How to Add a Paywall to My App
Add a paywall by combining a payment processor (Stripe) with subscription status checks in your app. Create products/plans in Stripe, add a checkout flow, store the subscription status in your database, and check it before granting access to premium features. The simplest approach: check a "plan" field on the user profile.
Why this matters
A paywall is what turns free users into paying customers. Getting it right means converting at the moment of highest perceived value. Getting it wrong means either leaving money on the table or frustrating users with aggressive gates.
What's at stake
A poorly placed paywall drives users away. A well-placed paywall at the right friction point feels natural and converts well. The difference is understanding when users have experienced enough value to want more.
Step by step.
Decide what goes behind the paywall
Choose features that provide clear additional value beyond the free tier. Common patterns: usage limits (free = 5 projects, paid = unlimited), advanced features (free = basic, paid = analytics), or premium content (free = limited, paid = all).
Create products and prices in Stripe
In the Stripe Dashboard, create a Product for each plan (e.g., "Pro Plan") and set a Price (e.g., $19/month). Stripe handles the billing infrastructure — you just need to connect your app to it.
Add a checkout flow
Use Stripe Checkout to create a payment page. When a user clicks "Upgrade to Pro," redirect them to a Stripe Checkout session. After payment, Stripe redirects them back with a success status.
Store subscription status
After successful payment, update the user's profile in your database with their plan type. Use Stripe webhooks to automatically update this when subscriptions renew, cancel, or expire.
Check plan status before showing features
On every premium feature, check the user's plan: if (user.plan === "pro") show the feature, otherwise show an upgrade prompt. Always check on the server side too — frontend-only checks can be bypassed.
Gate features with confidence
- Paywall readiness check for your specific app setup
- Stripe integration verification
- Conversion optimization guidance for your upgrade flow
Frequently asked questions.
A soft paywall shows limited features for free and encourages upgrading. A hard paywall blocks all access without payment. For most builder apps, a soft paywall (freemium) converts better because users can experience value before paying.
Use Stripe webhooks to detect cancellations. Typically, give users access until the end of their billing period, then downgrade to the free tier. Always communicate clearly what they lose when downgrading.
Yes. Lemon Squeezy and Paddle offer similar checkout flows with less setup. You can also use Stripe alternatives like RevenueCat (for mobile) or Memberful (for content). The pattern is the same: charge, store status, check status.
Place it at the point of highest perceived value — when the user is about to do something they clearly want. For example: after they have created 3 free projects and try to create a 4th, or when they click on an advanced feature they can see but not use.