# Do Companies Remove Their Free Plan? What the Detected Experiments Show?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Author: Ali Abouelatta, Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Updated: July 2026
Sample size: n=10
Category: [Does X work? Tactic-level experiment evidence pages](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/category/does-x-work-tactic-level-experiment-evidence-pages)
Tags: pricing, monetization, saas, experiments, trials
HTML: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-free-plan-changes
Markdown: https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-free-plan-changes.md

**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.[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.'[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.[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.'[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.[1][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.[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.[1][2] These are detected UI diffs with inferred rationale, not measured outcomes.

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| 10 free-plan/free-tier experiments across 8 companies | tactic_mentions__free_plan_removal |
| ~half of matches strengthen the free plan rather than remove it | smallSampleWarnings: free-plan removal — half are free-plan strengthening |
| 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.

## Visual references

Real, in-market app screens tracked by Lazyweb Research:

- Airfun: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/sports9_airfun/backlog/2025_10_20_16-02-25_602B1C0C.png
- Alphanovel: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/uploaded_alphanovel/compare/2026-01-26/1769397810887_IMG_2876.PNG
- Facetune: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/uploaded_facetune/paywall/compare/2026-05-24/1779648476219_00_Facetune-20260524-184755-01.png
- Onx Hunt: https://zlfyzdmohcskkucuunmk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/screenshots/nav11_onx-hunt/lazyscreenshots/2024_05_12_23-11-52_7EFC7BF1.png

## Sources & citations

- [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.

## Related questions

- [Do Companies Remove Pricing Tiers — and How Often Is It Tested?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-pricing-tier-removal)
- [Should You Add or Remove a Discount Badge? What Companies Actually Do When They Iterate?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/should-you-add-or-remove-a-discount-badge-what-companies-do)
- [How Many Detected Experiments Change CTA Copy, and What Do Apps Rewrite It To?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-cta-copy)
- [Do Apps That Add Social Proof to Their Screens Keep It?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/do-apps-that-add-social-proof-keep-it)
- [How Many Detected Experiments Touch Social Proof, and What Changed?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-social-proof)
- [Does Adding Social Proof to the Hero Actually Get Tested?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/does-social-proof-in-the-hero-get-tested)
- [Do 'Limited Time Offer' Countdown Timers Get Rolled Back?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/do-limited-time-countdown-offers-get-rolled-back)
- [How Many Detected Experiments Touch Urgency or Countdown Timers?](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/how-many-experiments-touch-urgency-countdowns)

## Explore the evidence

- [Billing toggle experiment kit](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/billing-toggle-experiment-kit?utm_source=lazyweb&utm_medium=research&utm_campaign=billing-toggle-kit)
- [Cal AI annual-plan and trial presentation](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/cal-ai-paywall-annual-plan-and-trial)
- [Monthly versus annual billing toggles](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/monthly-vs-annual-billing-toggle-pricing)
- [Billing cadence versus plan tiers](https://design.lazyweb.com/blog/annual-billing-toggle-vs-plan-tiers)
- [Cal AI trial-introduction screens](https://design.lazyweb.com/flow/cal-ai/onboarding-paywall)

## Continue your research

[Connect Lazyweb to your coding agent](https://www.lazyweb.com/mcp-install)