Why I Switched to Scan Credits

Hey Indie Hackers 👋

I’m building TrackMySitemap — a tool that scans and analyzes your website's sitemap for SEO issues (like pages blocked in robots.txt, missing from sitemap.xml, poor structure, etc).

The problem I ran into:

Originally, scans ran on a cron-based system, depending on subscription level (e.g., weekly for Starter, daily for Pro). It was simple but had two issues:

1. Users wanted more control — not everyone wants automatic scans.

2. It felt abstract — users weren’t sure what they were paying for or what would happen next.

So I switched to a Scan Credits model

Now users can launch scans manually, and each scan costs a credit. This made things:

• Clearer: "1 scan = 1 credit"

• More flexible: You use credits when you need

• Easier to explain in pricing

Next step: pricing model

Right now I’m thinking about:

• Monthly Plan – $15/mo for active users

• Lifetime Plan – $100 one-time for early adopters (includes a certain number of scan credits)

• Free Tier – for trial/lead gen (limited scans & features)

My questions for you:

• Have you tried credit-based models in your SaaS? Did it help retention or clarity?

• What do you think about offering both monthly and lifetime pricing?
  Does this make the offer clearer or more confusing?

• Any examples of tools you love that nailed this balance?

Would love to hear your feedback — and if you're curious, the app is live:
https://trackmysitemap.com