I made my Google Meet video-background extension free, here's the reasoning
A few months ago I built MeetMoves, a Chrome extension that lets you use any video or GIF as your Google Meet background (Meet only allows still images and a few presets natively).
I originally put a $1 one-time unlock on it. It was quietly getting installs with zero marketing, but almost nobody paid, the crypto-only checkout was the wall.
So I flipped it: removed the paywall entirely, made it free for everyone, shipped v6.0. The logic:
- Distribution first. A $1 wall on an unknown tool kills the top of the funnel more than it earns.
- Real monetization comes later, a "Pro background library" tier (ready-made looping backgrounds) that only makes sense once there's a user base to sell to.
- Free + genuinely useful is what gets you recommended, in roundups, by other makers, and increasingly by AI assistants when someone asks "how do I get a video background in Google Meet."
Now I'm in the distribution phase: Reddit, dev.to, a few directories, and testing whether AI assistants start citing it for the buyer-intent queries.
Try it (free, no OBS or virtual camera): https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/meetmoves/pcihfjkbfcfademdaplkhmgngdlkfepg
Happy to answer anything about the build (Manifest V3 content script that patches Meet's hidden file input) or the free-vs-paid call.
The shift from a paid utility to free is interesting, especially since you already had organic installs. It’ll be interesting to see what changes once the paywall is gone.