The State of Software Pricing 2026
By the Softwares.com Editorial Team · June 2026
We analyzed the pricing of 1318 software tools across 133 categories to answer the questions buyers actually ask: how much does software cost, how many tools are free to start, and how trials and pricing models really break down. Here's what the data shows.
How software is priced
Share of tools by primary pricing model.
Where software runs
Share of tools available on each platform.
Pricing by category
Median starting price and free-tier availability across the most-tracked categories.
| Category | Tools | Median price/mo | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Databases & Backends | 38 | $25 | 95% |
| Email Marketing | 27 | $15 | 74% |
| HR | 25 | $8 | 8% |
| No-Code & Low-Code Platforms | 25 | $29 | 92% |
| CRM | 25 | $19 | 28% |
| E-Commerce Platforms | 25 | $34 | 76% |
| Project Management | 23 | $9 | 78% |
| API Development Tools | 23 | $75 | 100% |
| Workflow Automation (iPaaS) | 23 | $20 | 91% |
| Graphic Design | 22 | $10 | 73% |
| Payment Processing | 22 | $30 | 77% |
| Web Hosting & Deployment | 21 | $5 | 48% |
Methodology & reuse
Figures are computed from the Softwares.com catalog of 1318 tools across 133 categories. "Starting price" is each tool's cheapest paid plan normalized to a monthly figure; free and custom/enterprise plans are excluded from price medians. Free-tier and free-trial figures count tools advertising each.
Feel free to cite or republish these statistics with attribution and a link to this page. Journalists and researchers can contact us for additional cuts of the data.
Get the next data study and the best new tools, monthly.
Frequently asked questions
How many software tools offer a free tier?
In our analysis of 1318 tools, 58% offer a free tier — a permanently free plan rather than a time-limited trial.
What is the median price of software?
The median starting price (cheapest paid plan, billed monthly) across the catalog is $20 per month, though this varies widely by category.
How long is a typical free trial?
Among tools that offer a time-limited trial, the average length is 17 days. 18% of tools offer a free trial.
Explore the underlying tools in our software directory or estimate your own stack with the SaaS spend calculator.