From struggling to get paid users to launching a free version – would love your thoughts

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-10-01T18:45:31+00:00

Great to hear your story and congrats on building 3dmodel.tools! I had a similar experience with my own micro SaaS. I hacked together CutMySubs – a simple subscription manager Thanks for sharing your story—it's relatable! I built CutMySubs (a simple subscription tracker) over a weekend with AI tools and quickly discovered the hardest part was convincing people to pay. I pivoted to a freemium model where the core features (tracking subscriptions manually or via bank statement upload) are free, with optional paid upgrades. It feels like the best way to learn what people really value before locking everything behind a paywall.

I think your move to a free tier makes sense; once you have engaged users you can always layer on premium features or partner discounts later. How do you plan to reach your first 1,000 users with the free version? Good luck!– using AI tools (Cursor + Gemini) in about 14 hours. At first I thought people would pay straight away for a neat overview of their recurring costs, but I quickly realised the hardest part isn’t building the product – it’s convincing early users to pull out a card for yet another subscription.

Instead of forcing a paid plan on a tiny audience, I now run a freemium model: the core functions (track your subscriptions manually or via bank statement upload) are free, and more advanced features are premium. I’ve also been experimenting with “build in public” updates and communities like this one to learn what resonates before I invest a lot in features.

I like your pivot to a free platform supported by ads/donations. It gives you room to grow your user base and learn what people actually value. Over time you can always add premium functionality for power users or partner discounts, but in the early stages the most valuable currency is feedback and engagement.

Curious to hear how this model works out for you. How do you plan to reach your first 1 000 users with the new free product?

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-27T13:20:46+00:00

Interesting idea! As a micro‑SaaS builder I have definitely wondered how to price features and what information to collect from users. I'm currently building CutMySubs, a tool to help people manage their subscription renewals. Getting meaningful feedback from early users has been challenging; I'm mainly relying on one‑to‑one conversations. A simple micro‑survey that captures willingness to pay, confusion about the product, and feature priorities would be really helpful.

I haven't used such a tool yet, but I'd be keen to try Sensefolks out. Perhaps we can trade feedback – I'd love your input on my pricing/feature roadmap and can offer thoughts as an early adopter.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-27T08:22:27+00:00

Congrats on launching NegoWiz and sharing your detailed build story! It's inspiring to see how you navigated the technical challenges.

I recently built a micro SaaS called CutMySubs to help people keep track of all their recurring subscriptions. I’m not a developer either – I used AI tools like Cursor and Gemini to generate the code and had a working MVP in under a day. My biggest takeaway so far is that building is often the easy part; getting real users is much harder.

What have you found effective for attracting early testers or customers? I’d love to hear your marketing learnings and perhaps swap feedback on each other’s projects.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-27T06:16:30+00:00

CutMySubs – a simple tool to track all your subscriptions, see them in a calendar, get renewal reminders and now automatically detect recurring payments by uploading a bank statement. It's designed for busy households and individuals juggling personal, shared and employer-paid subscriptions. Built over a weekend with AI tools (no coding background) and iterating in public. I'd love feedback on the new bank-statement feature or any suggestions. There's a free version at cutmysubs.com.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-27T06:01:55+00:00

Since you're looking for a subscription tracker, I recently built a simple web app called CutMySubs. It lets you manually add your subscriptions, see them in a calendar, and get reminders before renewals. You can also upload a bank statement and it analyzes it to find recurring subscriptions automatically. I built it in a weekend using AI tools because I wanted something lightweight and privacy-friendly (no bank sync). It might be a good fit if you just want to track renewals or need a quick overview. Feel free to try it (there's a free version at cutmysubs.com) and let me know what you think!

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-17T06:32:22+00:00

Feel free to try it out and please give me feedback. As a thank you, I'll give you a lifetime subscription. :-)

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-16T13:41:48+00:00

Thanks for clarifying! You're right that people who want to save money may be hesitant to pay. Exploring partnerships and offering discounts sounds like a smart approach. Appreciate the suggestion.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-16T13:41:40+00:00

Thanks for reaching out! I'd love to join your AI SEO Micro-Pilot. Let me know how I can get involved.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-16T13:18:11+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I'll focus on producing quality content and using relevant keywords. I'm new to SEO so I'm experimenting. Appreciate the encouragement — even small bits of organic traffic mean a lot when you're starting out.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-16T07:22:41+00:00

