Free, Plus & Pro — Team Plan
Prepared 18 July 2026 · updated 20 July 2026 — plan model reconciled to the shipped plan-contract.ts (shows/week + episodes/week, not credits), an implementation-status audit added, and the Pro creator features (export, advanced transcript, source-monitoring foundation), the plan-config editor, and soundscape cataloging now marked Built with their new PRs
A three-tier subscription system that keeps Lissin useful for free listeners, makes Plus the everyday creation plan, and makes Pro the high-volume/advanced toolkit. Access will be controlled by the backend, sold through Apple and RevenueCat, shown contextually in iOS, and manageable through the admin dashboard.
The metering model is shows/week for recurring generation and episodes/week for one-time generation — the earlier “credits / 3 per 3 days / per billing-month” framing has been replaced (1 credit = 1 show or 1 episode). Free Explore playback is 45 minutes/week (rolls one week, cap 90). Pro files are 25 uploads/week at 25 MB each. Unused allowance rolls forward one window, capped at 2× the base. Still needing product sign-off (store-side, not blocking code): Plus/Pro prices, the 50%/65% rescue discount duration, and the exact rollover caps.
| Rule | Free | Plus trial (3 days) | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring-show generation | 1 show/week | 1 show/week (1 total during trial) | 2 shows/week | 5 shows/week |
| Recurring episode max | 5 min | 15 min | 15 min | 25 min |
| One-time episode generation | 2 episodes/week | 4 total during trial | 10 episodes/week | 50 episodes/week |
| One-time max | 5 min | 15 min | 15 min | 25 min |
| Explore catalog | All catalog visible; 45 playback min/week | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Playback speed | 1× only | Up to 1.5× | Up to 1.5× | Up to 2× |
| Transcript | Hidden | Included | Included | Included + advanced tools |
| Remix | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Files | 0 | 3/week, 20 MB/file | 3/week, 20 MB/file | 25/week, 25 MB/file |
| Soundscapes (background beds) | Basic catalog | Extended catalog | Extended catalog | Complete catalog |
| Sound-effects catalog proposed | Basic catalog | Extended catalog | Extended catalog | Complete catalog |
| Pro sources / export | No | No | No | Source monitoring, advanced transcript, creator export (transcript / script / audio) |
Implementation status — have we built these?
The entitlement, metering, gating, grandfathering, and offer engine are built across the six billing PRs — all observe-only / flag-gated, so nothing blocks a user until a flag flips (see the Master report). The Pro "creator" features the plan contract defines are now built too, in a fresh stack of PRs (all still observe-only / capability-gated / dark): creator export — transcript / script / audio (backend #518 · iOS #313), advanced transcript tools — search / tap-to-seek / copy (iOS #314), a source-monitoring foundation (backend #520 · iOS #315), DB-driven plan config + the dashboard plan-config editor (backend #519 · admin #166), and soundscape per-tier cataloging (backend #521 · admin #167). Still not built: sound-effects cataloging (there is no sound-effects feature in the app to tier yet) and the source-monitoring polling / auto-generation pipeline (only the foundation shipped).
