What Is the Usage-Based Pricing Model of Minds?

Minds' usage-based pricing model is a flexible billing framework for commercial synthetic market research based on the exact number of responses generated. Instead of incurring high fixed costs for participant recruitment or inflexible single-user licenses, teams on the pay-as-you-go plan pay 0.12 euros per response and receive unlimited workspace users along with full methodological breadth for qualitative and quantitative target audience simulations.

How Minds' Usage-Based Pricing Model Works

The model separates platform access from actual research activity. On the pay-as-you-go plan, organizations purchase shared prepaid response packages at 0.12 euros or 0.12 US dollars per response. For German accounts, prices include applicable VAT, whereas US accounts exclude relevant sales tax. Unused responses do not expire at the end of the month; instead, they roll over within the workspace.

Unlimited team members and free viewers can collaborate inside a single workspace without incurring additional per-seat licensing fees. A base workspace supports up to 10 saved audiences with up to 200 Minds each. All research methods, from open qualitative exploration to quantitative approaches such as MaxDiff, scale ratings, and single-choice designs, are included by default. Alongside pay-as-you-go, Pro plans are available for 199 euros monthly per user or 1,990 euros annually including VAT with 5,000 monthly included responses, as well as tailored Enterprise contracts starting at 15,000 euros annually excluding VAT. Platform registration is free of charge, though it does not include complimentary response allowances or trial responses.

A Concrete Practical Example

A consumer goods manufacturer based in Frankfurt am Main plans to relaunch an organic oat milk line and wants to evaluate four packaging designs alongside three positioning claims. Instead of booking a traditional research panel upfront for several thousand euros, the brand team creates two audiences in Minds: urban families and budget-conscious university students.

To run the test, the team conducts a quantitative MaxDiff study accompanied by qualitative in-depth interviews. Across 150 simulated Minds and 8 individual questions per Mind, the study generates 1,200 responses. At a price of 0.12 euros per response, the total cost for this iterative testing round comes to exactly 144 euros. The team identifies clear preferences for a minimalist packaging design, refines the claim that very same day, and launches a second testing loop before the final design enters physical field testing.

How Minds Implements the Usage-Based Pricing Model in Practice

Minds pairs this economic model with an end-to-end platform for commercial synthetic research. At its core operates Minds PRISM, a proprietary reasoning and inference engine running underneath every Mind. PRISM combines publicly accessible context with approved research data to ensure consistent, methodologically sound simulation within defined parameters.

On top of this engine, teams can seamlessly blend qualitative in-depth interviews, quantitative ratings, multi-select questions, and complex conjoint or MaxDiff study designs. Because billing is strictly tied to consumed responses, there are no hidden fees for switching methodologies, exporting data, setting up integrations, or accessing the API. The generated findings deliver context-dependent, directional insights that accelerate development cycles and drastically reduce the risk of missteps before physical field studies begin.

Cost Structures in Comparison: Traditional Market Research vs. Minds

The following overview highlights the structural differences between traditional market research approaches and Minds' synthetic consumption model.

Key Distinctions and Boundaries of Use

Minds' usage-based model offers maximum flexibility for common workflows across marketing, product management, and UX research. It is built for rapid directional guidance when evaluating concepts, messaging, packaging, or feature prioritization.

At the same time, synthetic research does not replace clinical or regulatory approval trials, representative price elasticity measurements under real-world market conditions, or political election polling. For final, business-critical approvals or physical sensory testing, downstream human panels can complement the process. Individual requirements regarding data privacy, data storage, and security policies must be evaluated separately within the scope of the respective workspace.

Related Concepts

• Minds PRISM: The core inference and modeling engine governing realistic behavioral patterns across synthetic target audiences.
• Audience in Minds: A reusable group of up to 200 Minds that can be structured for recurring studies.
• Synthetic Response: The fundamental billing unit in Minds, corresponding to a single answer from a simulated Mind to a stimulus.
• MaxDiff Analysis: A multivariate statistical method for determining relative preferences that can be executed natively in Minds.
• Directional Research: A market research approach that provides rapid orientation and prioritization without claiming to represent statistical total populations.
• Shared Response Carryover: The automated rollover of unused prepaid responses into the subsequent month within the workspace.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Minds' usage-based pricing model allows organizations to enter modern synthetic market research without financial barriers to entry or expensive participant recruitment. Through transparent billing at 0.12 euros per response combined with unlimited users in the workspace, teams can radically accelerate innovation cycles and allocate budgets with precision. Sign up for free at getminds.ai or create an account directly via /?register=true to start planning your first target audience simulations.