7 ways to derive value from low-intent users

Not every user is going to convert to a recurring yearly subscriber — but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth having as a customer at all. 

It’s a spectrum:

• People who install the app, tap around for a minute or two, maybe come back once or twice, then churn
• High-frequency free users: people who never pay, but return regularly, sometimes for months or even years

Both groups have low intention to subscribe, but they require very different strategies. And for some apps, this group can make up 90% or more of total installs. 

It’s tempting to dismiss these users, but doing so means leaving revenue on the table. Let’s explore how to identify, engage, and derive value from these users — without resorting to aggressive tactics or compromising user trust. 

How to identify low-intent users (and understand what’s holding them back)

But before you can engage and monetize these segments, you need to identify the right low-intent users to target. 

Since 80% of mobile subscriptions happen during onboarding (or the first session), we can already consider anyone who passes the onboarding paywall — without starting a trial or converting to subscription — as low-intent. 

You can also look for users who have:

1. No account creation
2. No core feature activation (e.g. no photo edits, no search, no first meditation)
3. Long inactivity gaps
4. Low interaction (e.g. scrolls without taps)
5. Interact with low-converting features
6. Have surpassed your app’s average-time-to-subscribe
7. Have retained for more than 30 days, but on the free plan

First, think about why these users remain in the low-intent bucket. Is it because the free experience already solves their core problem, leaving them with no real incentive to upgrade? Consider whether they still bring value to your platform in other ways, such as referring new users or contributing to a network effect.

If it’s the latter, it may be worth exploring a hybrid monetization model. This could mean introducing ads or offering in-app purchases for one-off features or premium tools. Apps like MyFitnessPal and Duolingo have successfully used hybrid approaches to generate revenue from long-term free users. 

If it’s the former (users who get significant value from the free experience), consider adding light, well-timed friction that creates monetizable moments, without requiring a subscription. This might include one-time unlocks (e.g. exporting a file, accessing a detailed report), time-based passes, or even ad-supported flows at key points in the journey. The aim is to preserve the utility and trust of the free experience while introducing pathways to derive revenue from high-intent actions.

Be sure to analyze the specific use cases of your low-intent users and compare them to those of your high-converting segment. In some categories, like dating apps, the majority of revenue may come disproportionately from one user group (for example, male users). This kind of imbalance can highlight opportunities to evolve your product experience and create more perceived value for other segments who currently see less benefit in paying.

Smart ways to unlock value from low intent users

Now you know who to target, here are seven strategies to appeal to low-intent users.

1. One-time unlocks: simple value, no strings attached

One of the simplest and most transparent ways to monetize low-intent users is through one-time feature unlocks. Rather than gating the entire product experience behind a recurring subscription, you can offer access to specific features or tools for a fixed price.

This strategy works especially well for creative and utility apps where users may need just one or two functions. For example, a photo editing app might offer an AI background remover as a $2.99 add-on, while keeping basic editing tools free.

Toca Boca, a suite of children’s creativity apps, uses this model effectively by allowing parents to purchase individual themed apps or bundles. Weather on the Way, a mobile app for forecasting weather along a travel route, charges a one-time fee for lifetime access. 

Heavily gamified and community-based apps often monetize through virtual currency or tokens. Instead of unlocking features directly, users buy credits and then spend them within the app to perform certain actions, like sending a message, unlocking a new lesson, or boosting visibility.

This model is often used in dating, language learning, and social platforms. For example, apps like Hinge and Tinder sell ‘Super Likes’ or ‘Boosts’ to increase match visibility. Language apps like Tandem allow users to pay for corrections or translations via credits.Many users appreciate the clarity and predictability of this kind of pricing, especially for apps they only use occasionally. By allowing users to pay only when they see value, the experience feels user-friendly and more trustworthy.These one-time purchases give users a sense of ownership, reduce friction around commitment, and can even serve as a lead-in to future subscription offers.

2. Turn hesitation into action with short-term plans

While annual and monthly subscriptions are the industry standard, they may not be the right entry point for low-intent users. A weekly plan introduces a lower-stakes option that’s easier to say yes to, especially for users who are curious, but not yet convinced.

This approach is ideal for apps with short-term use cases or seasonal spikes in engagement. A traveler using a weather or translation app for a week-long trip might be perfectly willing to pay $2.99 for a week of premium access, even if they have no interest in an ongoing subscription.

If you’re considering testing a weekly plan, start with a segmented A/B test targeting non-converting users during onboarding or at key friction points. Monitor conversion rates, refund behavior, churn, and payback periods carefully. Weekly subscriptions can become a ‘revenue trap’ if they cannibalize longer-term subscriptions or lead to refund abuse.

Done thoughtfully, however, weekly plans can bridge the gap between free and full commitment, and provide a much-needed monetization path for hesitant users.

3. Let users experience value before paying

Instead of offering a full subscription trial up front, some apps use reverse trials to let users explore a single feature or flow, and then invite them to pay to continue. Think of it as letting the user dip a toe in before diving in. 

Lovable lets users utilize daily free credits to build an app or website powered by AI, but once those credits are used, they prompt users to pay for continued access. Quizlet offers access to Test Mode briefly before gating it with a premium offer. 

This model is particularly effective for users who may be skeptical of trials or unwilling to commit to recurring billing upfront. It aligns the paywall with a moment of value, increasing the likelihood of conversion without increasing perceived risk. And even if users don’t convert immediately, this approach can be used to collect valuable feedback or reviews that inform your roadmap and strengthen long-term retention.

