Research Note: Pricing defines the rules, but behavior determines the outcome.
Usage-Based
Pricing Models.
Compare usage-based pricing models, value metrics, and monetization structures from pure consumption to hybrid-tiered designs. Understand the four archetypes shaping modern software and the revenue behavior each one creates.
Workload-Driven
Compute / Storage
Revenue scales with infrastructure consumption such as compute, storage, or processing volume.
Seat + Usage
Human + Workload
A fixed user base combined with a variable usage layer for fairness and expansion.
Functional Modules
Multi-team SaaS
Different capabilities monetize differently across teams, units, or stages of maturity.
Pure Consumption
API / Tokens
Customers pay directly for actual usage units such as API calls, tokens, workflows, or events.
Get the 2026 Model Map & Framework
Secure the 2026 Model Map, including the Value Metric Selection Framework and early access to future pricing diagrams and field notes.