Pendo Pricing 2026: What It Costs Per Plan

Ruben Buijs Ruben Buijs Jan 30, 2026 10 min read ChatGPT Claude
Pendo Pricing 2026: What It Costs Per Plan

Pendo is a product experience platform known for its powerful analytics and in-app guides. But if you have ever tried to find out what Pendo actually costs, you know the frustration: there is no public pricing page. Every paid plan says "Request pricing" and you must sit through a sales demo to get a quote.

In this guide, we pull together everything known about Pendo's pricing in 2026 and explain what each plan includes. We also cover estimated costs based on user reports and compare it against a flat-rate alternative for teams that primarily need feedback and roadmap tools.

Quick verdict: Pendo is an analytics-first platform with feedback bolted on. If product analytics and in-app guides are your top priority, Pendo is excellent. If your primary need is customer feedback collection, public roadmaps, or changelogs, Pendo is expensive overkill. You will pay enterprise prices for features that are secondary in Pendo's product.

Pendo Pricing Tiers in 2026

Pendo pricing page

Pendo does not publish its pricing openly. All paid plans display "Request pricing" on their website. The plan details below are based on Pendo's current pricing page, and cost estimates are compiled from G2 reviews, Reddit discussions, and verified customer reports.

Free (Start for Free)

Pendo's website includes a "Start for Free" button, suggesting a limited free option still exists separate from the main pricing tiers.

Detail Info
Price $0
Availability Limited free option (separate from paid tiers)
What you get Basic analytics, limited in-app guides
What you don't get Full analytics, session replays, NPS, product discovery, advanced integrations

Base

Detail Info
Price Request pricing (custom quote)
Description "For the company just beginning their product experience journey"
MAU Limit Custom monthly active users (negotiated)
What you get Product analytics, in-app guides, one integration
What you don't get Session replays, NPS, product discovery, journey orchestration, data synchronization

Core

Detail Info
Price Request pricing (custom quote)
Description "The essential solution you need to drive business outcomes"
MAU Limit Custom monthly active users (negotiated)
What you get Everything in Base, plus session replays
What you don't get NPS, product discovery, journey orchestration, data synchronization

Ultimate (Most Popular)

Detail Info
Price Request pricing (custom quote)
Description "Everything the most advanced organizations need"
MAU Limit Custom monthly active users (negotiated)
What you get Everything in Core, plus NPS, product discovery, journey orchestration, data synchronization

Pendo also notes: "Looking for something different? Contact us for a customized solution." All Pendo plans require annual contracts. Monthly billing is not available.

The Real Cost of Pendo at Scale

Pendo's pricing is primarily driven by your monthly active users (MAU), not your team size. Since all plans require custom quotes, the actual cost depends on your MAU count, feature requirements, and negotiation. This means the bill grows as your product grows, creating unpredictable cost escalation.

Estimated Pendo Cost by MAU (Based on User Reports)

The following estimates are based on publicly reported figures from G2 reviews, Reddit discussions, and verified customer reports. These are not official Pendo prices and your actual quote may differ significantly.

MAU Estimated Plan Estimated Annual Cost Monthly Equivalent
500 Free $0 $0
2,000 Base (low) ~$7,000 (reported) ~$583
5,000 Base (mid) ~$9,000 (reported) ~$750
10,000 Base/Core ~$12,000 (reported) ~$1,000
25,000 Core ~$20,000 (reported) ~$1,667
50,000 Core/Ultimate ~$28,000 (reported) ~$2,333
100,000 Ultimate ~$35,000+ (reported) ~$2,917+

These are rough estimates only. Since Pendo does not publish any pricing, every contract is individually negotiated. Your actual quote will depend on your specific MAU count, selected plan tier, and feature requirements.

The MAU Trap

The MAU-based model means your Pendo bill scales with your success. As one user described it:

"Pricing increased significantly as our MAU grew."

If your product goes from 5,000 to 50,000 active users, your Pendo bill could increase 3-4x. This is a fundamentally different model from per-seat pricing, and it punishes product-led growth.

Hidden Costs You Won't See (Because There's No Pricing Page)

1. The Demo Tax

"Had to sit through a 45-minute demo just to get pricing."

This is the most consistent complaint about Pendo. You cannot self-serve pricing. Every plan says "Request pricing." Your team invests hours before you even know if Pendo fits your budget.

2. Feedback as an Afterthought

"The feedback features feel like an afterthought compared to analytics."

Pendo added feedback collection to complement its analytics suite, but it is not the core product. The feedback module lacks dedicated voting boards, a public changelog, a knowledge base, and prioritization frameworks that purpose-built feedback tools include.

3. MAU Overages

If your MAU exceeds your contracted tier, you will face overage charges or be pushed to upgrade mid-contract. Since MAU can spike during launches or marketing campaigns, this introduces billing unpredictability.

