Data story · updated Jun 19, 2026
The 2026 Pricing Index
A sourced snapshot of what things cost in 2026, across 465 categories. In software (264 categories, 2,038 tools) the median entry price is $9.99/month, 44.6% offer a forever-free tier, and 16.8% publish no price at all. In hardware (201 categories, 2,351 products) the median product costs $270.
- $9.99median software entry / mo
- 44.6%of software has a free tier
- 16.8%of software hides its price
- $270median hardware price
- 465categories tracked, sourced & dated
Software
Cheapest categories to get started
The lowest published paid plan in each category — the real floor to enter, before usage.
| Category | From / month |
|---|---|
| Cloud Backup | $0.25 |
| Landing Page Builders | $0.75 |
| Email Signature Management | $0.90 |
| Cloud Storage | $0.99 |
| CDN Services | $1 |
| DNS Hosting | $1 |
| Email Hosting | $1 |
| Employee Recognition | $1 |
| Leave Management | $1 |
| Local SEO Tools | $1 |
| Mobile Device Management | $1 |
| Ssl Certificates | $1.33 |
Most free options
Categories where the most vendors ship a forever-free plan (not just a trial).
| Category | Free vendors |
|---|---|
| Auth Identity | 9 of 9 |
| Chat API | 9 of 9 |
| No Code App Builders | 9 of 9 |
| AI Study Tools | 8 of 8 |
| Backend As A Service | 8 of 8 |
| Business Bank Accounts | 8 of 8 |
| Consent Management Platforms | 8 of 10 |
| Feature Flags | 8 of 9 |
| Headless Cms | 8 of 8 |
| Newsletter Platforms | 8 of 8 |
| Print On Demand | 8 of 9 |
| Project Management | 8 of 8 |
Least price-transparent
Categories where the most vendors publish no price and force a sales call.
| Category | Quote-only |
|---|---|
| SMS Gateways | 7 of 7 |
| FP&A Software | 8 of 9 |
| Customer Success Software | 7 of 8 |
| Travel eSIM | 5 of 6 |
| Digital PR | 7 of 9 |
| AR Automation | 6 of 8 |
| Payment Processors | 6 of 8 |
| Performance Management | 6 of 8 |
| Candidate Assessment | 5 of 7 |
| Corporate LMS | 5 of 7 |
| Self Storage Software | 5 of 7 |
| Contract Management | 5 of 8 |
Hardware
Cheapest categories to buy into
The lowest published price in each hardware category — where a category's entry point sits.
| Category | From | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Bulbs | $11 | $18 |
| Waffle Makers | $11 | $62 |
| Smart Plugs | $12 | $31 |
| Kitchen Scales | $14 | $43 |
| Milk Frothers | $15 | $50 |
| Smart Light Switches | $15 | $40 |
| Beard Trimmers | $20 | $75 |
| Security Cameras | $20 | $105 |
| Label Makers | $20 | $125 |
| Rotary Tools | $20 | $75 |
| Wireless Chargers | $24 | $119 |
| High Chairs | $25 | $218 |
Priciest categories
Highest median price — the big-ticket categories in the index.
| Category | Median | Top price |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Cars | $51,000 | $114,900 |
| Cars | $29,720 | $39,330 |
| Massage Chairs | $10,999 | $13,500 |
| Refrigerators | $3,549 | $4,899 |
| TVs | $2,999 | $3,498 |
| Mirrorless Cameras | $2,199 | $4,299 |
| Robot Lawn Mowers | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Treadmills | $1,999 | $3,295 |
| Electric Bikes | $1,899 | $6,500 |
| Projectors | $1,849 | $5,999 |
| Exercise Bikes | $1,695 | $2,985 |
| Ellipticals | $1,500 | $4,199 |
Questions
What is the median starting price of business software in 2026?
Across 2,038 tools in 264 categories, the median cheapest paid plan is $9.99 per month (The Front Desk Review pricing index, as of Jun 19, 2026).
What share of business software offers a free tier?
44.6% of tracked vendors (909 of 2,038) offer a forever-free plan, not just a trial.
How many software vendors hide their pricing?
16.8% of tracked vendors publish no price and are quote-only (contact sales). The least transparent categories are dominated by quote-only vendors.
What does the typical piece of consumer hardware cost in 2026?
Across 2,351 products in 201 hardware categories, the median published price is $270. The cheapest categories to buy into start around $11 (Smart Bulbs).
How is this index calculated?
It aggregates every published price across 465 datasets — 7,082 software plans and 2,214 priced hardware products. Each figure is captured from the vendor's or manufacturer's own page and dated; items with no published price are counted as a transparency gap, never a guessed number.
Method: every figure is computed from The Front Desk Review's open datasets — 7,082 published software plans across 264 categories and 2,214 priced products across 201 hardware categories. Each price is captured from the vendor's or manufacturer's own page and dated; items with no published price are a transparency gap, never a guessed number. As of Jun 19, 2026. Open data & methodology → · Software → · Hardware →