How Should I Transition My Free Chrome Extension to a Premium Model?
Hey everyone! 👋
I recently launched my first-ever Chrome extension, TaskQueue, which is a simple tool for setting up focused/deep work sessions and managing tasks. Right now, it’s completely free, and I’m focusing on getting feedback and improving the MVP.
I’m planning to roll out a premium version in the next month or so, with features like recurring tasks, batch task additions, and task breakdowns. However, I’m not sure how to approach this transition and would love some advice:
Managing Premium Users: How do you handle premium users within a Chrome extension? Are there specific tools or frameworks that make this easier?
Pricing: What’s a good way to decide on pricing for premium features? Should I go monthly, yearly, or offer a one-time purchase?
Free vs. Premium Features: How do you strike a balance between keeping the free version valuable while offering enough to make the premium upgrade worthwhile?
Rollout Tips: Any advice for transitioning from free to premium without alienating early users or losing momentum?
I’m still new to all of this, so any tips, resources, or examples from your own experiences would be super helpful. Thanks in advance! 😊
Your extension has just launched, but it currently has no users. My advice? Shift your focus away from premium features and pricing for now, and concentrate on marketing. As an indie developer, honing these skills will be essential for your success.
Thanks for the recommendation, I am currently making my main focus on marketing the free version but wanted to ask this question to help with future planning but i agree with you and appreciate your advice. All the best.
To address your other questions:
I recommend keeping your current functionality free while introducing some future features as part of a premium model. Determining which features to offer for free and which to charge for will require experimentation and careful tracking of user conversions. Alternatively, consider directly asking your users for their input.
It's essential to provide both monthly and yearly pricing options. While one-time purchases can be appealing, I advise against them if your extension has a SaaS component.
You'll also need to choose a payment provider. As I'm currently navigating this process myself, I've published a brief review here:
https://viktorbresan.blogspot.com/2025/01/comparing-payment-provider-fees-and.html
Thanks, I agree with this, I think a yearly option will be very useful for me to get quick revenue to deploy into newsletter ads which I have seen perform well for other extensions. I have been thinking about using paddle to handle the payments and subscription side of things whilst I look at other options, thank you for sharing.
Paddle appears to offer the lowest fees, which is crucial for anyone launching a new product. I'm considering jumping that boat with my own extension as well!