Why Lyvia doesn't give free daily credits
Unlike many AI apps that offer free users daily tokens or credits, Lyvia only gives 20 credits for new users to try out image generation. After that, they can choose to buy credits, buy Pro subscription, or go find another AI app. The main reason? AI image generation, especially using GPU servers, is costly.
In most apps with a free tier, only a small percentage of users become paying customers. Statistics show that for every 100 users, only about one will pay, while the other 99 rely on the free version without ever contributing financially. For apps with low server costs, a large base of free users can act as a funnel, drawing more attention to the app and potentially converting a few to paid plans. For Lyvia, however, such a model isn’t sustainable. A lot of free users would create a super long queue, slowing down the generation process for everyone.
One solution might be to prioritize paid users in the queue, but even with prioritization, the sheer volume of free users would lead to long wait times, even for paying customers. Funnily, the free users, who don't want to ever pay, usually have higher expectations and are often quick to leave low ratings if they experience delays. This could harm Lyvia’s reputation on the App Store or Google Play, which isn’t a risk worth taking.
What about adding more servers? Sadly, like I said before, GPU servers are expensive. To put things in perspective, a single GPU server costs around $0.75 per hour. That adds up to $540 per month before taxes. Adding servers would mean increasing the subscription and credit prices. If you’re a paying user, you likely wouldn’t want higher prices just to accommodate non-paying users. And I'm pretty sure most paid users expect their contributions to benefit their own experience, not to subsidize free users who may never upgrade.
Thank you for choosing Lyvia. Please know that I’m here working full-time to make sure each generation is a quality one. Every penny you spend goes towards improving the app and adding more features for you to enjoy.
Happy generating!
