Freemius community: how 1,900+ software makers build, grow, and succeed together
Building software is hard, but thriving is easier when you’ve got 1,900+ makers by your side.
Why the Freemius community matters for software makers
Vova Feldman, CEO of Freemius, believes the community has always been rooted in something deeper than marketing. It’s actually grounded in shared purpose and collective growth.
“The primary reason was to have a direct communication channel with our audience. I didn’t necessarily look at the community as a business growth strategy; it was more about getting a tight feedback loop with our makers and creating a place to exchange ideas, collaborate, get inspired, learn from others, and help each other with connections and opportunities.”.
Plenty of communities are spun up as afterthoughts, offering little more than an “active member” badge in a group or forum. So what makes the Freemius community unique, and why should you join?
Why the Freemius community matters for software makers
“Building a software business can feel lonely with long hours at the screen, tough decisions made alone, and few people to share ideas with.”
Vova explains:
“I knew how important it was to network with like-minded people. From my experience building a side project solo, I also knew how lonely it could get when you’re an indie maker.”
This is why communities matter in the world of solo software development, and what ultimately inspired the creation of the Freemius community.
We asked our makers what they love the most about it:
Support from a global, always-on network
Freemius makers are spread across different time zones, from India to the UK to the US. This means there’s always someone online. You won’t be left waiting days for answers because most replies come within the hour.
Real-world advice and feedback
Skip guesswork and learn directly from others’ tested playbooks, even Freemius’ own team members, both in casual online chats and in-person meetings at conferences and events.
“I left WCEU with pages of actionable notes on marketing, branding, and pricing. For me, that was priceless — I don’t feel like I’m on my own anymore,” says Dave Grey, an active community member and owner of Friendly Web Guy and several WordPress and SaaS products.
Faster learning curve from shared experiences
Why spend months debating a pricing model or tool choice when others likely have insights you can tap into directly?
“As a solo founder, one of the hardest things was having to solve complex challenges alone,” says Tobias Bäthge, founder of TablePress. “In the Freemius community, I can lean on others’ experiences instead of second-guessing everything. For example, when I’d been debating how to set up multi-site license packages, the community feedback saved me a lot of time.”
Validation for new product and feature ideas
Float a feature concept, a new package, or a marketing angle and get immediate, relevant feedback. The community’s got you!
Alan Fuller, founder of Fullworks, has already experienced other members flagging something that wasn’t working: “I’ve had people give me quick, honest feedback on pricing and feature ideas, which saved me from going too far down the wrong path.” says Alan.
Early access to trends and industry signals
You’re part of a focused, niche group that spots market shifts early, from pricing experiments to SaaS transitions.
Tobias particularly values the focused, committed conversations that often take place in the Freemius community: “Other groups are too broad or too promotional. Freemius is different because everyone’s on the same page: licensing, subscriptions, tax. The conversations are sharper and more useful.”
Together, these benefits transform the founder journey. Instead of building in a vacuum, you’re surrounded by people who help you move faster, avoid blind spots, and have fellow makers to help celebrate wins.
Read more: How to Build a Community That Drives Growth and Loyalty Around Your Product
What you get inside the Freemius community
What started as a simple Slack channel to connect with our makers has grown into a trusted group of peers, mentors, and partners who get it.
Let’s explore the specifics that make the Freemius community stand out from the rest:
Private Slack group (1,900+ makers and growing)
Our invite-only Slack is the heartbeat of the community. It’s where daily conversations happen about growth strategies, pricing experiments, launch support, figuring something out in your Freemius dashboard, and everything in between.
Need feedback on your onboarding flow? Want advice on handling refunds? There’s always someone ready to jump in with experience-based answers, even if you need to figure out something in your Freemius dashboard.
Webinars and coding sessions
We host live sessions with experts and fellow makers who openly share what’s worked for them, and what hasn’t.
These sessions focus on real-world tactics and tips you can implement right away, whether it’s about scaling revenue, dealing with customer churn, or preparing for your next product launch.
Recent examples include a webinar where experienced makers and founders shared tested ways to get your first 100 customers, and a live coding session with our VP of Engineering, Swashata Ghosh.
Shape the future of Freemius
As a member, you have a say in Freemius’ future and we take listening seriously.
Makers in the community regularly give feedback on features before they launch, weigh in on roadmap decisions, and even inspire entirely new solutions. It’s product-building, driven by the people who use it most.
The best example is the redesign of our Checkout — built with the invaluable help of the community members. The new checkout is the result of multiple feedback and design cycles with our makers, which resulted in a modernized, conversion-focused experience. It features a refreshed UI, smoother UX, and built-in tools like one-click upsells and social proof to maximize sales.
Here’s another example of how community members get involved with how we develop our product so it serves you as well as possible. We implemented this feature soon after our community members suggested it.
We appreciate every community member’s feedback and take each suggestion into consideration.
Live and in-person community events
Beyond Slack and online sessions, the community comes alive at our invite-only Makers’ Meetups. These in-person gatherings at tech conferences like WordCamp bring together solo founders, small teams, YouTubers, influencers, and even investors.
Md Abu Hayat, founder of bPlugins, sums it up:
“If you’re a software maker, this is THE place to be. I exchanged ideas with fellow product makers, talked about pricing strategies, customer support hacks, and revenue models. No fluff, just real, practical discussions.”
