Two PLG SaaS branches — pick based on product and market.
Freemium
- Permanent free tier exists - Upgrades driven by advanced features, capacity, team size - Examples: Notion, Slack, HubSpot CRM, Figma, Canva - **Pros**: unlimited viral loops, low CAC - **Cons**: free-user support cost, low upgrade conversion (2–5%)
Free Trial
- 7/14/30-day time-limited free - Pay or delete after the period - Examples: Linear, Monday.com, Mixpanel - **Pros**: clear decision pressure, high upgrade rate (20–40%) - **Cons**: limited trial window, weaker viral loops
Selection criteria
- **High-frequency use + network effects**: Freemium (Notion) - **Heavy initial setup + immediate value**: Free Trial (Monday.com) - **Complex B2B + enterprise sales**: both (PLG + Sales) - **Korea/Japan markets**: both work, but local payment gateway is required
Hybrid (Reverse Trial)
Recent trend: all Pro features for 30 days, then auto-downgrade to Free. HubSpot and Notion are experimenting.