If you've ever hesitated to add someone to your project management tool because of the cost, you've experienced the fundamental problem with per-user pricing.
The Hidden Tax on Collaboration
Per-user pricing seems fair at first glance. Pay for what you use, right? But in practice, it creates a tax on collaboration that compounds in subtle, damaging ways.
Consider these common scenarios:
- The contractor question: Do we add them for this 2-week project?
- The intern dilemma: They're only here for the summer...
- The client access debate: Should we really pay for read-only access?
- The part-timer problem: They only use it twice a week.
Each of these decisions creates friction. And friction slows teams down.
What Gets Excluded
When adding people costs money, teams inevitably leave people out. The results are predictable:
- Shadow systems emerge. People create side channels in Slack, email, or free tools.
- Information silos form. Not everyone has the full picture.
- Context gets lost. Key decisions happen outside the official record.
- Onboarding suffers. New hires don't get added until "necessary."
The Math Problem
Let's look at real numbers. A typical project management tool charges -15 per user per month.
| Team Size | Monthly Cost (@/user) | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5 users | ||
| 10 users | ,320 | |
| 25 users | ,300 | |
| 50 users | ,600 |
Every hire, every contractor, every stakeholder increases the bill. Budget planning becomes a spreadsheet exercise where tool costs scale linearly with headcount.
The Alternative: Flat Pricing
Flat pricing flips the model. Instead of paying per person, you pay one price for unlimited users.
Basecamp pioneered this approach. At /month for unlimited users, they removed the mental overhead of "should we add this person?" The answer is always yes.
The benefits are immediate:
- Include everyone. Team members, contractors, clients, stakeholders.
- Predictable budgets. Your cost doesn't change when you hire.
- No approval friction. Add people instantly without budget discussions.
- Better collaboration. When everyone's in, context is shared.
Why More Tools Don't Do This
Per-user pricing maximizes revenue from large organizations. Enterprise customers with thousands of users generate significant ARR with seat-based models.
But for small and medium teams - the vast majority of software users - per-user pricing is friction that hurts more than it helps.
What We Do Differently
At Thicket, we charge /month for unlimited users. Same philosophy as Basecamp, but at a price point that works for smaller teams.
Add your whole team. Add contractors. Add clients. Your bill stays at .
Because tools should bring teams together, not price them apart.