It's Time to Rethink User Value — Even Free Users Can Contribute

If you've ever built a free app, this probably sounds familiar:

You're getting a decent number of users. Engagement is okay. But the monetization? Not so great. Few people pay, ad revenue is low, and ironically, the more your user base grows, the higher your server and support costs get.

You might start thinking:
“Should I restrict features for free users? Or push subscriptions harder?”

But maybe the issue isn’t your users. Maybe it's that we haven’t found the right way to capture their value.

Free ≠ Worthless

In today’s internet, every user is contributing in some way. Even if they’re not paying or clicking ads, they’re engaging with your product, generating usage data, staying active — and sometimes, their device itself holds untapped value.

Most products just don’t have a system in place to turn that into something meaningful.

A Different Approach: Non-Intrusive Monetization

Lately, we've been testing a new approach: no ads, no paywalls, no disruption. Instead, we use a lightweight background service that quietly utilizes unused network resources from the user’s device to support a distributed global network.

Users keep using the app for free, and in the background, they’re helping generate revenue — without even noticing.

We’ve been using a tool called CastarSDK to do this. It’s simple to integrate, stable in operation, and most importantly, privacy-respecting and non-intrusive. It doesn’t interfere with the user experience, which was a key factor for us.

Final Thoughts

Not every user will convert into a paying customer — and that’s okay. A truly sustainable product model should be inclusive, offering multiple paths for users to contribute value on their own terms.

If you're looking for ways to balance user experience with revenue, this might be a direction worth exploring.