JustPaid Announces Free Tier to Support Early-Stage Startups as Finance Leaders Push Back Against Rising Software Costs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- JustPaid, the AI-powered revenue and billing automation platform, announced today that it is exploring the launch of a free tier designed specifically for early-stage startups. The announcement comes as finance leaders across the ecosystem voice growing frustration over the rising cost of legacy financial software and the pressure it places on young companies.

Over the past several months, JustPaid has met with CFOs and fractional finance leaders who consistently report the same issue: modern startups are being priced out of essential tools. Many of the industry's older platforms, built more than a decade ago, now charge enterprise-level pricing to companies that are just getting off the ground. As a result, finance teams either struggle through manual workflows or delay adopting critical infrastructure entirely.

"Most finance software is just too expensive to justify using it at an early-stage startup. It's cheaper to do things manually on spreadsheets. By the time the company can afford the tool, there is a heavy lift to implement it because there is a lot of historical data. It's very exciting to see that JustPaid is offering a freemium product so early stage companies can use it from the get go. I hope we see more companies follow their lead," says Kim Walch, Founder of Rio Finance, a full service finance and accounting firm supporting early stage startups.

As startup budgets remain constrained, many leaders say they simply cannot justify spending $30,000 to $100,000 per year on outdated AR and billing platforms. The discrepancy between what early companies need and what legacy software charges has created a widening gap in the market.

"I work with founders who are watching every dollar, and the reality is that most revenue tools are simply out of reach. You can't ask a company making $20k or $50k a year to spend tens of thousands on outdated finance software. JustPaid is the first platform I've seen that actually understands this gap. They're giving early-stage teams access to technology that used to be reserved for large enterprises. It's refreshing to see someone finally reset the pricing expectations in this space," said Trish Emhof, Director of Ops at Proxy Foods AI, and finance leader supporting early-stage companies.

JustPaid's new free tier would give founders access to an AI-powered AR agent and core billing capabilities at no cost up to a certain revenue threshold. This model mirrors the early freemium strategies of breakout SaaS companies, offering essential infrastructure upfront and allowing customers to scale into paid plans naturally as revenue increases.

"Technology has evolved. The cost of computers has gone down. Finance tools should follow that curve. We built JustPaid without the legacy baggage, without the bloated sales teams, and without the overhead that forces others to raise prices. If we can give founders real financial automation on day one, we can help more startups survive long enough to grow," said Daniel Kivatinos, CEO and cofounder of JustPaid.

JustPaid plans to finalize the revenue threshold and rollout details after internal review with the founding team. The company expects the free tier to support thousands of early-stage founders, fractional CFOs, and finance operators who have been underserved by the current market.

For more information, and to be kept up to date on new developments, visit: justpaid.ai.

About JustPaid: JustPaid is the AI-powered revenue automation platform built for B2B companies. From invoicing to collections, JustPaid helps startups automate financial workflows, gain deep revenue insights, and scale without engineering effort. Backed by Y Combinator, JustPaid powers some of the most innovative companies redefining their industries.

Media Contact:
Kayla Doering
LMPR Communications
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SOURCE Just Paid