This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Suganth Manoharan
Remember that booking platform I've been building? GMB Booking is testing and I'm now diving into the scary world of monetization. Need some wisdom from devs who've been there!
The Reality Check 📊
Been building GMB Booking and getting close to launch. Here's where I'm at:
- Development: 95% complete, final testing phase
- User testing: Getting feedback from beta testers
- Competition: Fresha and Calendly dominating, but I see gaps
- Revenue: $0 (still in pre-launch phase)
Monetization Dilemma 🤯
Here's where I'm stuck - which pricing model makes sense for a booking MicroSaaS?
Option 1: Freemium
Free tier: 50 bookings/month
Pro tier: $15/month unlimited
Enterprise: $50/month + advanced features
Option 2: Per-booking fee
$0.50 per successful booking
No monthly fees
Scales with business growth
Option 3: Tiered SaaS
Month Plan: $5/month
Year Plan: $3.5/month
What I'm Wrestling With 🥊
- Pricing psychology - What do small businesses actually pay for?
- Value proposition - Am I solving a $15/month problem or $50/month problem?
- Market positioning - Race to the bottom or premium positioning?
- Payment friction - Monthly commitment vs pay-per-use?
The Beta Testing Phase 🔗
Testing URL: https://gmbbooking.netlify.app/
Current status: Pre-launch beta testing
- Quick booking setup
- Payment processing (Razorpay test mode - use dummy UPI)
- Booking Dashboard
- Affiliate Referral
- Mobile-optimized
Looking for developers to test the flow and break it before launch!
Questions for Revenue Wizards 🧙♂️
- - What pricing model worked for your SaaS?
- - How do you validate willingness to pay?
- - Free tier: customer acquisition tool or revenue killer?
- - Should I focus on volume or premium customers?
- - Any creative monetization ideas I'm missing?
The Honest Struggle 😅
Part of me wants to keep it free forever (developer guilt), but another part knows I need revenue to improve the platform and compete seriously.
Also considering:
- White-label licensing to agencies
- Marketplace model (take % of bookings)
- Add-on services (custom integrations, setup help)
- Affiliate program with complementary tools
Early Beta Feedback 💬
- "Love the simplicity, excited to see the final version"
- "Pricing needs to be competitive with Calendly to consider switching"
- "Would definitely pay for WhatsApp integration"
- "UI feels clean, booking flow is intuitive"
What's your take? Have you monetized a competitive space? How do you price against established players?
Drop your revenue strategy thoughts! 🚀
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Suganth Manoharan
Suganth Manoharan | Sciencx (2025-07-14T05:47:23+00:00) 💰 From Side Project to Revenue: GMB Booking Monetization Journey. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/07/14/%f0%9f%92%b0-from-side-project-to-revenue-gmb-booking-monetization-journey/
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