Stop Chasing “Free” — It’s Costing You More Than You Think

The Illusion of Zero Fees

Four years ago, when we first launched Selldone on AppSumo, we went head-to-head with two other eCommerce platforms that, at first glance, looked like a better deal.

They charged zero transaction fees, while we took 1% (LTD Customers), and for many people, that alone made the decision feel obvious.

Naturally, they sold more.

They grew faster in the beginning, attracting users who were optimizing for one thing only: paying less today, without thinking too much about what happens tomorrow.

What most people didn’t realize at the time is that “free” is not a strategy—it’s a temporary phase.

The Reality Behind Running an eCommerce Platform

Running a serious eCommerce platform comes with real, ongoing costs that never go away, no matter how you price your product in the beginning.

These include:

• Infrastructure that scales with your growth
• Continuous product development and feature releases
• Security, uptime, and performance
• Support teams that keep businesses running

These costs will always exist.

The only question is whether they are handled sustainably from the start, or postponed until they become a problem.

What Actually Happened

Within a relatively short time, both of those platforms were forced to face reality.

• One of them completely shut down after about three years
• The other had to introduce and then increase transaction fees from 1% up to 5%
• And today, there is no longer any such thing as “no transaction fee” in their model

The “free advantage” that drove their early growth simply didn’t last.

And more importantly, it couldn’t.

Why We Made a Different Choice

From day one, we made a decision that many companies avoid because it is harder to sell in the short term.

We chose sustainability over illusion.

Charging 1% from the beginning may have made us look more expensive at first, but it allowed us to build something stable without needing to:

• Change our pricing later
• Surprise our users
• Or fix a broken business model under pressure

Our approach has always been based on one simple principle:

If you grow, we grow. If you don’t, we don’t.

Alignment Changes Everything

When a platform earns only when its users earn, the relationship becomes fundamentally different.

It creates true alignment.

We are constantly pushed to:

• Build features that increase your revenue
• Improve conversion, speed, and reliability
• Invest in tools that help you scale

Your success is not just important to us—it is directly tied to how we survive and grow.

This is also why companies like Shopify use transaction-based models, because they create long-term sustainability and aligned incentives.

What You’re Really Paying For

That 1% is not just a fee.

It is what ensures:

• The platform continues to improve
• The team stays motivated to help you grow
• The business remains stable over time

Because the real risk is not paying a small percentage.

The real risk is building your business on something that cannot afford to exist long-term.

Where Things Stand Today

Four years later, the difference is clear.

One platform is gone.
One changed the rules.

And we are still here.

Still building.
Still improving.
Still aligned with the people who actually grow on the platform.

A Model That Actually Works

Now we are launching again on AppSumo, not with a “cheaper” promise, but with something far more valuable:

A model that is built to last.
A model that grows with you.
A model that works.

Why This Matters

Because when you grow, we grow, and that alignment is not just a slogan—it is the foundation of everything we build. It means we are constantly working to improve your results, not just maintain the platform, because your success directly drives ours, and that is exactly why this model works, why it lasts, and why four years later, we are still here building for the long term, not the short-term illusion of “free.”