The SaaS Pricing Revolution: From Per-Seat to Pay-as-You-Go, Driven by AI

The rise of AI, particularly computationally intensive reasoning models, is reshaping the SaaS business model. High AI inference costs are forcing SaaS companies to shift from traditional per-seat licensing to usage-based, pay-as-you-go pricing. This isn't just a pricing experiment; it's an economic necessity for some to manage the cost of running AI-powered services. Companies like Bolt.new have already adopted token-based pricing, aligning revenue with actual usage. Established players like ServiceNow are using hybrid models, combining base seat licenses with pay-per-use AI credits. This shift may lead to revenue volatility but better reflects product value and attracts investors. However, variable costs for customers and revenue fluctuations for providers are downsides. The future of this model depends on whether AI compute costs decrease.