Smoother plan upgrades and payments
We improved billing so upgrading or changing plans feels simple, predictable, and fast. Obvious Builder now supports clearer plan selection, a smoother checkout flow, and reliable upgrade/downgrade behavior—so you can switch plans in one click without losing momentum while building.
Pricing should never slow down building.
Obvious Builder is designed to be accessible from day one, while still scaling to professional and business use-cases. That means your plan should match your needs without friction—and changing plans should feel as straightforward as changing a setting.
This update improves the upgrade flow, checkout clarity, and subscription switching behavior so you can move between plans in one click, with predictable timing and zero confusion.
The Obvious Builder plans (simple overview)
Obvious Builder currently supports three plan levels designed to fit different stages of building:
Free — build and learn without limits
The Free plan is built for accessibility. It’s ideal for:
- students learning modern web creation
- creators exploring ideas
- developers prototyping
- founders building early drafts
With Free, you can create projects, build real websites, and use a large part of the platform without paying upfront—making Obvious Builder one of the most approachable ways to start building.
Pro — publish professionally
Pro is for people who want to take projects live with more power and fewer limits. It typically includes features such as:
- custom domains
- expanded CMS capacity
- higher platform limits
- advanced publishing needs
- stronger AI capabilities
Pro is the plan most creators and startups choose when a site becomes “real” and needs production-level delivery.
Business — scale for client work and serious workflows
Business is designed for freelancers, agencies, and teams managing more complex environments:
- multiple client projects
- advanced workflows and organization
- higher usage ceilings
- more structured scaling
It’s the plan for people building many websites professionally.
What’s new
A smoother upgrade experience (less friction, more clarity)
Upgrading now follows a clearer flow from plan selection to payment—so users immediately understand:
- what they’re getting
- what changes right now
- what changes at the next billing cycle
- what happens to limits and features after switching
This reduces the most common subscription problems: uncertainty and hesitation.
One-click switching between plans
You can now switch plans quickly from inside the product, without feeling like you’re entering a “billing maze”.
This is important because most users upgrade at a moment of momentum:
- when they’re about to publish
- when they need a custom domain
- when they hit a CMS limit
- when they want more AI support
The billing flow should support that momentum—not interrupt it.
Predictable downgrade behavior (end-of-cycle, not instant loss)
Downgrading is designed to be fair and predictable:
- Upgrades take effect immediately (you get features right away)
- Downgrades apply after the current billing period (you keep what you paid for)
This prevents the most frustrating downgrade scenario: losing access immediately and having a project become blocked mid-cycle.
Why this matters (trust, retention, and product adoption)
1) A smooth billing flow increases conversion
When pricing is unclear or the checkout flow feels risky, users hesitate. Smoother payments improve conversion because people feel confident about what happens next.
2) Plan flexibility makes the product easier to adopt
Many users don’t want to commit immediately. They want to try, build, and then upgrade when the project is ready.
A frictionless upgrade path supports that natural journey: Explore → Build → Publish → Scale
3) Predictable subscriptions reduce churn
Users cancel when they feel surprised by billing behavior. Clear upgrade/downgrade rules reduce churn because the system feels transparent and fair.
When to choose each plan (practical guidance)
Choose Free if you are:
- learning the platform
- building personal projects
- prototyping a product site
- experimenting with design systems and layout
- exploring AI-assisted workflows
Choose Pro if you:
- want to publish under a custom domain
- need more CMS capacity for real content (blog, updates, docs)
- want stronger professional publishing workflows
- are building a public site where SEO matters
Choose Business if you:
- manage multiple client websites
- run multiple brands or products
- collaborate with a team
- need higher limits and stronger organization
SEO and AI discovery note: why billing upgrades matter
This update is not just a “payments change”. It supports the real website lifecycle:
- a Free project becomes a real website
- the website moves to a custom domain
- content (blog, updates, templates) is published publicly
- SEO and AI systems begin indexing stable pages
- the site grows into a long-term web presence
A smooth upgrade is what makes that transition painless—so users actually publish, keep content active, and grow their domain authority.
Coming next
We’ll continue improving billing clarity and long-term subscription management, including:
- clearer plan comparisons inside the product
- more visibility into limits and usage
- even smoother upgrade prompts at the right moment (without being intrusive)
Obvious Builder should feel obvious not only in design—but also in how you scale and pay as your projects grow.