Data story · updated Nov 5, 2026
The 2026 Pricing Index
A sourced snapshot of what things cost in 2026, across 782 categories. In software (267 categories, 2,141 tools) the median entry price is $10/month, 43.4% offer a forever-free tier, and 16.2% publish no price at all. In hardware (515 categories, 6,911 products) the median product costs $300.
- $10median software entry / mo
- 43.4%of software has a free tier
- 16.2%of software hides its price
- $300median hardware price
- 782categories tracked, sourced & dated
Recent price movement across the market
Categories ranked by recorded price changes in our tracked series — the dated history no competitor can backfill, each change between two consecutive reads of the same site by our price scan. Drops vs. increases, and the single biggest move.
| Category | Tracked | Changes | ↓ / ↑ | Biggest move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telescopes | 10 | 33 | 18 / 15 | Celestron Nexstar 8se $1,499→$1,699 (+13.3%) 2026-08-11 |
| Cordless Floor Washers | 6 | 30 | 14 / 16 | Roborock F25 Ultra $479.99→$799.99 (+66.7%) 2026-09-10 |
| Cordless Vacuums | 19 | 28 | 14 / 14 | Roborock H60 Ultra $189.99→$299.99 (+57.9%) 2026-10-28 |
| Air Fryers | 26 | 27 | 11 / 16 | Frigidaire 3 In 1 Frafm100b $93→$139.99 (+50.5%) 2026-07-31 |
| Coffee Makers | 16 | 22 | 9 / 13 | Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker $339.95→$399.95 (+17.6%) 2026-09-10 |
| Air Purifiers | 21 | 21 | 10 / 11 | Blueair Blue Signature Medium $223.99→$299.99 (+33.9%) 2026-09-16 |
| Portable Power Stations | 19 | 21 | 10 / 11 | Anker Solix S2000 $649.99→$999.99 (+53.8%) 2026-09-13 |
| Electric Scooters | 17 | 20 | 10 / 10 | Segway Zt3 Pro $799.99→$999.99 (+25%) 2026-10-21 |
| Mesh Wi-Fi Systems | 17 | 20 | 10 / 10 | Tp Link Deco Be63 $399.99→$499.99 (+25%) 2026-09-06 |
| Radar Detectors | 11 | 18 | 10 / 8 | Escort Max 360c Mkii $519.95→$599.95 (+15.4%) 2026-07-31 |
| Gaming Mice | 19 | 17 | 8 / 9 | Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless Se $69.99→$139.99 (+100%) 2026-10-10 |
| Home Saunas | 8 | 17 | 8 / 9 | Sun Home Equinox 2 $6,099→$6,799 (+11.5%) 2026-09-16 |
| Over Ear Headphones | 15 | 16 | 9 / 7 | Bose Quietcomfort Headphones $169→$359 (+112.4%) 2026-10-13 |
| Home Energy Monitors | 8 | 16 | 7 / 9 | Eyedro Home Energy Monitor $139→$179 (+28.8%) 2026-08-25 |
| Bidet Toilet Seats | 17 | 15 | 9 / 6 | Coway Bidetmega 400s $388.99→$599 (+54%) 2026-08-31 |
| Rice Cookers | 14 | 15 | 6 / 9 | Cuckoo Crp Ehss0309f $259.99→$399.99 (+53.8%) 2026-07-31 |
| Robot Vacuums | 18 | 15 | 5 / 10 | Roborock Saros Z70 $999.99→$1,699.99 (+70%) 2026-10-21 |
| Robot Window Cleaners | 6 | 15 | 7 / 8 | Ecovacs Winbot W2s Omni $407.55→$599.99 (+47.2%) 2026-10-22 |
| Dutch Ovens | 7 | 15 | 7 / 8 | Xtrema Round Dutch Oven 10 5qt $392.95→$521.95 (+32.8%) 2026-09-09 |
| Breast Pumps | 18 | 14 | 7 / 7 | Elvie Stride 2 $202.49→$269.99 (+33.3%) 2026-08-25 |
| Dash Cams | 21 | 14 | 6 / 8 | Viofo A119m Pro $132.98→$209.99 (+57.9%) 2026-10-10 |
| Electric Toothbrushes | 20 | 14 | 6 / 8 | Oral B Io Series 9 $169.99→$329.99 (+94.1%) 2026-10-09 |
| Bone Conduction Headphones | 14 | 13 | 5 / 8 | Suunto Wing $99→$169 (+70.7%) 2026-09-16 |
| Robot Mops | 8 | 13 | 7 / 6 | Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow $699.99→$999.99 (+42.9%) 2026-09-15 |
| Strollers | 12 | 12 | 4 / 8 | Bob Gear Revolution Flex 3 0 $519.99→$649.99 (+25%) 2026-09-13 |
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 |
| Changelog Tools | $1.10 |
Most free options
Categories where the most vendors ship a forever-free plan (not just a trial).
| Category | Free vendors |
|---|---|
| AI Voice Agents | 12 of 13 |
| Design Tools | 11 of 14 |
| Note Taking Apps | 11 of 13 |
| Auth Identity | 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 |
| Chat API | 8 of 9 |
| Consent Management Platforms | 8 of 10 |
| Feature Flags | 8 of 9 |
| Mileage Tracking | 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 |
| Digital PR | 7 of 9 |
| AR Automation | 6 of 8 |
| Payment Processors | 6 of 8 |
| Travel eSIM | 4 of 6 |
| Data Warehouse | 5 of 8 |
| Dental Software | 5 of 8 |
| Performance Management | 5 of 8 |
| Pim Software | 5 of 8 |
| Video Interview | 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 |
| Ph Meters | $9 | $124 |
| Pulse Oximeters | $9 | $70 |
| Digital Calipers | $10 | $55 |
| Smart Bulbs | $11 | $18 |
| Waffle Makers | $11 | $56 |
| Reptile Terrariums | $12 | $120 |
| Smart Plugs | $12 | $31 |
| Kitchen Scales | $14 | $39 |
| Milk Frothers | $15 | $48 |
| Smart Light Switches | $15 | $40 |
| Gan Chargers | $16 | $55 |
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 2,141 tools in 267 categories, the median cheapest paid plan is $10 per month (The Front Desk Review pricing index, as of Nov 5, 2026).
What share of business software offers a free tier?
43.4% of tracked vendors (930 of 2,141) offer a forever-free plan, not just a trial.
How many software vendors hide their pricing?
16.2% 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 6,911 products in 515 hardware categories, the median published price is $300. The cheapest categories to buy into start around $7 (Case Fans).
How is this index calculated?
It aggregates every published price across 782 datasets — 7,310 software plans and 5,922 priced hardware products. Each figure is captured from a public page — the vendor's or manufacturer's own wherever they publish the number, otherwise the named public source — 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 — 7,310 published software plans across 267 categories and 5,922 priced products across 515 hardware categories. Each price is captured from a public page — the vendor's or manufacturer's own wherever they publish the number, otherwise the named public source — and dated; items with no published price are a transparency gap, never a guessed number. As of Nov 5, 2026. Open data & methodology → · Software → · Hardware →
Data study: The Contact-Sales Tax — 1 in 4 SaaS tools won't show a price →