Bubble Subscription Model Explained: Choosing Your SaaS Billing Structure
Your subscription model is one of the most important decisions in a SaaS business: it shapes how revenue grows with each customer, how easy it is to buy, and what your app must track. Bubble.io can implement any common model with Stripe. This guide compares the main subscription structures, explains which suits which product, and shows what each requires in your Bubble.io app.
- The main subscription models
- How to choose
- What each model needs in Bubble.io
- Subscription states
- Plan limits and upgrades
- FAQ
The main subscription models
| Model | How customers pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate tiers | A fixed price per plan, e.g. Starter and Pro | Simple products with clear feature differences |
| Per-seat | Price per user in the account | Collaboration and team tools |
| Per-workspace or per-location | Price per workspace, site or branch | Multi-location businesses and agencies |
| Usage-based | Price per unit used, e.g. per message or document | Products where usage varies widely |
| Freemium | Free plan, paid upgrades | Products that spread through use and sharing |
| Hybrid | Tiers with included seats or usage, plus overages | Growing products balancing simplicity and fairness |
How to choose
- Find your value metric: what grows as customers get more value, such as users, projects or volume?
- Keep it predictable: customers prefer bills they can forecast; pure usage pricing can create anxiety
- Make upgrades natural: customers should move up tiers as they succeed
- Start simple: two or three tiers, with monthly and annual options, then refine from real data
For a deeper look at the pricing metric decision, read usage-based vs seat-based pricing, and for how to present prices, see SaaS pricing psychology.
What each model needs in Bubble.io
| Model | What your app tracks | Stripe setup |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate tiers | Plan on the account | One recurring price per plan and interval |
| Per-seat | Active member count | Subscription quantity updated with seats |
| Usage-based | Usage records per billing period | Metered pricing with usage reported to Stripe |
| Freemium | Plan and free-tier limits | No subscription until upgrade |
| Hybrid | Plan, seats or usage against included limits | Base price plus metered or quantity components |
Whatever the model, the implementation pattern is the same: Stripe Checkout to start, webhooks as the source of truth, and the customer portal for changes. See Stripe subscriptions in Bubble.io. For team accounts and seat counting, see team features.
Subscription states
Store a subscription status option set on each account and update it from webhooks:
- Trialing: full access during a free trial
- Active: paid and current
- Past due: a payment failed; show a banner and give a grace period; see dunning
- Canceled: access ends at the period end; keep data read-only for a while
- Paused: optional, to retain customers who need a break
Plan limits and upgrades
- Store limits, such as seats or projects, as attributes on a plan option set
- Check limits in workflows before creating new items, and show an upgrade prompt when reached
- Show usage against limits in the account settings, so upgrades feel expected, not sudden
- Never delete customer data when they downgrade or cancel; restrict instead
Frequently asked questions
What is the best subscription model for a SaaS?
It depends on how customers get value. Per-seat suits collaboration tools, usage-based suits products where consumption varies widely, flat-rate tiers suit simple products, and freemium suits products that spread through use. Many products use a hybrid, such as tiers with seat or usage limits.
Can Bubble.io handle usage-based billing?
Yes. Your app records usage, such as documents processed or messages sent, and reports it to Stripe, which bills customers based on that usage. You can also enforce plan limits inside the app.
How do I implement per-seat pricing in Bubble.io?
Count active members in each account and set that number as the quantity on the Stripe subscription, updating it when members are added or removed. Stripe handles proration automatically.
Should I offer a free plan or a free trial?
A free trial gives full access for a limited time and suits products whose value is clear quickly. A free plan suits products that grow through sharing or need time to show value. Trials are generally simpler to start with.
What should happen to data when a customer cancels?
Do not delete it immediately. Keep the account read-only or restricted for a period so customers can export data or return, then follow your data retention policy.
Unsure which subscription model fits your SaaS?
Book a free Idea Audit. We will help you choose a model and build billing that grows with your customers.