Read more: 4 Ways We Leverage Conferences (And Why Makers’ Meetup Is a Success)
Office hours and mentorship
We also hold open office hours for direct, one-on-one guidance from our founder Vova and the Freemius team. Bring your toughest questions, and walk away with personalized advice from people who’ve helped hundreds of software businesses grow.
Vova’s one-on-one calls with software makers continue to get glowing feedback, thanks to the special value of these direct, intimate conversations.
“First of all, I really love the open office hours format. I should have started doing it much earlier,” he remarks. “It reminds me of my conference chats, where I often feel like a coach, helping makers narrow their focus and prioritize what truly matters.”
Vova’s help doesn’t end with a 1:1 call:
“I often suggest setting up a call two or three months later to review progress and achievements. Before, they were only accountable to themselves. Now they’re speaking it out loud, saying, “Here’s what I’m going to do,” and outlining the exact steps they’ll take.
“These calls help me stay in touch with what’s happening in our community and build stronger relationships between Freemius and our makers. That feedback loop is really important to me, and I’m excited to keep these office hours open!”
We asked the “other side” to share their impressions, too. Tauras Sinkus, founder of Webba Booking, enjoyed the call with Vova and found it encouraging:
“Chatting with Vova was great for a number of reasons! First of all, it’s great to talk directly to the founder and build a connection with him. Second of all, Vova had some good suggestions and insights for our growth journey and also shared words of encouragement.”
Beyond focusing our own time and effort on building these connections, we encourage founders, makers, and other community members to collaborate and help each other grow, too.
Freemius affiliate network:
amplify your reach with influencers
How?
You automatically get a fully-featured affiliate platform for your products when you sell with Freemius. That means you can recruit an army of promoters with just a few clicks, turning happy users, bloggers, and industry influencers into affiliates who earn commissions by spreading the word about your software.
Tracking clicks and referrals, managing payouts, and watching the sales roll in… it all happens in one streamlined dashboard.
The Freemius community also includes an Affiliate Network of promoters ready to amplify your product’s reach.
We actively cultivate relationships with influencers in the SaaS and WordPress space, including popular YouTubers, bloggers, and review sites. We connect them with our makers, acting like a built-in PR team.
So, when you launch or have a big update, there’s already a network of voices to help broadcast it.
Next up: see how your Freemius network can give you opportunities beyond feedback, support, and amplification.
Business network:
opportunities beyond sales
Selling is only part of the journey. Through the Freemius community, makers unlock connections that can fuel growth in the long run, from investor intros to strategic partnerships and even acquisitions.
Freemius works with hundreds of software businesses and has earned a strong reputation in the industry. That reputation naturally attracts investors, acquisition-minded companies, and potential partners who are looking for the next great product.
When you’re part of our ecosystem, we’re happy to quietly open the right doors, whether that’s an introduction to an investor, a co-marketing deal, or a conversation with a potential acquirer down the line.
Here are the opportunities you might unlock for your business as a part of the Freemius community:
- Investor introductions: We know investors focused on SaaS and WordPress products. If your product is gaining traction, we can connect you with investors who align with your vision. Sometimes a casual chat at a Makers’ Meetup or in Slack is all it takes to spark interest.
- Partnerships with other makers: Our network spans far beyond buyers. Hosting providers, agencies, and other software companies are part of our ecosystem too, creating opportunities for bundling, cross-promotion, or distribution partnerships.
- Acquisition guidance: When the time is right to exit, we guide you through the process, from understanding market valuation multipliers to connecting you with reputable buyers and M&A experts. We’ve already helped dozens of makers navigate successful exits.
In the Freemius community, acquisitions aren’t a taboo subject. They’re openly discussed as just another part of the founder journey. You’ll hear from others who’ve been through it, learn what worked (and what they’d do differently), and might even find your future acquirer through a casual conversation.
Brandon Ernst, a former plugin maker, shared that he owed a big part of his product’s acquisition to the Freemius network.
“When I decided to sell, the Freemius team connected me with the right people almost immediately. I ended up talking to a buyer who truly understood my plugin’s value, and we struck a deal that was a win-win. Without those introductions (and the advice I got from fellow makers who had sold before), selling my business would have been far more daunting,” says Brandon.
Here’s another, marketing-related example of a collaboration between community members:
When Lars Koudal shared his success story in the Freemius Slack, it caught the eye of fellow maker Jordy Alblas, who had just launched his own product, Design for WP, on the same platform. Jordy reached out with a few questions, and that simple ask turned into an organic collaboration.
Lars featured LinkCentral in his WP Security Ninja newsletter, giving Jordy a visibility boost, and Jordy returned the favor in his own emails.
“It started with a quick question and ended up as a win-win partnership. For me, it’s just developers helping each other out, and a good reminder that even in a competitive space, we grow faster when we support each other,” says Lars.
A small gesture, but a perfect snapshot of the pay-it-forward spirit inside the Freemius community.
From launch to exit:
the power of community
Freemius is more than a sales platform. It’s like your extended team.
From your first launch to scaling up, and eventually to planning a successful exit, the community is there at every stage. Members tap into the shared knowledge, connections, and encouragement of 1,900+ peers. And in doing so, they skip common pitfalls, discover opportunities faster, and keep moving forward with confidence.
It’s the advantage of not building in isolation: a network that levels you up far beyond what you could realistically achieve alone.