News, Trends, and Insights for IT & Managed Services Providers
News, Trends, and Insights for IT & Managed Services Providers
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AI Pricing Models Upend Tech Economics—Usage, Outcome, and the End of Per-Seat

Dave sobel, host of the business of tech podcast
Dave Sobel

Insider Brief: August 2025

What Happened

SaaS Pricing Models: The Great Unbundling

August 2025 marked a turn in how AI-powered software is sold. Gartner now projects that by 2030, 40% of enterprise software spend will shift from per-seat to usage-, agent-, or outcome-based models. The traditional “pay per user” SaaS contract is fading as AI agents automate tasks that aren’t tied to a single human. Three models are emerging: usage-based (pay per action or workflow), agent-based (flat fee per AI agent), and outcome-based (pay for results, e.g., issues resolved or leads converted).

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