GUIDE

How to Sell Developer Tools
Online

CLI tools, IDE plugins, DevOps utilities — turn your developer tools into a business with proper licensing and frictionless checkout.

Then $1/mo for 3 months. No credit card required.

HOW IT WORKS

Get started in
5 steps.

01

Build something developers need

The best dev tools solve real pain points. Build something you'd pay for yourself. Focus on developer experience — rough edges frustrate your target market more than most.

02

Choose your licensing model

Per-seat for teams, per-machine for individuals, subscription for ongoing updates. Match the model to how your tool is used.

03

Integrate license validation

Add license checking to your tool. Revnu's API validates keys and returns license metadata (tier, expiration, seat count).

04

Create professional docs

Developers judge tools by documentation quality. Good docs reduce friction and build trust.

05

Launch where developers are

Hacker News, relevant subreddits, Dev.to, Twitter/X developer community. Word of mouth matters in dev tools.

01

Per-Seat Licensing

License by team size. Each seat gets activation codes. Perfect for tools used by development teams.

02

CLI License Validation

Validate licenses from command-line tools. Simple API call to check license status and retrieve metadata.

03

Subscription Support

Monthly or annual subscriptions for tools with ongoing updates and maintenance. Automatic renewal and dunning.

04

Free Tier / Trials

Let developers try before buying. Free tiers for personal use, paid for commercial. Time-limited trials for full features.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

No piecing together 5 different tools. Revnu includes the complete infrastructure for selling software.

FeatureIncluded
Hosted Checkout
All plans
License Key Delivery
All plans
RevnuAuth SDK
All plans
Subscription Management
All plans
Affiliate System
All plans
Session Replays
Basic+
A/B Testing
Grow+
Custom Domains
All plans

STARTING PRICE

$1/mo for 3 months

Then from $12/mo. No long-term contracts. Cancel anytime.

Ready to start selling?
Start selling.

Then $1/mo for 3 months

PRO TIPS

Quick
wins.

01

Developers judge by docs

Quick start that works in 5 minutes. Reference docs. Troubleshooting section. Changelog. No excuses on documentation.

02

Free for personal use

Common pattern: free for individuals, paid for commercial. Builds distribution, captures B2B revenue where budgets exist.

03

14-day trials convert

Full features, time-limited. Clean conversion path. Long enough to evaluate, short enough to create urgency.

04

Word of mouth is king

Best dev tools spread through networks. Make users successful and they'll recommend you. Focus on that first.

PRICING

Simple, transparent
pricing.

Pricing

Pricing that
makes sense

No hidden fees. No surprises. Pay for what you use as you grow.

£1/mo for 3 months

Launch your first product in minutes

Starter

£7/mo
£81/year + 6% feeSave £27
  • Turn any app into a paid product
  • Hosted checkout & subscriptions
  • AI-generated landing page
  • Payments, tax & receipts handled
  • Basic analytics
£1/mo for 3 months

Turn your project into a real business

Basic

£29/mo
£351/year + 4% feeSave £117
  • Everything in Starter
  • AI Messaging Assistant
  • SEO-optimised pages (pSEO)
  • Multi-channel selling
  • Enhanced analytics
£1/mo for 3 months

Optimise conversion and scale revenue

Grow

£74/mo
£891/year + 3% feeSave £297
  • Everything in Basic
  • A/B testing built-in
  • Cohort & funnel analytics
  • Custom checkout
  • 5 team members

Operate at scale

Advanced

£224/mo
£2691/year + 2% feeSave £897
  • Everything in Grow
  • Experiments at scale
  • Unlimited AI & automations
  • Priority support
  • 15 team members

Prices shown are monthly equivalent when billed annually. All plans include a 3-day free trial.

Need something more? Get in touch

FAQ

Frequently asked
questions.

01

How do I license CLI tools?

Integrate license validation into your CLI. On first run, prompt for license key. Validate against Revnu's API and cache the result. Re-validate periodically to ensure license is still active.

02

What about team/seat-based licensing?

Create products with seat counts. Revnu tracks activations per license. Team admins can manage seats through the portal. You enforce seat limits in your tool.

03

Should I offer a free tier?

Common for dev tools. Options: free for personal use, free up to N repos/projects, free with limited features. Reduces friction while capturing commercial value.

04

How do I handle piracy?

License validation with device limits provides reasonable protection. For dev tools, community pressure often matters more than technical protection — developers respect other developers' work.

05

What about IDE marketplace distribution?

You can distribute through marketplaces while selling licenses through Revnu. Free extension that unlocks premium features with Revnu license is a common pattern.

06

How do I price for enterprises?

Enterprise typically expects: volume discounts, custom terms, SSO integration, and dedicated support. Handle these as custom contracts with Revnu's invoicing for billing.

07

What's the best trial length?

14 days is most common for dev tools. Long enough to evaluate, short enough to create urgency. Extend trials for enterprise prospects actively evaluating.

08

How do I build documentation?

Popular options: Docusaurus, GitBook, Mintlify, ReadMe. Whatever you choose, prioritize: quick start, reference docs, examples, troubleshooting. Update docs with every release.

EXPLORE MORE

More guides

Start selling developer tools
today.

Hosted checkout, license keys, and subscriptions — all in one platform.

Then $1/mo for 3 months