DISCOVER · RESEARCH · VALIDATE
Study products explicitly cataloged as free plus paid. Look at the boundary between useful free access and paid value.
What makes an upgrade worth buying?
Scroll the table to see every source and action, or switch to Cards.
| # | Project | Category / model | Reported revenue | Evidence | GitHub ⓘ | Save and compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | MarketingFree + paid | ≈ $27,300,000ARR · USDUndated public dashboard | Company disclosureChecked Oct 18, 2026 | — | ||
| 02 | PublishingFree + paid | > $1,000,000ARR · USDFounder interview published September 17, 2026; cutoff not specified | Founder first-person self-disclosure in published interviewChecked Oct 18, 2026 | — | ||
| 03 | ProductivityFree + paid | > $10,000,000ARR · USDannual recurring revenue milestone | Company/team self-disclosure with quoted founder announcementChecked Oct 18, 2026 | ☆ 49,132 | ||
| 04 | DesignFree + paid | ≈ $100,000MRR · USDHistorical founder interview, released February 2022 | Founder direct transcript at 03:28Checked Oct 18, 2026 | — | ||
| 05 | MarketingFree + paid | ≈ $887,000MRR · USDHistorical milestone: year-end 2017 (ConvertKit) | Founder-reported historical milestoneChecked Oct 18, 2026 | — | ||
| 06 | ProductivityFree + paid | ≈ $6,000,000ARR · USDMilestone disclosed September 2026 | Company disclosureChecked Oct 18, 2026 | — |
Figures are source disclosures, not audited by MRRTrace. Different metrics, currencies and periods are not directly comparable. Read the source policy →
A September 2026 founder update describes a form builder whose acquisition mix evolved after years of product-led growth.
Company disclosure · Original disclosure
Sources checked Oct 21, 2026
Buffer's own history traces a narrow initial use case into a wider publishing product, while its public records expose more than a success headline.
Company disclosure · Original disclosure
Sources checked Oct 18, 2026
A newsletter tool started on a rainy Saturday in Seattle reached the point where most new code and most customer conversations no longer went through its founder.
Founder first-person self-disclosure in published interview · Original disclosure
Sources checked Oct 18, 2026
FROM EVIDENCE TO AN EXPERIMENT
Use the case studies to identify a customer, a pricing assumption and a small test.
