Data story · updated Jul 10, 2026
The 2026 Pricing Index
A sourced snapshot of what things cost in 2026, across 698 categories. In software (265 categories, 2,055 tools) the median entry price is $9.99/month, 44.4% offer a forever-free tier, and 16.7% publish no price at all. In hardware (433 categories, 5,714 products) the median product costs $329.
- $9.99median software entry / mo
- 44.4%of software has a free tier
- 16.7%of software hides its price
- $329median hardware price
- 698categories tracked, sourced & dated
Recent price movement across the market
Categories ranked by recorded price changes in our tracked series — the dated, append-only history no competitor can backfill. Drops vs. increases, and the single biggest move.
| Category | Tracked | Changes | ↓ / ↑ | Biggest move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Power Stations | 19 | 20 | 6 / 14 | Ecoflow River 3 $199→$448 (+125.1%) 2026-07-26 |
| Air Fryers | 17 | 13 | 4 / 9 | Instant Vortex Plus 6qt $79.99→$149.99 (+87.5%) 2026-07-25 |
| Air Purifiers | 21 | 13 | 3 / 10 | Winix 5520 $179→$259.99 (+45.2%) 2026-08-01 |
| 3D Printers | 18 | 11 | 6 / 5 | Creality K1c $399→$559 (+40.1%) 2026-07-25 |
| Bidet Toilet Seats | 17 | 11 | 9 / 2 | Toto Washlet C5 $492→$673.71 (+36.9%) 2026-07-25 |
| Breast Pumps | 18 | 9 | 8 / 1 | Elvie Pump Double $549.99→$299.99 (-45.5%) 2026-07-25 |
| Mattresses | 18 | 9 | 8 / 1 | Nolah Evolution 15 $2277→$1127 (-50.5%) 2026-07-26 |
| Treadmills | 19 | 9 | 8 / 1 | Horizon T101 $999→$699 (-30%) 2026-07-27 |
| Mesh Wi-Fi Systems | 17 | 8 | 7 / 1 | Asus Zenwifi Xt9 $449.99→$189.99 (-57.8%) 2026-07-26 |
| Over Ear Headphones | 15 | 8 | 5 / 3 | Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones $229→$449 (+96.1%) 2026-07-28 |
| Car Seats | 17 | 7 | 5 / 2 | Graco 4ever Dlx $229.99→$319 (+38.7%) 2026-07-25 |
| Radar Detectors | 11 | 7 | 3 / 4 | Escort Max 360c Mkii $519.95→$599.95 (+15.4%) 2026-07-31 |
| Robot Mops | 11 | 7 | 5 / 2 | Roborock S8 Maxv Ultra $1799.99→$799.99 (-55.6%) 2026-07-27 |
| Telescopes | 10 | 7 | 6 / 1 | Gskyer 80mm Az $199.99→$230.69 (+15.4%) 2026-08-01 |
| Home Energy Monitors | 8 | 7 | 4 / 3 | Emporia Vue 3 $99.99→$199.99 (+100%) 2026-07-25 |
| Functional Trainers | 13 | 7 | 6 / 1 | Titan Fitness Plate Loaded Functional Trainer $1264.99→$819.97 (-35.2%) 2026-07-25 |
| Cordless Floor Washers | 6 | 7 | 5 / 2 | Roborock F25 Ultra $799.99→$499.99 (-37.5%) 2026-07-25 |
| Sleeping Pads | 10 | 7 | 7 / 0 | Therm A Rest Z Lite Sol $59.95→$44.59 (-25.6%) 2026-07-26 |
| Toilets | 10 | 7 | 4 / 3 | Woodbridge T 0019 $359→$799.99 (+122.8%) 2026-07-26 |
| Capture Cards | 18 | 6 | 3 / 3 | Elgato Cam Link 4k $129.99→$89.99 (-30.8%) 2026-07-25 |
| Cold Plunge Tubs | 15 | 6 | 6 / 0 | Polar Dive Pro $1750→$899 (-48.6%) 2026-07-25 |
| Dash Cams | 16 | 6 | 4 / 2 | Nextbase 322gw $129.99→$199.99 (+53.9%) 2026-07-25 |
| Electric Kettles | 17 | 6 | 3 / 3 | Hamilton Beach Variable Temp 41020r $59.99→$69.99 (+16.7%) 2026-07-28 |
| Electric Toothbrushes | 20 | 6 | 3 / 3 | Oral B Io Series 10 $249.99→$399.99 (+60%) 2026-07-31 |
| Hair Straighteners | 20 | 6 | 3 / 3 | Dyson Corrale $439.99→$539.99 (+22.7%) 2026-08-03 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Fans | $7 | $32 |
| Pulse Oximeters | $9 | $70 |
| Digital Calipers | $10 | $55 |
| Smart Bulbs | $11 | $18 |
| Waffle Makers | $11 | $56 |
| Smart Plugs | $12 | $31 |
| Kitchen Scales | $14 | $39 |
| Milk Frothers | $15 | $48 |
| Smart Light Switches | $15 | $40 |
| Gan Chargers | $16 | $55 |
| Stud Finders | $16 | $40 |
| Beard Trimmers | $20 | $80 |
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 |
| Home Battery Backup | $13,298 | $19,500 |
| Motorcycles | $12,945 | $24,999 |
| Massage Chairs | $10,999 | $13,500 |
| Embroidery Machines | $8,499 | $28,999 |
| Standby Generators | $6,985 | $17,900 |
| Home Saunas | $6,699 | $10,250 |
| Cold Plunge Tubs | $5,990 | $18,990 |
| Gravel Bikes | $5,700 | $8,850 |
| Zero Turn Mowers | $4,799 | $7,419 |
| Power Wheelchairs | $4,029 | $34,200 |
Questions
What is the median starting price of business software in 2026?
Across 2,055 tools in 265 categories, the median cheapest paid plan is $9.99 per month (The Front Desk Review pricing index, as of Jul 10, 2026).
What share of business software offers a free tier?
44.4% of tracked vendors (913 of 2,055) offer a forever-free plan, not just a trial.
How many software vendors hide their pricing?
16.7% 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 5,714 products in 433 hardware categories, the median published price is $329. The cheapest categories to buy into start around $7 (Case Fans).
How is this index calculated?
It aggregates every published price across 698 datasets — 7,098 software plans and 4,972 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 — 7,098 published software plans across 265 categories and 4,972 priced products across 433 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 Jul 10, 2026. Open data & methodology → · Software → · Hardware →
Data study: The Contact-Sales Tax — 1 in 4 SaaS tools won't show a price →