We’re considering differentiating our product in the one way that really makes sense for us: giving it away.
The desktop version would be completely free:
<ul>
<li>fully customizable,</li>
<li>local-first,</li>
<li>and with the ability to plug in your own AI API keys.
… No forced cloud, no lock-in.</li>
</ul>
Our thinking is that most competitors can’t or won’t do this. Instead of monetizing access to the core product, we’d grow through optional plug-and-play integrations (20% markup), plus collaboration and cloud features for teams.
The goal is simple: we want people to actually use the software.
Genuinely curious what people think… Is this something you’d use? Is this a sane model, or a terrible idea?

The daily.dev project board. Share your projects, ask for feedback, contributions or any kind of input you need. 

Project board

A team is considering offering their desktop software completely free with full customization, local-first architecture, and support for custom AI API keys. Their monetization strategy would rely on optional integrations with a 20% markup and paid collaboration/cloud features for teams, rather than charging for core product access. They're seeking community feedback on whether this freemium model with no forced cloud dependency is viable as a competitive differentiator.

Should we just give away the software for free?