4. Implementation Complexity

Pendo requires a JavaScript snippet in your product, data configuration, and analytics setup. The implementation is more involved than a standalone feedback portal and typically requires engineering involvement.

5. Annual Commitment Only

All paid Pendo plans are annual. There is no monthly option. You are committing to a custom-quoted annual contract before you know if the product delivers value for your team.

What Users Are Saying About Pendo Pricing

Real quotes from G2 and Reddit reviews:

"Great for analytics but if you just need feedback, it's expensive overkill."

"Had to sit through a 45-minute demo just to get pricing."

"The feedback features feel like an afterthought compared to analytics."

"Pricing increased significantly as our MAU grew."

"We were paying $18,000/year for Pendo and only using the feedback and NPS features. Realized we could get better feedback tools for a tenth of the price."

The pattern is clear: teams that use Pendo primarily for product analytics find strong value. Teams that adopted Pendo hoping for a complete feedback and roadmap solution often feel they are overpaying for analytics they do not need.

Pendo vs ProductLift: Pricing Comparison

This comparison focuses on feedback and roadmap capabilities, since that is where these products overlap. ProductLift charges $14/month per team member (admin) with unlimited tracked users and all features included.

Cost Comparison by Scenario

Pendo estimates below are based on user-reported figures and may not reflect your actual quote.

Scenario Pendo (Estimated from user reports) ProductLift
Small team, 500 MAU $0 (Free, limited) $42/mo (3 admins)
Growing team, 5,000 MAU ~$750/mo (~$9,000/yr reported) $70/mo (5 admins)
Scaling team, 25,000 MAU ~$1,667/mo (~$20,000/yr reported) $140/mo (10 admins)
Large team, 50,000 MAU ~$2,333/mo (~$28,000/yr reported) $280/mo (20 admins)
Enterprise, 100,000+ MAU ~$2,917+/mo (~$35,000+/yr reported) $700/mo (50 admins)

Note: ProductLift has no MAU limits. Whether you have 500 or 500,000 tracked users, the price stays the same based only on the number of admin seats.

Feature Comparison (Feedback & Roadmap Focus)

Feature Pendo ProductLift
Feedback boards Basic (secondary feature) Full-featured, purpose-built
Voting / upvoting Limited Included with anonymous voting
Public roadmap Not a core feature Included
Changelog Not available Included
Knowledge base Not available Included
Prioritization frameworks Not available RICE, ICE, MoSCoW included
Product analytics Industry-leading Not included (different focus)
In-app guides Industry-leading Not included (different focus)
Session replays Core plan and above Not included (different focus)
NPS surveys Ultimate plan only Not included (different focus)
White-label / custom domain Limited Included
SSO Paid plans only Included
Multi-language Limited 22 languages
AI features AI-powered insights AI-powered feedback analysis
Stripe integration Not available Included
Unlimited tracked users MAU-gated pricing Included on all plans
Monthly billing option Not available Available
Public pricing Not available (request quote) Transparent, on website

FAQ

Is Pendo worth the price?

Pendo is worth the price if product analytics and in-app guides are your primary need. The analytics depth is industry-leading. If you mainly need feedback collection, roadmaps, or a changelog, Pendo is expensive for what you will actually use. You will pay for a full analytics suite while only using the feedback module.

What are Pendo's pricing plans?

Pendo offers three paid tiers: Base, Core, and Ultimate. All display "Request pricing" with no public prices. Base includes product analytics, in-app guides, and one integration. Core adds session replays. Ultimate (marked as most popular) adds NPS, product discovery, journey orchestration, and data synchronization. A limited free option also appears to be available via the "Start for Free" button on their site.

Does Pendo offer a free plan?

Pendo's website has a "Start for Free" button, suggesting a limited free option exists. However, the free tier is separate from the main Base, Core, and Ultimate pricing plans and is likely restricted in MAU and features. Feedback, advanced analytics, and most features require a paid plan.

How much does Pendo cost?

Pendo does not publish any prices. All three paid plans (Base, Core, and Ultimate) require you to request a custom quote. Based on user reports, costs reportedly start around $7,000/year for lower MAU counts and can reach $35,000+/year or more at scale. Your actual price depends on your MAU, selected tier, and negotiation.

How does Pendo pricing compare to ProductLift?

Pendo's Base plan requires a custom quote and reportedly starts around $7,000/year or more for limited MAU. ProductLift starts at $168/year for one admin with unlimited tracked users. A team needing feedback and roadmap tools saves significantly by choosing ProductLift over Pendo, since there are no MAU limits and pricing is transparent.

Are there hidden costs with Pendo?

Yes. MAU overages can spike your bill unexpectedly. There is no public pricing page, so you must invest time in sales calls just to learn the cost. Annual contracts lock you in. The feedback features are basic compared to purpose-built tools, so you may need additional subscriptions to fill the gaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Pendo have a free plan?

