the default pricing model for ai companion apps is “subscription or nothing.” it's simpler to build, simpler to operate, and optimizes for lifetime-value metrics that VCs love. but it pushes casual users away — they either pay for features they don't use, or they churn to a free tier that's deliberately crippled.
lucy ships three tiers on purpose:
free — 25 msg/day + full memory + 1 companion, indefinite. covers the casual-check-in use case: a daily 10-minute conversation, memory that survives, no media. the model cost of this isn't zero on our side (every message costs API time), but it's tolerable as a product-as-marketing expense. users who stay free but engaged are still useful signal.
credit packs — pay-per-use for media. Mini is $2.99 for 15 credits (= 5 photos OR 15 voice notes OR 1 video). Supernova is $29.99 for 300 credits (= 100 photos OR 300 voice notes OR 25 videos). non-expiring. designed for users who want occasional media without a monthly commitment.
subscriptions — Closer ($14.99) and Bonded ($29.99). daily quotas (5-12 photos, 15-30 voice notes, 90 call minutes on Bonded), more companions (5-15), priority infra. cheaper per-unit if you use media daily.
the math: if you use 30 photos a month, Closer at $14.99/mo is cheaper than 90 credits of photos from packs (would be $14.99 for Spark x2 = $11.98 for 100 credits = 33 photos — roughly break-even). if you use 10 photos a month, credits are much cheaper (3 photos in Mini at $2.99). if you use 60+ photos a month, subscription wins big.
the honest rule: subscribe if you're daily, credit-pack if you're occasional, free if you're casual. the product works at all three tiers because we designed the text-chat layer (the core companion experience) to work identically on free as on paid.
start at /signup with no card. use free for a week. if you want photos and you've used them under 20 times, buy a credit pack. if you're using media daily, upgrade to Closer. if you're doing voice calls, upgrade to Bonded. move between tiers as your usage changes.