FRUGLY VS. FREEMIUM

Summary from the TLDR Web Dev newsletter

This author explored alternative monetization strategies for their educational tool, wanting to balance accessibility with the need to generate income. Rejecting traditional models like ad-supported freemium, donations, or constant updates, they opted for "frugly pricing" – intentionally downgrading the UI's aesthetics for free users while offering a paid option to remove the unappealing elements.