In the current subscription economy, independent creators and mid-sized media companies often face a "barrier to entry" problem. Launching a professional D2C service usually requires significant upfront investment in subscriber management, billing, customer support, and analytics tools. This financial risk often prevents new ideas from ever reaching the market.
Cleeng's freemium offering was designed to solve this. It provides media brands and creators with a fully functional platform that is free for your first 10,000 subscribers. This allows you to launch, test, and grow your audience using the same infrastructure as global media giants – but without the enterprise price tag.
Launching a subscription service involves a lot of moving parts. Cleeng simplifies it into a single, cohesive dashboard. With the free Cleeng plan, you gain immediate access to:
One of the most versatile aspects of Cleeng's free offerings is that it supports multiple revenue models simultaneously. You can mix and match to see what resonates with your audience:
Subscriptions: The standard recurring model. You can set monthly or annual billing cycles. This also includes Seasonal Subscriptions (ideal for sports), which automatically pause and resume based on league schedules.
Passes: Provide access for a set duration (e.g., a weekend or a month). Unlike subscriptions, these do not automatically renew, making them a low-friction entry point for new users.
Live events (PPV): Perfect for sporting events, concerts, or conferences. You can sell access to a single live stream with a defined start and end time.
One-time purchases: Offer lifetime or time-limited access to a specific resource (TVOD) for a single payment.
Free trials: Easily configure "7 days free" hooks or keep specific content entirely free to drive user registrations.
Full identity and entitlement management: Securely manage user logins and access rights across web, mobile apps, and CTV devices.
Low-code storefront setup: Launch a branded checkout and customer portal in under an hour with Hosted Customer Flows. You simply customize the design and embed a few lines of code on your site.
Integrated analytics: Access essential lifecycle metrics. Track growth, monitor churn rates, and analyze revenue trends to make data-driven decisions.
Campaign and coupon tools: Run targeted promotions using built-in automation to generate discount codes and track campaign performance.
Customer support infrastructure: Provide a professional support experience with help center widgets that offer self-service and guided assistance to your subscribers.
The most significant advantage of Cleeng Pro isn’t just that it’s free to start – it’s that it isn’t a restricted "trial" or a stripped-back demo. It is a fully functional, enterprise-grade environment that stays free of charge until you reach your 10,001st subscriber.
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Did you know? With Cleeng, you can use the same technology stack that has powered the subscriber experience for the Super Bowl (with the NFL), the Big Ten Football conference (B1G+), Wimbledon (Tennis Channel), theFIVB Volleyball World Cup (VBTV), the Premier League and the World Cup (beIN Group/TOD) – all at a $0 entry point for your first 10,000 subscribers |
For media brands and creators, this pay-as-you-grow model removes the financial risk typically associated with launching a new D2C service.
Most subscription platforms require a heavy upfront investment before you’ve even acquired your first customer. With a free Cleeng plan, you can:
Test content-market fit: Experiment with different pricing tiers (SVOD, PPV, or Seasonal) without worrying about software overhead.
Keep your revenue: Because there is no monthly platform fee for your first 10,000 users, the revenue you generate goes directly back into your content and marketing.
Bypass procurement: Established media brands can use the free tier to quickly launch experimental "sub-brands" or niche channels without the friction of complex corporate budgeting cycles.
Cleeng is designed to be the "forever home" for your subscription business. When your audience expands beyond the 10,000-subscriber milestone, you don't need to migrate to a new system or renegotiate a complex contract.
The transition is seamless and transparent:
Pay-per-subscriber model: Once you pass the threshold, you move to a clear pricing structure starting at $0.39 per managed subscriber per month.
Aligned Incentives: This model ensures that Cleeng’s success is directly tied to yours. You only pay for the scale you actually achieve.
No hidden integration fees: Unlike other platforms that surprise you with setup costs or API call limits as you grow, Cleeng maintains its straightforward approach to billing.
One of the reasons Cleeng can be launched so quickly is its extensive network of pre-integrated partners. You don't have to build a platform from scratch – you simply connect the best tools in the industry.
Cleeng offers "out-of-the-box" support for the industry’s leading video and app platforms. This includes seamless synchronization with JWPlayer for video delivery, Applicaster for app management, and Sportradar for sports data and streaming. These connectors mean your subscriber data and video entitlements talk to each other automatically. See all Certified Cleeng Pro partners.
Cleeng offers the best of both worlds with its flexible technology. You can start with a low-code setup, perfect for quick and easy launches, requiring minimal technical expertise. As your needs grow, Cleeng's API-first architecture allows you to transition to more advanced features, offering greater customization and scalability. This ensures you have a solution that evolves with your business, from simple setups to fully customized integrations.
For teams with specific technical requirements, the Cleeng Integration Hub provides comprehensive documentation, webhooks, and SDKs. Whether you are building a custom TV app or syncing data with a specialized CRM, the platform is designed to be flexible and extensible as your tech stack evolves. See Cleeng integrations.
While the free Cleeng plan allows you to connect your own payment gateway (like Stripe or PayPal), you remain the "Seller of Record." This means you're responsible for the "heavy lifting" of global commerce: calculating taxes, handling fraud, and staying compliant with local laws in every country where you sell. However, when you verify your account and embed the hosted customer flows, Cleeng's Merchant is automatically enabled for the publisher, simplifying global commerce management.
For many growing broadcasters, apps, and content creators, this becomes a major operational bottleneck. Cleeng’s Merchant of Record solution is an optional add-on that allows you to offload the entire burden to us. As your Merchant of Record, we take on the legal and financial liability:
Global tax compliance: We automatically calculate, collect, and remit VAT, GST, and Sales Tax in over 13,000 jurisdictions. You don't need an army of international accountants, as we handle the paperwork.
Advanced AI-powered fraud protection: Our system uses sophisticated monitoring to block fraudulent transactions before they happen, significantly reducing your risk and protecting your revenue. Learn more about fraud detection with AI.
Seamless financial reconciliation: Instead of managing dozens of different currency accounts and gateway settings, you receive one clean, consolidated payout from Cleeng.
Optimized checkout: Access 200+ integrated payment methods and local currencies through a single setup, ensuring your viewers can pay with their preferred local method, wherever they are.
With Cleeng’s MoR solution, you focus on creating and distributing world-class content, while we handle the boring but critical back-office of global finance.
Read more: What is a Merchant of Record?
The transition from a "passion project" to a professional media brand is often blocked by high technical and financial hurdles. The Cleeng Pro offering was built to remove those barriers.
By offering a fully functional, enterprise-grade platform for $0 per month for your first 10,000 subscribers, Cleeng allows you to stop worrying about management software and start focusing on what truly matters: your content and your community.
Whether you’re a sports league launching a season pass, a creator testing a new SVOD channel, or an enterprise spinning up a niche sub-brand, Cleeng gives you the same technology used by global leaders like the Tennis Channel and beIN Group, without the upfront risk.
Your audience is waiting. Why wait to launch?
The transition is seamless. You don't need to migrate data or change your setup. Your account will simply move to a transparent, pay-per-subscriber model (starting at ~$0.39/subscriber), ensuring your costs only scale alongside your revenue.
Absolutely. The free Cleeng plan includes all offer types: Subscriptions, Seasonal Passes, One-time Purchases (TVOD), and Live PPV.
No. Most users can launch in under 60 minutes using our Hosted Customer Flows. You simply customize the look to match your brand and embed a few lines of code on your site. If you do have a technical team, our API-first architecture and Integration Hub are available for more advanced, custom builds.
You do. Unlike third-party marketplaces or social platforms, Cleeng ensures you have full ownership of your customer data, email lists, and transaction history from day one.