A few weeks ago I launched a small iPhone app I built that puts your calendar directly on the lock screen.
Right after release I shared it on Reddit and the response was surprisingly strong. Around 3,000 people installed it in the first 48 hours. The app was completely free at that point and a lot of the comments were along the lines of “I’d actually pay for this”.
So I decided to try monetizing it.
In the next update I added a subscription with a free trial. Importantly, I didn’t lock any features that early users already had — everything they were using stayed free. The paywall only applied to new features and customization options.
But the moment the subscription appeared, the tone of the feedback changed quite a bit. Ratings dropped quickly in some regions and reviews started focusing mostly on the fact that the app now had a subscription at all.
One thing I realized is that I originally positioned the app more as something aesthetic (nice lock screen layouts, wallpapers, etc.). After the update I shifted the onboarding toward the productivity angle — seeing your schedule instantly without opening the calendar app. That actually improved install-to-trial conversion for new users quite a bit.
Still, the initial free launch seems to have set expectations that were hard to change later.
Curious how other indie developers here handle this transition from completely free to paid. Is it better to start with monetization from day one, even if the product is still early?
DimKat•2h ago
Right after release I shared it on Reddit and the response was surprisingly strong. Around 3,000 people installed it in the first 48 hours. The app was completely free at that point and a lot of the comments were along the lines of “I’d actually pay for this”.
So I decided to try monetizing it.
In the next update I added a subscription with a free trial. Importantly, I didn’t lock any features that early users already had — everything they were using stayed free. The paywall only applied to new features and customization options.
But the moment the subscription appeared, the tone of the feedback changed quite a bit. Ratings dropped quickly in some regions and reviews started focusing mostly on the fact that the app now had a subscription at all.
One thing I realized is that I originally positioned the app more as something aesthetic (nice lock screen layouts, wallpapers, etc.). After the update I shifted the onboarding toward the productivity angle — seeing your schedule instantly without opening the calendar app. That actually improved install-to-trial conversion for new users quite a bit.
Still, the initial free launch seems to have set expectations that were hard to change later.
Curious how other indie developers here handle this transition from completely free to paid. Is it better to start with monetization from day one, even if the product is still early?