4. Turn attention into revenue without losing trust

Advertising often gets a bad reputation in mobile apps, but it doesn’t have to. With the right placement and pacing, Ads can deliver incremental revenue without compromising the user experience.

Some products, like YouTube, monetize their free tier with skippable video ads. Users can choose to watch the full ad or wait a few seconds to skip, maintaining a sense of control. Spotify takes a similar approach, weaving ads naturally into the listening experience while gently nudging users toward its premium plan.

The lesson here is: don’t fear ads, frame them. Whether it’s rewarded videos in games, story-integrated audio ads, or Meta’s new ‘pay or see ads’ approach, the smartest apps are making advertising feel like a choice, not a disruption. That’s how you drive revenue without alienating your free users.

5. Tips welcome: a kinder monetization model

In creator-led or community-driven apps, some of your most loyal free users may be more than willing to contribute voluntarily, especially if they’ve come to value your content or mission over time. 

Products like Wikipedia have popularized this approach with ‘supporter plans’ that allow users to tip or donate without unlocking any additional features. Platforms like Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon are often integrated for this purpose, particularly in smaller apps.

This model isn’t about scale, it’s about affinity and mission. If your app builds a strong emotional connection with a niche audience, offering them a way to support you can drive steady contributions over time. It’s a quiet but powerful way to monetize without paywalls.

6. Let usage build the case for upgrading

For many utility, productivity, and health apps, users can experience the full flow of a feature, but only up to a point. These apps provide generous access to the basics, but place subtle, meaningful limits on things like historical data (e.g. Slack), saved progress or long-term storage. This model respects free users’ need to get value early on, while creating natural breakpoints where upgrading starts to make sense.

Notion is a good example. The app’s free tier includes access to virtually all core functionality; note-taking, file upload, database automations. But restricts advanced features like version history, private team spaces and workspace analytics. These restrictions are invisible at first, but as usage deepens — and you build the tool into your habits — they become more apparent. It’s a classic case of “free for now, but not forever”, and it works because users don’t feel pushed into upgrading before the product becomes a key part of their toolstack.

This kind of delayed restriction (data, storage, or accumulated progress) is particularly effective because it monetizes based on retained value, not initial access. Users aren’t blocked from forming a habit, which often increases their likelihood of paying later. It’s a strategy that aligns well with long-term engagement: the more they use the app, the more valuable their data becomes — and the more motivated they are to unlock its full potential.

Importantly, this tactic avoids the sharp friction of an upfront paywall. Instead of saying “you can’t use this,” it says “you can use this, until you care enough to want more.” For low-intent users who do engage regularly but haven’t converted, this gentle escalation can be the nudge that finally tips them over the edge.

7. The friend-of-a-friend revenue model

Sometimes, the most valuable thing a user can do isn’t converting, but referring to someone (or multiple people) who will.

Low-intent users might not be ready to pay for your app, but that doesn’t mean they’re disengaged or unmotivated. Many are still willing to share an app they like. Especially if it helps others solve a problem, or if there’s a personal incentive in it for them. That’s where referral programs come in: they shift the value proposition away from individual monetization to focus on network-driven growth.

In freemium apps, referrals can serve as a monetization multiplier. A free user may never spend a cent, but if they bring in three friends and one or two of those friends becomes a long-term subscriber, the original user has created meaningful downstream value. With the right tracking and attribution in place, you can design your referral program to reward the right behaviors. Not just installs, but quality referrals that lead to actual revenue.

This works particularly well when referrals are:

• Easy to share (e.g. built-in sharing via SMS, Whatsapp, Facebook)
• Aligned with user timing (after a successful session or helpful feature use)
• Incentivized fairly (e.g. “Get a free month when your friend subscribes”)

Apps like Dropbox and Airtable built early growth through well-timed referral loops. Even Spotify has experimented with referral campaigns to accelerate premium growth among its free user base. 

Gaming and language learning apps often reward both referrer and recipient with bonus time, credits, or extended trial access. For example, self-care app Finch gamifies offers exclusive in-game rewards you can only access through referrals. Most importantly, you only receive the reward when your referral successfully finishes onboarding — creating a loop of engaged users prompting new users to go back to the app again and again.

For low-intent users, a good referral program becomes a low-friction way to participate in the app’s success, without needing to pay directly. And for you, it’s an efficient way to acquire high-quality users who are more likely to convert, since they’re joining based on a trusted friend’s recommendation.

Just remember: to make referral loops work, they need to feel organic. Don’t force it into your onboarding flow. Instead, surface it contextually. For example, after a successful feature use, during lifecycle emails, or when a user completes a milestone. This helps your low-intent users become advocates, not just participants — and gives them a meaningful role in your monetization strategy.

Low-intent ≠ low value

The subscription economy has matured, and so have user expectations. Not everyone will convert to a yearly plan, but that doesn’t mean you should leave them behind. Low-intent users often outnumber high-intent ones, and when engaged with care and creativity, they can become a significant source of revenue, referrals, and retention improvements.

What this really comes down to is rethinking the binary of subscriber vs. churn. There’s a vast middle ground of users who aren’t ready to commit to a subscription, but who will engage and pay in other ways if you meet them where they are.Combine smart segmentation with revenue tactics like one-time unlocks and re-trials, or ads, donations, and lightweight plans; there’s no shortage of monetization paths. Just remember to align your tactics with user intent and trust — don’t trade short-term gain for long-term loyalty.The most successful apps design monetization with empathy, segmentation, and experimentation baked in.