Original data
The price index
What software actually costs to start, by category. Each index is built from the prices we quote word for word on vendor pricing pages, in US dollars, with the date we checked them. Only verified prices count toward the median.
| Category | Median starting price | With a free plan | Cheapest paid tier | Tools tracked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI tools | $12 /mo | 71% | Midjourney $8per month | 17 (15 priced) |
| Marketing & SEO | $19 /mo | 58% | Brevo $9per month | 19 (15 priced) |
| Finance & accounting | $9.04 /mo | 42% | PocketGuard $6.25per month, billed yearly | 19 (16 priced) |
| HR & work | $9 /mo | 33% | Clockify $3.99per seat per month | 18 (16 priced) |
| Developer tools | $2.95 /mo | 39% | IONOS $1per month | 18 (17 priced) |
| Ecommerce | $29 /mo | 44% | Big Cartel $15per month | 9 (5 priced) |
| Education | $60.5 /mo | 20% | Skool $9per month | 10 (10 priced) |
Last rebuilt November 4, 2026. Starting price means the cheapest paid plan, per user where the vendor prices per user. See how we build the index.