As more SaaS companies prioritize seamless, native integrations within their products, embedded integration platforms have surged in popularity, while embedding integrations is increasingly table stakes, figuring out how to price them effectively is a whole different challenge.
Should integrations be bundled for free, tiered as part of a premium plan, or offered à la carte? What about charging per connection, per workflow, or by API volume? These questions don’t have one-size-fits-all answers — but there are best practices and guiding principles that can help you strike the right balance between customer value, product differentiation, and revenue growth.
Let’s break them down.
Why Pricing Embedded Integrations Matters
Integrations have evolved from a nice-to-have to a product necessity. But that doesn’t mean they’re all free — nor should they be. The way you price your integrations can impact:
- Perceived product value
- Customer acquisition and retention
- Upsell and expansion opportunities
- Operational and infrastructure costs
Done right, integrations not only reduce churn but also become a strategic revenue driver.
Best Practices for Pricing Embedded Integrations
1.) Understand the Value to Your Customers
Before deciding how to price, map out the value each integration delivers. Some integrations might be your customers may assume come out of the box (like simple connections to Slack or Salesforce), while others — like ERP or industry-specific systems — truly unlock a deeper and more strategic value of your platform.
Tip:
Conduct customer interviews and usage analysis to understand which integrations are mission-critical and which are nice-to-have.
2.) Bundle Core Integrations, Monetize Premium Ones
Many SaaS companies offer a handful of essential integrations bundled into their base or mid-tier plans to lower barriers to entry and improve product stickiness. More advanced or niche integrations, especially those requiring more support, custom workflows, or enterprise-grade security, are ideal candidates for upsell.
Example:
- Free/Paid Plans: Slack, Google Workspace, Zoom
- Premium Add-Ons: SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, custom APIs, business processes
3.) Consider Usage-Based or Workflow-Based Pricing
Instead of a flat fee, you can charge based on the number of workflows, volume of transactions, or API calls. This aligns cost with customer usage, and potentially value, and scales with their growth, making it a fair and flexible model.
Pros:
Encourages adoption with low entry costs
Grows revenue as customers expand usage
Cons:
Requires clear usage reporting and predictable billing
4.) Align Pricing with Plan Tiers
Integrations can be a powerful lever to drive plan upgrades. Restricting certain integrations or higher volumes of workflow runs to premium plans encourages customers to move upmarket.
Tip:
Bundle more complex integrations or higher-volume usage limits into enterprise or advanced tiers as a value driver.
5.) Provide Clear, Transparent Communication
Integration pricing can get complicated quickly — especially when usage-based components are involved. Avoid surprises by being upfront about:
- What integrations are included
- How pricing scales with usage
- Any overage fees or limits
Bonus: Provide a usage dashboard within your product to let customers monitor their integration consumption in real-time.
6.) Don’t Forget Support and Maintenance Costs
Complex integrations often come with increased support and maintenance overhead. Factor this into your pricing model. You can include a support fee for managed integrations or charge for professional services to assist with setup and troubleshooting.
Example Pricing Models for Embedded Integrations
| Model | How It Works | When to Use It |
| Bundled | Include integrations in base or premium plans | Common integrations, product stickiness |
| À la carte | Charge per integration or connection | Premium, niche, or high-value connectors |
| Usage-based | Charge by workflow runs, transactions, or API calls | Large, scaling customers or heavy automation use cases |
| Custom Enterprise Pricing | Quote-based pricing for complex integrations | Enterprise customers with custom needs |
Final Thoughts
Pricing embedded integrations is a balancing act between customer value, operational costs, and growth potential. By offering a mix of bundled and premium integrations, considering usage-based pricing, and aligning integrations with your plan tiers, you can turn integrations from a cost center into a strategic revenue stream.
Integrations aren’t just a product feature — they’re a business model opportunity. Learn more about why workato is the premier embedded solution here.