| Feature | Status | Where / note |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring + one-time generation limits & episode-duration caps | Built (dark) | Backend #514 — quota ledger + flag-gated enforcement |
| Explore weekly listening limit (45 min/wk) | Built | iOS #312 (meter-driven) + #514 meter |
| Playback-speed ceiling (1× / 1.5× / 2×) | Built | iOS #312 |
| Transcript view lock (hidden / included) | Built | iOS #312 |
| Remix gate | Built | iOS #309 / #311 |
| File-upload count + size limits | Built | iOS #312 + backend meter |
| Soundscape tier gate (basic vs extended/complete) | Built | iOS #312 (non-basic set gated) |
| Offer-stage rescue ladder (50% → 65%) | Built | iOS #311 |
| Trial banner · usage nudges · Plan & Billing (live balances) | Built | iOS #312 |
| Grandfathering — grant Plus/Pro (cohort + hand-picked + audit) | Built | Backend #515 · Admin #165 (+#163) |
| Soundscape per-tier cataloging (tag beds by tier) | Built | Backend #521 (tier column + migration + public-API field + set-tier endpoint) · Admin #167 (tier-assignment UI) |
| Sound-effects catalog tiering | Proposed | needs an SFX feature to exist first — soundscapes are background-music beds; discrete sound effects don't exist in the app yet, so there is nothing to tier |
| Advanced transcript tools (Pro) | Built | iOS #314 — search / tap-to-seek / copy behind advancedTranscript |
| Source monitoring (Pro) — foundation | Built | Backend #520 (MonitoredSource model + per-user CRUD + sourceMonitoring gate) · iOS #315 (Sources screen + pro_sources paywall wired). Polling / auto-generation deferred. |
| Creator export — transcript / script / show-audio | Built | Backend #518 · iOS #313 — creatorExport (Pro), built + tested |
| Plan values editable from the admin dashboard | Built | Backend #519 (DB-driven plan config + publish/activate API) · Admin #166 (per-tier editor, preview, version history/rollback) |
How the experience works
- The user completes onboarding and sees the main paywall with a clear “continue free” path.
- An eligible user can start a 3-day Plus trial. Trial Plus allows one recurring show and four one-time episodes total during the 3-day trial, plus the normal Plus experience for transcript, remix, files, speed, and extended soundscapes.
- Free users get one recurring show per week, two one-time episodes per week, all Explore catalog visibility, 45 listening minutes per week, basic soundscapes, and sound effects.
- When a user requests something outside their plan, a contextual sheet explains the exact limit and opens the relevant plan paywall.
- After a main paywall is closed, one 50% rescue offer may appear. At a later qualified paywall event, the funnel starts at 50%; closing it may show the final 65% offer.
- Existing users can be granted Plus or Pro for a chosen period from admin. Paid Pro is never reduced by a Plus grant.
Where paywalls appear
Full-page moments
Onboarding, extra/second creation, Plan & Billing, and a specifically locked generated episode.
At-the-tap sheets
Allowance exhausted, higher recurring allowance, document attach, remix, transcript, speed, soundscape catalog, Explore time, and Pro sources.
Never randomly
No automatic wall over active audio. In-app nudges require a tap and obey session/cooldown rules.
Changing subscriptions
Users manage their plan from Profile/Settings → Plan & Billing. The screen shows the current plan and renewal/expiry state, provides Change or Manage Subscription and Restore Purchases, and explains when an upgrade or downgrade takes effect. Free users see plan choices; paid App Store users open Apple’s subscription management experience or RevenueCat Customer Center. See the separate iOS build PRD.
Offers in plain language
- 3-day trial: Apple introductory free trial on eligible Plus products.
- 50%: first rescue offer for qualified non-purchasers; real store pricing, not just crossed-out copy.
- 65%: final rescue, only after the later 50% stage and only where the App Store says the account is eligible.
- Lapsed users: use Apple promotional/win-back mechanics rather than pretending they are new.
- Renewal: every paywall shows the full renewal price and exactly when the discounted/trial period ends.
What each team owns
| Team | Ownership |
|---|---|
| Product | Approve quota meanings, rollover caps, prices, offer durations, grandfather cutoff, copy, and frequency caps. |
| RevenueCat / App Store | Products, entitlements, offerings, paywalls, 3-day trial, rescue products/offers, webhooks, eligibility, sandbox testing. |
| Backend | Canonical access, trial phase, usage ledgers, reservation/finalization, enforcement, offer state, nudge eligibility. |
| iOS | Paywall placements, contextual gates, purchase/restore, trial disclosure, pending-action resume, subscription changes from Plan & Billing, and speed/transcript/soundscape UI locks. |
| Admin | Grandfather cohorts, dry runs, bulk grants, revocation, audit, user access timeline. |
| Analytics/QA | Funnel telemetry, experiment integrity, sandbox matrix, refund/restore/expiry/transfer testing. |