Status: Available How to choose the right revenue model for your community.
Overview
TribeCrafter supports three revenue models that determine how your members purchase access to paid content. Your revenue model affects the signup flow, landing page layout, and overall checkout experience. Choosing the right one depends on your business goals and how you want to package your offerings.
The Three Revenue Models
Products Only
Members purchase individual products as one-time payments to unlock specific content.
Best for:
- Communities selling standalone courses or content bundles
- One-time access passes with no recurring billing
- Businesses that prefer simple, transactional sales
How it works:
- The signup flow guides new users to browse and add products to their cart before checkout.
- The landing page prominently displays available products.
- Members can purchase multiple products over time.
Example: A photography community selling individual course bundles -- "Portrait Photography Pack" for $49, "Landscape Mastery" for $79.
Subscription Only
Members subscribe to recurring plans (monthly or yearly) for ongoing access to community content.
Best for:
- Membership communities with ongoing content delivery
- Communities that want predictable recurring revenue
- Tiered access models (Basic, Pro, Premium)
How it works:
- The signup flow starts with plan selection before account creation.
- The landing page features a pricing comparison section for your plans.
- Members can have only one active subscription at a time.
- Up to 4 published plans can be active simultaneously.
Example: A fitness community with Bronze ($9/mo), Silver ($19/mo), and Gold ($39/mo) tiers offering increasingly comprehensive access to workout programs and groups.
Combined
Members can purchase individual products or subscribe to plans -- or both.
Best for:
- Communities that want maximum flexibility
- Businesses offering both a la carte content and membership tiers
- Communities transitioning from one model to another
How it works:
- The signup flow presents both products and plans as options.
- The landing page shows both products and subscription sections.
- Members can hold one active subscription and multiple products simultaneously.
- A tooltip explains the difference: "Plans offer full access. Products unlock specific packs."
Example: A business coaching community offering a monthly membership plan for group coaching access, plus standalone workshop bundles available for individual purchase.
How Revenue Models Affect Your Community
| Aspect | Products Only | Subscription Only | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signup flow | Register, browse products, checkout | Select plan, register, checkout | Choose plan or product, register, checkout |
| Landing page | Products section visible | Plans section visible | Both sections visible |
| Member access | Per-product permissions | Plan-wide permissions | Both apply |
| Recurring revenue | No | Yes | Optional |
What Products and Plans Unlock
Products and plans are the only way members access paid content. You configure each product or plan with:
- Specific content -- Select individual courses, groups, or blog access groups to include.
- Wildcard access -- Grant access to all courses, all groups, or all blog content (including future content you add later).
When a member purchases a product or subscribes to a plan, they receive a permission that unlocks the configured content. Courses, groups, and blog posts are never purchased directly -- they are always accessed through products or plans.
Changing Your Revenue Model
Your revenue model automatically updates based on what you have published:
- Only products published and no plans? It becomes "products only."
- Only plans published and no products? It becomes "subscription only."
- Both published? It becomes "combined."
You can influence the model by publishing or unpublishing products and plans as needed.
Tips
- Start with the simplest model that fits your business -- you can always expand later.
- If you are unsure, "Products Only" is the easiest to start with and test.
- For subscription-only communities, create plans with clear tier differentiation so members understand the value of upgrading.
- In combined mode, make sure your products and plans offer distinct value so members are not confused about what to purchase.
- Use wildcard access ("All Courses," "All Groups") on your premium plans to automatically include future content without updating each plan.