Pendo's site includes a "Start for Free" button, indicating a limited free option is available. However, it is separate from the main pricing tiers (Base, Core, Ultimate) and is likely restricted in terms of MAU and available features. The feedback and advanced analytics features are not included in the free tier.

Why doesn't Pendo show pricing on their website?

Pendo uses a sales-led model with custom quotes based on your MAU, feature requirements, and contract length. All three plans (Base, Core, Ultimate) display "Request pricing" instead of a dollar amount. This is common among enterprise SaaS products but frustrating for teams doing early-stage evaluation.

Can I use Pendo just for feedback collection?

Technically yes, but it is not recommended. Pendo's feedback features are designed to complement its analytics suite. If feedback is your primary use case, you will be paying for analytics infrastructure you do not need. Purpose-built feedback tools like ProductLift offer more feedback functionality at a lower price.

How does Pendo count MAU?

Pendo counts any user who triggers at least one event in your product during a calendar month. This includes both logged-in and anonymous users if they interact with Pendo-instrumented elements. All paid plans have custom MAU limits that are negotiated as part of your contract.

Is Pendo worth it for a small SaaS team?

If you need product analytics and in-app onboarding guides, Pendo's free option is a reasonable starting point for exploration. You will likely need to move to the Base plan quickly, which requires a custom quote and annual commitment. Based on user reports, paid plans start around $7,000/year, which is steep for small teams. For feedback and roadmap needs, a dedicated tool is more cost-effective.

Verdict: When Does Pendo Make Sense?

Choose Pendo if:

  • Product analytics is your primary need
  • You want in-app guides and onboarding flows
  • You need session replays (Core plan) or NPS and journey orchestration (Ultimate plan)
  • You have the budget for custom-quoted annual contracts
  • You are an enterprise with advanced analytics requirements
  • Feedback is a nice-to-have add-on, not your core workflow

Choose ProductLift if:

Pendo and ProductLift serve fundamentally different primary use cases. Pendo is an analytics platform with feedback features. ProductLift is a feedback platform with everything you need to collect, prioritize, and communicate product decisions. If you need analytics, use Pendo (or a dedicated analytics tool). If you need feedback, roadmaps, changelogs, and a knowledge base, ProductLift delivers all of that starting at $14/month per admin with no MAU limits.

For a broader comparison, see our guide to the best feedback tools for SaaS.

Try ProductLift free and compare it against your Pendo feedback workflow.

Ruben Buijs, Founder

Article by

Ruben Buijs

Ruben is the founder of ProductLift. Former IT consultant at Accenture and Ernst & Young, where he helped product teams at Shell, ING, Rabobank, Aegon, NN, and AirFrance/KLM prioritize and ship features. Now building tools to help product teams make better decisions.

The faster, easier way to capture user feedback at scale

Join over 3,051 product managers and see how easy it is to build products people love.

Aaron Dye Timothy M. Ben Marco Chris R.
from 124+ reviews

Did you know 80% of software features are rarely or never used? That's a lot of wasted effort.

SaaS software companies spend billions on unused features. In 2025, it was $29.5 billion.

We saw this problem and decided to do something about it. Product teams needed a better way to decide what to build.

That's why we created ProductLift - to put all feedback in one place, helping teams easily see what features matter most.

In the last five years, we've helped over 3,051 product teams (like yours) double feature adoption and halve the costs. I'd love for you to give it a try.

Ruben Buijs, Founder
Ruben Buijs

Founder & Digital Consultant

Read more

Beamer Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Alternatives
Beamer Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Alternatives

Beamer pricing starts at $49/mo (annual) for changelogs with MAU limits. Feedback is a paid add-on. Full 2026 pricing breakdown inside.

Aha! Pricing 2026: Plans, Hidden Costs & Alternatives
Aha! Pricing 2026: Plans, Hidden Costs & Alternatives

Aha! pricing starts at $39/user/month for Discovery and $59/user/month for Roadmaps (now includes Ideas Essentials). See the full 2026 cost breakdown, hidden fees, and how it compares.

UserVoice Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Alternatives
UserVoice Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Alternatives

UserVoice pricing starts at $16,000/year (~$1,333/mo). No per-seat charges. 30-day trial available. See the full cost breakdown and affordable alternatives.

Productboard Pricing 2026: What You Really Pay
Productboard Pricing 2026: What You Really Pay

Productboard pricing starts free (Starter) with paid plans from $19 to custom Enterprise pricing. See real costs at 5, 10, and 20 makers, hidden upgrade traps, and how it compares.

Canny Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Hidden Fees
Canny Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Hidden Fees

Canny pricing starts free but jumps to $19-$79/mo with custom Business pricing. We break down every plan, hidden costs, and compare Canny vs ProductLift.