Product Variants

Variants are the specific versions or options of a product that customers can choose from. They're where you define the different tiers, packages, or configurations that make your product appealing to different customer segments.

Understanding Variants

Think of variants as the "menu items" within your product offering. If your product is "Pizza," your variants might be "Small," "Medium," and "Large." Each variant can have:

• Unique pricing
• Different billing intervals
• Specific feature sets
• Custom usage limits
• Regional adaptations

Anatomy of a Variant

Each variant consists of:

Core Properties

• Name - Customer-facing name (e.g., "Professional Plan")
• Description - What's included and who it's for
• Status - Active, inactive, or archived
• SKU - Optional identifier for your internal systems

Pricing Configuration

• Prices - One or more price points
• Currencies - Support for multiple currencies
• Billing models - Fixed, usage-based, or hybrid

Metadata

• Feature flags - What features this variant enables
• Limits - Usage caps or quotas
• Custom attributes - Any additional data you need

Common Variant Strategies

1. Good-Better-Best Tiers

The classic SaaS model with ascending value:

Product: "Project Management"
├── Basic ($10/month)
│   ├── 5 users
│   ├── 10 projects
│   └── Core features
├── Pro ($25/month)
│   ├── 25 users
│   ├── Unlimited projects
│   └── Advanced features
└── Enterprise ($99/month)
    ├── Unlimited users
    ├── Unlimited projects
    └── All features + API

2. Use Case Variants

Different variants for different customer needs:

Product: "Video Platform"
├── Personal ($5/month)
│   └── Ad-free viewing
├── Creator ($15/month)
│   └── Upload and monetize
├── Business ($50/month)
│   └── Team collaboration
└── Education ($30/month)
    └── Classroom tools

3. Commitment-Based

Reward longer commitments with variants:

Product: "Cloud Storage"
├── Monthly ($10/month)
│   └── Pay as you go
├── Annual ($96/year)
│   └── Save 20%
└── Biennial ($172/2 years)
    └── Save 28%

4. Resource-Based

Scale resources across variants:

Product: "Database Service"
├── Starter
│   ├── 1GB storage
│   └── 100 queries/sec
├── Growth
│   ├── 10GB storage
│   └── 1,000 queries/sec
└── Scale
    ├── 100GB storage
    └── 10,000 queries/sec

Designing Effective Variants

Understand Your Segments

Before creating variants, identify your customer segments:

• Budget-conscious - Need basic features at low cost
• Professional users - Want advanced features and support
• Power users - Need maximum capabilities and limits
• Enterprise - Require security, compliance, and SLAs

Create Clear Differentiation

Each variant should have a clear value proposition:

Price Anchoring

Structure variants to guide customer choice:

1. Entry variant - Accessible price point to get started
2. Target variant - Where you want most customers (often ~2.2x entry price)
3. Premium variant - High-end option that makes target look reasonable

Avoid Choice Paralysis

Too many variants confuse customers:

• 3-4 variants - Ideal for most products
• 5-6 variants - Maximum before confusion sets in
• 7+ variants - Consider a different structure

Variant Lifecycle Management

Launching New Variants

When adding variants:

1. Research - Validate demand with customer feedback
2. Position - Clearly communicate where it fits
3. Price - Ensure logical progression with existing variants
4. Migrate - Offer easy upgrades from other variants

Modifying Variants

Be careful when changing variants:

• Grandfather pricing - Keep existing customers on old terms
• Migration incentives - Offer deals to move customers
• Clear communication - Explain what's changing and why
• Grace periods - Give time to adjust

Retiring Variants

When removing variants:

1. Stop new sales - Hide from new customers first
2. Communicate early - Give existing customers notice
3. Offer alternatives - Suggest comparable variants
4. Honor commitments - Let subscriptions run their course

Advanced Variant Patterns

Regional Variants

Adapt to local markets:

"Pro Plan - US" → $49 USD
"Pro Plan - EU" → €45 EUR  
"Pro Plan - India" → ₹1,999 INR

Channel-Specific

Different variants for different sales channels:

"Direct Pro" → Full price, all features
"Partner Pro" → Discounted, co-branded
"Marketplace Pro" → Higher price, marketplace fees

Promotional Variants

Time-limited or special offers:

"Black Friday Pro" → 50% off for 6 months
"Student Plan" → Verified education discount
"Startup Plan" → Special terms for early-stage

Feature Bundles

Combine products via variants:

"Suite Basic" → Product A + Product B
"Suite Pro" → Products A + B + C
"Suite Enterprise" → All products + services

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

✅ Good variant names:

• Describe the target user: "Freelancer," "Team," "Enterprise"
• Indicate scale: "Starter," "Growth," "Scale"
• Show value: "Essential," "Professional," "Premium"

❌ Avoid:

• Technical jargon: "Tier-2-B," "Package_03"
• Negative framing: "Limited," "Restricted"
• Confusing terms: "Plus Pro," "Premium+"

Upgrade Paths

Design variants to encourage natural progression:

1. Start with clear benefits at each level
2. Remove friction from upgrade process
3. Show what they're missing
4. Celebrate upgrades

Testing and Optimization

Continuously improve your variants:

• A/B test names and descriptions
• Monitor conversion rates between variants
• Survey why customers chose their variant
• Analyze upgrade and downgrade patterns

Common Questions

How many prices can a variant have?

Unlimited! Common scenarios:

• Multiple currencies
• Different billing intervals (monthly/annual)
• Regional pricing
• Promotional prices

Can I limit features by variant?

Yes, this is a core use case. Use metadata or feature flags to control what each variant enables in your application.

Should variants share the same features?

It depends. Some strategies:

• Cumulative: Each tier includes everything below
• Exclusive: Each variant has unique features
• Mixed: Core features shared, premium features exclusive

How do I handle grandfathered variants?

Keep old variants active but hidden from new customers. Existing subscriptions continue, but new customers can't select them.

Next Steps

Ready to put variants to work? Continue with:

• Pricing Configuration - Attach prices to your variants
• Subscription Management - See how customers subscribe to variants
• Pricing Models - Explore pricing strategies