Monetization options

When you submit your app to the Semrush App Center, you can choose how you're going to monetize it. Depending on your app’s purpose and functionality, it can be one of the following options:

• Free app
• Freemium app (with or without a trial version)
• Paid app (with or without a trial version)

When a user purchases an app or gets it for free, it will appear on the My apps page.

How it works

Apps in the App Center are displayed in iframes. When a user opens your app in Semrush, the iframe receives the URL of your app with a JSON Web Token (JWT) from your backend. The JWT payload contains an encoded user ID, a signature, and other parameters. The is_main_product_active parameter shows whether the current user is supposed to have access to the full functionality of the app.

To learn more about the JWT content and working with it, refer to JWT reference.

Free apps

Free apps have the following features:

• Users can get the app and use all of its features free of charge.
• Users can purchase in-app products.
• The is_main_product_active parameter in the JWT payload is false.

Freemium apps

Freemium apps can have three states: demo, trial, and full.

Demo

The demo version shows some features of the full version and motivates the user to make the purchase. Demo apps have the following features:

• Functionality is limited in comparison to the full and trial versions.
• Users can get the demo version and use all of its features free of charge.
• Users can't purchase any in-app products. If a user tries to add an in-app product, a pop-up will appear prompting them to buy the full version.
• The is_main_product_active parameter in the JWT payload is false.

Trial

The trial version is another state of the freemium app. It grants access to all features but for a limited time. A user can switch to the trial version from the demo, but only once. Freemium apps on the trial have the following features:

• The trial is the full version of the app.
• Users have access to all features for a limited time.
• Users can purchase trial in-app products.
• The is_main_product_active parameter in the JWT payload is true.

Full

In the full version, users have access to all available features. The user can switch to the full version from the demo or after the trial expires. Full freemium apps have the following features:

• Users can purchase the full version while using the demo or after the trial version expires.
• Users can purchase in-app products.
• The is_main_product_active parameter in the JWT payload is true.

Paid app

In a paid app, users get access to its features only after buying it or taking a trial. The user can purchase the app in the Store or take a trial and purchase the app after the trial expires. Paid apps have the following features:

• Users must purchase the app or take a trial version before accessing it.
• Users can purchase in-app products. If a user has the trial, they can't make in-app purchases.
• The is_main_product_active parameter in the JWT payload is true.

When you decide on the monetization option for your app, send an email to our account managers. They can set the preferred option for your app.