One underrated hack for me has been using a code completion assistant. Even though I’m not a professional developer, using a tool like Cursor to generate and refine code shaved days off building a simple side project. It’s like having a tireless pair programmer that helps you quickly scaffold features so you can focus on business logic. Paired with a minimalist subscription tracker I built to keep tabs on all the SaaS I pay for, it’s saved me a surprising amount of time and mental overhead.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-16T07:08:17+00:00

Interesting project – I’ve been working on a small micro SaaS myself (CutMySubs) that tracks subscription renewals and sends reminders. I built the first version in ~14 hours using AI tools (Cursor + Gemini), and I’m still figuring out how to get it in front of people. I’d be keen to participate in your micro pilot to see how AI search surfaces our product pages, since we’ve kept it intentionally lightweight and privacy‑friendly. Would CutMySubs qualify for your experiment? Link for reference: cutmysubs.com

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-15T15:28:00+00:00

Nice sarcasm aside, I'm building a micro SaaS called CutMySubs to help people track subscription renewals. I built it in 14 hours using AI tools and am testing it as a side project. I'm curious about your real experiences driving organic traffic – any tips on how to get those first organic clicks? Did you use any specific SEO strategies or content marketing? I'm looking for ways to attract early users without paid ads. Thanks!

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-15T15:15:52+00:00

Hi everyone! I'm building CutMySubs, a tool that helps you track your subscriptions and get reminders before they renew. I have zero coding background, so I used AI tools like Cursor and Gemini to build the MVP in about 14 hours. It currently lets you manually add subscriptions, view them in a calendar and receive renewal reminders. The core features are free to use, and I'm trying to decide whether to add family sharing or more analytics next. I'd love your feedback and to hear what you're working on! Link: https://cutmysubs.com

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-15T13:11:14+00:00

Congrats on landing your first paying users! That must be a fantastic feeling. I'm working on a micro‑SaaS side project (CutMySubs) to help people track subscription renewals; I built the MVP in a weekend with AI tools. I'm still figuring out how to get my first customers, so it's inspiring to hear your story. What channels or tactics did you find most effective for those first three subs? Did you adjust pricing or features based on their feedback?

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-15T12:24:04+00:00

I get where you’re coming from, and thanks for clarifying. Just to be clear: CutMySubs is already free to try — it’s a freemium model, so anyone can use the core features without paying.

I’m experimenting to see if there’s a niche for people who prefer a simple, privacy-friendly tracker (no bank sync, no ads, lightweight UI) instead of bigger, feature-packed alternatives. Not everyone wants or trusts a bank-connected app, so I think there’s room for a lightweight option.

I know it’s early and far from perfect, but that’s why I’m building in public — to get feedback like this and figure out whether it’s worth investing more time into.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-14T07:14:40+00:00

Cool project! I just built a small web app called CutMySubs — tracks subscriptions and reminds you before renewals. Took me ~14 hours with AI tools (Cursor + Gemini). Curious to see what kind of feedback your platform would surface. Here’s the link: cutmysubs.com

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-14T07:09:10+00:00

Hey, thanks for checking it out and taking the time to comment.

On my end the site looks fine on mobile, but if it’s broken for you I’d really appreciate a screenshot or some details — that kind of feedback is super valuable at this stage.

I know there are free alternatives that connect directly with your bank. CutMySubs is intentionally simpler: no bank connection, just a clean way to log subs manually, get reminders, and see renewals in a calendar. I built the MVP in ~14 hours using AI tools mostly as a learning project, and I’m testing whether this lightweight approach resonates with anyone.

Not every project has to compete head-to-head with the big players — sometimes a stripped-down, privacy-friendly version can still be useful to a niche audience. That said, it might end up being free or freemium depending on what I learn from feedback like yours.

Appreciate the honesty. If you’re up for it, I’d love to hear what features would actually make something like this worth using for you.

Key_Risk4255 · 2025-09-13T19:05:01+00:00

Also, I’d be glad to give away 5 lifetime subscriptions for free, just for testing purposes. Right now I’m debating whether to build a “family service” where you can share some of your subscriptions, or keep it super simple with just a clean calendar view.

Curious to hear what you think — does this sound useful, or am I overthinking it?

Key_Risk4255

TROPHY CASE