Good, better, best pricing: how to offer options in your proposals

A single price invites a single question: yes or no? Offering a small set of options changes the question to which one? It gives clients a sense of control, lets you serve different budgets without discounting, and often leads some clients to choose more than they would have asked for.

How tiered pricing works

The classic structure is three packages:

• Good: the essentials that solve the core problem. Clear and affordable, never a stripped-down trap.
• Better: what most clients actually need. This is usually the one you’d recommend.
• Best: everything in Better plus the extras that make the biggest difference: faster delivery, more support, more depth.

The top option also gives context: next to it, the middle package looks like the sensible choice.

Designing packages clients understand

• Make the differences meaningful. Each step up should add something the client cares about, not just more of the same.
• Name them by outcome, not size. “Launch”, “Grow” and “Scale” say more than “Bronze”, “Silver” and “Gold”.
• Keep the comparison scannable. Show what’s included in each package side by side.
• Mark a recommendation when you have one, and say why.

Optional extras: let clients build their own

Alongside packages, optional add-ons (a monthly care plan, extra pages, a launch video) let clients tailor the deal. Shown with a running total, they let the client explore what’s possible without a round of emails, and they make upgrades a click rather than a negotiation.

Good candidates for extras are things that are valuable, easy to explain and independent of the main work: support plans, training, additional deliverables, rush delivery.

Recurring and one-off costs

Keep one-off fees and recurring charges clearly separate, and state any minimum term and notice period for recurring work. Clients are more comfortable committing to a monthly plan when the terms are visible up front.

Mistakes to avoid

• Too many options, which slows the decision.
• A bottom tier so limited that it feels like a trick.
• Hiding the price of extras until later.
• Changing scope between tiers in ways that are hard to compare.

Frequently asked questions