Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M4855

Freemium

Freemium
StructureHigh supportLogic
Included
account_tree

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Basic services are free, while advanced features are paid. Attract a large user base with free offerings, then convert a small fraction into paying customers to subsidize costs.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

The underlying logic of the traffic funnel. Free is not charity but customer acquisition cost. Use free services to attract users, and paid services to filter out high-value users. The key is that the "value gap" between free and paid must be large enough.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Free basic offerings attract a massive user base, while a small number of high-value paying customers subsidize the overall costs. Conversion relies on a significant value disparity between free and paid tiers.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreemiumZH · Explicit
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