Every app faces this fork. The honest answer: pure versions of both lose to a third option. But let’s take them in order.
Short answer: for most Shopify apps, a pure free plan and a pure opt-in free trial both underperform a Shopify opt-out trial. Free plans win search placement but convert around 3%. Opt-in trials filter for intent, yet only ~18% of trial-enders actively pay. A Shopify opt-out trial keeps near-opt-in entry ease and converts around 50%, because Shopify already holds the card and approval is one routine click.
| Model | Activation ease | Converts to paid | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan (freemium) | Highest | ~3% of free users | SEO placement, low-touch apps |
| Free trial (opt-in) | High | ~18% at trial end | Intent-filtered, mid-touch apps |
| Opt-out trial | Near opt-in | ~50% trial-to-paid | Most apps, once billing is wired |
For: Shopify rewards free plans with better search placement. Free traffic. Easiest possible activation.
Against: free users cost you support and infrastructure, and they convert terribly. Roughly 3% of freemium users ever pay. You accumulate an expensive audience of non-buyers.
For: filters for intent; ~8.5% of visitors start trials.
Against: at trial end the merchant must actively decide to pay, and only ~18% do. Active conversion is where trials die.
Merchants approve the subscription — including the max fee — before onboarding; the trial runs toward payment unless they cancel. In general SaaS this kills trial starts (credit-card friction). In Shopify it doesn’t: Shopify holds the card and does the billing, so approval is one routine click. You get near-opt-in entry ease with ~50% trial-to-paid conversion.
Want the free-plan placement bump without a real free plan? A “free plan” that includes usage-based charges under an authorized max is listed as free, ranks as free, and monetizes real usage. Two more opt-out patterns and the full framework: pricing & monetization best practices. Done for you: pricing & monetization optimization.
Default to an opt-out trial. Reach for a free-plan-with-usage-cap when you specifically want the placement and review velocity a “free” listing buys, and your model can monetize heavy users under an authorized max. Reserve a pure opt-in trial for apps whose value is obvious in minutes and whose visitors already arrive with high intent. Whatever you pick, model the flow against your own funnel before you ship it. The wrong default quietly caps your MRR for years.
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