onX Maps · B2C · outdoor GPS map apps
Use a free trial for the niche hunting app; save freemium for big casual markets
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What they did
A horizontal growth team sets the model per app. Hunt (most mature, strong brand, niche TAM, seasonal use tied to hunting seasons) runs a trial strategy; newer Backcountry faces freemium competitors like AllTrails and Strava with more casual repeat use. Large-TAM apps such as Duolingo can afford millions of free users; niche ones can't. The chosen model decides which metrics the team optimizes.
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · How to Increase Monetization with Targeted Upsells — Brandon Gador, onX Maps“specifically like in Hunt, it's much more of a trial strategy because that TAM isn't like, you know, everyone out trying to learn a new language.”
“hunting's very seasonal. There's specific seasons when you can go out and get out in the woods, and so that really plays into the strategy”
Related topics
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More from this episode
- onX Maps: Tell free users plainly they're on the free plan and show what they're missingFound many users didn't know they were on the free plan; no conversion numbers
- onX Maps: Test moving features between the free and paid plans to find what sells
- onX Hunt: Price tiers by how many states you cover: 1 state, 2 states, or everywhereGuest says users instantly get the difference between tiers; top tier is $100
- onX Hunt: Give top-tier subscribers discounts from gear brands, and cross-promote with themClaimed: one partner deal can cover the $100 plan; partners help drive growth
- onX Maps: Show upgrade prompts inside the flow, to the right users after related actionsGuest says native in-flow prompts are where they've seen success; no numbers
- AllTrails: When a free user taps a paid feature, open a paywall showing that feature