Which monetization model fits a B2B mobile app?
How a work app earns money decides who pays, how much the stores keep and whether individual users can turn into company accounts. This guide compares the models, shows dated store fees and gives a decision path.
What is the right monetization model for a work app?
For most practical work apps: a free plan or a free trial, an individual subscription billed through the app stores, and team and company plans billed per seat, often invoiced annually. That mix lets one professional start without approval and gives their employer a way to pay for everyone.
Paid-upfront apps and one-time purchases still fit narrow tools, such as a single-purpose calculator that does not change much. They struggle to fund ongoing development and give no natural route to a company account.
How do the main monetization models compare?
| Model | How it works | Fits when | Route to a company account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid upfront | Price on the store listing; no free use | A narrow tool with clear, stable value | Weak; companies buy copies, not accounts |
| One-time in-app purchase | Free app, pay once for pro features | Value does not grow over time | Weak; no ongoing relationship |
| Freemium + individual subscription | Free core, paid plan for more use or features | Users can get value alone | Good if team features sit in a higher plan |
| Free trial + subscription | Full access for a set time, then pay | Value needs several days to show | Good; trial can include team features |
| Team seats | Price per active user, billed to one account | Several people use it together | Direct; the team plan is the bridge |
| Company licence | Annual agreement, invoiced, with admin controls | IT or operations buys for many sites | This is the company account |
| Usage-based | Pay per work order, scan or report | Volume varies widely by customer | Possible with company billing and caps |
Read the mobile app pricing guide for the general pricing method and the team and company pricing guide for seats and invoicing.
How do app store fees change the maths?
Fees apply to digital goods sold through the stores, which usually means individual plans bought in the app. As of October 6, 2026: Apple pays developers 70% of a subscription's price in its first year and 85% after a subscriber's first paid year, according to its auto-renewable subscriptions page. Developers with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior year can join the App Store Small Business Program for a 15% rate.
Google's Play service fees are 15% on the first 1 million USD of earnings each year and 30% above that outside the regions on its new structure, and 15% on subscriptions. A new structure started June 30, 2026 for the EEA, UK and US; for example, subscriptions there carry 10% plus a 5% billing fee. Store terms change often and differ by storefront: check current terms for your storefront before you set prices.
| Fee rate | Price | Developer receives | Per year (12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | $20.00 | $17.00 | $204.00 |
| 30% | $20.00 | $14.00 | $168.00 |
| Invoiced company seat (no store fee; card or bank fees apply) | $20.00 | About $19.40 if payment costs are 3% | About $232.80 |
How do you choose a model step by step?
- Name the first payer. Is it the individual professional, or does a company always pay?
- Check how long value takes to show. Minutes favours freemium; days favours a trial.
- Decide what grows with use: people, sites, records or volume. Price on that unit.
- Separate individual and company billing. Store billing for individuals is convenient; companies expect invoices, seats and admin.
- Model fees by storefront using current terms, and include them in your unit economics.
- Test one change at a time and read paid conversion and retention together.
Individual plans feed company plans.
Price the individual plan so a professional can buy it without approval, and design the company plan so their employer can take it over without losing any work.
What do different models look like on the store?
The store listing shows the model before anyone installs. Torque Calc Pro, a fictional engineering calculator, could be sold for a single upfront price or offered free with in-app purchases. The second listing lets a field engineer try a calculation first, which matters for a professional tool people want to verify before relying on it.
Bolt preload, flange and thread calculations with every input shown, ready to check and export.
Core calculations free. Pro adds saved templates and exports; Team adds shared templates and admin for your firm.
- Core calculations
- Last 10 results
- All calculators
- Saved templates
- PDF calc sheets
- Shared templates
- Review and approval
- Admin console
- All teams and sites
- Single sign-on
- Licence reporting
What trade-offs and mistakes come with each model?
- Paid upfront limits trial. Professionals hesitate to pay before checking accuracy, and companies cannot easily buy for many people.
- Freemium with a generous free plan can remove the reason to pay. See free plan limits.
- Store-only billing for companies forces finance teams to reimburse individual receipts, which slows expansion.
- Ignoring fee changes. A model priced for one fee rate may lose margin in another storefront.
- Too many plans. Three or four is plenty for most work apps.
What should you measure for your model?
| Metric | Question it answers | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Paid conversion from activated users | Does the model ask for payment at a fair moment? | Product events plus store billing |
| Net revenue per paying user | What do you keep after fees? | App Store Connect proceeds, Play Console earnings |
| Share of revenue from company plans | Is the model creating company accounts? | Billing system and CRM |
| Upgrade rate from individual to team | Do individual plans lead to teams? | Billing events by account |
| Retention by plan | Which plan keeps paying? | Store reports and billing |
Frequently asked questions
Should a B2B app charge upfront?
Rarely. Professionals want to verify a tool before relying on it, and companies need a way to pay for many people. A free tier or trial with subscriptions fits most work apps better.
What fee does Apple take on subscriptions?
As of October 6, 2026, developers receive 70% in a subscription's first year and 85% after the subscriber's first paid year. Small Business Program members pay 15%. Check current terms for your storefront.
What fee does Google Play take?
As of October 6, 2026, 15% on the first 1 million USD each year and 30% above outside the new-structure regions, 15% on subscriptions, and a new structure for the EEA, UK and US from June 30, 2026. Check current terms.
Do store fees apply to company invoices?
Store fees apply to purchases made through store billing. Company plans sold and invoiced outside the app follow different rules by storefront, so check the current guidelines.
Is usage-based pricing good for mobile apps?
It fits when customers' volume varies a lot, such as work orders or scans. Pair it with caps or company billing so costs stay predictable.
How many plans should a work app have?
Usually three or four: free or trial, individual, team and company.
Can I change models later?
Yes, but plan how existing subscribers are treated. Moving from paid upfront to subscription is the hardest switch to explain.
Sources & further reading
Regulator rules, platform policies and local data change. These sources let you check the facts on this page, last checked October 6, 2026.