People pay to keep what they feel is theirs more readily than to gain something new.

A Journal of Consumer Psychology study found that when users feel even symbolic ownership of an option, they’re far more likely to stick with it, pay more for it, and resist switching.

It’s the engine behind the “keep vs. get” effect.

If a feature is framed as something you keep, commitment shoots up.

If it’s framed as something you get, commitment falls.

This matters for physical products, and it’s even more powerful in software and devices.

Free tiers create early psychological ownership.

That’s the opportunity.

Once users feel the product is “theirs,” upgrading isn’t adding something new; it’s preserving what they already RELY on.

So don’t stop at a free plan. Design your onboarding so users win early, personalize something, or create a tiny routine.

Then position the paid plan as continuity:

“Keep your workflow.”
“Keep unlimited projects.”
“Keep the quality you’ve ALREADY built.”

If it feels like loss aversion, that’s because it is.

And when ownership kicks in, folks commit.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we do as product marketing consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.