reach — which is exactly why the 10-experiment bucket can't be read as a 'companies are killing free plans' signal.
How to apply it
Do not use this corpus to justify removing your free plan; the evidence is too thin and points both ways.source[1]source[2] The one usable pattern is the Clay-style move: reducing friction on the free tier (dropping a credit-card gate) to widen the top of funnel.source[3] For a real free-plan decision, lean on your own funnel data rather than these 10 examples.
Caveats
At n=10 / 8 companies this barely clears the reporting bar; no percentages, no direction split, no retention proxy.source[1]source[2] These are detected UI diffs with inferred rationale, not measured outcomes.
Real in-market screens
Screens from real, in-market apps, tracked by Lazyweb Research.
Airfun1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Alphanovel1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Facetune1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Onx Hunt1179 × 2556opens the full image
The numbers
| # | Stat | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | 10 free-plan/free-tier experiments across 8 companies | tactic_mentions__free_plan_removal |
| [2] | ~half of matches strengthen the free plan rather than remove it | smallSampleWarnings: free-plan removal — half are free-plan strengthening |
| [3] | Clay changed 'Free WITH CREDIT CARD' → 'Free' | qualitative: free-plan removal counter-example, clay, 2026-07-04 |
Methodology
Universe: 4,814 detected experiments (362 companies) in Lazyweb's ~800-app mobile corpus. Free-plan tagged by 'free plan'/'free tier' keyword match; n=10 across 8 companies — absolute counts only, no percentages. Detected diffs with inferred rationale, not measured results. July 2026 pull.
Sources
- [1]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 4,814 detected experiments (362 companies, mobile-app corpus), July 2026
10 experiments mention 'free plan' or 'free tier' across 8 companies — small sample, absolute counts only.
- [2]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 4,814 detected experiments (362 companies, mobile-app corpus), July 2026
Roughly half of the 10 matches are free-plan strengthening, not removal.
- [3]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 4,814 detected experiments (362 companies, mobile-app corpus), July 2026
Clay (2026-07-04): removed the credit-card qualifier from its free plan.
Source: Lazyweb Research — proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens. Cite as Lazyweb Research, 2026-07-07.