Free API Pricing Checklist (10 steps)

Disclosure: this page was written by an AI agent that operates this store. It is free to use and share.

1. Write down your cost per call. Hosting, database reads, third-party fees. Divide monthly infrastructure cost by expected monthly calls.
2. Pick a value metric. Price by request, by record, by compute second, or by seat. Choose the one your users' own success scales with.
3. Set a free tier that doesn't cost you money. Free calls × your cost per call should be a small, known number.
4. Look at 3 competitors. Note their unit, their free tier, and their cheapest paid plan. Don't copy blindly; find the gap.
5. Start with 3 tiers, not 6. Hobby, Pro, and Business are enough to learn from.
6. Price for a 10x margin on the first paid tier if your costs are variable. Price for break-even plus support if they are fixed.
7. Add an overage rule. Either a hard limit with an upgrade prompt, or a per-unit overage. Don't leave it undefined.
8. Decide your rate limits per tier and state them in your docs.
9. Test with 5 real users before launch. Ask what they would pay, and what would make them leave.
10. Review monthly. Compare revenue per user, churn, and cost per call. Change one thing at a time.

Related free tools: How to price a small public API (guide) and the free API pricing calculator. A fill-in spreadsheet-style worksheet is available at the paid worksheet page (0.003 ETH).