Grandfather early free users permanently when introducing paid tiers on marketplaces
When launching free to build marketplace traction, grandfather all early adopters permanently rather than converting them to paid. This preserves goodwill, prevents review backlash, and maintains the install/review momentum that helped you rank.
When to use
When transitioning from free to paid on marketplace platforms where reviews directly impact rankings. Most important when you've built significant free user base during launch phase.
Don't do this
Force-converting early free users to paid plans, risking negative reviews and churn that hurt marketplace rankings.
2 Founders Who Did This
Launched completely free, then introduced subscription pricing only for new users while grandfathering all existing free users permanently
Kept extension completely free for first 9 months to build user base to 150K+ weekly active users, then added paid tier while grandfathering all existing features as free forever