Building an app is easy in 2025. Building a revenue engine isn’t.
Founders still launch amazing products with weak monetisation foundations, vague pricing, generic freemium models, copy-pasted UX, and no path to sustainable growth. The result? Slow MRR, low conversions, and long fundraising cycles.
This guide breaks down 2025’s most effective app monetisation strategies with real founder-ready examples so you can confidently choose what fits your product, and not what’s trending.
The Best App Monetisation Strategies in 2025
1. Freemium Done Right (Not the 2015 Kind)
Freemium works in 2025, but only when it’s value-aligned, not “feature-limited.”
How modern freemium works:
- Give users full access to a core outcome
- Lock advanced workflows behind paid plans
- Use value moments to trigger upgrades (not annoying pop-ups)
Example:
Notion’s new AI workflows let users experience meaningful productivity gains for free. Once they start automating docs at scale, that’s where the paywall appears.
Note:
If your free users never hit an “aha moment,” your freemium model is costing you money.
2. Usage-Based Pricing (UBP): The 2025 Default for B2B SaaS
Startups and enterprises both prefer UBP because it aligns pricing with value delivered, not arbitrary limits.
Why it works:
- Reduces onboarding friction for early users
- Scales naturally with customer growth
- Easier procurement approval because spend feels “earned”
Example:
OpenAI, Twilio, and Stripe all dominate because their pricing flexes with usage. The more value you get, the more you pay.
Founder Scenario:
If your app has clear units of consumption (messages, scans, tasks, API calls), UBP can dramatically increase LTV.
3. Tiered Subscription Plans: Great for Predictable Revenue
Still one of the most stable and scalable models for SaaS and consumer apps.
How to structure it in 2025:
- Starter Tier: Single users, basic workflows
- Growth Tier: Collaboration, integrations, analytics
- Pro Tier: Automation, AI features, admin controls
Example:
Figma’s tiering works because each plan unlocks a new level of capability, not random extras.
Pro Tip:
Your mid-tier should be the “money maker.” Anchor pricing around it.
4. Transaction Fees & Marketplace Cuts
If your product connects buyers and sellers, this is your strongest monetisation path, especially in 2025’s creator economy.
Example:
ClassPass-style platforms now charge dynamic fees based on demand, location, or niche.
Founder Scenario:
If you run a marketplace, avoid the mistake of charging too early. First, prove value → then gradually introduce transaction fees once buyers and sellers depend on your ecosystem.
5. Premium AI Features (The Fastest-Growing Revenue Channel in 2025)
AI is no longer a “feature.” It’s now a value multiplier.
AI monetises beautifully when:
- It saves time
- It reduces errors
- It reveals insights users couldn’t access manually
Examples:
- Canva charges for AI-driven design automation
- Grammarly upsells on tone and rewrite features
- Fitness apps charge extra for AI-personalised plans
Founder Insight:
Avoid adding AI for the sake of hype. Price the specific transformation.
6. In-App Purchases (IAPs): Still a Goldmine for Consumer Apps
Works best for fitness, gaming, education, and habit-building apps.
Modern IAP examples:
- Duolingo selling streak repairs
- Headspace selling themed meditation packs
- Games offering seasonal passes instead of small one-off items
What founders often get wrong:
Too many small IAPs feel manipulative. Fewer, high-value IAPs outperform in 2025.
7. Advertising - Smarter, More Contextual, Less Annoying
Ads still work, but only if your UX isn’t compromised.
New-age ad strategies:
- Rewarded ads (watch X → get Y)
- Contextual ads (not creepy tracking)
- “Light ad mode” for free users
Example:
Calm runs ads only at natural breakpoints so the user never feels interrupted.
Choosing the Right Monetisation Strategy (A Simple Decision Framework)
Ask these three questions:
1. What value does the user get immediately vs. over time?
If immediate → IAPs, AI upsells.
If compounding → subscriptions.
2. Is the product individual-use or collaboration-heavy?
Individual → freemium or IAPs.
Team-based → tiered SaaS pricing.
3. Does usage vary wildly between users?
Yes → usage-based pricing.
No → predictable tiers.
This framework alone helps most founders avoid months of guesswork.
Common Monetisation Mistakes (That Kill Revenue)
- Offering too much for free
- Pricing without testing 3–5 variations
- Ignoring upgrade triggers in the UX
- Copying competitors blindly
- No alignment between value delivered & price paid
If your pricing feels “made up,” your users will sense it.
Where Pardy Panda Studios Fits In
A strong monetisation strategy isn’t built at the end.
It’s crafted during product architecture, UX, and feature planning.
At Pardy Panda Studios, we help founders:
- Validate monetisation models before development
- Build paywall-ready UX
- Set up value loops that naturally produce conversions
- Design scalable subscription, AI, and usage-based systems
If you want your app to make money from day one, and not “someday”, You need this level of intentionality.
Ready to Build a Monetisation-Ready App?
If you’re planning to build or scale an app in 2025, let’s talk.
Book a strategy call with Pardy Panda Studios, and we’ll help you design a pricing, feature, and monetisation system that actually converts.
FAQ: App Monetisation Strategies (2025 Edition)
1. What is the most profitable app monetisation strategy in 2025?
Usage-based pricing and premium AI features are leading in profitability because they scale directly with user value and adoption.
2. Should early-stage startups launch with freemium?
Only if your free tier drives clear “aha moments.” Otherwise, freemium increases costs without boosting conversions.
3. How do I know if subscriptions are right for my app?
If user value increases over time (habit, workflow, collaboration, or data accumulation), subscriptions are ideal.
4. How long does it take to validate a monetisation model?
Most founders can validate 70–80% of a monetisation model with prototypes, user interviews, and small experiments, even before writing a single line of code.
